Haruka tells us that Enidwen was a Grounder and the catalyst for the Purge and continued banishments. That the royals used Enidwen’s actions as an excuse to oppress Grounders, to instill the fear of magic in all generations. Even at the expense of targetingUndesirables—we’re just scapegoats in the grand scheme of things.
“They think they can keep us down. If only they knew just how organized the rebellion is.” She grins.
The tale of the Enchantress Queen is real. Gods above and below… To have lived in a time when such dark magic existed sounds horrifying. No wonder the crown goes to such extremes to keep magic away. Have they any idea that it still exists?
Haruka drums her slender fingers on the table. “One more question about your dreamwalking: aside from the queen addressing you, what else happened?”
The details are beginning to grow fuzzy by now, but I pull what I can remember to the forefront of my mind. “The queen was younger in the beginning of the dream, and she was with a young Carys. She told Carys that she’d burn the castle down.”
Haruka’s eyes widen, and Alys says, “Carys is a Flamewielder.”
My jaw practically hits the table, as does Haruka’s. I glance at Osheen whose face has gone as white as a wraith.
“She wasn’t aware,” Alys continues. “But she should be by now. I left her a note.”
“Anote?” Haruka blinks rapidly at Alys. “You left her anote?!Elviera!”
Her shoulders hunch. “I know.”
“When did you discover that she had powers?” Haruka asks. “How has it been kept a secret?”
I would like to know the same.
“Morwenna told me about a year ago. It’s complicated.”
Complicated… I press my hand over my mouth to keep nervous laughter from escaping. The heir to the throne has magical wielding abilities. And terrifying ones at that.
“When Carys was a child, she lost control of her powers, and the results were catastrophic. So, Morwenna manipulated her memories and runed an amulet to make a dampener. I tried to convince Morwenna to talk to Carys about it several times, but she insisted it was important that Carys figure it out on her own, and that if it was forced upon her unnaturally, it would cause her to lose control again.
“Carys can be unpredictable, impulsive, but she’s learning to deal with it. I’ve tried to teach her grounding and give her some tips on meditation to help her calm down in times of turmoil, and she has done well, but I’m afraid the pressure of taking the throne is causing a flare-up.”
Poor Carys …
Alys lowers her head a moment, rubbing the spot above her brows before glancing up again with a sigh. “Iywan is up tosomething. Morwenna has been ailing for some time, but most recently, when I tried to feel for what ails her, it was… tainted. Whatever Iywan and the new healer’s apprentice are doing involves something that feels likedarkhealing magic. Unhealing. They’re keeping her in a sort of limbo; keeping her alive, albeit asleep. For what purpose, I’m unsure. But I believe that if Carys’s power manifests, they’ll let the queen perish, but they’ll also keep Carys’s powers hidden from everyone else.”
“What makes you say that?” Kilkenny asks.
Alys shrugs. “Iywan once cared very much for the queen and, by extension, for Carys. But he’s since begun caring more about impressions—about the royal titles, rather than the people who hold them. He wants Erleya to be seen as perfect. The last thing he would want is for word to get out that the heir apparent is a Wielder. Especially aFlamewielder. It would shatter the façade of the Purge and all that the kingdom has continued to do to ensure that magic does not become a reality again.”
My mind buzzes with more and more questions, all itching to spill free from my lips. I take a shaky sip of my tea and then set my cup down again. No one speaks for quite some time, everyone deep in thought.
Then, thankfully, Haruka speaks up. “Durvla needs to be trained. Her powers would be a great asset to the rebellion.”
My back goes rigid. That’s a change in subject. Me, an asset to the rebellion? Before Paramount, I had never even heard of the rebellion.
“Tiernan, would you be able to train her to weaponize her abilities?”
“It’s up to Durvla,” says Kilkenny.
Osheen tenses; it isn’t feasible with his whole running away fantasy.
Then everyone’s attention is on me. I swallow hard. “I?—”
“You don’t have to decide now,” Kilkenny says. “The rebellion is complex. It’s not what people expect it to be. Rather than rising up against the crown directly, the rebellion aims to make the kingdom as safe for everyone as possible. Alys has been a covert rebel for years, my parents as well—my mother provides weapons, not just to the Royal Brigade, but to the Verge fighters and rebels outside of the Verge as well. My father travels, assisting with rescues, setting up contact points and safe houses throughout Erleya. I’ve never been to the Verge, but Alys has.”
Alys smiles.
“I’ve also never actively been part of the rebellion myself, and I wasraisedby rebels.” Kilkenny turns to his mother. “We can’t expect Durvla to make such a huge decision on a whim. She could also live peacefully in the Verge. After all, the Verge offers sanctuary to those that seek it.” He glances at Alys. “Right?”
