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“Well, if that is truly what he’s doing, then you need to act like you haven’t figured it out.

” Adelina kept her voice soft in an attempt to reassure her teacher.

“Act normal. I’ll find Natasha and see if she can gather some items the guards won’t notice are missing.

Try to keep calm. I’ll be back tonight as planned. ”

Adelina headed for the door. When her hand rested on the handle, she glanced over her shoulder. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Although her lips were pressed tight together, Yelena managed a small, sharp nod.

Slipping out of the door, Adelina set in a quick pace towards the kitchen. She found Natasha kneading a ball of dough, flour dusted over her apron and face .

“Adelina.” Natasha’s eyes widened. “What are you doing here? You shouldn’t be in the kitchens. If you’re hungry, I can bring food to you.”

“I’m wondering if you can prepare a bath for me.” Adelina tilted her head slightly, hoping Natasha would pick up on the signal.

“Right now?” Natasha frowned.

Adelina gestured to the door. “It’s quite urgent. My muscles are sore…from the training.”

Natasha turned to speak to the head cook, then escorted her into the foyer. “What’s wrong?”

“Not here,” Adelina whispered as she followed Natasha up the marble staircase towards the bathing room.

Closing the door behind them, Natasha went to prepare the tub. “I’ll boil the water and bring it up, miss. I wasn’t expecting you to request a bath in the middle of the day.”

“I don’t require a bath.” Adelina grabbed her hands. “There’s something I need you to do for me.”

“What is it?” Natasha asked.

“You must swear you won’t say a word. I’m counting on you, here.

What I’m about to ask of you will potentially save hundreds of lives, including my husband.

” Adelina couldn’t help but wrinkle her nose at the fineries around her.

When she’d first come to the palace, her breath was taken away.

But the exquisiteness had soured for her—her sister’s ghost would forever haunt the place, and she’d never forget the hardships her husband had endured.

Natasha nodded sharply and gripped Adelina’s hands. “I helped you once. I will do it again. What can I do? ”

“I need you to collect some items for me. Without raising suspicion. Go to the barracks when the guards are sleeping—take swords, shields, arrows, anything they use.” Adelina kept her voice low.

“You’ll have to do it in several trips—the items are large, and we can’t risk you dropping things and making a noise. Can you do this for me?”

“Yes, of course, but what for?” Natasha’s eyebrows knitted together.

Adelina hesitated—the words dancing on her tongue.

Natasha had helped her before—if it wasn’t for her, she would be none the wiser about Filip’s intentions to wed her and sire his children.

If Adelina was going to cause an explosion, she didn’t want her caught in the blast. “I’ll overcharge them with my magic and put them back before the guards wake.

The overcharged state will last for a few hours, so they will explode as soon as they’re touched by the guards.

If I overcharge enough weapons, it’ll likely destroy the palace, bringing Filip down with them.

You’ll need to grab a horse from the stables, and ride away from here. ”

Natasha stared at her blankly.

“Natasha.” Adelina shook her hands. “Do you understand?”

Closing her mouth, Natasha nodded and blinked several times. “Yes, I…I understand.”

“You can’t speak a word of this,” Adelina said.

“Countless lives have already been lost, Filip might be starting a war with the Treefolk. I can’t explain all of it right now, but this is serious.

I’ve already lost my sister, and I haven’t seen my parents since the day she died.

I won’t let anyone else be hurt or killed by Filip. Including you, Yelena, or Damir. ”

“A war—with the Treefolk?” Natasha ‘s eyes widened.

“Look, I don’t have much time,” Adelina said urgently. “Please, do this for me, for us. Then get yourself out of here.”

“Okay.” Natasha breathed. “I’ll go to the barracks tonight. Where shall I bring the items?”

“Come to the training room, and don’t get caught,” Adelina said. “I’ll see you tonight.”

Natasha flattened her skirts, tucked loose strands of hair behind her ears, then left the bathing room.

Blowing out a deep breath of air, Adelina pressed a hand to the wall and focused on her hammering heartbeat. They had one shot at this. And they couldn’t afford to get it wrong.

∞∞∞

When the sky was black with night, Adelina slipped through the door and tiptoed along the manicured garden towards the training room at the back. She clung to the shadows cast by the conservatory to keep out of potentially watchful eyes.

When she reached the building, she grabbed the handle and slipped inside. The room was dark to avoid any light leaking from the windows. Keeping her hand on the wall, she let her touch guide her towards the secret office.

