“Goodbye, Rafe.”
He turned and walked away, his black cloak billowing behind him like a second shadow as I opened the kitchen door.
The kitchen was an enormous room with a high ceiling held up by massive beams and dominated by a long wooden workbench and table. Pots and pans were washed, stacked, and hung on neat display, and the fireplace had a big iron pot bubbling away in the corner. The castle cook, a sweet little middle-aged woman, was still awake, having a cup of something hot with two of the kitchen maids. They jumped up when they saw me.
“Sorry to bother you, but could someone please help me find my room? I seem to have forgotten how to get there.”
“Of course, my lady,” said the cook. “Would you like a cup of snowberry milk? It does wonders for soothing the nerves and helps you sleep.”
I nodded. “That would be lovely, thank you.”
I followed one of the maids, who showed me to my room. This time I made sure I paid more attention to where I was going.
I had my snowberry milk and lay down on my comfortable four-poster bed, my thoughts a mess. As if I didn’t have enough to think about, now I couldn’t get Rafe out of my mind. I hardly knew anything about him, except that he was an outlaw and dangerous.
I shook my head as if I could dispel his face from my thoughts. I had no time for this; I had to forget about Rafe. I had to concentrate on the real reason I was here: to learn to use my magical powers before Morgana found me.
That was what I kept telling myself again and again. And although my head was being perfectly logical and telling me I was an idiot, my traitorous feelings didn’t seem to agree as I waited for Rafe’s return in silent anticipation.
Lessons in Magic
It was a bright spring morning, and the burnt gold rays of the rising sun streamed in through the large windows, warming the plush carpets that lay on the cold stone floors.
I got out of bed, went over to the window, and looked out at the grounds beyond. Birds chirped high in the trees, and the surrounding gardens were awash with dusky pink blooms of peonies and clusters of snowy snapdragons. The fragrant flowers lined the trellised groves and walkways shaded with blossoming wisteria in vibrant shades of lavender.
The rest of the castle was already busy with their morning chores. Uncle Gabriel had sent a message to meet him in his study after breakfast. Herring brought a tray to my room, and the delicious aromas of freshly baked bread and chocolate made me realize just how hungry I really was.
I wolfed down my cinnamon bread smothered with whipped strawberry butter and finished my huge cup of rich hot chocolate, generously topped with a dollop of thick, fresh cream. I wanted to go see Snow first, but I didn’t want to give a bad impression by being late, so I dressed quickly, pushed stray thoughts of Rafe from my head, and ran down to the stables as fast as I could.
Snow was waiting for me. “Good morning, little princess. I hope you got a good night’s rest.”
I put my hand on the pegasus’s neck and stroked her beautiful mane, pushing my thoughts out to her. “I did, thank you, Snow.”
I was happy to see that she was comfortable and treated well. I showed her everything that had happened using the magical bond between us. It was much easier and faster explaining things.
“I’m glad you found what you were looking for, my dear. I think you should listen to your granduncle; he knows what he is doing and is also a powerful mage. He will teach you what you need to know.”
I nodded. “I had better go for my lesson now. I’ll be back to see you later,” I called out as I ran out of the stables and back into the castle.
Uncle Gabriel’s study, the same room he had taken me to before, was where we were to conduct our lessons. My granduncle was seated behind the big mahogany desk, scribbling away on some parchment with a quill he kept dipping in an inkpot.
Oh, great! No proper pens and paper . . . getting used to life here was not going to be easy. No electricity, no cars, no phones—how was I going to learn how to survive in this world?
Although I had seen Uncle Gabriel the previous night at dinner, I had not spoken to him alone since our first meeting. “Come in, come in,” he said in his usual brusque manner.
I smiled as he gestured for me to sit down in the chair opposite him.
He put down his quill and sat up straighter in his chair. “First, I wanted to thank you for catching those two traitors red-handed.”
I blushed. “I really didn’t do anything. It was Erien who found them. What will happen to them now?”
“They shall be exiled and sent to the slavers in Brandor. It will do them good to learn to serve others.”
“Isn’t that a bit harsh?” Slavery was abhorrent, and I didn’t think anyone deserved that.
My granduncle shook his head. “It is better than an execution, Aurora. They did try to kill me, after all.”
I nodded and hung my head. I still didn’t agree, but I kept my mouth shut.
“Today you will start lessons with me and learn to access your mage powers. There are a few training exercises I want to start with, which will help you to access and channel your magic. I want you to have an open mind and follow my instructions very carefully.”
I listened intently, breathlessly awaiting the secret I was so anxious to discover: how magic worked.
“You are still young, and so far your powers have been diminished by the amulet, but if you have tapped into your fae magic already by mind-bonding with the pegasus, that means that your powers are starting
