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thirteen

I met Louis on the terrace overlooking the gardens.

He was wearing a sky blue shirt that complimented his copper hair.

Over it he wore a brown leather vest that laced up the middle.

He also wore bracers, brown breeches, and a sword at his hip.

It seemed a little overkill for our first lesson.

He led me to a private space, a short walk away, while I stayed tucked behind him, feeling self-conscious in leggings and a tunic.

White Corinthian pillars lined the small circular area that appeared to be designated for sparring. Crows sat atop the pillars, cawing and flapping their wings at us. They were heckling me—waiting for me to embarrass myself. I scowled at them.

Springy, soft grass blanketed the ground.

Haystacks draped in a tough canvas material looked designed for target practice.

A rack of wooden swords and other weapons I’d never seen before sat outside the circle, waiting to be wielded.

I shuffled my feet nervously, feeling exposed without heavy skirts to hide beneath.

“Is your clothing uncomfortable? You keep tugging at your pants,” Louis asked with a playful grin.

“This is my first time wearing this type of clothing, thank you very much. You may keep your observations to yourself.” I crossed my arms and glared at him, daring him to say another word.

“Now, how would you learn anything if I did that?” Louis circled me with an eagle-eyed keenness. I stiffened as he moved my feet wider, tucked my shoulders back, and told me to engage my core. A mask of anger was better than how I really felt—like an absolute fraud .

“Have you ever used a weapon before? Have you ever been taught to defend yourself? Any experience hunting?” Louis asked.

No, no, and no…

“Unfortunately, where I’m from, women of my position aren’t allowed to participate in such things. We’re taught the life-saving skills of cross-stitching and pianoforte.” I couldn’t hide my bitterness. If Ophelia had somehow known I was going to come here, she’d left me ill-equipped.

“So we’re starting from scratch. Well, the good news is, we have a blank canvas to work with.

” He gave me a kind smile. I already felt defeated.

“Don’t look so blue. We’ll ease you into everything.

There are certain exercises you can practice to quiet your mind and still your body.

They’re necessary for controlling your magic.

We’ll start there. Then, we’re going to work on some basic movements that’ll help you find balance and build strength.

Next, I’ll teach you how to defend yourself.

You’ll learn to wield magic as you grow stronger, both mentally and physically. ”

“Will you teach me to attack too?” Defense was great, but I wanted to be self-reliant. I didn’t want to depend on anyone in this world—or Erador, for that matter. If I ever got back.

“Yes, but that’s not a priority at the moment.

We don’t know what kind of magic you wield yet, although Galen mentioned something about healing powers?

Some magic takes as much effort as breathing.

Other types take practice and precision.

Your healing seems to happen passively, but there’s likely more to it.

I’m not a healer, so we’ll have to find someone who is—someone who can mentor you. ”

Melisandre . I’d ask Galen if I could arrange a meeting with her. “I’ve been healing quickly since arriving here, but I haven’t felt any type of magic when my body has mended itself.”

I tried to remember the last time I was truly injured or sick. It had been a long while. I’d gotten Scarlet Fever as a child. Perhaps I’d been healing fast for years now, but with my sheltered lifestyle, hadn’t noticed. That felt too pathetic to admit out loud.

“I think you’ll be surprised at how easily it will come to you. You’ve been living with humans your whole life. You’re just beginning to learn what it means to be an immortal. Your magic will emerge as you grow stronger.”

“Y-you think I’m immortal?” I stuttered .

He mentioned it so breezily, like it wasn’t yet another soul-shattering piece of information.

I thought of Ophelia, my only living family member, aside from my estranged father.

She couldn’t be immortal—she had silver in her hair.

But I had always thought she was too perfect to be human…

Aku’s Hell, was she hundreds of years old like Arnold?

I braced myself on my knees as stars danced across my vision, earning a quirked brow from the Prince.

“Technically, Fae aren’t immortal,” Louis quipped. “We’re just very long-lived. Magic slows the aging process. Not only do you produce magic, but now that we know you’re a healer, we know you can access your magic… so congratulations, you’re not cursed.”

“And that’s because I’m, supposedly, both human and faerie?”

