After my last class I hunted Sir Gideon down and told him we needed to find Atticus.
“I have been looking for him,” Sir Gideon said. “I am glad you have finally started to care that your guardian cat is missing.” His usual sardonic tone hit me hard.
“I’m sorry I should have looked for him sooner. I’ve just been… busy.” I carried the needed bowl under my arm. “When I asked for his help I didn’t know it would be dangerous. I thought he’d gossip with the other cats or something, not disappear.”
Sir Gideon trotted into the cat door and I shoved into number eleven. I set the bowl down, conjured water to fill it, and plucked another white cat hair from my blanket, dropping it in.
“How do you know that is not my hair?” Sir Gideon asked, twitching his fluffy tail.
“I guess I don’t but we’ll see in a moment. If I remember right,” I said, putting my fingers at my temples as if they would bring the memory to my mind, “the spell is, viniaro estuada.”
The bowl’s water swirled and an image began to appear. At first it was hazy but when it cleared my gut twisted. Poor Atticus was locked in a cage… of blue thorned vines.
This is all my fault.
His usually brilliantly white fur had patches of black and brown soot. Those big green orbs of his dropped with sadness, breaking my heart a little. Then a sharp pain hit my chest; a feminine hand reached over and scooped him up. Now sitting in her lap the girl came into full view.
“Holy Phoenix.” It suddenly became hard for me to breathe. The room started to spin. I clutched at my chest. No, no, no. “Legacy,” I choked out.
“Hold on, Atticus and the princess’s cousin. We will find you,” Sir Gideon said telepathically. The scrying spell didn’t communicate both ways but perhaps the cats could still hear each other.
Sir Gideon turned his head toward me. “Where is that? Who would trap him?”
I tried to find anything distinguishing in the background to give the location away but the twisting vines took up the entire image. Although I knew who I had to find to get Legacy and Atticus back. The Prince of the Night and Winter courts. Astaroth Nightfrost.
Chapter 30
I sprinted down the steps and outside. The pounding of my feet drowned out the chatting students as I raced by. I slowed when I reached the dead orchards to find that cursed crown. I knew if I held it in my hands the Winter Prick would show.
As my boots crunched over crusty leaves and dry branches, I searched for the cage of thorns. Of course it wouldn’t just appear when I actually want to find it.
Panic rising in me the longer it took, I whirled in a circle wondering where I’d last seen it. What if he took Legacy in my stead? What if I can’t get to her?
A black crow cawed above, watching me dash about in circles.
As my hopes began to falter, the glitter of black jewels caught my eye. I spelled in front of it several yards away. Kneeling down, I didn’t even hesitate to reach inside this time. But I did take care not to touch the thorns as I wrapped my fingers around it and carefully pulled it out of the opening.
The cage melted into a puddle of goo and black mist appeared out of nowhere, growing and swirling around my feet. I braced myself for his return.
His evil, beautiful laugh came through the mist before he did. When he stepped in front of me, my heart hammered. This might have been a mistake.
“Princess,” he cooed. “We meet again.”
“Give her back,” I demanded with trembling hands. “And my cat.”
He grew a sadistic smile. “You resisted my charms longer than I would have liked. But the girl played right into my plans.”
“Give. Her. Back.”
“Wear the crown,” he countered.
I gripped it tighter. “No.”
“Then you shall never see your cousin or that nuisance of a cat again.” He stared into my eyes with such malice, I knew he spoke the truth. I would never see them again if I didn’t do as he commanded.
“Why should I wear it? What will it do?”
He placed his hands behind his back and walked around me. “Give you immense power. Power you can’t otherwise have.” He stopped and held my stare. “And give you the ability to fulfill the prophecy.”
Just like Madison said. Stay away from him; he’s evil. “I won’t do it.”
He cocked his head. “Then they will die.”
“No,” I pleaded. “Isn’t there something else you want?”
“Wear the crown. Or they die. The choice is yours.”
Pulse crashing irregularly, tears came to my eyes, and I brought the crown above my head. “I’ll make a deal. If I put the crown on then you must return Legacy and Atticus immediately, unharmed to this academy.”
He nodded. “Wear the crown and they will be returned as requested, unharmed and immediately.”
I took a deep breath. I had no idea what I was in for but it couldn’t be worse than losing Legacy and Atticus. The moment the cool metal touched my head a warm sensation traveled down my neck and to my arms. Then cold, burning cold, seared at the center of my forearms. I sucked in a breath and looked down. A three-inch black band with glitter that
