Asterie
My library was in disarray. The smell of old pages and leather surrounded me, and the stained glass windows allowed only fractured light of sepia and the deepest burgundy into that quiet sanctuary.
Books had been pulled haphazardly from their shelves and discarded in piles around the room where I’d left them. The tower knew me well—there was no point returning anything to the shelves until the place was thoroughly ransacked.
My finger skimmed over the page of a thick, dusty, leatherbound text. It settled below an ancient potion called the Skei remedy. I double-checked the ingredients to ensure that I’d not missed adding anything essential.
“Lavender, pig’s blood and grated birch bark,” I read quietly. “To unbind the power of an entity from a place, object or person. One vial—ingested.”
It seemed simple enough. The warlock would need to ingest the nasty concoction, and then, with all hope, I’d be strong enough to break the bond with the Brennac spell I’d found earlier. The text had been clear that the spell was a difficult one, and faulty.
Pocketing the vial, I left my library and descended the tower steps.
Emmerick had headed down to the grounds below the tower at dawn to ready the horses and secure our packs. He’d made pleasant company at dinner—respectable, well-mannered.
In recent years, most of the men I’d seen were in charge of deliveries or were lost travelers. Some sought me out to meet thefabledenchantress, to have her. To haveme.
As a younger woman, it was thrilling to watch them climb with lust-filled eyes. The version of men that I’d learned had been nothing like the young Commander.
Every step down the spiral staircase felt like liberation. I was leaving. I trailed my hands over the staircase’s cold gray, windowless walls. I’d be back…why did that not bring me any comfort?
The morning sun peeked over the horizon as the iron door swung open and laid the world before me. My hand gripped the door frame. Seeing the towering trees and the size of the horses up close made me feel small and vulnerable.
You are Asterie, the High Enchantress of the Central Corridor. Sister of the Stars. Legendary miracle. One of the most powerful in the realm…
No amount of repeating reassurances removed the pit from my stomach as my boots met the lawn. The earth gave beneath my feet. It was an odd sensation—soft, welcoming. When I reached Emmerick, the towering structure above us commanded attention. I’d never seen it from this angle—it was daunting, hostile and sharp from below.
“Good morning,” Emmerick said as he offered his hands to hoist me up into the saddle.
My blood flashed cold, and I braced. “I’ve never ridden,” I admitted.
“Not once?” He didn’t hide his surprise.
The anxiety that must have crept onto my face softened his expression.
“Okay,” he said. “I’ll lead you. You won’t have to steer—you can just hold on. Does that sound alright?”
“I would like that, thank you.” Giving him a shaky nod, I took a deep breath.
He leaned over and motioned for me to step into his hands for a boost. He counted to three before easily propelling me up. The reins were braided, and my fingers were clumsy with them as I found the seat. Emmerick kept his promise and attached another rope to the horse’s bridle before mounting his own.
New emotions clashed against each other—helplessness, a lack of control and unease paired with excitement and levity. A giddy sensation overtook me. I was on a horse, on theground.I combed the mane that hung in wind-whipped knots across the red gelding’s neck.
“You’ll be good to me, won’t you?” The hushed words made the horse’s ears turn.
Emmerick began to lead us away from the tower. The movement of the horse’s stride was smooth, and yet I felt unbalanced. I allowed myself one final look up at my tower—it didn’t look like home.I shivered at the intrusive thought.
The tower was soon erased from view when we entered the forest treeline. Onward toward a forgotten warlock, onward toward hope for Luz.
* * *
Emmerick had planneda route using the maps Queen Sybilla had provided him before arriving at my tower, and he shared the plan as we rode.
“If we travel straight north and then west just before reaching the Plateau, we won’t have to climb the Hussas,” he explained.
We would camp at night and avoid any towns along the way. I’d noticed all of the Commander’s weapons bore the Luz emblem. I’d also caught himtalkingto them this morning—calling them by names as he packed them. We were abundantly armed—my short dagger was tucked into my boot, and a broad sword was strapped across my back.
I was decent with a sword. Cassidee had made sure of that by beginning my training as soon as I was old enough to hold the weight of a blade. She was ruthless in the arena—she fought dirty and hadn’t been afraid to knock me downmanytimes until the bad habits in my form were corrected. I had my magic too, of course. However, breaking the Order of Henosis would not fit the Queen’s “don’t draw attention” instructions.
