“How do you know that?” I ask.

“We’ve been watching,” Finn says with a shrug.

“What do you say, Brie?” Pretha asks. “Will you let us help you?”

I don’t know if I can trust Finn and his people, but I can’t afford to be discovered in my attempts to get the mirror. I can’t afford to fail. I look at the wolves and make my decision.

“I’ll work with you today. Teach me whatever I need to know so I can swap the mirrors.”

Finn arches a dark brow. “The first thing you need to know is not to use the mirror. It’s not a toy for human girls to play with, understood?”

Right. Because I’m just a lowly human and unworthy of his precious mirror. Whatever. “I thought you were going to teach me to use my powers so I can get into the queen’s sunroom.”

“Wait.” Finn holds up a hand. “You didn’t say the mirror was in her sunroom.”

I shrug. “Well, it is. And the hall that leads to her chambers is flooded with light. I assume she keeps her sunroom that way too?”

“The light is the least of your worries,” Finn says.

Pretha’s brow creases with her frown. “If the queen is keeping the mirror in her sacred sunroom, no one but the prince or the queen herself can remove it from its spot.”

“What happens if they try?” I ask.

“Nothing,” Finn says. “You can’t take it. The items in the queen’s sunroom are immovable even for the strongest hands or the gentlest touch. You will find, Princess, that the real magic in our world is tied up in free will. Not even the strongest fae—or the greatest thief—can take that which can only be given freely.”

“Is there a counterspell?” I ask.

“Everything has a counterspell,” Kane says.

Finn looks to Pretha, who shakes her head. “I don’t know it,” she says, “but I’ll do some digging and see what I can find out. In the meantime, we’ll have to think of another way.”

I don’t have time to wait for Pretha to research a counterspell.

No one but the prince or the queen herself can remove items from the sunroom. “It’s okay. I know what to do,” I say softly, and honestly, I’m not sure why I didn’t think of it before.

“Kill the queen?” Kane asks, his hand going to the dagger on his hip. “Me first.”

Finn shakes his head at his . . . his friend? His sentry? “She would carve you up and stake you to the front lawn as an example.”

Kane scowls.

I sigh. “If the only way to get the mirror is to have the queen or the prince give it to me, I will ask Prince Ronan to retrieve it for me.”

“Are you serious?” Kane asks. “You think the prince is just going to hand over a precious artifact?”

“Yes,” I say, and my guilt is already weighing me down. “He cares for me, and he wants to make amends for his deception.”

Pretha smiles slowly, and she nods. “The simplest path is usually the best. In the meantime, we’ll train you as planned, and I’ll look into the counterspell just in case. If the prince won’t give it to you, we’ll find a way for you to steal it.”

“But ask nicely, Princess,” Finn says. “Trust me when I say you don’t want to have to do this the hard way.”

Chapter Thirteen

I FIND SEBASTIAN IN THE TRAINING RING on the roof of the highest turret, shirtless, his bare chest glistening with sweat in the glow of the setting sun.

He’s sparring with another shirtless male. I try to take note of the stranger’s golden hair or the tattoo that runs down the side of his neck and over his shoulder—but I can hardly take my eyes off Sebastian long enough to catalogue anything about his partner. And worse? I can’t get my mouth to form the words I need to let him know I’m here.

It’s not just his physique that makes me nearly mute. It’s the reminder of those days in Fairscape. The times I’d pretend to read while watching him train in the courtyard. The times he’d catch me watching and wink over his shoulder, and the way that simple gesture sent a flurry of butterflies through me. He and Jas were the bright spots in a dark and difficult existence; it’s a struggle not to let myself cling to him when I feel like I’ve lost them both.

Sebastian spots me and gestures to his partner for a break. He grabs a towel and uses it to wipe the sweat off his brow. “Is everything okay?”

Words, Brie. Use your words. “I’m fine. I just . . .” I swallow. “I wanted to talk to you. But I can go if this is a bad time.” I wince. Catching him up here seemed like a good idea, but now I feel presumptuous. Never mind that I don’t want to draw too much attention to what I’m about to request from him. “I didn’t mean to cut your workout short.”

Tags: Lexi Ryan These Hollow Vows Fantasy
Source: readsnovelonline.net