The door was left ajar, and a tiny sliver of light shone through. She quickly opened it and hurried inside. Pressing her back to the door, she sighed through her nose .

“Just in time.” Yelena glanced at her from behind her desk. In front of her was a stash of sage and a box of matches. She gestured to the armchair opposite her. “Take a seat.”

Adelina slid onto the chair, shuffling until she was comfortable. “I’ve spoken to Natasha. She will be bringing items for enchantment tonight, but she’ll only be able to bring a few at a time.”

Yelena nodded. “While we wait for her, I’m going to re-enact the test—it’ll be exactly like what you went through with the Seer.”

Swallowing, Adelina gripped the arms of her chair.

“Try to relax,” Yelena said in a soothing manner. “I know your mind is shifting through everything else going on, but you need to let go if you want to see Svarog.”

“Okay.” Adelina tilted her chin a notch higher. “I’m ready when you are.”

Yelena clasped the bunch of sage, lit the end, then danced around the office. She waved the burning sage as she hummed and circled Adelina. As the Seer had done, Yelena’s tune shifted to a melodic chant.

As Adelina’s mind turned foggy, the song grew distant, like she was falling farther and farther away from the living plane. Her vision blurred, and her muscles relaxed. Yelena’s song dwindled as Adelina fell asleep.

She plummeted into a trance, but the aroma of burning sage tickled her nose. Behind closed eyes, a vision materialised. This time, there was no outstretched hand to guide her through the darkness—she didn’t need it anymore. She ambled through the smoke circling her feet .

A golden spark flickered against the endless blackness. Instead of Svarog’s slow emerge from the shadows in her test, he popped into sight. She shielded her eyes from the sudden burst of golden light blazing from his body and wings.

“Adelina,” he said as his long tail lowered to the floor, wrapping itself around him.

“Svarog,” she said. “I need you.”

“I am aware of what might come to pass.” His forked tongue flicked out the corner of his mouth.

“Can you help them?” Adelina stepped forwards, coming closer to him than she ever dared before. “Please. You’ve mentioned the balance of life before, and surely, this violates it.”

“I already have a plan.” Did a dragon god just grin?

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Sssshould your vissssion come to passss, I won’t be able to sssstop the fire or bring back thosssse who perissssh, but I can usssse my magic to make a ssssafe haven for the Treefolk who ssssurvive,” he said.

“How?” Her interest piqued. “Like what the last astral wielders did for Aldercrown? How will it stop Filip and his soldiers from figuring out a way to break it? They could get Veles involved again.”

“Lasssst time, the Treefolk did not have the help of a god to keep them ssssafe. Do not worry about Velessss—leave him to me.” His lips curled back, flashing his long, sharp teeth.

“Easy for you to say.” She couldn’t suppress a nervous laugh. “You know what his plans are. I’m doing everything I can to stop him from tearing down the barrier. I’m going to need a little help. ”

“Velessss and I have been at war for centuriessss—we are the ssssame assss you and Filip. One ssssoul to fight over.” He flapped his wings, sparking golden light.

“I already know all this.” Adelina’s voice was blunt, fuelled by her impatience. “What are you going to do about it?”

“I will enssssure the Treefolk are protected, but I do not have a physsssical pressssencsssse in the living plane. You mussst do whatever you can to thwart Filip, remove Velessss’ emissssary.”

“My plan is already in motion,” she said. “Just please, do what you can to save the Treefolk. They are innocent and don’t deserve to die.”

Silence formed between them.

His eyes softened as much as a dragon’s eyes could.

“I’m ssssorry about your ssssisssster.”

She nodded as tears prickled her eyes. “There’s something else I need to talk to you about.”

“What is it?”

“The Sword of Light—it’s not behaving in the same way for Filip that it did for me.

When I gave it to him, he experienced no pain, no burst of light.

He’s going to figure out what is wrong with it.

Perhaps you might know something, seeing as you created it.

” She rubbed her arm—there was no chill where they stood, but the idea of facing Filip’s wrath again made her hairs stand on end.

“Curioussss,” he said. “The ssssword may be conflicted. With you both sssso closssse by, it may not be able to determine where itssss loyaltiessss lie.”

She shook her head. “I’m not sure. He used it during battle, and it acted like any other sword. You wouldn’t have been able to tell it was forged by gods.”

