Page 31 of Madness of Her Mages

“They didn’t want to leave their nursery at Abyssus,” I answered for them.

Malvolia set her bowl down, looking around me at the girls. “Why didn’t you want to leave your nursery?”

Ember pressed against my side while looking at Malvolia as if she was a venomous serpent about to strike.

“We love our pretty dolls,” Aurora answered, sounding more like a squeaky mouse than a child.

Malvolia’s expression softened, and she flashed what I hoped was a smile, though the act looked like it pained her. “When we reach Thebes, you will have as many pretty dolls as you like.”

Aurora gasped, and Ember looked up at me as if she was waiting for permission to show her appreciation.

I set down my bowl of stew and wrapped an arm around Ember, kissing the top of her head. “It’s okay, darling,” I whispered.

“And we didn’t want to leave Mrs. Euphemia,” Aurora blurted.

Malvolia arched a thin brow. “Mrs. Euphemia?”

“Their nursemaid,” I answered for her.

Malvolia turned up her chin, looking down haughtily at the girls. “I will hire a new nursemaid.”

“Will she be nice?” Aurora asked.

“She will be a good nursemaid,” Malvolia answered, that pained smile returning. “Don’t you wish to see your ancestral home? To live in a magnificent castle and wear pretty gowns?”

Ember pulled away from me and straightened her shoulders. “Will there be tarts?”

“Tarts?” Malvolia laughed. “Yes, of all flavors.”

The girls shared a look before Aurora nodded. “Okay, then.”

Malvolia’s cackling laughter took me off guard. It was like a corrupted version of my mother’s laughter, dark and oily, and I wondered, not for the first time, if the sorceress queen was demon possessed. It would explain so much about her, especially why she decided to put a price on the heads of two unborn children. Then again, Ember would’ve seen if Malvolia had been demon touched.

“Carry on,” Malvolia finally said after dabbing tears of laughter from her eyes. Then she held up her wine goblet, and a servant immediately refilled it. This had been her third glassof wine since we’d sat down to eat. If my aunt wasn’t demon possessed, she definitely had a drinking problem.

After coaxing the girls to eat, I took several more bites of my stew, wincing when I bit down on something hard. Was it a rock? I didn’t want to offend the cook and spit out the food, so I swallowed what I assumed was a small piece of bone, and the magic buzzing in my veins was instantly silenced.

My mind reeled as terror turned my veins to sludge. What do I do?

Oh, dear goddess! There was a tau stone in my food!

Blaze said something that made everyone laugh, and I plastered on a smile, trying my best not to show terror.

Can you guys hear me?Fear rang in my words as I projected to my mates, praying that our mind-speaking abilities still worked.

Of course.Drae looked at me, his brow marred by lines of worry.What’s wrong?

My shoulders slumped in relief. Oh, thank the goddess! I projected to them.I can’t feel my magic.

Drae stilled, his gaze sharpening on me.What do you mean?

The buzzing in my blood is gone. I think I swallowed a tau stone. What do I do?A tremor pulsed through me. I had never been without my magic before, at least, not that I remembered.

Stay calm,Drae said, casting Malvolia a side-eyed look. We don’t want the queen to know you can’t access your magic.

This was deliberate.Blaze’s deep voice ricocheted through my head while his dark gaze swept over the group.

I followed his gaze, wondering who had put a tau stone in my food and why.

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