“I can,” I said. “But it will probably be too much.”
“Maybe, maybe not. We won’t know until we try.”
The second I added my own source of magic, the orb cracked in two. I looked up just as the flash of disappointment on Dr. Lewis’s face faded into one of disguised nonchalance.
“Aw, drat it,” Dr. Lewis said. “I was so sure that was the one. No matter, we’ve made excellent progress here today.”
“It’s still early,” I said. “This is only our third try today. Fourth overall. Not bad.”
“We’ll try again. I’ll reconvene with the glassblower. Tinker with the spells. I’ll speak with Lily about updates to her potions.But we’re getting there. I’ll also work on finagling some sort of meter to see if there’s a way we can manage flow without your direct intervention.”
I smiled along with him, wishing I shared his optimism that this could work. I didn’t doubt it probably could work at some point in the future, but likely with the help of a roomful of scientists, years of trial and error, and me getting a better handle on how to wield magic in the first place. To get all that done in the matter of a week? I know Silas didn’t like the word impossible, but this felt pretty close to it.
“I’m afraid I’m done here for the day,” I said. “The coronation ceremony is tonight, and I’m due to start getting ready shortly.”
“Yes, yes.” Dr. Lewis picked up the remnants of the final shattered orb. “I’m thrilled for you, Alessia. Just so you know, I won’t be in attendance, but I want to make it very clear it’s not because I don’t support you. I’m a huge fan, big supporter, but since I’m not a member of your court, I can’t participate in the actual giving of the heartbeat ceremony. Otherwise, I would be there with bells on, but considering the circumstances, I think my time is better spent with my head to my desk working on a solution to the wards.”
“Thank you,” I said. “That means a lot to me. I completely understand, and I think you’re making the right choice. Thanks for all your work here, your help with the wards.”
“I look forward to working with you again tomorrow.”
As I left the clearing and strolled barefoot through The Forest, shoes dangling from my hand, I made my way to the castle in record time. The scene before me no longer felt unfamiliar anduncomfortable. If anything, the image of the castle shimmering above the stream felt welcoming and peaceful.
My gaze switched to the glittering surface of the river, to the circular patch of water where the spirits had passed through a portal just days before. In just a few hours, I would be standing on the second floor of the castle, accepting the title of Queen of Isles, once and for all. There was no going back after the coronation ceremony. A Fae Queen’s duties lasted for a lifetime.
“Are you ready for tonight?” Liza asked, appearing at my elbow. “The ceremony is supposed to be incredible. I’m excited to watch.”
I was used to Liza popping up like a little prairie dog by now, as if she had a tunnel system running beneath The Forest and could poke her head up at will. I grinned down at her, at her excitement about the evening, at the first real smile I’d seen on her face since she’d watched her mother go through the portal.
“If you’d like, you can come get ready with me,” I said. “I’m sure Lily has something for you to wear to the ceremony. I’d really like you to be there, if you’re willing.”
“I’m fine with this.” Liza absently rubbed the fabric of her threadbare dress between her fingers. “Unless, of course, it’s inappropriate.”
Liza gestured toward her simple, dirt-streaked dress. She looked beautiful in it, regardless of its state. She always did. She looked like sunshine sparkling on the surface of the lake, so brilliant and natural and full of life that you can’t exactly put your finger on what makes her that way.
“Of course you’re fine in that,” I said. “You can wear whatever you like. Why don’t you come with me to the castle and decide there?”
Liza nodded, and we headed inside the castle doors. She looked, for a moment, like any child I might have known in New York. A little girl, bobbing along behind the grownups whowere getting ready for a big event. It warmed my heart to see her happily included in a way I wished I’d been included when I’d been little, instead of passed off to a nanny while my parents completed their social calisthenics.
“Liza! You came with Alessia, that’s perfect. I have the cutest dress for you.” Lily greeted us as she bounded out of the castle, obviously expecting us. There was hustle and bustle behind her as preparations were made for the upcoming ceremony. “I need both of you upstairs, stat.”
Liza’s eyes glowed like moonstones at the invitation to join us upstairs. She eagerly bounced up the marble stairs behind us.
Lily led us to the second level of the castle, to a room tucked off to one side I’d never seen before. A beautiful alcove made of the same white stone that wound throughout the rest of the castle. But as we passed through the arched doorway, I noted that this room was much softer than any of the others—a cozy bedroom with plush faux-fur rugs covering the floor and gauzy curtains fluttering in the breeze from the open window.
The view from the open window was dazzling: the horizon stretched out endlessly over the lake and sparkled beneath the sunset. Though the room faced east, I could still see the sun’s reflection on the water, the oranges and pinks dancing on the surface like bold-colored fireflies. A tall four-poster bed stood along one side of the room, and a simple but elegant dresser stood on the other.
A full-length mirror reflected my surprised face back at me. Beside it hung a dress suspended delicately on a hanger, just like a wedding gown waiting for the bride. It hadn’t been all that long ago that I’d stepped into a situation just like this. Into a room full of white tulle and gauze, hot irons and mascara brushes, preparing to marry Simon.
A big, expensive gown had hung from a custom-made hangar with Simon’s last name on it, the dress picked out and paid forby my parents. It wasn’t a dress I loved, but ithadbeen the dress I’d worn upon my arrival on The Isle. Thinking back, I realized I had no idea what happened to it. I’d told Millie to get rid of it, and that was that. It hadn’t been a memory I wanted to keep.
The dress Lily had picked out for me today, in comparison, looked to be about fifty pounds lighter and far more my style: made of the palest beige silk, with a simple halter top and fabric that flowed like the water that streamed beneath the castle. It was slim-fitting, with a high neck and low back, bare arms. There were no sparkles or embellishments on the dress, mostly because they weren’t needed. The fabric itself was the showstopper.
“I got it custom-made from Wanda at Wanda’s Weddings,” Lily said. “She’s the best.”
“The fabric looks like magic.” I reached out a hand, and it moved between my fingers like butter.
“It is. Wanda’s got the best touch with fabrics and alterations. She can infuse them with all sorts of stuff you wouldn’t believe. Isn’t this one perfect? When I told her she got to design the dress for the Fae Queen’s coronation, she just about fell over. When I told her it had to be done by today, she nearly had a heart attack.”
