Page 49 of Wicked Prince of Mirrors
Methrin entered last, shutting the door behind him. Relief filled me as he ran his fingers through his hair, his presence mitigating the tension in the cabin. His gaze held mine as he took a seat at the head of the table.
The white-haired female cleared her throat and waved to one of the guards. “Find us refreshments. Please.” Then she shifted her attention to the four of us gathered at the table. “Prince Methrin, these are the two you spoke of last night?”
“They are,” Methrin confirmed.
Lyra’s eyebrows lifted. “There was a meeting last night?”
“Patience,” the female said, resting her hands on the table. “Introductions first, and then we will explain your part in this quest.”
A shout came from outside, and the ship shuddered. I gripped the table as it moved, wishing I were outside to see its passage.
“I am Lady Velune, High Seer of the Order of the Moon,” the white-haired female continued.
The curly-haired male rested a shaking hand on his stack of books. His voice was high and whispery, as though he’d lost some of his vocal chords. “I am Lord Pelgrin, Head Historian and Cartographer.”
I opened my mouth to speak but Methrin was faster. “My companions are both from the realm of mortals.”
“Humans,” Lady Velune said flatly.
“Princess Esmira is human,” Methrin conceded. “However, Lyra is the daughter of Rydlin, the Sorcerer.”
The air shifted as both Lady Velune and Lord Pelgrin turned to Lyra in surprise. I watched their faces, mouth dry as I sensed she was now more welcome than I’d ever be. Unknowingly, I’d committed two grave transgressions. I had Mirror Magicandwas human. It was clear. The Everminati would not accept me. Now Methrin’s proposal of marriage made sense, but the kiss of last night did not. It wasn’t the kiss of one who felt sorry for me or someone who was trying to protect me. I was sure it went much deeper and I longed to be alone with him again, wondering if I’d be brave enough to ask.
“Interesting,” Lady Velune said, studying Lyra. “I see, you hope to do for Princess Esmira what Rydlin did for Prince Methrin.”
Lyra’s eyes widened. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
Lady Velune shifted her gaze to Methrin. “Your methods have always been unorthodox, but this . . .” She trailed off with a laugh. “What an endeavor.”
Methrin did not share in her amusement. “Will you tell my friends what you shared last night?”
“Knowledge of the quest? Yes. King Ithrani tasked Lord Pelgrin and myself to find the reason why magic vanished from our lands. And to return it. You see, our magic is drawn from Nocthera.”
“Nocthera as in the moon goddess?” Lyra asked.
I wondered how she knew that bit oflore, perhaps she knew much more about the Everminati than she’d told me.
Lady Velune nodded. “Our lives are centered around magic, it’s like the very air we breathe and without it, our empire crumbles. Nocthera is the source of our magic. We pull from her power, but over the last few decades, it has grown weaker until it disappeared completely. Many believed she withdrew her blessing from us. Unfortunately, the lack of magic has emboldened our enemies. They have crossed our borders, using warfare to weaken us. Assassins walk among us, killing any with innate magic. Even our king has left the great city and lives in hiding. However, I had a clear vision of what must be done and Lord Pelgrin studied the histories and legends of our land to confirm my visions.”
A question hovered on my lips and I let it out. “How is it possible? If magic is gone, why do we still have the ability to use it?”
A light came to her eyes. “A fair question, it’s because you aren’t from our realm, your magic is not sourced from Nocthera but from within you. You use your own energy as a source of magic. Here, all Everminati have magic, we draw it from the moonlight and dust, harvested from the moon worshipers in the Nocthera temples. But our worshipers have gone silent.”
“Have they been attacked?” Lyra asked.
“We don’t know what happened,” Lord Pelgrin said.
“Which is why we are going to visit each temple,” Methrin clarified. “All four of them and perform the rituals to bring back magic.”
Lord Pelgrin unfolded a map and spread it acrossthe table, pointing out places on the map. In his soft voice he shared our journey, across the waters to what looked like an island, then onward to a larger landmass, a capital city. The journey had four locations that took us in an arc across what I assumed was the kingdom of the Everminati.
Lady Velune, Lord Pelgrin, and Lyra all bent over the map, Lyra asking questions.
Fingertips touched my shoulder, and I looked up at Methrin. Standing, he tilted his head toward the door. “Esmira, join me,” he coaxed.
Heat flared as I rose, stealing one glance back at Lyra. She lifted her head at that moment and gave me an encouraging wink. I slipped out behind Methrin, a question on my lips. “Is it safe, leaving her alone with . . . them?”
“Safety means little here,” Methrin admitted, guiding us out onto the deck. “But she’s curious, this is her heritage and they will give her more answers than I can. Besides, now that they knew she’s Rydlin’s daughter—” He trailed off with a shrug.
