Page 2 of Mistress of Hours

Lou nodded, their face grim. “The people of Cambrai were able to get out in time. It seems like they were able to follow those evacuation protocols you set up fairly seamlessly. It’s a good thing, too. Our casualties could have been significant if there had been a whole town of civilians here.”

Evienne hummed her agreement as she and Lou watched the Sangviere working with the troop of guards stationed in Cambrai to clear the square of Gevaud corpses. Using her magic as she had today made her feel so alive, so connected to the world around her, but she was exhausted now—and hungry.

No matter how many times Evienne confronted them, the sight of the massive, mangy beasts unsettled her. Despite years of dealing with them, no one knew where they came from or what caused their attacks. Her patience with the unknowns had long since worn thin, but it seemed answers were impossible to come by.

After a few moments, Evienne turned to Lou. “Is there anything else I can do to help here?”

“I think we have things reasonably under control now that those horrible things have been dealt with,” Lou said. “I know you must have things to do back in the city, High Sangviere,” they added with a teasing smile.

“Lou, stop it, you know you don’t need to call me that,” Evienne answered with a small laugh. They had known each other for nearly fifteen years—ever since Evienne had arrived in Lucinne with no friends and no family in the city.

“Regardless, that is what you are, Evienne, and I know you’re very busy. So, don’t worry about us. We’ll clean up and oversee the return of the townsfolk. I’ll see you soon,” they said and nudged their horse forward, making their way over to a cluster of confused-looking guards.

Evienne smiled as Lou retreated and turned her horse, Belle, toward the main road that led out of the town square. Belle’s hooves clicked against the paving stones. She shook her black mane and shifted into a canter. Lou hadn’t been wrong; Evienne did need to hurry back. She was meeting with the queens this evening. She had received the summons last night, and at this rate, she was going to be late.

It would have been easy to take the Rail Dellumine back to the city from Cambrie. The network of magic-powered trains now connected all of Ichorna, and there were special cars at the rear that accommodated passengers of the equine persuasion. But Belle had never enjoyed being herded onto a Rail car, andEvienne loved the hour-long ride back to the capital city of Lucinne.

As she rode, she felt some tension leaving her shoulders. As much as Evienne loved Lucinne, the bustling city that had been her home for nearly two decades, her heart sometimes longed for her home to the north.

She passed one of the lookout towers that now dotted the land all across Ichorna and waved to the guard currently stationed there.

Evienne was proud of the fact that her system of lookouts manned by Ichornian guards had worked so effectively to warn of the horde of Gevaud roaming the countryside near Cambrai. She knew she had more work to do, but her contributions were helpful to Queen Aldith and, most importantly, to the people of Ichorna.

Her role was to oversee the Sangviere and advise the queens, with some special assignments as needed. She taught classes at the Academie du Sangviere and managed placing mages in various roles throughout Ichorna. It had been months since she had been on a defensive mission like the one today, but she had decided it would be best to be there as backup for the other Sangviere. She felt now that had been a wise decision; perhaps she was not supporting the other mages in the field as often as she should be.

When Evienne began her training as a Sangviere, she never imagined where the path would lead her. She had been friends with Queen Aldith—who had, at that time, been the crown princess—in school, but she did not anticipate ever rising high enough to serve as one of the Queen’s closest advisors.

The countryside drifted by as Evienne let the brisk autumn air fill her lungs. The breeze nipped at her despite the thickness of the blood-red wool coat and black leggings that made up heruniform. She rarely wore it these days, but it was easier to ride a horse in this than in her preferred velvet gowns.

She always struggled with her feelings after an encounter with the Gevaud. She didn’t have cause to use her Regne du Sang often, but she reveled in the call of this part of her magic in her soul. She knew this ability to control other living things was part of why Ichorna had been isolated for so long among the nations of Domhan na Rùin. She knew outsiders found blood magic to be abhorrent and unnatural; but when she used that magic, she felt connected to life itself, and it felt right deep in her bones. Wielding her Regne du Sang made her feel free in a way nothing else ever had, and she felt guilty for it.A lifetime of warnings about the dangers of blood magic pulled at her mind every day.

Lush, misty hills flattened into damp, empty fields, the smell of rich earth on the wind as Evienne neared Lucinne. The capital city was at the center of Ichorna, like a great beating heart.

She reached the gates of the city by dusk, weary and damp and absolutely starving. She knew better than to go on this sort of outing without packing food for herself, but she had forgotten, and now found herself in a bit of a silent rage. She would have to hold out a little longer, though—she needed to go straight to her meeting with the Queens.

As she rode through the city, rich sounds, smells and colors overwhelmed her senses. The scent of spices and warm bread found her, and her stomach grumbled.

The city had drawn her in from the moment she arrived as a child, feeling alone and unwanted and adrift. It was home now.

As she approached the palace, the main road took her beneath the Rail Dellumine overpass. The bronze cars, with their swirling filigree design, sped silently over the tracks.

The Rail system was the great pride and technological joy of Ichorna. Its invention a hundred years prior had been alluring enough to outsiders to finally draw them to reopen trade withIchorna. Visitors and immigrants from across Domhan na Rùin now filled Lucinne. The web of infrastructure had expanded, with the Rail Dellumine reaching even the most remote villages and towns.This expansion had been Queen Aldith’s sole focus in her first years as Ichorna’s ruler.

Evienne nodded to the guards as she passed through the palace gates and made her way to the stables at the edge of the complex. Soon, the whole palace would be overflowing with foreign visitors. Queen Aldith had invited nearly every noble in Domhan na Rùin to Lucinne to ring in the new millennium. Evienne was curious about what the month-long celebration might bring, but she already felt a bit tired at the thought of all the events she would have to attend. As High Sangviere, she was expected to participate to keep an eye on things, yes, but mostly because Queen Aldith liked to show her off. Evienne and her magic had a bit of a reputation.

She left Belle in the capable hands of their stable master, patting the horse’s flank fondly before stepping back out into the deepening twilight.She hurried across the main courtyard of the palace complex and entered the main building’s labyrinthine halls, her steps quick.

Queen Aldith’s sitting room was at the far end of a long hall and occupied the southeastern corner of the palace. The light in this beautiful room was soft in the evening, and Evienne paused in her hurry to take in the lovely shades of dusk.

Oddly, it was one of the only rooms in the whole palace that did not have Lucinne’s characteristic stained glass. Instead, the room was all crisp white marble. Dramatic splashes of deep blue textiles dotted the room; the couches and chaise, the massive rug, and the impossibly long satin curtains all shared the midnight hue.

A small fire crackled in the hearth to combat the deepeningevening chill. Evienne found her usual seat by the fire and waited for the queens to arrive.

Léhiona floated into the room a few moments later. The Queen Consort was arrestingly graceful. She always wore a menagerie of vibrant colors in fabrics that caught the air and billowed around her. Her presence in any space was captivating.

Her hair was the color of spun gold, her skin alabaster, and her eyes an unusual and striking violet. Léhiona was the most beautiful woman in all of Ichorna, Evienne was sure of it.

Léhiona’s perfect rosebud lips spread into a smile at the sight of Evienne. The two had become fast friends almost as soon as Léhiona had arrived twelve years ago.

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