Her magic wasn’t a monster, and neither was she.
It seemed to notice the lack of resistance, and it rose high. She felt the sudden weight of its power. Anticipation made her throat dry. She braced herself for the long drag as it siphoned out of her. In the past, the magic had fed on her terror, her heartache, powerful emotions out of her control. But a kind of peace had settled over her. She felt a desire to help another creature. A desire to save Saturnino’s life. Her feelings for him had been carved into her, one strike at a time. Engraved across her heart, words she couldn’t speak. Words that weren’t perfect but were real.
Words he’d never believe.
That didn’t matter. She would do what she could.
“If this is what I’m meant for, so be it,” she whispered.
Ravenna placed both hands on the virgin stone, feeling its heat scape her palms. The magic inherent in the stones pushed back, biting and hostile, hissing steam. Her magic roared out of her, furious at the attack, wanting to smother and claim. She let it happen, keeping her fingers spread out and not curled into fists. Instead of despair, she welcomed her power.
This isn’t a sin. This is who I am.
The words settled in her chest, joined the other ones in the secret corners of her heart. Truths that were precious but still fragile. And for the first time, her magic didn’t try to overtake her. It waited for her permission, and she had the uncanny sense that it was beginning to trust her.
Her body moved instinctively, her magic unspooling out of her in long waves, wrapping around the stone, draining it of its life force. Her hands glowed a midnight blue, the same fiery hue locked within the Nightflame. Her magic was connected to the gemstone, a balance to its raw power to give life. The virgin stone seemed to shift, beaten down, its red veining fading to a dull ember as her magic subdued it completely.
Ravenna lined up the chisel and struck the handle with an efficient smack from the mallet. The surface splintered easily. The veining spread wider, almost guiding her where to direct each precise tap. As she carved deeper and deeper into the stone, the glow of the Nightflame within grew stronger, casting Ravenna’s face in a cobalt light. The last layer of stone felt like glass, smooth and fragile. Instinctively, she pressed her bare hands against it, her magic spilling out of her, and the barrier dissolved into dust.
And there it was.
The Nightflame.
The precious gemstone glimmered a bright blue, the flame within it dancing. For several heartbeats, she could only stare at it. It looked alive, otherworldly, as if it had come from the far ends of the universe, from heaven itself. It was larger than the palm of her hand, and it looked heavy. Carefully, she used her chisel to gently pull it out of its resting place. She felt a burst of pain, as if she cradled the power of the sun in her hands.
Then it cooled, as if recognizing her.
Like to like.
Ravenna sank onto the floor, her breaths ragged. Her magic drifted back to her, spooling between her ribs. It felt like it gave a great big yawn and fell asleep. Exhaustion sucked her down like mud.She’d never used so much magic at once; she was always trying to stop it before it began. Curious, she tried to call it out again, but now it resisted her.
Let me recover, it seemed to say.
She had done it. After years of hiding herself away, making herself small, believing the worst about herself. Until that moment she had never known what she was capable of. Her magic didn’t only destroy, it also had the power to do good.
It had the power to save someone she loved.
“Saturnino,” she said in a loud voice, a declaration.
She closed her eyes for a moment, dropping her chin toward her chest. The memory of the previous night crystallized in her mind. Firelight casting shadows across his pale face, dark eyes that reflected the flickering flames back to her. His presence had enveloped her so fully that she couldn’t see or think or feel anything else. Only the slide of his fingers across her skin had mattered to her. The searing kisses he had given her.
His cool poise shattering the instant he touched her.
“Saturnino,” she said again, this time in a dazed wonder. She had to find him; she had to show him what she’d done. Prove to him that she was true.
“I knew it,” came a low voice from behind her. “Iknewyou were working against me.”
Ravenna spun as Imelda and Pietro appeared behind the tall stacks of empty crates. She was in her usual lady’s maid ensemble, neat as a pin, but her features were twisted in fury. In her hands, she carried a sharp-edged chisel.
“Imelda, Pietro,” Ravenna said, fighting to keep her voice calm, inching closer to the hammer she’d dropped. “Why didn’t you make your presence known?”
“I warned you not to hinder my efforts,” Imelda said. “You’ve been taking too long to retrieve the gemstones, and His Holiness wants them. I thought maybe I could free them.” She lifted her hand, showed her the tip of one finger, scalded and red.
“The virgin stone burned you.”
“I only brushed my finger against it,” Imelda said. “But you’re here now and you’re going to do the hard work for me. Ineedthem,” Imelda said. “Because it sounded like you intend to betray His Holiness. Isn’t that right, Pietro?”
“It certainly did,” he said grimly.
