“What?”
“Perhaps your necromancy has already manifested itself. In yourwork.” She said the word with a knowing smirk, as if she knew exactly the kind of work I did.
I stared at her. “Necromancy has nothing to do with my work.”
“It has everything to do with it, you foolish boy. Necromancy isn’t just the art of raising the dead. It is the art of a life weaver. A necromancer holds the threads of life in their hands, whether it’s to preserve a life or to end it.”
I shook my head. “My hands have never glowed like that before.”
“The glow is only an indication of a powerful manifestation of the ability. It can still be demonstrated in other ways, though. Tell me, when you have the intent to kill, do you ever fail?”
I swallowed, not wanting to answer. My anonymity was a precious thing, especially right now when the queen wanted my head.
Lavinia’s eyes glinted. “Well, if youwerea hunter who never missed their mark, I would speculate the magic is assisting you.”
I opened my mouth, prepared to argue that perhaps I was just a skilled hunter, when I faltered. In all my years of training in weapons and combat, my aim had always struck true. Even in my early years when I was a beginner, I had thrived, attributing it to my natural knack for hunting.
But perhaps there was another power at play, one I had never realized was there before.
A cold, sickening dread filled my chest as the pieces finally connected in my mind.
“This new power could change the future of our court,” Lavinia said with a hungry gleam in her eyes. “The queen could do great wonders with a gift like yours.”
The sickening feeling only intensified until I had to brace my hand on the wall to keep from fainting. “She already knows.”
Lavinia’s eyebrows rose. “How? You only just found out yourself.”
My eyes closed against the dizziness that threatened to consume me. It all made sense now. Why else would Calista elevate my father, a man with no rank or status, to the position of commander? Why else was she so determined to keep me in her service?
And why, when I was intent on leaving her employ, did she give me an impossible task, knowing I would fail? In five years, neither Calista nor her trusted soldiers had been able to apprehend the Snow Princess. She assumed I would also be unsuccessful.
She knew about my magic. My father must have had the same power, and she sought it in me as well. And she couldn’t bear the thought of me using my powers elsewhere. So instead of releasing me from my contract, she doomed me with one final assignment. One that would either get me killed or mark me as an enemy to the crown.
Because ifshecouldn’t utilize my powers… then she would ensure no one else could.
I awoketo a crackling fire and the smell of smoked meat.
With a jolt, I sat up, then patted my tunic in search of the bloody wound that should have killed me.
How was I alive? And where was I?
My gaze flitted about the room. I was lying on a table in a cozy dining room. The opposite end of the room led to a small kitchen where a short, white-haired woman was humming to herself as she cooked meat atop a wood-burning stove.
I swallowed, my mouth dry, as I tried to take stock of the situation. I was in a stranger’s home and somehow miraculously healed. Where was Theron? And Frisk, Mauro, and Kendra? Had the animals survived?
As gingerly as possible, I slid off the table, checking my garments once more for bloodstains. But it seemed this strange woman had dressed me in fresh clothes. I was wearing a blue tunic that was a bit too loose on me, along with baggy trousers.
“Don’t try to sneak away,” the woman called without turning from her cooking. “I already know you’re awake.”
I froze, my eyes wide. For half a second, I considered going invisible and just disappearing. But she already knew I was here, and if I used my magic to get away, it would only make hermoresuspicious.
Besides, I had to find Theron.
Clearing my throat, I asked, “Who are you?”
“My name is Lavinia. You must mean a lot to Harlan for him to come begging me to heal you.” She shot a curious look over her shoulder, and I caught a glimpse of pointed fae ears under her white hair.
Harlan.Right. Theron’s alias.
