“Please come with me.” A manservant named Benny tipped his head to Miles and motioned toward the door.
It was time to get ready for the ball. Bathing, changing into our formal attire, and making final touches to the dessert tables before the royal guests arrived.
Miles waved at me before following Benny from the kitchen.
“You’re with me, dear.” Rose showed me to the same bathroom I’d used before the autumn ball and opened the door, letting me inside. “If you need anything, anything at all, please find Benny and ask him, for I’ll be too busy panicking and rushing around like a madwoman making final preparations.”
“I love you, Rose,” I said with a small laugh. “Remember to breathe while you’re rushing around. Can’t have you keeling over. Who else will feed me yummy quiche?”
She echoed my laugh. “Oh, you charming boy. Get in that bath and wash off that grime.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
A sense of déjà vu struck as I shut the door and assessed the bathroom. Porcelain tiles and fancy light fixtures exuded elegance, and soaps and oils lined the wall behind the large tub. I smoothed a hand along the bottles; fragrances of lavender, rose, sandalwood, and cedar.
It felt like a lifetime had passed since I’d last stood in that spot. Back then, I hadn’t known anything about my dad being a prince and thought I was just a realm-traveling bookworm who’d found myself in a fantasy world, all because of a wish I’d made on a magical stone. But it went way deeper than that.
If Reign was right, everything I knew went out the window.
“This blows.” I slunk to the floor in front of the tub and put my face in my hands. “Lupin, you butthole. I could really use some guidance here.”
“Now, that’s not very nice.”
I jolted at the voice and lifted my head, heart rising in my throat.
“Hello again.” Lupin rested against the bathroom counter, wearing a white suit and pink undervest. Pale blond hair fell past his ears, and his eyes held the same threads of mystery as usual. “Having fun down there?”
“You’re actually here.” I scrambled off the floor and stood on unsteady legs. “Right? Or am I hallucinating?”
“Would a hallucination look this good?” He motioned to himself.
“Yep. You’re real.” I gave him a droll look. “I’m just confused. When you visited me in Exalos, you said you wouldn’t be able to see me again for a while.”
“A while could’ve meant anywhere from a month to a year. However long it took for my business to be concluded.” Lupin flicked his hand. “What matters is I’m here now. And I imagine you’ve had quite the eventful few months since we last spoke.”
“That’s one way of putting it. I mean, I’ve only been attacked by a powerful mercenary and then told I have some kind of rare magic inside me. Just a normal Saturday.”
“I see. Another piece of the puzzle has fallen into place.”
“Reign said he senses magic in my blood. That I might be a mage or something. Is that true? Do I have powers?”
He tilted his head. “I don’t know. Do you?”
“Ugh.” I plopped down on the edge of the tub. “Please, no cryptic stuff right now. I need answers before my head explodes.”
“Very well.” He glanced around the bathroom before lingering on the corner, eyes narrowing. He then turned back to me. “The spy was correct. To an extent. Power lies in your blood, but you’re not a mage. You’re much rarer than that.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You have an extraordinary gift, Evander. It’s why your mother rushed into the Emporium and begged me to help you when you were a baby. Because the ones pursuing you wanted that gift for themselves.”
I frowned. “I thought she was running from my dad’s enemies. That’s what you told me. After they killed him, they chased after us, too, and wouldn’t stop until they found us. It’s why you sent me away. Because being his son made me a target.”
“Not quite.” His smile turned sad. “From the very beginning, they were after you. Even before he was killed.”
“Wait.” The top of my scalp prickled. “I’m not sure I follow. What exactly are you saying?”
“The details around your father’s death are mostly speculation. Everyone assumes he was killed out of retaliation for him breaking the peace treaty with Haran.” Lupin shifted his gaze to the round, stained-glass window above the bathtub. “However, the truth is much darker.”
