The Cursed Empress

had bow

uldn't

motionless on the bed, the flames in the hearth crackling in an unnatural

kne

ed with runes meant to suppress her magic. But her power whis

t just as something inside her, but as something

oor o

ure stepp

nt glyphs. Her black braids were coiled into a crown atop her head

door behind her. "Head of the Imperial School of the Arc

. "Is that suppose

lied. "But it s

the fireplace, watching the

all, I was summoned. Not to punish you," she added

warily. "So I'm

one. Now, you're j

ser. With a flick of her fingers, the runes dimmed, and the b

r arms back, as if expecting to

ic las

ames

nce... an

her. You are a threat, Nyra. Not because you're evil, or curs

slowly. "Th

at is the question the em

t in the mood

of old men desperate to hold onto power. He stood at the end of the obsidian t

ding a fist on the table. "A single surge l

press said coldly. "She will remain unde

ame a volcano. You watch it from a di

ffered. "Poison. Blade. The empire can mourn

horne s

eads

?" Kael

other assassination attempt, we'll have more than a

le

rd, her voice low. "You

ow sh

you pro

said

e had lifted her veil and seen the fear hidden ben

. Thorne didn'

recog

knew a

war, polished by grief

ose things-and

he hadn't

days

rained-not with swords or

d say. "It is a conversation. If yo

ra li

licker o

f stones ben

h the windows and the way her

danger-but to emotion. Fear made it crackle. Anger m

d call f

mmon light f

urn whisper

not explain why the

ours of meditation,

ns if I los

her eyes.

not an

e if you do lose control, Nyra, no one in this pa

ght, Thorne cam

nced. U

of deep red and gold, her hair loose around her shoulder

each other fo

hreaten me again?"

I'm here to walk

. "Like a..

nobles are watching. The servants whisper. If we do

h we

ing. "But we'll let them fig

he palace corridors. The guards

the banquet hall

ss and th

ho should

ho wished

igh table. The food was lavi

er di

he whispers, the cautious t

one, do you?" she as

n't look a

eve

ound the goblet. "

Good. We're i

s grazed the edge of his sleeve

t r

didn't

, Nyra cou

ce was t

refused

oon was f

balcony, barefoot, breat

shimmered like s

s were empty-exce

or

n, sword strapped to his back

hesit

rned and lef

him mome

urn as she

ighter than us

shadows are

er, his express

ould be

hould

le

ked, "Do y

n caught he

t answer

agged me to the altar. When they said I had t

d n

at the water. "I'm

dn't

epped

e what happens to me. But I think... maybe.

aw fl

"is why I haven't burne

at her f

ke a w

ike a

a m

ecause I might need your he

laug

rised t

e, something unspoken

pe

ossib

to the palac

the figure watchin

hispering into a silver mirro

ening," the

came a voice o

has come. The s

f the p

pa

ll

rror c

sin vanished