“Precisely. I know of one other person like you—a hybrid."

“You do? Who?”

“You don’t discuss this with anyone else. Understood?” Louis rarely looked serious, but he did right now.

“Who would I tell?”

“True. And, well… it’s a poorly kept secret. Since he isn’t limited by the curse, he’s much more powerful than the rest of us—just like you might be.” He was drawing it out.

“ Who , Louis?”

“My brother, Rafael. It’s a sensitive subject… we have a lot of family drama. You see, Rafael is a bastard—” He paused when he saw my face.

“He most certainly is!” I declared, crossing my arms. The crows started cawing, echoing his laugh.

“Hah! To be sure, but I meant Sylvia isn’t his mother.

Our father had a human consort. She became pregnant, and humans and faeries don’t breed—it’s strictly forbidden.

But our father didn’t make her abort the baby as would be customary.

Instead, he took in the child and raised him—as a recognized Prince, nonetheless.

Our mother was furious. Or so I’ve been told—I wasn’t born yet.

But honestly, when is she not angry? The other day she—”

“Louis, focus!” I grinned, shaking my head.

His freckled cheeks reddened. “Sorry. Where was I… Oh yes—those close to the family knew he wasn’t hers, which mortified her. She was— is— horrible to him. But back to the point—he’s half-human, half-faerie. The combination seems to break the curse. ”

Rafael said he went to brothels for sex and magic… Or maybe he’d said that’s where other faeries went. But he’d taken my goblet of blood. Did he drink it just so I wouldn’t have to? That didn’t track—he was too much of an asshole to do something so selfless.

“If human faerie pairings can break the curse through their hybrid offspring, why would that be discouraged?” My mind was spinning. Was my mother a faerie? My father? I couldn’t recall obvious features. Were they both half?

“You have too much faith in us. Faeries and humans are ancient enemies. We’ve figured out how to co-exist with this curse, but some elders still believe themselves above humans.

Others believe that breeding with humans will dilute a faerie’s power.

My mother and her advisors… they benefit from that kind of intolerance.

Magic is a commodity here—one that they control.

Hybrids who don’t depend on blood threaten the system they’ve built. ”

“So they encourage divisiveness,” I scoffed.

“Unfortunately, it goes beyond that. There are some crimes that are considered unforgivable—breeding with humans is now one of them. When our father reigned, it was already frowned upon, but after he passed, it became a criminal offense. If faerie-human relations result in a child, the couple is expected to stand trial. And they’re almost always sentenced to death—their children as well.

Father would’ve never stood for it. He valued every life, even after his parents and brother were murdered by humans. ”

I covered my mouth as bile threatened to rise. In this world, people like me were killed for simply existing. As children . Entire families eliminated. Evil didn’t even begin to describe Sylvia and her advisors.

I wrapped my arms around myself, while my heart sat in my throat. “So Raf and I are the only two hybrids you know of?”

“Yes, and I’m sure Sylvia thought about trying to kill Raf after our father died, but he’s too strong—he’s the most powerful shadow wielder in Nymera. My mother is cruel, but she’s calculating. She’s not going to start a fight that she won’t win.”

“And Raf’s mother?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

“Killed. Not long after he was born. Even our father couldn’t protect her,” he said, looking at the ground. My heart sank.

“Sylvia murdered her?” My voice caught as I tried to get the words out .

“I don’t know. No one in our family will talk about it. But that’s what I’ve always assumed.”

Tears formed in the corners of my eyes. Raf lost his mother without ever getting to know her.

No wonder he seemed to hate everyone around him.

He’d been forced to live amongst those who wished him dead—who’d killed his mother.

The fury he must feel. It was a feat that he could even sit at the same table as the Queen.

"We do our best to have a justice system—to abide by a set of laws. My brothers and I are responsible for overseeing the training of the Royal Fae Army. Rafael and I are expected to travel to villages across Nymera to maintain peace and order, with specialized teams. We monitor how magic is being used—how shortages are affecting the citizens. We’ve taken vows to protect faeries and humans.

I’ve never come across a hybrid child, but if I did, I’d look the other way. ”