Page 21 of Fate’s Sweetest Curse (Mirrors of Fate #2)

“I love lemon,” Willa piped up, giving my arm a slight squeeze. “Let’s hope Zorin hasn’t eaten them all by the time I get back. ”

I chuckled. “Is that why she seemed to take offense when I suggested she wanted them for herself?”

“Oh, definitely .”

We walked for a few minutes in silence, the footsteps of other passersby nearing and disappearing. Light and shadow crossed my blindfold at intervals as we continued past narrow windows.

“If I’ve already taken an Oath, why the blindfold?” I asked. “It’s not like I’ll betray the location of the lab.”

“It’s for your protection, too,” Willa said. “Fenrir has a long history of foreign spies attempting to infiltrate the Oculus and other classified areas of the Collegium. Having fewer individuals know the layout of the labs assists in continued security.”

Suddenly Sani’s talk of political conspiracies seemed a lot more… real .

“Not to worry,” Willa continued. “Nowadays, the blindfolds are more of a tradition than an actual precaution. Aside from the occasional burglary, no one has attempted to break into a lab in over a century.”

“Burglaries, really?”

“We had one just last week.” Willa sounded entirely unbothered. “Such things occur in cities all the time.”

We reached a set of shallow steps—just three in total, but Willa had to patently guide me as I toed their edges, sightlessly fumbling my way down. Once I was on flat ground again, we walked another ten strides, then halted.

“Willa,” a gravelly male voice greeted.

“I’m here with Hattie Mund,” Willa announced.

There was a loud click, followed by hinges squeaking.

Willa ushered me forward. Fresh, fragrant air gusted over my face, and the color of the blindfold paled again, suggesting we were…outside?

“You can take it off, now,” Willa said, releasing my arm.

I slid the blindfold up my forehead and off, tucking it in my pocket as I blinked in the sudden brightness .

We stood at the edge of a huge indoor garden.

Past the cave-like entrance, the lab’s ceiling was a massive dome made of sectioned glass, sunlight beaming through panels that reached three stories high.

The lower windows had been propped open, letting in a cool breeze that ruffled my hair.

Straight ahead were rows upon rows of raised garden beds, overflowing with lush vegetation—rosemary, mint, sage, thyme, and countless flowers—that painted the air with fragrance.

Interspersed between the beds were narrow lab benches similar to the ones in our herbology classroom, with supply carts parked on the flagstone walkways that crisscrossed the garden in a neat grid.

Trees and shrubs—all in bloom—grew along the garden’s circumference, insulating us from the sounds of the city.

Bees, butterflies, and birds fluttered in amongst the foliage.

It was as if the Fates had bottled a piece of lush countryside and deposited it here in the heart of the capital. A true testament to Lord Haron’s stake in Phina’s research.

All throughout the space, apprentices were conducting experiments at the benches, pruning plants, and studying in a sheltered alcove off to my right.

To my left was a wide archway that led to a forge and metalworking area, along with a wooden staircase that climbed to a mezzanine overlooking the entire lab.

As I craned my neck toward the balcony, I caught a glimpse of Phina standing at the railing, talking to—

I squinted.

Squinted harder , seething with disbelief at who I saw.

“Hattie, welcome!” Phina called, beckoning me from the balcony. “Come up, come up.”

I glanced at Willa, who offered a quick smile.

“You’ll need an escort to lead you out, either a knight or one of your lab mates with proper clearance.

To summon me, pull that”—she pointed at one of three cords hanging from the ceiling by the entrance—“and it’ll ring the bell in the atrium.

” She paused, waiting for my acknowledgment.

Belatedly, I nodded. “Understood.”

“I’m off to procure a cookie—if there are any left,” she said, eyebrows bouncing. “Have fun!”

The heavy wooden doors groaned as she closed me inside the lab. It wasn’t until they juddered shut that I went to the stairs, fists balled, taking the steps heavily. When I reached the top, I felt like I was the victim of an elaborate prank.

Because standing beside my professor was an infuriatingly handsome man, with captivating green eyes and a smirk that boiled my blood. A man who was supposed to be in Waldron. Far away from here.

As I walked up, Noble swiveled away from Phina to face me, his chiseled features morphing into cool impassivity.

Fury flared in my chest like a bonfire, as if to warm me against his chill.

How dare he interfere with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?

My long-ignored dreams coming true? How dare he exist in my presence when I was not allowed to want his company?

When wanting him was part of the reason I’d had to go into hiding in the first place?

He’d haunted my steps in Waldron for an entire year . I was not interested in having him haunt my steps here, too.

Fingernails biting into my palms, I stomped the rest of the way up to Noble. “What in all the Seven Territories is going on?”

Phina’s forehead creased at my sharp tone—then her attention cut to Noble, questioning.

His face remained controlled, blank. Fuel to my fire.

My professor, my idol, regarded me again, slipping into smooth congeniality. “Hattie, this is Noble. He’s one of my researchers.”