Page 22

TRUST A VILLAIN WITH YOUR MAGIC (WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?)

ARABELLA

Vex led me through stark, utilitarian corridors I hadn’t explored before, and the chill in the air intensified with every step. When we reached a twisting spiral staircase, thin veins of frost clung to the stone walls, making the descent feel more ominous than I would have liked.

“Where exactly are we going?” I asked, trying to keep any quiver of nerves from my voice.

She didn’t bother looking back. “The lower levels. Lord Blackrose prefers to conduct magical training in a remote location. Less collateral damage that way.”

That struck me as darkly reassuring. I quickened my pace until I walked beside her. “Has there been much ‘collateral damage’ in the past?”

“The north tower needed rebuilding two years ago because Griffin’s experimental amplification spell collided with the Dark Lord’s dominion magic.”

“Collided?” I prompted.

“It exploded,” Vex said, as if discussing an ill-timed rainstorm. “No one died. A few singed eyebrows and bruised egos, but that was all.”

It almost humanized Kazimir to imagine him messing up so spectacularly. Of course, he’d probably done it with that signature sneer in place.

We reached a landing where the stairs broadened into a corridor streaked with silvery veins in the stone. The floor hummed beneath my boots, a faint vibration like some slumbering beast breathing beneath us.

“What is this place?” I whispered.

“It’s the old foundation,” she explained. “Lord Blackrose kept this part intact when he redesigned the fortress. The natural magic in the stone makes it ideal for serious spellwork.”

Eventually, we stopped in front of a colossal door made of dark, iron-banded wood. Crimson runes—similar to the ones I’d seen etched into Kazimir’s skin—glowed along the surface.

Vex gestured toward the door. “This is where I leave you. Only Lord Blackrose and you are keyed to these wards. Anyone else is considered an intruder.”

I quirked an eyebrow. “Not even his trusted advisor gets an exception?”

She gave a half-shrug. “If I tried to pass now, the wards would disintegrate me, or worse.” She nodded toward the door. “Place your palm on the center. The runes should recognize you as Lady Blackrose.”

“And if they don’t?” I asked.

“I’ll have the unpleasant duty of telling Lord Blackrose that his brand-new bride got reduced to cinders.” Her tone was drier than desert bones. When my eyes widened, she sighed. “I’m joking. The wards will probably just reject you. Now hurry.”

“Your sense of humor fits this fortress.” I pressed my palm gently to the door. The runes flared, bathing my skin in that same ruddy glow. A tingling sensation buzzed across my hand, and then with an almost polite shift, the door swung inward on silent hinges.

Vex stepped back. “Good luck,” she offered, then turned on her heel and vanished back into the corridor.

I entered a spacious chamber with a vaulted ceiling at least thirty feet high. Braziers lined the walls, filling the area with a warm light that somehow didn’t chase away the deep shadows clinging to every corner.

The floor was marked with a large circle of runes that pulsed with a soft, blue-white glow.

Kazimir Blackrose himself stood at the center of that circle.

He guided a sword through a series of fluid, precise motions while strands of darkness curled around his free hand like serpents waiting to strike.

I nearly stopped breathing. He moved with lethal grace, a choreographed blend of physical prowess and magical menace.

And—because of course the universe hated me—he was shirtless.

Sweat gleamed along each etched muscle and every rune carved into his chest.

For a moment, I just stared. The swirl of shadows around him made an almost hypnotic display of threat and power.

Suddenly, he spun and launched a bolt of raw shadow right at my face.

I instinctively raised my arms, but the darkness broke apart inches from my skin, dissolving into faint wisps of cold air.

“You’re late,” he said, lowering his arm. The sword vanished into nothingness, as though it had never existed.

I worked to steady my breathing. “Vex brought me at the agreed time.”

“That time was half an hour ago.” He retrieved a simple black tunic from a wooden bench. I tried not to watch his every lean muscle disappear beneath the fabric. “I expected more enthusiasm.”

