Page 3

Alina

“WHAT?” I SNAP. I CAN’T believe the words that just came out of my grandfather’s mouth. He wants to send me to the academy with a guard. A babysitter . “You cannot be serious.”

Grandfather sips his tea, not bothered in the slightest by my outburst. “On the contrary, I’m perfectly serious. Raelan will accompany you, or you won’t attend.”

“B-but,” I splutter, “what about the other students? They’ll treat me like an outsider.”

As the princess, I’ve been other all my life. And somehow, I convinced myself that this could be different, that I could get lost in the halls of Coven Crest, burdened with books and projects like all the other students, and I could become one of them, even if only for a few short years.

But if a knight is to follow me through the halls, I’ll never fit in, will never come to know what it’s like to just be . I’ll still be Princess Alina Ravenscroft, the king’s granddaughter, this fragile and untouchable woman that others have to be careful around at all times. Like I’m living in a bubble, or a glass cage.

“At first, they might,” Grandfather says. “But in time, they’ll come to know you for you.” He moves to take a seat in the big crimson armchair across from mine, his blue eyes softening. “I’ve already had Mayleen assess the other first-year witches, and she’s selected three who will be appropriate roommates for you.”

Mayleen is one of my grandfather’s witches, a powerful seeress. How many other people in the castle know I applied to the academy? I was certain it was a secret, but I see now I was mistaken. As usual, Grandfather was ten steps ahead of me. That’s part of what makes him a great king.

“Those are my terms,” Grandfather says simply.

I grip my cake fork tightly, my eyes cutting to the guard standing near the door to Grandfather’s study. He has dark hair cut close to his head and intense dark eyes set off by light bronze skin. His jaw is sharp and clean-shaven, cheekbones pronounced. I’ve seen him around the castle many times, but I can’t recall ever having exchanged more than a few words with him. And I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him smile.

“And how do you feel about this?” I ask. “Did you become a knight just so you could babysit a princess?”

I hope for him to react, to at least show some indication of being as annoyed by this as I am, but I’m disappointed.

All he does is stand slightly straighter, his eyes focused somewhere above my head. “It would be an honor to accompany Her Highness to the academy. ”

Pretty words in front of the king. I wonder what he’d say if I got him alone.

With a huff, I turn back around in my chair and stare at Grandfather, who’s now perusing the cake options on the tea tray. He chooses a maple-cinnamon cake topped with thick buttercream frosting. That’s one of Yuki’s favorites. I’ll snag him a slice before I leave.

In my hand, my fork goes icy, and I look down to see fractals spreading across the metal, creeping across the handle like ice forming on a lake in early winter.

This is why I need so badly to attend the academy. I feel so much magic inside me, wanting to come out, but I don’t yet know how to control it, and the witches of Shadowfall Court are much too busy with their own coven duties to train me in the way I need.

Coven Crest Academy is my best option. It’s where I need to be.

I just never imagined myself walking the grounds and halls with a shadow. Especially one so quiet and cold as Sir Raelan Ashvale.

Peeling my fingers from the frozen fork—and wincing in the process—I let out a sigh. Grandfather meets my eyes.

“All right,” I say, leaning back in the armchair and letting out a resigned breath. “I don’t like it, but I’ll do it.”

Grandfather smiles. “Wonderful.”