Page 40 of The Flame King's Queen

“That is an impressive spell, and you do it so easily,” Ravenna says, sitting forward to examine the saucer. “I have never been able to scry or borrow an animal’s eyes. So many times I was nearly caught by the witchfinders, and all I had to warn me of their coming was when they tripped over my wards. Do you think you could see anyone you wanted to see?”

“I’ve only ever tried this with Zabriel, but I think I could. Only I’m not sure if I should. While you were with Kane, I did think that I might use this spell to reach out to you.”

Ravenna frowns. “But why?”

“Because I was worried about you, of course. But that would have been rude and intrusive.”

“You were worried about me?” She looks astonished, and then squeezes my hand. “No one’s ever been worried about me. If I had felt the brush of your presence, I would have been grateful, not angry.”

“Now I wish I had reached out to you when you were all alone with that horrible man.”

She shakes her head. “It’s all right. I always knew that you and your king would welcome me back if I ever got away from him, and that was more than enough to give me the strength to do what I needed to do.”

And what was that? Whatdidshe do to get away from Kane? I’m burning to know, but I can feel old Biddy’s eyes on my neck and hear her unspoken words.A witch does not pry, my girl.

Ravenna looks happiest when she’s not speaking about Kane, and so I let the topic rest. She shows us one of her favorite warding spells by setting it up around the cottage. Suddenly the crows on the roof and the sparrow in the garden are all visible to us inside, outlined in white light.

“It’s very useful for seeing who is at your front door, and if he wears a broad-brimmed hat and a long cloak.”

“That’s a very old spell,” Biddy says. “Who was it who taught it to you?”

Ravenna hesitates. “A witch I knew a long time ago. All the witches I knew are long gone. I haven’t talked to fellow witches like you and Isavelle for so long.” She drops her head, studies her hands, and finishes in a mumble, “You never judge me, no matter what my failings are.”

“None of us is perfect. We are all doing our best in difficult times.”

“Yes, Mistress Hawthorne.” Ravenna doesn’t sound convinced. If my mate was a witchfinder, I doubt I’d be convinced either. I struggled with my feelings for Zabriel for such a long time, and he was a good man. Kane is vile.

“Do either of you know any defensive or offensive spells?” I ask them both.

Ravenna shakes her head.

“Not from me, girl. I’m just a cottage witch,” Biddy tells me.

I don’t know aboutjusta cottage witch. Biddy Hawthorne looks after an entire village full of people and managed to stay hidden from the Brethren. That’s notjustanything.

We finish our tea, and Biddy shoos us all out of her cottage.

“I wonder how we can learn new spells now,” Ravenna muses. “There aren’t any books of witchcraft left, are there? I suppose the witchfinders burned them all.”

“Yes, I think they probably did.”

I did hear that the Brethren were cataloguing witches’ spells at one point so that the witchfinders knew what to be wary about, which gives me an idea that I stow away for later.

When we return to my bodyguards, Esmeral, and the wyverns, Captain Ashton patiently and kindly indulges all my sister’s questions about his mount. I think he’s eager to demonstrate his kindness and friendliness in front of Ravenna.

In the end, I have to prize my sister away from Sovern and send her back home, promising over and over not to forget to send her an invitation to the Dragon Games.

When Ravenna is settled behind Ashton on Sovern with her arms around his waist, the captain looks happy and ready to conquer the world. She says something to him, and he gives a deep, rich laugh.

I refrain from looking at Fiala because I know that she’ll be pained at the thought that there are any tender feelings between those two. The thought of Kane going on a jealous slaughter spree has put me off hoping for a budding romance, but I still feel disappointed for them.

Back in Lenhale, Zabriel is there to meet me, Ravenna, and our escort at the dragongrounds. There’s a broad smile on his face as he pats Scourge on the flank and then approaches us.

“Did Lenhale’s powerful Omega witches have a good afternoon with their crone?” Zabriel has his fists on his hips as he grins at Ravenna and me atop our mounts. He’s always encouraged me to be more than the Omegas were in Old Maledin. They were precious and adored, yes, but they were also looked down on, underestimated, and bullied.

“We did, thank you.”

He puts up his hands to help me down from my dragon and sets me on my feet. He wraps me in his arms and buries his face in my neck, breathing in my scent. All around me, my mate’s scent grows rich and comforting.

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