“It was ten minutes at most,” I argued, stepping forward while the door to the chamber clicked shut behind me. “I bet you told Vex to wait on purpose. You do love asserting dominance.”

He made a neutral sound, not quite a denial.

“Was the sword part of your dramatic ‘greeting’ too?” I asked, nodding at the spot where it had vanished.

“It was my morning training,” he said. “Physical exertion pairs well with spellwork. One informs the other, keeps me sharp.”

I approached the circle’s edge. “So you’re all about synergy, then? Mind and body united, presumably for maximum destruction.”

He shrugged, that predatory glimmer never leaving his gaze. “Most definitely.” He extended a hand, inviting me deeper. “Step into the circle, Arabella.”

My nerves lit up in a flustered combination of annoyance and something hotter. So far, he’d mostly stuck to “Lady Blackrose” or “wife.” Hearing my name in that melodic baritone stirred memories of his lips crushing mine.

I tried not to shiver as I asked, “What exactly is on the agenda today? Summoning an army of the damned, turning your enemies to frogs?”

“That all sounds fun, but first, I intend to discover what you’re truly capable of.” Kazimir’s gaze held a raw, waiting hunger that unsettled me.

I breathed in slowly and stepped inside the circle. The runes flared bright azure, humming with a contained crackle of energy. The air tasted charged, like the moment right before lightning forks across the sky.

“What exactly is this space?” I asked, trying to keep my voice even.

“A focus chamber,” he said, standing so close I felt warmth radiating from his body. “If something misfires, the damage stays inside these boundaries, protecting the rest of the citadel.”

“Because you’d rather not blow up your whole fortress?”

“Correct.” He allowed a small, wry smile. “Though Griffin tries his best to circumvent every safeguard I create.”

I glanced around, taking in the vaulted ceiling. “Why exactly do you keep him employed?”

“I value brilliance more than caution, and Griffin’s results—when they succeed—are impressive.” He let his gaze drift over me in a way that sizzled more than the runes. “Speaking of brilliance, what magical education did you have in Solandris?”

My heart hammered, though I kept my tone casual. “My father didn’t want me studying anything beyond healing. I learned bits and pieces in secret, from stolen books.”

Kazimir slowly circled behind me. I fought the urge to pivot with him. “Why did your father object?” he murmured.

My pulse fluttered. “He believed destructive magic was beneath a lady’s dignity. That I was meant to nurture, not harm. He wanted a sweet, docile daughter.”

Kazimir appeared in front of me again, eyes flashing with curiosity. “Yet you developed a reputation for clumsiness and chaos. Surely that wasn’t all by accident.”

“Sometimes I tested my boundaries,” I admitted, remembering illusions I’d cast on unsuspecting guards, or jewelry I’d enchanted to flicker.

“But mostly, I was locked in a tower. A girl’s got to keep herself occupied, right?

Healing’s useful, but it doesn’t stitch up the part of me that wants… more.”

He paused, letting me see the faint shift in his expression—a flicker of understanding, or maybe anger on my behalf. Then he stepped closer, so close our breath mingled. “What if you could control both healing and destruction?”

A jolt of longing tugged at me. “I suppose I’d find out who I really am.”

He inclined his head. “You can’t grow if you’re too afraid to confront the potential darkness as well as your light.”

Something tugged in my chest at his words. No one had ever embraced my magic the way he did, even if he dangled it like bait to keep me under his thumb. It was heady, and far too thrilling.

“So,” I forced a teasing note. “Do we start by tossing around shadow-bolts? Or maybe reanimating an undead horde to do your tedious chores?”

He allowed a small chuckle. “We’ll begin with fundamentals. Then we’ll see how bold you and your power truly are.”

I exhaled. He wanted me to peel off my father’s limiting expectations and embrace something new and dangerous? Fine. I could handle a little moral dubiousness.

I squared my shoulders. “All right, Lord Blackrose, let’s see what I’m made of.”