Cleo opened her eyes, slowly and painfully, and found that she was lying on a hard bed in a small, unfamiliar room with white plaster walls.
She groaned as she pushed herself up and pressed her hand against her head, feeling dried blood matted in her hair.
And then she remembered.
Lord Kurtis.
She’d grown to dislike him more and more over the weeks, realizing what a coward he was ever since he’d tried to get her to help him regain the power Magnus had taken from him. But she never would have expected him to be bold or decisive enough to drag her off of the palace balcony as if she were nothing more than a rag doll, and hand her over to a pair of Kraeshian guards.
He would pay dearly for that mistake.
Cleo stood and went to the door, trying the handle only to find it locked. A single window opposite the door showed her it was night, which meant she’d been unconscious for quite some time. She pushed the window open, then leaned over the sill as far as she could to see if she could spot anything familiar that might give her some clues as to her location.
She was inside a large stone building, sprawling and at least four stories tall. This was grander than a villa, more like a castle, and made of the same black granite as the Limerian palace.
The room was lit up with several lanterns, but all she could see beyond the grounds beneath her window was a thick line of trees—a forest. Heavy snow was falling, further obscuring her sight.
of her wanted to share her concerns about what was growing within her, but she held her tongue. Better to keep this a secret for a while longer, especially from Kyan. She’d been able to hide so few secrets from the fire Kindred, she’d allow herself this one.
Lucia gazed out of the window at the mountains in the distance. How tall they were, all sharp, jagged black rocks spreading north to south along the western border of Paelsia. She had read books about this countryside, ancient texts proclaiming that the Sanctuary could be found if one ventured deep enough into those mountains.
“What do you know about the Forbidden Mountains?” she asked Kyan.
“Only that mortals have given them a silly name, and they’re rather unpleasant to look at.”
“You’re an eternal, all-powerful elemental god. Is that really all you know about the storied mountains that many fools think lead directly to the Sanctuary?”
He shrugged. “Geography doesn’t concern me—that’s my brother’s area of expertise. Mine is a bit more interesting.” He held his hand out and produced a flame that danced a jig upon his palm.
She laughed, surprising herself. “Very impressive.”
“It’s possible I’m even more talented than the Goddess of Serpents, wouldn’t you say?” He closed his fist to douse the fire as the server girl returned to their table.
“What can I bring you?” she asked him.
“Nothing except a bit of information.” He nodded at the window. “Tell me about the Forbidden Mountains. Why are they so foreboding?”
She grinned. “You really want to know?”
“Oh, yes, I really do.”
“Well, who really knows what the real truth is, but my grandmother used to tell me stories about them. About how they’re not mountains at all, but gigantic guardians that protect the Sanctuary from the rest of the world. And that any witch or exiled Watcher who ventures there will not only have their magic stripped away, they’ll be blinded, too, so they won’t see the dangers threatening them right before their own eyes. She had so many stories like that.” The girl’s eyes grew glossy. “I miss her so much.”
“Where is she?” Lucia asked.
“She died only a short time ago. I lived with her further west, she took care of me after my parents died. Now I have to work here.” She glared around at the inn. “I hate being stranded in the middle of this wasteland.”
Lucia listened carefully, realizing only now that she hadn’t needed to use even a small amount of her magic to draw the truth from this girl. “What’s your name?” she asked.
“Sera,” said the girl, then shook her head. “Apologies, I shouldn’t burden you with my many problems.”
“It’s not a burden at all.” Lucia captured the girl’s gaze. She could be a wealth of information. There was no way Lucia could let her walk away without first magically wrenching every detail she could out of her. “Tell me, Sera, did your grandmother tell you stories about gateways to the immortal world? Stone wheels in various locations around Paelsia?”
Sera drew in a sharp breath, as if someone had wrapped a hand around her throat and squeezed. “No. No, she never said anything like that.”
“Was your grandmother a witch?”
The girl hesitated, her expression growing tense and pained. “Y-yes.” Her bottom lip began to tremble. “But there were rumors that she was much more than just a witch. There was gossip and whispering that she used to be an immortal, one who exiled herself to marry my grandfather. That sounds foolish, I know. And of course she never admitted that to me. People would talk, and Grandmother would just ignore them.”