Chapter Three: Bahira
Silence, thick like syrup,suffocates the room. My mother glances at my father quickly, a language all their own expressed in just one look.
“What do you mean?” I ask, staring at my brother’s profile as he wipes his palms on his thighs and shifts in his seat. “Is she mage?”
“She must be. She wasn’t even aware she had magic until she accidentally called on it.” Nox swallows roughly and adds, “Four years ago.”
Realization forces me back into the chair.Four years ago, when we first felt the wave of magic.I shake my head, trying to organize and work through the questions that are firing off in my mind. “I don’t understand. If she is mage, how did she come to be in the Mortal Kingdom?”
“She was born there—as the princess,” Nox answers, and if I think it isn’t possible to feel more shocked than I already was,I am wrong.
“I wasn’t aware that King Dolian was married, let alone had children,” my mother muses.
“She’s his niece.” And there is that fucking shock and silence again.
“So she is the daughter of the late king and queen. If memory serves me correctly, her parents died sometime after her birth, yes?” my father asks, looking to Nox.
He nods in confirmation, and my stomach twists at the thought. “She doesn’t know anything about them. She was held captive by her uncle.”
My mother’s mouth twists into a frown. “Held captive? How long?”
“Since she was born. She was forced to live secluded in a tower, and I do meansecluded. She had no one except for a guard who treated her like his own until…” He shakes his head, as if in disbelief. “Until the king killed him in front of her.”
“Gods,” I gasp, echoing my mother.
“How did you convince the king to let her leave the castle? Is he aware of what she can do?” my father queries, a line forming between his brows as he leans his elbows on the desk.
Nox tilts his head back and drags a hand down his face. “I didn’t. I helped her escape, and we ran. He didn’t know she had magic until he caught her using it to heal me.” My parents bristle in their chairs before Nox holds up a hand. “I’m fine, just took a sword to the side.”
My mother lets out a squeak of protest as my father’s eyes widen. I do the only reasonable thing and burst out into a fit of laughter. “Are you fucking serious? Gods above, Nox—”
“I’m fine, and we have other things we need to discuss,” he argues, cutting me off. “We need to keep her magic and identity a secret.”
My father scratches his jaw, looking at my mother and communicating again in a way that only they can understand. “I wish you guys wouldn’t do that,” I grumble, folding my arms over my chest.
“We can feel her magic, Nox,” my father confesses with a sympathetic smile. My eyebrows draw up in surprise.
“Her magic isstrong, perhaps even as strong as yours is. At least, that is what it feels like,” my mother supplies gently.
“Then I will leave with her if she isn’t safe here,” Nox growls, his voice a sharp knife cutting into the air as his anger rises to the surface.
A knock at the door interrupts the moment, and my father beckons the mage in, halting our conversation.
“Highnesses, the princess’ bags are readied in the carriage as you commanded,” Leyah, one of the palace staff, says.
I blow out a breath, standing up and forcing myself to be steady despite how my nerves threaten to rattle me. I think if I had time to prepare for this endeavor—longer than an hour at least—I wouldn’t find myself so nauseous with the thought of leaving. “I guess it’s time.”
My father’s eyes are soft as he grabs my mother’s hand and walks around the desk. “We’ll ride with you.”
Nox stands as well, a hand running through his hair as he looks at me. “I’m going to stay here. I’m sorry, Bahira—”
“I understand,” I interrupt, stepping up to him and wrapping my arms around his torso. If we are truly harboring thestolenniece of the mortal king, then Nox is needed here.
He tightens the embrace, taking a deep breath before pulling away. “It feels a bit like fate is playing a joke on us to take you away as soon as I get back. Will you be able to use their Mirror to talk with us?”
“I’ll make sure of it. You focus on acclimating to being back home for good. And perhaps figuring out where your new girlfriend gets her magic from.”
He snorts, but the sound is forced. With one more squeeze, he quietly excuses himself from the room, his tall figure exiting the open door of the office and into the bustling hallway.
