“I beg to differ, Lord Delacourt.” Lucian’s voice was sweet and silky but laced with an unmistakable trace of steel. “As Archmage of Avalonia, all mages come directly within my jurisdiction. And if you read the fine print in the treaty of the seven kingdoms, which I presume you have not, if there is a threat to the safety of the Mage Guild, my authority supersedes every ruler in every kingdom.”
“I’m not a threat to anyone,” I said.
“That’s for me to decide,” said the archmage. “Bind her hands.” He gestured to the guards. “And Lord Delacourt, since you, too, are one of us, a mage with affiliation to the Mage Guild, you are under arrest as well, for assisting a known criminal.”
The guards moved forward to hold Brandon and bind his wrists.
“I am not a criminal,” I said between clenched teeth. It would be so easy to knock them all down. All I had to do was remove my amulet and unleash my magic, which had built up to a huge pulsating ball inside me. It had been a while since I had used it, and it wanted out.
I pushed it back down, subduing the beast that had begun to wake inside me. For that is exactly what it felt like, a great slumbering beast, one that woke when I took off my amulet. The real Aurora Firedrake—the fae-mage who was not afraid of anyone, who could kill without remorse and bend powerful magic to her will—was buried inside me, waiting for me to unleash her on the world. But I was not ready, I was not strong enough to let her out again. My amulet kept her in check, but not for long.
“Where is Prince Rafael?” one blue-cloaked warrior-mage asked. I recognized him from my time at the palace: Captain Gerard, leader of the palace guards. “Is he with the Black Wolf?”
“Do you actually believe I kidnapped the prince and dragged him halfway across the kingdom?” I snapped at the captain.
“It doesn’t matter what I think.” Captain Gerard glanced briefly at Lucian.
The archmage smirked.
“The king has ordered me to bring you both back to the palace,” the captain continued. “And that is exactly what I am going to do.”
One of his men came forward to address Captain Gerard and Lord Oblek. “We have searched the other guests and the Black Wolf is nowhere to be found, my lord.”
Oblek turned his eyes on me, took a step forward, and gave me a warning look. “Tell us where your accomplice is. That scoundrel has made a fool of me and my guards for the last time.”
“Tell us where he has taken the prince, and my king will be lenient with you,” Captain Gerard added.
I’d had enough. My anger flared, and magic pulsed through my body. I pushed hard against Lucian’s power that was holding me rooted to the spot. The archmage’s eyes widened as I shattered his hold over me and walked up to Oblek and the captain.
“I have told you once, Captain Gerard,” I snarled softly, looking him straight in the eyes. “I did not kidnap your prince, and I don’t know where he is. Maybe you should check the brothels and taverns back in Neris. That is where he usually spends all his time, I hear.”
Captain Gerard’s eyes went wide, and his face changed to the color of fresh beets.
“And as for the Black Wolf,” I addressed my old enemy Oblek, “you will never catch him, for he’s a better warrior-mage than you can ever hope to be.”
Lucian chuckled, and his face distorted into what I presumed was a grin. “That’s the Firedrake princess all right. My nephew, Damien, told me she had quite a temper. Exactly like her father, this one.”
Lucian raised his hand. Pain shot through my body and I gasped, clutching my chest as I fell to my knees.
“Do not think your innate gifts are any match for mine, little princess,” said the Archmage of Avalonia. “I’ve mastered powers you have never dreamed of, long before you were born.”
Dark magic clawed at my body as I tried to defend myself. Lucian smiled calmly as if it were no effort for him. I had no idea how to break his hold over me this time, and his sinister power was suffocating mine.
I could see Brandon struggling to move toward me, but two guards held him back. My vision blurred and I tried to force back the shadows twisting around me. The world swam before my eyes, and the pain kept building, until finally my magic weakened and I fell the rest of the way to the ground, darkness forming an ebony veil before my eyes as I lost consciousness.
When I awoke, I was bound and lying on the floor of a dark room. My mouth felt dry and my tongue was like sandpaper. The metallic tang of Lucian’s magic remained, leaving a sour taste at the back of my throat. I pushed myself up into a sitting position, my eyes adjusting to the lack of light. Something scurried away beside me, and I drew my legs up closer. I hoped it wasn’t a rat—I hated rats!
I looked around. I was in some sort of cellar under the mansion—barrels of wine and ale lined the dank walls. I shivered as I tried to use my magic to untie the ropes around my hands, but it didn’t work. I couldn’t recreate the magic I had performed in the ruins with Morgana because I never really knew what I was doing.
I slumped back against the cold stone wall, gazing around. I knew it was too much to hope for Rafe to rescue me again; I hoped he had escaped, at least. If Oblek found out he was the Black Wolf, his cover would be blown and he would not be able to help the fae anymore.
The door opened and Lucian strode in, stopping a
