“It’s not?!” Elizabeth leaned back against her pillows, her shoulders slumping in relief.Thank the gods.
“It’s about … well …me.”
Elizabeth started. “What—”
Charlotte chuckled. “Our birthdays are close together, yours at the end of August and mine at the beginning, but no, the prophecy is aboutme. A young witch who lives in the kingdom of flowers, with power in her veins, born in the eighth month of the year. Who will find both artefacts and finally lead the witches and rid us of the scourge of demons.” She paused, smiling wryly. “I mean, itcouldmean you, but I’ve been preparing my entire life to rally the witches and help them if the war comes to pass during our lifetime.”
Elizabeth sighed in relief. “No, I’m absolutely thrilled it’s not me.” She chuckled. “Gods. I’ve been so worried that everyone will look to me, and I’ll have to shoulder this horrible weight and responsibility. And I’m not even a witch! They’re not my people.” She paused, then blanched. “Wait, areyouworried?”
Charlotte grinned. “A little. But I’ve had a long time to come to terms with it.”
Elizabeth sank into the mattress.
Thank the gods.
Elizabeth looked at her unmarked fingers, remembering the agony, the helplessness.
“Thank you for healing me,” she said seriously. “And for getting me out of there. I thought I was done for.”
Charlotte’s eyes twinkled. “Anytime.”
She smiled. “Any other secrets I should know about?”
Charlotte laughed. “Just one. You’ve probably guessed it by now, but I was the one who sent you that letter.”
“You can’t have.” Elizabeth raised a brow. “I know your handwriting as well as my own.”
Charlotte took a deep breath. “My mother has an old and trusted servant who we use for any correspondence from the ‘amulet bearer,’ so our writing doesn’t betray us. We are prominent figures in the Rhodean nobility, so it’s been a necessary precaution.
“We write all our own letters, and my mother’s maid only writes formal correspondence to the witches on our behalf. I am sorry if I caused you a fright with the strange writing, but I couldn’t reveal myself, even to you.”
“Thank you. For helping me find someone who can teach me magic.”
Charlotte’s smile turned wicked. “I was absolutely delighted when you told me you had magic too, though I just couldn’t say it at the time.” She paused. “Every young witch should learn how to control their magic, that’s what my mother told me. If you keep it bottled up, it can become unpredictable, even dangerous. So, I thought offering you a proper tutor was the best thing to do.”
“I just have one question,” Elizabeth asked, leaning back into the pillows. “How on earth did you manage to hide this from everyone? For so long?”
Charlotte smiled weakly and told her all about growing up as a witch in a kingdom that was waging a war in magic. Elizabeth listened and, in turn, told her all about what had really happened in the Underworld and the truth of what had happened between her and Caspian over the past few months. Charlotte, to her credit, listened without judgement. They talked for hours, both relieved to finally have no secrets between each other.
“I wonder if—” Charlotte paused abruptly. Her head jerked towards the window. “There’s a demon here.”
Chapter 61
Caspian’s Return
Elizabeth started, and Charlotte stood swiftly, staring at the window. Charlotte edged closer to the window, raising her hands as if they were weapons. Elizabeth was taken aback all over again that her friend was a witch, and after all these years, she’d never known.
A shadowy figure was behind the window, just visible behind the curtains. Heart pounding, Elizabeth tossed the covers aside and stood as the window slid open. A black boot stepped onto the window jamb.
The figure crept into the room and, when their eyes locked, he stopped dead.
“Elizabeth.” Caspian looked dishevelled and out of breath, like he had run through half of the kingdom to find her. His tunic was wrinkled and half tucked into his pants. He was looking at her as if he couldn’t believe his eyes.
“Caspian, you’re here,” Elizabeth breathed, and he ran to her side. She looked him over for any wounds. “You’re alright! I was so worried you’d never heal.”
He looked at her curiously, as if touched she would ever care for his well-being. “You savedme. I would not be here if not for you.”
Caspian glanced warily at Charlotte, who had her arms crossed, glaring at him. He inclined his head mockingly towards her. “Lady Charlotte.”
