She spread her hands, and before I could stop her, her fingers were moving, twisting and turning as she gathered threads.
“Eira,no!”
But it was too late.
Eira’s body went stiff, jerking wildly. She threw her head back and screamed.
Calista’s thread remained intact.
But Stella’s was broken.
It was such an easy fix. A life for a life. The simplicity of it called to me, beckoning my magic forward. I couldn’t refuse, not when the answer was so plain.
It was an exchange. That was all.
I pulled Calista’s thread, then tugged on the broken remains of Stella’s. My hands knew what to do even if my mind didn’t. This magic was still so new to me, but my fingers seemed to move of their own accord, as if theyknewthis power. They knew what to do with it.
And so, I wove the strands together, substituting Calista’s for Stella’s. The nobles had seen Calista’s true form. My stepmother had served her purpose.
A torrent of pain shot through me, stifling my movements. My back arched, and I threw my head back with an anguished scream as fire burned my blood, scorching me from the inside out. Gods, the pain wastoo much.
And yet, I’d never felt more alive. The sharpness, the sting of it, brought clarity to my mind, which had been bogged down by sorrow and trauma. I could see clearly. Thescream continued to pour from my lips, but I kept my hands suspended in the air, still holding on to those pieces of thread, those strands of life.
I had to continue weaving. I had to finish this.
Gasping, each breath wet and ragged, I kept moving my fingers, determined to complete the exchange. This magic could kill me if it wanted to. But I refused to lose another person I loved.
Warm hands pressed against me, drawing me close. I sank into Theron’s embrace, using his solid form to support me, to keep me upright. His woodsy mountain scent surrounded me, enveloping me in something so comforting and familiar that it felt like home. I leaned into it, relying on his presence, his strength.
He was here, even though he should have died. Somehow, he was here.
With him by my side, I could do this.
My fingers continued working despite the pain. The glowing pieces of thread shifted and moved at my command, and as I continued, the fire in my blood subsided. My breathing calmed, my pulse slowing. With one last firm tug, my work was complete.
Calista slumped over, her form limp and unmoving. And Stella’s body knitted itself back together, bit by bit, her head and limbs moving together as if an invisible hand were stitching her up.
With a loud gasp, Stella jerked upright, her eyes wide as she ran her hands up and down her body in shock. Her throat and torso were drenched in blood.
“Shivering bones, Eira,” she said hoarsely. “What did you do?”
I laughed, overwhelmed with relief and sudden exhaustion.And then, my strength left me. I fell against Theron’s firm chest and succumbed to the darkness.
My head was spinning. My mouth tasted like sand. With a hoarse cough, I opened my eyes, my vision blurry. Where was I?
A chair creaked nearby, and a familiar voice said, “Eira?”
I tried to speak, but it was like gargling pebbles. I swallowed and tried again. “Theron.”
“I’m here.” His warm palm captured mine, and our fingers laced together.
Just his nearness, his presence, lit up something within me. I opened my eyes and shifted, finding myself tangled in sheets and blankets, but Theron pressed a hand to my chest to keep me in place.
“Not so fast, Your Majesty.”
Your Majesty.A small part of me missed how he’d called meprincess.
But I supposed I would never be a princess again. I was the queen now.
