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Adelaide smiled as she dried her tears. “You’re my baby girl.” The tenderness and fear in Mother’s voice had nearly broken her. It didn’t help Adelaide was still reeling from Regulus’ admission his father’s wife had tried to have him killed. Even in hiding, she had never known a life without loving parents.
But she hadn’t expected Mother to be so hesitant. Sure, after those years together in that cottage, they could only have become close or hated each other. Adelaide loved Father, but until Regulus, she didn’t think she could love someone as much as she loved Mother. And Mother had always been protective. She should have expected Mother to fight any suitor.
“I secretly hoped you would stay with me forever.” Adelaide hadn’t been able to keep from crying at that. But Mother understood, even if she didn’t like it. “I’m glad you’ve found someone you can love like I love your father. I just don’t want to see you hurt.”
“There’s something else,” Regulus said as he sat back down on her bed, drawing her attention. “Something the sorcerer—or Kirven, I guess—said that I’ve been wondering about. Something that might help you get your magic back. If that’s what you want.”
“What?” Adelaide sat back on her heels. Hope swelled, followed by suspicion and doubt. “The sorcerer? I don’t want anything to do with sorcery.”
“It wouldn’t be sorcery,” Regulus said quickly. “At least, I don’t think so. The sorcerer wasn’t much for explaining things most of the time.” He sat on the edge of her bed. “One of the ingredients he had me find was the root of a neumenet tree.”
“Absolutely not,” Mother said, folding her arms. “No.”
Adelaide looked between them. “What’s a neumenet tree?”
“According to the sorcerer, it’s a tree that holds a lot of magic.” Regulus looked inquisitively at Mother. “He said a long time ago people would try to conceive children under neumenet trees in the hope of their children being mages. And that it sometimes worked. What do you know about neumenet trees?”
Mother huffed and returned to the armchair. “When we realized Adelaide had magic, I read everything I found, trying to understand and determine how to help her hide.”
“We had books on magic?” Adelaide gaped at her mother, hurt and anger cracking through her heart like searing lightning. “You hid them from me?”
“Yes.” Mother pulled her braid over her shoulder and fiddled with it. “We hoped the less you knew, the easier it would be to keep your abilities concealed. To keep you safe.” She bit her lip. “Maybe that was wrong, but I stand by our decision.”
“And one of these books talked about neumenet trees?” Regulus asked.
“A few of them.” Mother inspected the leather tie on the end of her braid. “Every living thing has some level of magic, tied inextricably to life itself. It is a reminder of Etiros, the creator and source of pure magic. Sentient beings with high levels of magic—like mages—can use that magic to affect the world around them. For unknown reasons, some non-sentient living things are like wells of magical energy. Neumenet trees are exceedingly rare and hold more magical power than any other known thing. There are legends about its power rubbing off on sentient beings that spend time in its shade, from birds to men. Some theorize neumenets actually are sentient.”
Adelaide stared at Mother, stinging betrayal making her throat tense. “All these years...you knew about magic and didn’t tell me?”
“Adelaide.” Father looked at her, his eyes sad. “I lost a good friend and a few acquaintances when the Shadow struck. If there was even a chance not using your gift would keep you safe, I was willing to try it.”
Father had mage friends before the Shadow? “You never told me that.” She fidgeted with her hands in her lap.
“Some things are...painful to talk about. And difficult to hear.” Father scratched behind his ear and bit his lip. “How do you tell your child you...” He shook his head. “You can’t tell a child you found a dear friend strangled and hanging from his own balcony because he had the same gifting your child does.” His voice shook. “I wanted you safe. I didn’t want you terrified.”
Silence filled the room as Adelaide stared at her hands. The very air seemed to press in, smothering her. It took her a moment to get her tongue working. “So this tree could help me?”
“It felt ancient and powerful,” Regulus said. “Maybe if it can give an unborn child magic, it can restore yours.”
“Perhaps,” Mother said. “But you can’t go running off on a hunch.” She laid a hand on Adelaide’s head. “Powerful sources of magic attract other powerful magical creatures, both good and evil. The tree might be dangerous. More importantly, it may be best if you are powerless, at least until the sorcerer is dead and can’t take further interest in you. And I don’t want you leaving this castle while that monster Carrick is out there.”
