Page 57 of Kingdom of Locks

“What type of books?” Amell asked. He was watching her with such rapt attention she felt almost self-conscious, but the soft smile that curved his lips awoke an answering one in her.

“I like storybooks,” she admitted. “Or at least, I liked the one I read.”

Mama Gail shifted slightly beside her, and Aurelia was sure she was remembering how she’d thrown that book away.

“But any new book would be fascinating, really,” Aurelia finished quickly.

Amell’s smile grew. “Well, I’ll see if I can find something you’ll like.” His tone turned businesslike. “Now. It’s unfortunate that instead of a host of helpful advisors you’ve only got me to help get you both out of here. But I’m going to do my utmost. So is there anything new I need to know since yesterday?”

Aurelia nodded eagerly. “There is, actually.” She looked at her mother. “Tell him about the key.”

The other woman looked back at her skeptically, her finger moving rhythmically back and forth over the rim of a plate Aurelia had left on the table. Clearly the promise of cheesecake hadn’t been enough to fully thaw her toward Amell.

“Come on, Mama Gail,” Aurelia sighed. “Can you honestly tell me we have anything to lose by trusting him?”

Her mother let out a long breath. “All right,” she said, raising her hands in surrender as she turned to Amell. “Cyfrin changed tactic last night. He’s now moving some of the magic he’s stored in her hair into her core.”

“What?” Amell was suddenly on his feet, and Aurelia stared at him in amazement. “But won’t that kill her when he extracts it? This is terrible! We have to act now!”

“By all means,” said Mama Gail, looking at him with raised eyebrows. “Act.”

Amell slumped back into his seat, his eyes troubled as they rested on Aurelia. “I don’t know how,” he admitted, “as you already know. But I don’t like this. I don’t like this at all.”

“Goodness,” Aurelia said mildly, her eyes passing between the prince and her mother. “You two are a matching pair.”

Mama Gail sent her a look, but didn’t comment. “Cyfrin is still optimistic that extracting the magic—either from her hair or her core—won’t actually kill her. But honestly no one can know if he’s right, because the experiment has never been tried on a human before.”

“With good reason,” Amell said forcefully, and Mama Gail nodded.

“There is, of course, a reason he’s suddenly decided to change his approach.”

“What is it?” Amell demanded.

Mama Gail was fidgeting with the plate again. “He’s been researching a magical concept called a key.” She shot him a look. “Do you know anything about that?”

Amell shook his head.

“Well, from what we can tell, it’s basically a way to set stored magic to respond to a trigger action which, when performed, will unlock the magic like a key.”

“All right,” said Amell, looking between them, apparently lost.

“His plan is for it to be an action I perform,” said Aurelia helpfully. “It seems his research has led him to believe that magic willingly given by me will be more potent than magic forcibly taken from me.”

“What’s the action going to be?” Amell asked, looking unaccountably alarmed.

“We don’t know,” Aurelia answered, frowning in thought. Once again, his reaction seemed eerily similar to her mother’s.

“And how’s he going to force you to undertake it?” the prince pressed.

Aurelia wrinkled her nose. “I think he’s under the impression I’ll do whatever he says.” She lowered her head in shame. “I haven’t generally been as good at defying as Mama Gail has. I’m not as brave.”

Suddenly Amell’s hand was on hers where it rested on the table, and she looked up, astonished.

“To have survived up here your whole life with as cheerful an attitude as you have shows the greatest bravery I’ve ever seen,” he said quietly, and with every appearance of sincerity.

“That credit belongs to Mama Gail,” Aurelia said, flushing both from pleasure at the compliment and from the delightful tingling that was spreading out from Amell’s warm hand on hers.

“It’s a credit to both of you,” Amell said, removing his hand a little hastily. Following his gaze, Aurelia saw that her mother was giving him her hardest look yet.

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