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I do not like having my witchcraft locked away,Valerie thought as she was rocked around the carriage.

Staring at her hand, she assessed the inability to feel her magic whatsoever. It felt like there was a piece missing from her, a vital piece that instantly made her feel broken. She was at least relieved that if she needed it, all she had to do was release it.

Sighing, she turned to look out the window while ignoring the man travelling inside this uncomfortable transport with her.

For five out of the six men she’d used the mind trapping spell on, she commanded them to think of her as the duke’s daughter. Immediately, they begun to act as though she was the girl, confused as to why they were pointing their swords at each other. She’d done the same to the two servants with them.

She’d picked one of the six men who looked like Cecily’s uncle, Vermont, and commanded he act as though he was Cecily’s uncle. He was there to escort her to the king.He is my glaring vulnerability in this plan.

Valerie had been teaching him all that she knew about being a duke in the day they’d been travelling. Hopefully, with her magic enchanting him, he would be able to act the way she needed. He certainly looked the part.

Before she’d done the spell with Cecily that would suppress her magic, she put a glamour on him, one that filled in the blanks for those who might know the real Sir Vermont.

Using dark magic feels wrong.The way her power flowed from her crawled across her skin rather than cascaded gently.

But there is nothing I can do about it. This will not be successful without it.Even the spell with Cecily was blood magic, which was against her teachings.

Once the binding contract was made, Valerie went through the noblewoman’s travel chests to select dresses and jewellery she could wear to signify her false status. Cecily had received a drawstring bag of gold coins in payment for the items, something Valerie had stolen from a different caravan of carriages. Then, she handed the girl her sword, knowing she couldn’t take it with her.

It is lucky that we look similar, even in age.Although the life spans of Witches were different to humans, they were able to live almost two hundred years thanks to their ancestors.

Valerie didn’t look older than twenty-eight years old.

Cecily was twenty-six, but Valerie was sure if Duke Grayson had a younger daughter, he would have sent her instead. Alas, he didn’t, and could only send Cecily.

The ageing state of his daughter was why he originally allowed her to wed the knight, knowing she was crawling away from the age where he could pass her off as youthful.She is still quite a beautiful girl.

Valerie pulled at the waving hair that flowed past her shoulders, down to just below her waist. Cecily had added two braids that came from the corners of her forehead just above her ears to the back of her hair, intertwining there. The braids were small and left most of her hair free, which she was thankful for.

Cecily’s hair was a lighter brown than Valerie’s dark locks, and although they both had green eyes, Cecily’s had been brighter. Even Valerie was able to tell that her own pale skin covered daintier bones.

It is lucky that she rarely left her manor.She informed Valerie she hadn’t seen the other dukes’ daughters since she was an early teenager. Instead, she’d been surrounded by other dukes and their sons, those who didn’t have daughters, since Cecily didn’t get along with other girls.

They found her brutish and snobbish because she refused to play her role with women of the same status.The girl is a flirt. No wonder a knight of her own guard fell for her.

It worked in Valerie’s favour, though. Most wouldn’t know that she and Cecily were not the same person.

Resting her arm on the windowsill to look outside, Valerie thought on the vision she’d conjured.

Without her coven – consisting of her mother and two other sisters – knowing, she’d taken some of Kaeylyn’s hair from her brush. Then, in the darkness of night, she’d called upon the fairies who lived near their home.

They came to her joyfully, since they had grown to trust her family over the generations they lived in the same house and forest lands.

Valerie still felt terrible about betraying them. She’d trapped them and stole their blood, knowing they wouldn’t give it to her willingly.

She hadn’t needed much, only a few droplets, but, to something the size of her palm, it was devastating. It was added to a potion of herbs with a small chant.

When she drank it, it allowed her to see back in time by a day. She saw through her sister’s own eyes.

She’d been playing, chasing fairies around the forest in the dark of night when she should have been in bed. Unfortunately, she travelled too close to the road and was spotted. Her sister had been frightened, crying and screaming for their mother.

Valerie’s hand clenched into a tight fist.She cried for me as well...She hadn’t called out for anyone else.

Valerie never saw the faces of the men, but she’d seen the house emblem on their shields and armour. All she saw before the vision faded was her sister, bound with rope, seeing the palace through a wagon window.

They were planning on gifting her to the king.

Why, Kaeylyn? You silly girl!Valerie’s hand clenched tighter.Why did you have to sneak out of bed to play that night?