“He gave bread away with a message of hope.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she seethed. “He’s a traitor.”
A dangerous warmth stirred in my chest, and the shadow and butterfly mark flared as if they objected to that realization. I forced myself not to reach for them, not to press my palm to the aches in my shoulder or hip.
“You’re afraid of hope.” I smiled. “Because hope gives power to those who seek it.”
Her expression hardened. “Hope without structure becomes rebellion.”
“Maybe rebellion is what happens when structure becomes a cage.” My smile matched hers.
The blue flames along the walls flared sharply, and she shook her head as her attention fixed on me. It felt almost physical and heavy but fragile all at once.
The Priestess tilted her head. “Do you believe you can inspire them with words?”
“No.” I glanced at Legner, then the little woman in the far cell. “I think they were inspired long before I got here. But hopefully my actions will speak louder than any of it.”
For a moment, the space felt too small for the silence that followed.
Until the Priestess laughed. “You truly are the one I hoped for. It has taken generations. I’ve held on for this long knowing I needed to find the one.”
That made my skin crawl.
“I’m not joining you.”
“You don’t know what joining me means.”
“It seems to involve a lot of imprisonment.” A shiver ran through me as she studied me, but I prayed she didn’t see it.
“It involves understanding that power must be held by those willing to use it.”
“And who decides that? You?”
“Yes.” She smiled. “And apparently, you.”
There was no hesitation or shame in her presentation, and the honesty of her accusation stunned me more than another lie would have.
“When Shadowick and Stonewick merge, the Academy’s magic will finally stop pretending it can exist without us. The Wards will no longer strain to keep apart what was bornconnected. The old magic will return to one current, and those who tried to keep it divided will learn that comfort was never the same as peace.” She glanced at the rune beneath us. “I’ve tried so many ways, and it’s been exhausting. Malore, Gideon, Rendel…all traitors in the end.” She let out an exaggerated breath. “And the truth was in you all this time.”
“And what happens to the people who don’t want to merge?” I asked, stepping closer to the stairs.
A smile touched her lips. “They will adjust.”
“And if they don’t?”
Her gaze settled on the entrance to the dungeon.
My stomach sank because that was the answer.
“You’re no more than an aging tyrant with few avenues left,” I said, knowing the Academy would never let her have the stone. Without the stone, her longevity would end, or I at least hoped that was how it would work.
For a second, I thought she might strike me with magic.
Instead, she smiled. “Tomorrow, you’ll see Shadowick.”
“I’ve seen enough.”
“No.” She began walking toward the stairs. “You’ve seen the bones of my home. Tomorrow, you’ll see the heart.”
