Page 5

“And this is Her Highness Princess Morgana Angevire of Trova,” Leon says. I blink, my official title sounding strange to me. Gallis eyes me with interest for a moment before she inclines her head to me.

“My apologies for the lack of ceremony around your arrival,” she says, though there’s a twinkle in her eye that tells me she’s not too concerned. “The Lyceum isn’t used to the kind of courtly rituals they have in Lavail, so I’m afraid I have little fanfare to offer.”

“I think you and I both know fanfare is precisely what we wish to avoid right now,” Leon says.

“Indeed,” Gallis replies with a knowing nod.

I have no idea what they’re talking about—except for the impression that Leon wants to be discreet about our presence here.

That must be why we didn’t stop anywhere of note on our way to the Lyceum.

But Leon is a prince of Filusia, and we’re in his domain, so what is he trying to hide, and from whom?

“When can you begin?” Leon asks Gallis.

“Well, that depends. You’re probably worn out from your travels, Your Highness.” I start when I realize Gallis is addressing me.

“A little,” I say, giving Leon a look that demands he explain himself now .

“Proctor Gallis is also a solari,” he says. “She’s going to be your mentor.”

I gape, my eyes flicking to the stars at her wrists again. The fae told me solari work and live freely in Filusia, but it’s one thing to be told that. To see it with your own eyes…

“I’ve never met another solari before,” I say, suddenly shy.

Gallis smiles at me. “We are few and far between even in Filusia, so it is always a pleasure to meet a kindred spirit. His Highness tells me you are quite the talent.”

I throw Leon a sideways look. “He does, does he?”

Apparently, Leon was in contact with this woman while we were traveling. That makes me wary. What else does she know about me? How much do I want her to know? There’s more than one person in this world who wishes me dead, and as news of my celestial abilities spread, that number is sure to grow.

Gallis reads the expression on my face all too well.

“You must be nervous, entrusting this information to strangers. I know things are…complicated in Trova for solari like us. But if there’s one thing the Lyceum is good at, it’s keeping secrets.

We’ve protected many pieces of ancient knowledge for centuries.

Your presence here, and your abilities, will be treated with the utmost discretion. ”

“The Lyceum’s goal is to promote learning, not get involved in politics,” Leon says.

I’m deeply wary of trusting anyone these days, but I can’t lie that I’m intrigued by Gallis. The chance to discuss my magic with a fellow solari is incredibly tempting. I suspect Leon knew that when he brought me here.

“Can you conjure sunlight, like me?” I ask quietly.

Gallis nods. “That is the most common celestial power, and the one I’m blessed with. Would you like to see?”

I nod, and she lifts her palm.

A dozen small beams of light radiate from her hand, forming a golden cage that spins slowly above her palm.

I can feel the heat from here—those lines of light are as searing as anything I’ve conjured, but my eyes widen at the elegance and precision of them.

Compared to this, my sun beams are like battering rams, smashing through everything in their path.

She goes a step further, sending the beams toward a large glass prism on her desk. The cage of light settles around it, and suddenly the entire room is covered in moving pictures—birds and beasts dance on every surface, moving as the cage of sun beams rotates, sending the refractions spinning.

“That’s amazing,” I breathe as she allows the light to fade.

She gives a small smile, accepting the compliment. “Perhaps. But I have heard amazing things about your powers as well, Your Highness.”

“Please,” I say. “Call me Morgana.”

“Very well. I have studied celestial magic for many years, Morgana. In fact, most of these books are on the subject. I even wrote a few of them.” She gestures to the books around her, and I stare at them in awe.

“I have many theories I’d like to discuss with you—about the nature of celestial energy, its source, and how the mortal body sustains it—but you must be tired. We can continue this another time.”

In Trova, celestial magic is so forbidden I’ve barely ever heard it discussed. I’ve certainly never met anyone who understands how it works. I want to learn more from her, I do. But as my eyes drift to Leon, I’m reminded that I’m not here of my own will, and that sours my enthusiasm.

I don’t believe I’m just here to get stronger. There’s something else at play. Leon is nothing but practical, and he wouldn’t go to all these lengths without something to gain from this. I just don’t know what that is yet.

And while I try to figure that out, I can’t help but think Leon’s unsuspectingly handing me the keys to my freedom.

He showed me on our journey here that there’s no way I can overpower him in a confrontation.

But if the fae here can teach me the kind of precision Gallis has just demonstrated, if I could unlock new levels to my magic—then maybe things would be different.

Leon could try to keep Tira and me from going back to Trova—to Gullert to find Will—but would he be strong enough to stop me if I reached my true potential?

“Thank you for that insight,” I say, rising. “You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

Gallis stands too and watches as Leon escorts me out into the antechamber beyond her office.

“So?” he asks before we leave to rejoin the others.

“So what?” I ask. This is the first time we’ve been truly alone since he betrayed me, and it only intensifies all the emotions within me. The anger is sharper, and the pain cuts deeper as I look into his face.

“Will you train with her? Learn what she has to teach you?”

“Do I have a choice?” I ask. As much as I want Gallis’s help, that doesn’t erase the bitterness of knowing what I want ultimately doesn’t matter as much as what Leon has already decided.

He’s silent for a moment, considering me, and I shift uncomfortably. His gaze feels like a weight pressing down on me.

“I know you don’t believe me when I say I’m doing this to keep you safe, but do you think Etusca would have ever agreed to help me if she didn’t believe it? That woman spent decades watching over you. She wouldn’t have helped me if she didn’t think my intentions were good.”

“Etusca spent decades lying to me,” I correct. “So forgive me if I don’t consider her the best judge of good intentions.”

And people will keep lying to you and betraying you until you get strong enough to stand up for yourself.

The voice in my head is right. As much as I hate Leon for refusing to give me my freedom, that’s the way this world works. If I want my freedom back, I need to arm myself in whatever way I can. And once my training is done, Leon will be the first person I keep myself safe from.

“Morgana—” Leon starts to speak.

“Alright,” I cut him off. “I’ll do it. I’ll take Gallis’s lessons. But on one condition.”

“I thought we’d already covered this with our deal,” Leon says. “You lost that fight, remember?”

“The deal was that I’d come here without trying to escape again, and I did. If you want anything more than that, we’ll need a new set of terms.”

He quirks his eyebrow but says nothing. I think I even see a glint of approval in his eyes.

“If you really care about keeping me safe, you’ll teach me how to block sensic magic too. You said it can be done. The cleavers kept you out of their heads in Otscold. I want to learn too.”

It’ll be no use being able to overpower Leon physically if he and his soldiers can slip into my mind in half a dozen different ways and cripple me before I conjure so much as a spark of sunlight.

He weighs this before giving a sharp nod. “That seems reasonable. You have a deal.”

He offers his hand, suggesting we shake on it. But I ignore it, striding from the antechamber without another word.

Just because I’m cooperating doesn’t mean we’re friends, or even allies. And Leon will only be more suspicious if I start playing nice. He’ll know I’m planning something.

When we’re back in the corridor, Damia nods to the freckled fae.

“They have rooms for us all. He says he can take us there now. I don’t know about you, but I’d murder someone for a bath right now.”

Knowing Damia, I’m not sure she’s speaking figuratively.

“You go ahead,” I say to them, my eyes settling on the green-skinned dryad hovering at the back of the group. I’m going to do something I should’ve done a week ago. “I need to speak to Etusca.”