Kieran felt his cheeks flare pink at the thought.“Sorry,” he muttered, looking back to his own plate.“Nothing.”
Sebastian stared for a moment before going back to his meal.
Shit.
For a moment, it looked like Sebastian was going to say something.Before he could, though, a booming voice cut through the din.
“Honored guests!”called an excited feminine voice.“Please turn your attention to the center stage!”
Kieran and the others found a woman—maybe in her mid-thirties, if he had to guess—standing at the center of the stage.She wore a dramatic ball gown that resembled a wedding dress, aside from the pale-blue bodice.A cream-colored fur stole hung over one shoulder, while the other was bare.She had dark-brown skin and wore her black hair in two Afro puffs atop her head.Nestled between them was an intricate silver crown decorated with sapphires.
Kieran squinted.The shade of silver looked so familiar he paused.It looked a bit like…
Kieran’s breath caught.No way.
“Welcome, all, to the kickoff of the Iceweave Coven’s annual winter solstice celebration!”cried the woman, her smile broad.She was elegant and vibrant, magical light seeming to twinkle around her as if she were a planet surrounded by stars.Her eyes glowed with dark-blue magic, ocean-deep and powerful in a way that gave Kieran pause.“I am Philomena Goldenday, Witch Queen of the coven.As you enjoy our opening banquet, I wanted to give you a rundown of all the events planned for our celebration.Starting off, of course, with the various rooms in the castle…”
She kept talking, but all Kieran could focus on was her crown.Seaweed too had gone tense in the shoulders at the sight of it.It couldn’t be what he thought it was, right?There was no way thattheCrown was right there in front of him, sitting atop the Witch Queen’s head.It just happened to be the exact same metal as the rest of the scepter, in the exact spot they’d been told to get it…
I can’t just steal that off her head.She’s powerful—maybe even more powerful than Briar.I suppose I could ask her for a trade.But what in the world would a queen trade for her crown?Maybe—
“Which brings me,” Philomena said, drawing Kieran out of his thoughts, “to the week’s final event.”She reached up and took the crown from her head, then gently held it out in front of her with both hands.“Every year, the coven offers our guests a chance to win a single favor from us, which we’ll grant regardless of the size of the request.But to earn that favor, you must complete a great hunt.”
Suddenly, the crown in her hands rose into the air, shining with silvery-blue light.Philomena continued: “This crown represents said favor.Starting tomorrow at dawn, it will be hidden somewhere in the ice caves beneath the palace.Your task, then, is simple: Find where we’ve hidden it, and the coven’s favor is yours.Any witch who wishes to try their hand at recovering it should meet here at first light.Then, at my word, the hunt will begin.Magic of all sorts is allowed in the hunt.We only ask that no one take the life of another hunter.Should that occur, you will be immediately disqualified.But, barring loss of life, you are free to use all the tools at your disposal to win.”
The crowd exploded into murmurs as witches began discussing how they could potentially get their hands on the crown.Kieran, meanwhile, felt his stomach plummet.There had to be hundreds of—maybe even a thousand—witches in this ballroom alone.How in the world was he supposed to find the Crown before all of them?Nearly everyone in attendance was older than him, and certainly more skilled at magic.And if the only rule was that they couldn’t kill, that left a lot of room for what theycoulddo.
“Which concludes the summary of our events,” Philomena finished, seemingly unfazed by the crowd’s growing murmurs at the introduction of the crown hunt.She placed the crown back atop her head.“The coven wishes you a pleasant evening, and an even more pleasant solstice.Now, enjoy the feast!”
And with that, she snapped her fingers, and vanished into the air like water vapor.
As soon as she was gone, the room grew rapturous.Every witch suddenly scrambled to make their plan for the hunt tomorrow.Kieran’s skin chilled despite the enchanted wine he’d drunk.There were simply too many of them, and not nearly enough of him and his friends.It didn’t help either that when Kieran glanced around the table, everyone was staring at him.
Waiting for him to make a plan.
I can’t,that familiar, terrified voice in his head said.I can’t—I can’t—I can’t—
Kieran stood suddenly, making his friends flinch.
“I need to get some air,” he said.
And before anyone could stop him, he turned on his heel and nearly sprinted from the banquet hall.
Kieran hadn’t intended to wind up on a balcony overlooking the Iceweave Coven’s snow-packed territory, but after a few wrong turns caused by his desperation to get out and some poorly planned trips up the stairs, that was exactly where he found himself.
It was massive.Kieran guessed at least forty people could fit on it.Unlike most of the castle, the balcony was made of stone,jutting free from the cutting geometry of the castle’s ice spikes.The sky had turned midnight blue, and the stars were clearer than Kieran had seen them in ages.
The view, however, did little to calm his racing thoughts.He went to the edge of the balcony, leaning against the thick stone banister that stopped him from plummeting sixty feet to the ground.His head hung, breaths coming out in short rasps.Seaweed gently nuzzled against his chin, but it didn’t help.The air was cold enough to sting his throat and lungs.He felt as if he might pass out.His heart was squeezing and pulsing in a way that made Kieran think he may be on the verge of a heart attack.Each inhalation felt forced, and his fingers were shaking as he tried to hold on to the banister.The cold air was the only sensation that cut through his panic; it kissed the sweat-soaked arch of his brow and the back of his neck, stinging where it touched.
The back of his throat constricted and burned as tears pricked his eyes.How in the world was he supposed to beat all those people to the Crown?Sure, he’d been able to get the Hilt and the Stave, but Elias had been the only other one looking for them at the time.There’d been no competition, no need for him to come up with some grand plan that would somehow save the day when all appeared lost.He couldn’t do that.
Just when I thought I might have a chance.I’m going to lose my magic.I’m going to lose my chance at breaking Ash’s curse.
I’m going to lose everything.
“My,” a low voice said from behind him.“Quite a view from up here.”
Seaweed whipped around and growled as the wine’s warmingenchantment evaporated all at once.Kieran turned just as a short, heavyset man came to stand beside him.He wore a finely tailored gray suit that matched the streaks of silver in his brown hair.He settled in beside Kieran with ease, as if they were old friends who had had heart-to-hearts out here plenty of times before.Seaweed bared her teeth at him but didn’t move to attack.