The dragon god remained silent for a few moments, as if lost in deep thought. “I have forged one other ssssword like thissss in all my centuriessss of being. An old tale, no doubt, but the detailssss are intact in my memory.”

“What details?” She shifted her weight from foot to foot, itching to get back to the living plane—back to her mission with Yelena and Natasha.

“There lived another ssssoul pair—like you and Filip. The male wassss a powerful asssstral wielder, and he came to me in ssssearch of the Ssssword of Light. He brought me the materialsssss, I forged it, and he wassss on hissss way,” he said.

“A woman, the other half of hissss sssssoul, killed hissss wife and children becausssse he refussssed to combine their magic. The woman wanted to rule, but during thosssse timessss, ssssuch a thing wassss frowned upon—sssshe needed a husband, a man to be king.”

“She desired nothing more than to marry him.” Adelina put the pieces together.

“I’m ssssure it ssssoundssss familiar.” He arched a brow.

“Filip wanted to marry me, but I refused. Ever since, nothing but bad things have happened.” She shivered.

“Except in this sssstory, the man wassss already married, with children. There wassss no way he could possssibly leave hissss wife and family. Even though he was an asssstral wielder, he did not want to usssse it, certainly not to rule a kingdom,” he said. “You know what happenssss next. ”

“She killed him and his family for it,” she whispered.

“Yessss.” He nodded. “But before that, he did everything he could to protect hissss family from her. He wanted the ssssword to end her life, remove her as a threat to hissss family.”

“Then what happened?” Her attention was rapt by the story so like her own.

“Well, sssshe sssstole the Ssssword sssstraight from him. When sssshe tried to usssse it to take down her enemiessss, it did not work,” he said, “Now I ssssee history repeating itsssself with you and Filip, I wonder if the ssssword only truly givessss itssss loyaltiessss to thosssse whosssse intentionssss are pure.”

“You know, we speak of the sword as if it is alive,” she pointed out. “You’re the one who created it. Did you intend it to have a mind of its own?”

“The Ssssword of Light issss made of everything pure and natural in life,” he said.

“It embodiessss ssssunlight and life. It would make ssssensssse for it to act in itssss own way. I hadn’t conssssidered it in ssssuch detail until now, with you and Filip living a ssssimilar sssstory.

And ssssince thissss issss only the ssssecond time thissss weapon hassss been forged, the depth of itssss loyaltiessss hassss not been recorded by wielderssss. ”

“There have been thousands of astral wielders to exist over the centuries, right?” she asked. “Why did you only make two?”

“Two have been pure of heart.” He smiled warmly. “And only two who’ve required it.”

She couldn’t help but return the smile—his presence soothed her .

“This means the sword will never truly obey Filip,” she said. “And when he finds out…”

“You know what to do, Adelina.” His gaze narrowed on her.

Sensation prickled her arms and legs as she returned to her body. When she opened her eyes, her vision was foggy, and she couldn’t lift her head from its resting position against the back of the chair.

“I’ll make you a medicinal concoction to help with the dizziness.” Yelena’s voice echoed as if she’d spoken underwater. “Orpin rose flowers—it’s what the Seer would’ve given you after the test.”

Adelina tried to nod, although she wasn’t sure she’d managed to. As her eyes adjusted to the faint light of the office, she waited as Yelena approached.

“Sit there for a little while, and drink this.” Yelena handed her a vial of steeped, crushed petals. “I brought this to a boil before you came.”

Blinking slowly, Adelina took the vial and unscrewed the cap. Her muscles were heavy, so the movement of bringing it to her lips was slow. She tipped the contents into her mouth and breathed in the fragrant aroma.

The last time she’d drank it, she was desperate to sleep. Although her eyesight was somewhat blurry, she was conscious.

“It gets easier.” Yelena smiled as if she’d sensed Adelina’s thoughts.

Adelina spent the next hour stretching her arms and legs, walking around the office to stimulate the muscles. With each passing moment, she grew more anxious. Where in the realm was Natasha ?

“You’re making me nervous, dear.” Yelena frowned. “Natasha will be taking her time. Or she risks getting caught.”

“We’re going to have this anxiety all night.

” Adelina dragged a hand over her face. “Natasha will be taking several trips back and forth from the barracks while I overcharge things. Then they’d all need to be put back before the guards wake up.

Who knows if I’m even strong enough to overcharge so many objects? ”

Yelena chuckled. “You are an astral wielder—the sun god’s chosen one. You will be strong enough.”