“A stronger influence hex?” Elysander asked.
Bryn nodded. “That’s what I was thinking. Illiana, does such a hexmark exist?”
Illiana began to shake her head, but then her eyes drifted off and to the left. Her lips moved silently as she seemed to think through possibilities. Then, she finally took a quaking break. “Not exactly,” she said slowly. “There aren’t degrees of influence hexes. It wouldn’t be possible to cast a stronger one on the queen; however, I do think Bryn is onto something. Thereisa powerful hex that’s been kept secret in my family for many generations of witches. It isn’t known widely, so I doubt even a skilled mage would recognize it if they saw it. It would be risky, but it might work.”
“What hex is that?” Bryn asked apprehensively.
Illiana looked equally nervous as she said, “A possession hex.”
The small group fell silent. The waves crashed as the night wind rustled around them. Finally, Rangar said, “As I understood it, possession hexes were impossible.”
“As I said, it’s a family secret. My great-grandmother apprenticed for a mage in one of the lands south of the Great Desert. Their magic is different there. Darker. More powerful.”
Bryn’s hands suddenly felt sticky from salt water, but the sensation didn't go away no matter how often she wiped them on her dress. She said in a hollowed voice, “How do you envision it working?”
“I know the hexmark’s shape and wording,” Illiana explained, “Though I’ve never attempted to carve it before. Still, I believe I can do it. Whoever receives the hexmark will be able to transport their spirit into the body of the first person they see after receiving the mark. They’ll wear that person’s body like a set of clothes. Speak with their voice, move with their hands.”
“So whoever possesses Queen Amelia will make her support the side of magic when it comes to the vote, just like controlling a puppet,” Rangar said.
“Exactly,” Illiana said.
“But who will receive the hexmark?” Anter asked.
No one voiced an immediate answer to this, but Bryn felt a stirring in her blood. She was still in her magic apprenticeship with Mage Marna, yet she’d gained much skill in the past few months. She announced, I will.”
Rangar’s gaze shot to hers. “The hell you will. It’s too risky.”
“We have no choice,” she argued forcefully. “For better or worse, it’s the men in the Eyrie who rule. Kings sign their names to a vote, not queens. As king of the Baersladen, youmustbe at the grand parlay. The same goes for you, Mars. And you, Anter.”
“My father is the king of Vil-Kevi, not me,” Anter said.
“Yes, but you hold the trust of the Viklund family of Vil-Rossengard. If you are not present at the parlay, they will not form a consensus.” She motioned to the others. “Illiana cannot perform the possession, as a mage cannot carve a mark upon herself. And Elysander has no magic skill. It has to be me.”
“You do not have this particular skill either,” Rangar pointed out. “You’ve never done this hex before.”
“I performed the death slumber hex. I can do this one, too.”
“Won’t everyone wonder at your absence, Bryn?” Elysander said in concern.
“I’ll claim to be unwell. Raw oysters are known to cause upset stomachs, and they’ve served them at every damn meal.”
Rangar looked ready to argue again, but as he cast his gaze around the gathered group, he seemed to realize Bryn was right. He rolled his shoulders back, then tightened his jaw. “If I agree to let you do this,” he said, “I need to ensure you’re entirely safe the whole time. Both your bodyandyour spirit.”
“I can guard her body,” Elysander offered. “I’ll disguise myself as a healer and stay in her room with her body, pretending to help her recover from her illness.”
“And the rest of us will be at the grand parlay with Queen Amelia,” Mars said. “With Bryn’s spirit inside the queen, we will be diligent about her safety.”
Rangar still didn’t look convinced. He paced in the sand, then took Bryn’s arm and hauled her a few steps away. Beneath the stars twinkling overhead, he asked, “I’ve only just taken you for my wife. I swore I wouldn’t risk anything to lose you again.”
She touched his cheek. “Whether in this body or another, Rangar Barendur, my spirit will always belong to you.”
“And if you get trapped inside a ninety-year-old woman’s body?”
“Hmm. Then you’ll have to be gentler with your kisses.”
He growled low at her teasing remark and pressed their foreheads together. “I would love you in any body, my love, but I’m quite particular tothisone.”
He tilted his head so their lips touched. They kissed beneath the glittering stars and swaying palms, and Bryn wondered if this would be the last time she kissed Rangar Barendur with her own lips.
