Page 67 of The Witch Queen

“Of course, I wouldn’t have missed helping myfriend.” I give her a wink, and she rolls her eyes, a practiced exchange between the two of us at this point.

“Don’t make me regret saying we’re friends,” she says sternly, and I chuckle.

“I wouldn’t dream of it, witchling. I’m happy to be your friend.” She stares at me, but I meet her scrutinizing gaze. After what feels like an eternity, she nods, and I release the breath I’d been holding. “Did you attend this school?” I ask, nodding to the room.

“I did, though not for very long,” she admits.

“Why is that?”

“Once my parents realized how powerful I was, they pulled me out. They didn’t want me to hurt anyone, and they wanted to keep my magic a secret. But I didn’t mind. I was lonely here, and I never knew if it was because I was the Princess and the other students were intimidated by me, or whether I was just unlikable. Even though I became even lonelier when I had to spend my days with Admon as my teacher, I was happy not to have to find out the real reason my only friend was Nemesia.” The admission seems to shock her, because her eyes widen in surprise and I can see her physically shutting me out like she has many times before, turning her body away and slumping her shoulders. Before this moment can get away from us, I offer my own story, determined not to let this moment of vulnerability slip through my fingers.

“We have that in common, you know. I told you at the ball how lonely it was for me to be the only light channeler. It was also lonely to be more powerful than any of my tutors, more powerful than my parents. I didn’t get to go to school, even for a short time. Fionn was my only companion, and it took us years to become friends.” I watch her closely for her reaction, and for the briefest moment, she seems to open up. Our eyes meet. Something intangible passes between us, an energy with a low and slowly humming frequency, so unlike the typical charge between us.

“I’ll see you back at the merchant district,” is all she says before turning and walking away, and I sigh at her dismissal. I spend the next hour with a group of four light channelers, walking them through similar exercises that I’ve been teaching Laurel for the last few months. Their progress is not as quick as hers, but the teacher, a metal channeler, promises to continue using these same drills with them. He seems relieved to have the guidance.

“Where do these students come from?” I ask the instructor as the students practice conjuring light into small, concentrated orbs and releasing them. “I thought light affinity only existed in Eastern Velmara, with my mother’s people. I was shocked to learn of light channelers here in Thayaria.”

The instructor nods. “Indeed, these are distant relatives of yours. When the barrier went up after the war, many Velmarans were trapped here, and most were too afraid to declare their heritage and ask to be sent home. Several families were from Eastern Velmara, and these are their offspring.” He smiles.

His words give me pause, adding to my complicated feelings about the relationship between Velmara and Thayaria, and the lengths Laurel felt she had to go to in order to keep her kingdom safe from my father. The thought of my family, distant cousins though they may be, stuck here without a way home makes me grieve in a way I don’t fully understand. Her words from earlier echo through my thoughts once more, and I vow to make them true.

“Thank you for letting me come today. If you’ll have me, I’d love to visit again in a few weeks to see their progress.”

“We would all enjoy that.”

When I return to the merchant district, Fionn and Laurel are using their magic together to haul metal beams into place for the frame of a new building. They’ve made amazing progress while I’ve been at the school. Not only have they cleared the rubble of four more structures, but they’ve built a new frame and a second is going up.

“Steady, almost there, queenie,” Fionn coaches Laurel. Fionn looks like he’s straining, but Laurel remains as cool and unaffected as ever—she could likely perform the task on her own. When the beam is in place, Fionn melts the ends of it with his magic, then has it rapidly cool against the connecting beams. It leaves the frame sturdily secured. Several of the fae and humans helping with the rebuild cheer for Fionn, and he grins.

Striding up beside Laurel, I whisper, “I thinksomeoneis hiding the real depth of her power, witchling.” She blushes.

“I don’t know what you mean,” she returns, eyes bright.

“Mmmhmmm,” I growl. “At least Fionn is getting to use his magic.”

“Exactly. It’s clearly important to him to feel useful, especially here. With the citizens. He deserves their cheers.” She’s not wrong, and for what must be the hundredth time, I’m taken aback by her thoughtfulness, the way she can read a person so easily. I step into her body but stop myself from wrapping my arm around her waist like I want to out of respect for her request to not pursue anything between us, evenifshe clearly almost broke that rule herself.

We’refriends, and that is enough for me. I think.

“Watch this,” she says, nodding her head to the five fae who have gathered around the new frame of the building. The branches of a massive oak tree nearby stretch toward the structure. Limbs weave themselves between the metal beams, growing quickly in a crisscross pattern. When an entire section is fully covered, the leaves die off, leaving only the wood from the tree wrapped tightly between metal beams. A fae chops the tree each place it connects to the building, and the branches that had stretched out return to the tree. Several humans climb up on the structure and begin sanding down the woven wood until it’s smooth. They repeat the process again on the next structure.

“That’s incredible,” I whisper, and Laurel gives me a wide and genuine smile. “And so efficient.”

“Thayarians are powerful plant channelers, and we use that in as many ways as we can,” she says, genuine admiration for her people clear in her expression. We stand together while the build team covers the structure in wood and sands it down. Fionn and Silene join us, the same awe on their faces.

“Imagine if we could do this in the Floating Market,” Fionn murmurs. “Merchants could replace the worn wood every year to keep the buildings safer and more secure.”

“All you need is a few plant channelers and the right materials,” Laurel tells him. “You can even bring in a potted tree if there are none nearby. Something that’s water resistant.”

“If there are light channelers here who got stuck after the war, there are certainly plant channelers in Velmara who are afraid to identify themselves,” I say, and Laurel shudders. Silene grips her hand, always aware of the comfort others need, and I regret my words. Of course they make her feel guilt—I should have been more careful.

Fionn coughs, then adds, “We’ll have to try it when we get home. Whenever that is.” Laurel only nods.

Desperate to change the subject and bring the smile back to her face, I bump her with my hip. “I’m sure Laurel is ready for us to depart any day now.”

She opens her mouth to speak, but closes it again, before looking between the three of us. “You know,” she says, “I’m actually not. I can’t even jest with you. I’ve enjoyed getting to know all three of you.” Her cheeks redden at the admission, and I smirk, though internally my organs feel like they’re exploding. Her small admission lights me up with hope and longing.

“We’re irresistible, we know,” I tease, trying to break the tension for both her and myself. Laurel and Silene both snort, then link arms and sashay away together.

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