“Best—powerless?” Adelaide sputtered. Mother couldn’t begin to understand the emptiness she felt without her magic flowing through her veins. Or the fear.
A frantic rapping sounded on the door, and they all turned.
“Come in,” Father called.
The house steward stepped in, clutching his cap in his hands, his eyes wide. His graying blond hair was a mess, as if he had been repeatedly putting the cap on and taking it back off. His bony shoulders scrunched up around his neck.
“My lord, we have a problem, if I may speak with you in private.”
Father frowned. “Speak, Titus.”
Titus twisted his cap. “Perhaps not in front of the ladies...”
“They will find out eventually,” Father responded. “Out with it.”
“My lord...we received back the falcon you sent to the king.”
Adelaide stood and placed a hand on Regulus’ shoulder. What could possibly have upset the steward so much about whatever message the king sent back? The steward shouldn’t have even read a message from the king.
“That was fast,” Father said, his brow wrinkling.
“It’s dead, my lord.”
Adelaide dropped onto the bed next to Regulus, her mind and pulse racing. Dead?
“A peasant brought it to us with an arrow through it, your message still in the container on its back.” Titus tapped his foot. “He said a man named Carrick gave it to him and paid him to deliver the carcass to Belanger castle.” He glanced at Adelaide, then stared at the floor. “The man also said Carrick instructed him to give Lady Adelaide his regards and to tell Lord Belanger to desist.”
Adelaide’s chest constricted, as if something was pushing on her sternum. She gripped Regulus’ forearm and her hands and feet turned cold. Her face felt numb and her mind thrummed with a frantic buzzing. She was vaguely aware of her father dismissing the steward as she struggled to breathe. Her vision went out of focus.
Helpless. Powerless. Useless. She ran through the most likely scenario. The sorcerer would kill the king. Nolan would be a duke with an army of knights at his command. He would storm Belanger castle. Good men would die. Regulus would be killed. Maybe even her father. Nolan would take her. Sweat ran down the back of her neck.
“Adelaide.” Regulus’ voice cut through her internal scream. He rubbed her back. “Breathe, Adelaide.” She took a deep breath. “We’ll figure this out. All right?” His hand moved in circles over her taut muscles. His smooth, deep voice washed over her like a hot bath. “Chin up, Tha Shiraa.”
Her breathing slowed. The tension in her shoulders eased as the weight lifted from her chest.
“We’ll find a way through this together. Together, my brave tigress.”
She nodded, her heart rate easing.
“Good.” Regulus smiled. “Now, don’t take this the wrong way, but your grip is like the jaws of a dragon.”
“Hm?” She looked at her fingers digging into his sleeve. With a gasp, she released her death grip on his forearm. “I’m sorry!”
He shook his arm. “I think I was a few seconds from losing feeling in my hand.” He winked and laughed nervously.
“That settles it,” Mother said with finality. “You’re not leaving this castle.”
“I concur.” Father’s eyes flashed with a fury she had never seen. “I’ll send another falcon tonight. Perhaps under cover of darkness it will make it. And I’ll send messengers by horse and by foot. We’ll have to spare a few knights to escort them. He can’t stop them all. In the meantime, I’ll have a guard posted outside your door. You’re not to leave this room without at least two armed guards.”
Adelaide’s mouth hung open, but she couldn’t formulate a response.
“Alfred, I understand where you’re coming from, but I don’t think that’s going to work.” Regulus continued to rub her back as he spoke. “I have experience with this. Carrick is nearly unstoppable, especially since he is eager to do his work. The sorcerer is likely stronger with the staff, and that may be reflected in Carrick’s abilities as well. Your only hope is for your messengers to get past Carrick without him catching them. And we don’t know if he is working alone or if he pulled some of his associates into his scheme with promises of fortune.”
“What do you suggest I do?” Father said heavily.
“Send out all your falcons, to anyone and everyone you trust, all at once. Tell them to forward your message to the king. Hopefully one will get through, and no lives will be needlessly thrown away.”
Father nodded but looked doubtful. “It’s worth trying.”
