Chantal stomped her cane. “She can make changes the moment she’s crowned Souverain.”
“They would fight her at every turn or assassinate her at best.”
Elara withdrew. “At best?”
It was Blai who looked out the window and said, “There are worse punishments than death.”
They all looked in different directions as if they knew this to be true.
A small, muffled sound, like thetingof metal on metal, rang from somewhere. It took a moment before Nikolas seemed to realize the noise was from his pocket. Elara stood on tiptoe to read over his shoulder, watching as golden letters appeared upon the black parchment:
Chef Elouise Auclair,
Congratulations on earning a spot as one of the seven Favored in this year’s Objet d’Art. We the Counseil are most excited to see your tantalizing creations. As a reminder,there are three rounds in which the Counseil will consider your magie and your skill in a kitchen. Should you make it past rounds one and two to become a finalist, then we will take the time to hear your story during the traditional interview. Below, you’ll find the instructions for the first round as well as a countdown to the event.
Sure enough, a timer ticked away at the bottom. Six days, three hours, and thirty-seven minutes.
“An interview?” she asked first.
“Standard procedure,” Chantal replied. “No one is eliminated, but it gives them a chance to get to know the finalists.”
Elara’s stomach tightened. She was nobody. Literally. Elouise Auclair had no past to speak about, and all her hopes and dreams were pinned on memories that belonged to Rousseau. If they dug deep enough, they’d figure that out, then they’d realize she was a fake and…
Instead of spiraling, she focused on the first round.
ROUND ONE: APPRAISAL
To have an item appraised is to determine its worth. At a prestigious garden party, you will have two hours to create a dessert of your choosing that best demonstrates your magical prowess. However, in order for us to appraise your skills with magie, you will be required to use two ingredients from a random assortment during the contest. How you manipulate their magied properties will reveal your adaptability as well as your ingenuity.
“Magical prowess,” she repeated. “See! I can’t pull any punches!”
“You can dazzle them with illusionary magie,” Nikolas declared flatly.
“Any Aspirant can do illusionary magie.”
Elara pulled out the recipe book, quickly flipping past the first couple of pages. “My mother has a recipe for a mille-feuille that heightens the senses, allowing people to hear even—”
“No,” Nikolas replied.
Elara turned another page. “Then I could make soul canelé and boost the healing properties.”
“No.”
“It’s a good recipe, and the magie is strong. I think it could—”
“I said no!”
“Then what?” Elara slammed the book shut and waved it in his face. “Do you want me to steam some milk and call it a day? Or maybe I should show up with raw ingredients and tell them to make it themselves?”
Nik pinned her with a withering stare filled with heat that spread through Elara’s chest and down her spine.
“I don’t care if it’s cake or if it’s custard as long as the magie isn’t too strong.”
“But the brief says—”
“Damn the brief!”
It was the reality kick she needed to remind herselfexactlywhere she was and who she was with. Nikolas Dupont was a liar and he wasn’t afraid to snap if pushed too hard. But he was also her Patron, her lifeline.
