Page 17

B y the time I left Soren's house later that afternoon, I was rejuvenated enough to lie to Adora properly. I assured her I had done everything right at my lucenition with Herve. Adora had a chance meeting with the warlock at the recent festival, so I had no concern about her speaking to him anytime soon and finding out the truth from him. Or at least not his version of the truth, which would most likely describe me as the one who had behaved badly.

The only problem was that he would be very unlikely to add me to any of his conductions, but it was never a sure thing to get a placement at a festival. Adora would grumble when I didn't get the best offers, but she would anyway, so there was no real difference for me.

In the following week, Adora was in a very good mood, and I continued my practices with Soren. It wasn't until the week after that Adora began to question how things had truly gone with Herve, and no matter how many times I told her it went very well, she no longer seemed to believe me.

When I came home one afternoon, Adora was bemoaning that other muses had already received their invitations for the Samonend festival, the next large celebration.

“Why didn’t you tell me about it?” Adora asked from her perch on the sofa.

"I haven't received an invitation yet," I told her, then glanced at Heloise. The housekeeper was near the fireplace, dusting my mother’s decorations on the mantle. “Has one arrived, Heloise?”

“None yet, Miss Isadore.”

“I know that you haven’t been invited yet , Isadore,” my mother said, irritated. “Briar received her invitation two days ago. Why didn’t you tell me about that?”

My blood froze. When I had been practicing with Soren, Adora believed that I was really with Briar and Wrenley. In truth, it had been weeks since I had last seen either of them, and now Adora had discovered news from them that I should’ve already known.

"I was waiting," I said because Adora glared at me, and I had to say something. "To see if I received an invitation."

"Well, I sincerely doubt you will be receiving one now. While you were out practicing for conductions you haven't even been granted, I went to the market this morning and ran into one of Briar's fathers. He told me that all the invites had gone out, and that Briar was disappointed that you would not be joining her in the Samonend. Imagine my embarrassment when I had to learn about my own daughter’s failures from Basil Floreo, the Duke of Cinderwood.”

“I am sorry, Adora,” I told her.

“I don’t want apologies, Isadore. I want to know how this happened. You’ve been practicing so much, and you claimed that the lucenition with Herve went well.”

I twisted my hands together and shook my head. “I don’t know. I did my best.”

Adora stood up and came over to me. Her arms were folded across her chest, and she was imposing as she stared down at me with her probing eyes. “Walk me through it. What exactly happened when you were with Herve?”

"I arrived at his house on time and was led to a performing room," I said. "When Herve came in, I greeted him politely and performed my routine."

“Which routine?” she asked quickly, nearly speaking over me.

“The one from Ashoralida that we talked about. That was the one you told me to do,” I reminded her before she could blame me for the poor choice.

“And he loved it?”

“He … he liked it, I think, but not quite love,” I replied carefully.

“What did he say?” she pressed.

Because I was a terrible liar, I finally confessed, “He needed to see my magik, and so he wanted to draw it out.”

“So you let him drink of your magik until he had his fill?”

I nodded once. “For a while, yes, but not until he had his fill.”

“You cut him off? Isadore !” Adora shrieked my name in rage. “Why would you do such a thing?”

I floundered to find an excuse because the fact that it made me feel gross and uncomfortable was not reason enough. "I have been tired from practicing, and I didn't have the magik to waste."

“It is not a waste! You're giving it to a warlock so that you can ensure your future! It's the least wasteful thing you can do. This is not what I taught you, Isadore," she growled at me. "You do whatever you must to get where you want to be."

“I know, but …” I licked my lips and tried to summon the courage to defend myself. “When I have gone to lucenitions for other enchanters and warlocks, they didn’t do that. I thought it wasn’t something I had to do anymore.”

“Oh, Isadore,” she said with such disappointment, it felt like a slap across the face. “You can be such a foolish idealist. Herve Chaunter is the Warlock to the Queen, meaning he’s the one who rules over the entire kingdom of Calida. Overseeing the placements for muses is such a small part of what he does. He advises the Queen, sits on councils with all the most important people in the land, and wields magik beyond any other enchanter. Do you understand how powerful he truly is? And what he must have done to achieve that level of power?"

“He worked hard?” I answered uncertainly.

“Maybe, but many people work incredibly hard and don’t accomplish half as much as he has. He takes what he needs to amass his power. His magik didn’t grow on his own – he got it from muses like you.” She pointed at me then, her long nails painted pale pink and sharpened to a point.

"In turn, you get a better placement, and with that comes more prestige and gold coins and jewels," she went on. "Eventually, you may even be able to land yourself a wealthy duke like Briar's muse father did. But a little bit of magik here and there in exchange for all your dreams coming true, that's hardly anything to give. He wasn't asking for too much, Isadore. You have become spoiled and selfish, and I certainly didn't raise you to be this way."

"I'm sorry, Adora," I said again because that was all I could say, the only thing that might not anger her more. "I was only trying to do what was right, and… and I never meant to ruin everything."

She sneered at me. “You never mean to do anything, Isadore. You are like a newborn foal, stumbling about with no real purpose. As if you haven’t been handed all the tools you’d ever need and been pointed in a clear direction.”

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from crying, and a guilt washed over me so thick, I could hardly breathe.

The bell rang at the front door, and Heloise went to answer it, leaving my mother and I standing alone in a tense silence.

“Who was that?” Adora asked when the housekeeper returned.

“It was the postman.” Heloise walked slowly, holding a pale envelope in her hands. “An invitation has arrived for Miss Isadore.”

Adora brushed past me and took it from the housekeeper, and before I even had a chance to say anything, she tore it open. I stayed behind her, trying to peer over her shoulder as she read it silently.

"Good news," Adora said, her voice dripping so venom that I instinctively cringed back from her. "You've secured your next placement in the Kingdom of Lamida . Their sniveling King Asmond has some bumpkin cousins from the country visiting for three weeks, and he needs a few muses to entertain them.”

She looked back over her shoulder at me with a bitter smile. “You traded in a role in the greatest kingdom’s autumn festival, and now you get to entertain uncouth hicks while missing out on weeks of well-paying opportunities. Oh, did I forget to mention that? You won’t be paid for this. The Warlock to the Queen is sending three of his muses as a ‘gift’ to a friendly ally.”

“I’m so sorry, Adora.”

“I can’t listen to another word out of your spoiled mouth!” Adora suddenly shouted. “Get up to your room and get out of my sight!”

I raced up the stairs because I was glad to be away from her, and I was also afraid of what she might do if I stayed any longer. Tears were pouring down my cheeks, and I felt like throwing up.

The one relief of the invitation to Lamida was that I would have a few weeks away from Adora. Maybe if I worked hard there, it might be enough to get me back in her good graces.

A King of a lesser kingdom like Lamida was still a King, after all, and doing well in his Court would have to lead to better conductions. Maybe I could work my way up on merit alone.