I had finished second year determined my new abilities would allow me to protect those I loved. But over the summer I had realized that keeping them safe—even securing Darius’s throne—wasn’t enough. I had to find a way to free Darius of his family’s evil influence. Which meant I couldn’t completely let go of Jareth yet.
Thoughts of my new ability made me glance at Elsie who had dozed off in one corner of the carriage. My need to practice my ability was one aspect I hadn’t considered when so rashly agreeing to take her on as my personal servant. It might prove inconvenient to have a servant always in my suite.
Bryony had been full of questions about my promised attempts to practice over the summer, but I had little of interest to report. While I had rejected my fear of my new ability, I hadn’t lost my fear of being discovered. It had been bad enough when I could wrest control of any composition, no matter how powerful. Now it appeared I could also connect to any other mage, no matter how strong or skilled, using their abilities and energy as if they were my own. Before I had been a valuable prize for either crown, now I was doubly so.
In the palace at Corrin, I was surrounded by other mages, but I was also closely observed. I had connected with the energy of several other mages, but I had hesitated to actually draw on their ability and complete a composition. Not only because of the risk they would feel the drain to their energy, but also because of the evidence it would create.
Bryony also glanced at the sleeping Elsie before giving me a concerned look.
“You were worried about being closely observed over the summer,” she whispered, her mind obviously on a similar track to mine. “But what about now with Elsie?”
I grimaced. “I’ll just have to find a way to make it work.”
“You’re not going to use it as an excuse not to practice, are you?” She gave me a stern look.
I shook my head. “No. This year I’m not holding back. I’m determined to master this new ability, and I’m not letting Darius freeze me out any longer, either.”
She raised both eyebrows. “Good for you.”
Her slightly skeptical expression put a defensive note in my next whisper. “He admitted he cares about me. When he tried to push me away, it was for my own safety. But I’m not as vulnerable as he thinks.”
“I got the impression it was Jareth’s vulnerability that was weighing on his mind. And who knows—maybe he has a point.” Bryony looked worried in a way I wasn’t used to seeing.
“Don’t tell me you’re worried about me, too!”
She bit her lip. “I don’t know what to think, to be honest. Darius always said Jareth was above suspicion.”
“He was wrong.” My flat voice came out louder than I had intended, and I glanced quickly at Elsie to check she was still asleep.
“Yes, he was,” Bryony agreed, “and yet…”
She didn’t need to fill in the details. I understood her confusion. While I hadn’t had the chance to show her Jareth’s letter last year, I had let her read it after her arrival in Corrin. She had no more idea what to make of it than I did, although she had seemed less inclined to allow Jareth any sort of doubt. Until now.
“So you think he might be innocent?” I asked.
“Innocent?” She looked at me in surprise. “No, of course not. He tried to kill you. He tried to kill his own brother!”
“And yet…?” I quirked an eyebrow at her, and she wrinkled her nose.
“And yet while he might not be innocent, maybe there’s more to the story. Maybe there really is something at play in the Kallorwegian court that can twist and destroy anyone.” She looked at me, the earlier worry in her eyes. “Darius lost his brother; I don’t want to lose my best friend.”
I shook my head. “No one else is being lost. I won’t allow it.”
“When you say it like that, I almost believe you can do it, too.” Her usual smile flitted across her face.
“I’m going to ask to see him,” I said.
“Who? Darius? Do you think he’ll still be trying to avoid you? Surely there’s no need of that now he’s king-elect.”
I shook my head. “No, Jareth.”
“Jareth?” Bryony almost choked on the name, both of us casting glances at Elsie who continued to sleep, her mouth slightly slack and her breathing regular. “How are you going to see him? Darius sent him back to the capital.”
“Yes, and as you just pointed out, Darius is king-elect now. He’ll either have to bring him to the Academy or let me go to the capital. Because I don’t see any other way to get to the meaning behind this note.”
She frowned. “So you’re going to show it to Darius?”
My eyes slid away from her to gaze unseeing out the window. It was a hard question to answer when I still hadn’t decided on the best course of action. Most likely, it would all come down to Darius’s current state. I couldn’t wait to see him again after what felt like an endless separation.
When we had parted, he had struck me as brittle—as if the layer of ice he had always worn had sunk all the way through, and a single misplaced blow might shatter him apart. And yet he was also the strongest person I knew. I desperately wanted to believe I would find him recovered. But if he wasn’t, I didn’t want to be the person to strike that blow.
“I don’t know,” I whispered at last. “But I’ll tell him that Jareth tried to kill me too, and that I have to confront him for my own sake. For closure.”
“Well that’s true enough,” Bryony said wryly. “Although I’m not sure your need for closure with Jareth has anything to do with him trying to kill you. With all your time taken up worrying about Darius, I’m not sure you’ve had any left for thinking about his offenses against you.”
I flushed slightly. It was true that Darius had taken up a disproportionate amount of my headspace over the weeks of the summer break.
Bryony shook her head at my reaction, although there was a grin lingering in her eyes. “I suppose I’ll just have to settle for being glad that you’re willing to use your power over Darius. If he cares about you as much as he says, then he’ll have to let you see Jareth with an argument like that.”
For a moment I shrank from the idea that I was manipulating Darius’s feelings for me to achieve my own ends. But then I straightened my spine, pushing the thoughts aside.
“I’ll use every kind of power I have to make sure that everyone I love stays safe. Starting with telling Darius the minute we see him that I need to speak to him privately. There’s no point putting it off.”
“I’d applaud the sentiment if I wasn’t feeling a little queasy at the idea that you think we’re not safe from Jareth yet,” Bryony said.
“Call it an overabundance of caution,” I said. “The consequence of being raised royal.”
Bryony sighed. “Well, for once I hope you’re entirely wrong, and this whole business is completely behind us.”
“You and me both,” I said with feeling.
“And in the meantime,” she added, “I’ll complete my best friend duties and help you herd Darius away from any crowds and into a secluded spot.”