Page 93 of A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash

‘Well, I can’t blame them either,’ she said to no one but the shadows. ‘They aren’t Seers.’

Then she was gone.

She slipped into the darkness as effortlessly as mist rolling over a lake, weaving through the corridors, scaling walls, vanishing into hidden alcoves. When she finally settled, it was on the rooftop of one of the castle’s towers, her legs dangling over the edge, the city sprawled beneath her like a breathing beast.

Beneath the morning’s glow, she flipped open the notebook.

Pages turned beneath her fingers, the words etched in careful handwriting. The daily routines of a maid. Musings about the cook she fancied. Mentions of friendships and gossip shared among the castle’s lower ranks.

Wren exhaled sharply. This was useless.No maid went to such trouble to hide a simple diary.It must be under a glamour,she thought, its true ink veiled beneath layers of enchantment. Without magic, she would see nothing but meaningless scribbles. And though she was a Seer, though her eyes could pierce through veils most others could not—she did not possessthatkind of power.

Tucking the notebook into the inner folds of her shirt, Wren leaned back against the cool stone and stared out over the city.

She had uncovered the game.

Now she only needed to decide how she wanted to play it.

…

‘How is married life treating you, sister? Is it everything you’ve always dreamt of? Or is it as horrid as everyone claims it to be?’ Kai lounged in his chair, legs sprawled in the way only a man unbothered by propriety could manage. His grin was sharp,teasing, but there was something else lurking beneath it—something unreadable.

Mal had found her two brothers in Haven’s chambers, the table buried beneath an array of half-eaten dishes and scattered goblets. They had explained that Haven had gone to dine with Princess Flora Hawthorne—a curious pairing, though unsurprising. The future queen of the Kingdom of Darkness was working tirelessly to weave connections that had long been severed, repairing alliances that had frayed over a century of cold silence.

‘Seeing as I have been married for only a day, I would not be able to comment, brother,’ Mal replied, sinking into a chair. Her gaze drifted to the tomes Kage was poring over, thick volumes filled with words that only he could decipher with such devotion. Above him, his shadow crow perched atop a bookcase, its round black eyes fixed on them, unblinking. ‘Why are you in Haven’s room instead of yours?’ She flicked a finger between the two of them.

The brothers exchanged a glance before shrugging in perfect unison.

‘Kage, what can you tell me about the Library of Flames?’ She needed to get inside. If there was any place in this kingdom that might hold the answers she sought—the witches, the prophecy, the curse—it would be the library. Perhaps even something on the Great War.

‘I can tell you thatyouare not allowed to enter.’ Kage did not look up from his book.

‘What is that supposed to mean?’ Mal’s jaw tensed. She already knew, of course. Another absurd rule, another restriction, another way this kingdom sought to bind its women beneath the weight of archaic traditions.

‘Women are not allowed to enter the library,’ Kage confirmed, still focused on the text before him.

‘That’s ridiculous.’ Mal’s fingerscurled into fists. ‘Why would women not be allowed in a library?’

Kage finally lifted his head, amusement glinting in his dark eyes.‘Because there is knowledge in the written word. Why would they want their women to hold such power over them?’ He grinned. ‘That would not be beneficial to the Fire King.’

Mal inhaled deeply, leaning back in her chair, fingers drumming against the table’s surface. She needed to get inside. ‘Kage, I need to ask you for a favour.’

Her brother returned to his reading. ‘Will this favour be dangerous?’

‘No.’ She exchanged an amused look with Kai.

‘I’m assuming our brother knows what you are going to ask of me.’

‘I have no idea.’ Kai snorted. ‘Does anyone ever know what our dear sister wants?’

Mal stilled her fingers. ‘I need you to get me a few books from that library.’

‘Why?’

‘For investigative purposes.’

Kage sighed, his finger tracing an unseen pattern along the edge of the book. ‘About what?’

‘Witches.’

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