George nodded. “It’s the same way I can only work my magic until my well’s run dry or I lose focus.”
“The only mages I know that are different are the chaosweavers.”
“Is that your word for the rare ones?”
“The ones who can ‘create from nothing’?” he checked.
“Yes.”
“Mhm,” he replied, enjoying the way the sun warmed him as it rose in the sky. The world was so much warmer this far north. “They don’t use their well when they’re weaving. They can just—create—kind of. It’s complicated.”
“How do you know so much about them?”
“My friend’s wife is one. And she’s my friend now, too.”
“Hm.”
He glanced at the princess, but she’d set her sights on the glistening lake down below.
Severalhourspassed,duringwhich time they crossed Lake Dlongos on a stone bridge composed of six magnificent arches. Isahn wished he had a single artistic bonein his body; he would’ve loved to sketch it for his friend Kas. The Duke of Stormhill would probably dive into learning about bridge building and construct his own at home, connecting Selwas to Karova in no time.
Dunstan, Burke, and Hildy argued briefly about something before the men rode ahead and Hildy returned to their side.
“Hil.” George’s lovely voice rasped through the air.
“Hmm?”
“They can’t hear us.” She pointed to Dunstan and Burke. “And we won’t have that luxury for much longer. Sooo...” She drew out the word in a way that had Isahn’s chest rumbling with quiet laughter. “Are you going to spill the details on what the fates is going on? Or do I have to command you to tell me?”
Hildy chuckled morosely. “Really, Georgie, in front of the prisoner?”
“Not a prisoner,” Isahn corrected, “anymore.”
“He’s literally heardeverythingfor nearly a week now. I think you’re safe to speak.” George poked Isahn playfully in the side with a finger of invisible magic.
He side-eyed her with a smirk, but his attention was quickly drawn back to Hildy, who pierced him with a glare as her nostrils flared.
Isahn dropped his reins for a moment to toss his hands up in surrender. “Not everything! Not nearly everything, I’m almost certain of it.” He flicked his gaze up ahead to land on Dunstan and Burke.
The future queen’s future advisor swore under her breath. “Fine. That night out in Nevellium, I kissed Burke.”
“Woah, woah, woah!” George stopped her friend. “Start at the beginning, because there’s no waythat’sthe beginning.”
“You get what you get.”
She pouted.
“That night, Burke and I kissed. Dunstan saw, but I didn’t know he saw.”
“Oh, shit,” Isahn commented.
“Exactly. The next morning, Dunstan waspissed.We argued about it all day. We’re nottogether,you know,” Hildy offered to no one in particular.
“Is that all?”
Hildy dropped her chin as she raised her eyebrows as if to say “Do you really think that’s all I’ve got?”
“Comeon,tell me.” George’s voice cracked with excitement as she egged her friend on.
