After what seems like an eternity, the entire hall falls into silenceas the smiling king of Oryndhr saunters forward with all the arrogance in the world.
This is it—this is when he officially expects me to kneel.
Publicly.
As if on cue, my body fills with warmth, droplets of sweat beading along my upper lip and beneath my arms. Snatching hold of the ornate fan resting on a low table beside me, I fan myself vigorously. The queen’s taciturn gaze flicks toward me, but suddenly, her face starts to morph and pucker. My vision goes fuzzy, and then the room starts to fade.
Not now, not now, please not now.
But it’s not like I have ever had any say in when my favorite crone appears in my visions. Vena comes when she wants. Her form descends to the middle of the room—only we are no longer in a room. We are suspended against the backdrop of black velvet space like the stars we are.
She greets me as she always does. “Setareh sar lokkar.”
“Vena,” I say.
“You have grown stronger, Starkeeper.” Shooting stars spin from her mouth as she speaks. “But you have lost sight of your path. You ransom your gifts for the sake of three.”
“They are my friends. Myfamily.”
“A Starkeeper has no family. Mortal lives are of little consequence to the fate of the world.”
“You need us to believe in you, so we must matter.” I eye her, frowning. “And if you’re asking me to sacrifice them, I won’t.”
“You refuse to sacrifice one for the many?” Her starlit eyes burn like hot embers. “Perhaps we should do it for you. You belong to us, after all.”
Betrayal stabs through me like an icy blade. “Touch one hair on their heads, and Fero won’t be the one you have to worry about. That I promise you.”
“The darkness of the abyss creeps upon you, Suraya.” She has never called me by my given name before, and the sound of it on her lipsmakes me shiver, and not in a good way. “Infecting your spirit with a need for vengeance, a desire for blood. That is the path to the lie.”
Is sheblamingme? Anger rises like a bitter tide, the taste of ash salting my tongue. “You were the ones who gave me this cursed magic. You know what it’s capable of, yet you tell me nothing of how to control it. If there’s darkness in me, it’s because you put it there.” The last word breaks on a wild cry. “I don’t know what you want from me.”
“Mastery comes from a place of wisdom, of enduring love.”
I breathe wildly. “That’s just it—I don’t know how to master any of this. Just take it from me, please, I don’t want it.”
“What is given cannot be rescinded.”
“Then let me die,” I say. “Find another who is worthier.”
The crone approaches, nearly blinding me with her iridescence. Her fingers feather along my temple and the touch is achingly familiar. Warm. Drawing me down into the well of memory where my mother used to lull me to sleep and caress my brow.
“Dig deep, darling Suraya,” the crone whispers in a voice that isn’t hers. “Find the smallest seed of who you are. All the answers you seek are here in your heart. The strength you need has always been here. And know that you are never alone—I am forever with you, my fierce little firebird.”
That nickname, thatvoice. My eyes meet hers, and everything slams into me all at once as my heart hammers a rapid staccato in my chest. Herface... the voice and the face are my mother’s. “Mama?”
But she’s gone, the smile on her lips unforgettable. After all, it’s seared into my memories along with a thousand laughs, a thousand kisses, and a thousand shared wishes.
I blink stickily back to reality, coming to myself amid the sound of hushed voices. Confusion fills me. This isn’t the receiving hall. It’s a chamber—a very opulent chamber by the look of it, with ostentatious masculine touches and gold accents everywhere as if its occupant needs to be constantly reminded of his own magnificence.
The king’s chambers.
“She’s coming to.” Javed’s face looms over me, as does his mother’s.
“Water,” I croak, and a chalice is placed to my lips.
Gentle hands stroke my hair, neither of them belonging to the king or the queen mother. I search for their owners, and my eyes collide with Laleh’s. I’m surprised that Javed has allowed her to tend to me, but maybe he was desperate. Her eyes are guarded but worried. “Are you well?”
“Fine,” I rasp, taking another cool sip of water.
