Lyra's POV
I thought the city would be different after I almost got executed politely over breakfast. It really doesn't.
Virellion is buzzing in the same way as it always has. Vendors scream their wares. Coaches rumble over the cobblestones. Magic is zapped in everyday and small ways, glowing signs of shops, lanterns that bewitch, street magicians making harmless sparks that amuse children. The sky is extremely blue, as if it didn't see anything at all last night.
But.. Every time I see a person in dark robes, my stomach does a double knot. Council enforcers. The masks. The silver sigils.
I pick up my pace. The heavy closing of the palace gates behind me is so loud that it sounds suspiciously like, You'll be back.
"I won't," I say quietly. A merchant who is going by gives me a weird look. "It's free to talk to yourself," I tell him.
He runs away. Good. Please let the craziness be about my sanity if not what the prince thinks I am.
Moonbrew is at the far end of the street, and a great flood of relief hits me so strongly that my knees almost give out. The sign is hanging a bit crooked, one of the windows is boarded up from last night's damage. The smell of roasted coffee beans is coming from the door like a promise.
Home.
I open the door by pushing it. The bell rings. And Jax screams. "You're alive!"
He flies across the cafe like a Shakespearean bird. I avoid him at the very last moment, and he bumps against a table instead.
"Ow."
"I was gone only one night, " I say.
"That was one night with a prince!" Mira comes out from behind the counter, her hands still drying on a towel. She looks me over slowly, measuring. "You're not bleeding, " she says. "Encouraging."
"Sit, " she commands. I comply. That's the thing with Mira. You don't argue.
Without asking her, she pours me a cup of coffee. Extra strong. The way she knows I like it when things are falling apart.
"So, " she says calmly. "Did he threaten you?"
"Yes."
"Did he imprison you?"
"Technically no."
"Did he flirt?"
I choke. "What?"
Jax gasps dramatically. "He flirted."
"He did not."
Mira arches one brow.
"He asked to test me," I muttered
Silence.
"That," Jax says solemnly, "is worse."
Mira's eyes sharpen. "Test how?"
I hesitate. Because saying it out loud makes it real. "He thinks I neutralized his magic." Mira doesn't react. That's how I know she's reacting.
"And?" she prompts.
"And apparently humans aren't supposed to do that."
Jax slowly lowers himself into a chair. "I knew you were weird," he whispers.
"Thank you."
Mira leans against the counter. "What did it feel like?" she asks.
I blink. "What?"
"When you touched him."
My cheeks get hot. "Why does everyone keep saying that in a romantic way?"
"Because it's dramatic, " Jax replies.
"Focus, " Mira orders.
I let out a slow breath. "It felt... loud, " I confessed. "As if something was pressing really hard on me. As if his magic was trying to move, and mine" I paused.
"Yours?" Mira repeats almost inaudibly.
I shake my head. "I don't have magic."
Mira doesn't argue. That's worse than arguing. She just looks at me with that thoughtful expression that makes me feel she knows more than she is telling. Well, " she finally says, "if the council is involved, this won't end quietly."
"I know."
"What about the prince?"
I remember how he looked at breakfast.
The fatigue. The sincerity. I will have to decide if I am going to protect you or protect the kingdom.
"He's not lying," I murmured.
"About?"
"Any of it."
Mira hums. "That makes him more dangerous."
I noticed. The bell above the door jingled again. We all three froze. A tall figure walked in. Not in black this time. In royal guard armor. Dark steel with subtle red lines etched.
Rowan Thorne.
I got to know him last night, the calm one. The one who watched everything like he was cataloguing weaknesses. So I recognized him.
He takes off his helmet. His hair, which is tied back neatly, is lighter in color than the prince's. His face shows a calm but not unfriendly demeanor.
"Miss Vale," he says with an air of politeness.
"Please don't arrest me," I say without thinking.
He tries to hide a smile. "That is not what I intend."
"Well, that is reassuring."
Mira makes a step forward smoothly. "Explain your reason for coming."
Rowan nods to her with deference. "The Prince commands"
"No," I interrupted him.
He doesn't even change his expression. "He expected that kind of answer."
"Of course he did."
Rowan's eyes turn to me again. "He is not calling you."
"Oh."
"He is asking you to come and see him this evening. Of your own accord."
"That word again."
"He thinks you will want answers."
My jaw clenches. I hate that he understands me so perfectly. "I don't, " I lied.
Rowan studies me. "You ran toward the fire, " he says softly. "Those people who do that hardly ever can resist mysteries."
I look at him angrily. "I just tripped."
"Into flames?"
"Yes."
Jax snorts.
Rowan almost smiles. "He is setting up a safe experiment. Private. No council."
"No council?" Mira echoes.
"None."
"Very handy, " I say under my breath.
"He doesn't trust them, " Rowan says softly.
That surprises me. "Why?"
Rowan's face becomes expressionless. "I'm not allowed to talk about internal politics."
"Then I'm not at liberty to attend magical experiments."
Silence.
Rowan moves closer and lowers his voice. "He was losing control last night."
"I noticed."
"It is moving faster."
Something clenches in my chest. "That's not my problem."
Rowan's look softens just a bit. "He thinks that maybe you are the only one who can slow it."
It's not fair. It's not fair at all.
I fold my arms. "And if I say no?"
"Then we will respect your decision."
"But?"
"But the council will not."
The words are heavy. I hate that this is happening in my cafe. Among broken chairs and half, repaired walls.
"I need time, " I say.
"You have until sunset."
"That's not time."
"It is what we can offer." He puts his helmet back on. "Miss Vale."
"Guard."
He stops at the door. "For what it is worth," he murmurs, "he thanked you."
My throat constricts without warning. "Yeah," I confirm. "He did."
Rowan exits.
Somehow the cafe seems smaller. Jax slowly turns his face toward me. "So..."
"Don't."
"You're going."
"I am not."
"You are absolutely going."
Mira stays quiet. She just stares at me. And that's just cruel. I gaze down at my coffee. The top of the liquid oscillates slightly as I hold it. I'm thinking about last night. The warmth. The attraction. The way his magic seemed to turn away from me. It was as if it recognized something. Or it was afraid of it.
"I don't have magic," I repeat softly.
Mira at last stands up. She lowers herself to sit down in front of me, leaning her elbows on her knees. "Lyra, " she says with a soft voice, "have you ever been tested?"
I stare first. "For magic?"
"Yes."
"Of course. When I was twelve. Everyone is."
"And?"
"And nothing. No spark. No affinity. Nothing."
Mira slowly makes a circle with her head. "And yet."
"And yet nothing, " I say firmly.
However, my voice is not firm. The rest of the day goes by very fast and I'm not really aware of what happens. I make an effort to do my job. Honestly, I'm trying very hard. I grind coffee beans. I serve the customers. I smile. But the moment I get even close to someone who has the slightest trace of magic, I can feel it... That subtle pressure under my skin. Like something lurking.
By evening, I am completely drained. Jax traps me by the counter. "Wear something fierce," he says.
"I'm not going to a duel."
"You don't know that."
"I hate you."
"Emotionally, or-"
"Go wash dishes."
Jax chuckled. "Right away, ma'am."
Mira gives me my coat. "Be careful," she whispers.
"I always am."
She gives me that look that says, 'No, you are absolutely not.'
I step outside. The sky is stained orange and purple. The palace is a huge shadow in the distance. I could turn back. I could just ignore it. I could pretend it never happened. But the truth dangles inside me like a persistent flame. I want to go on and satisfy my curiosity.
Understand what happened. Why did it happen? Why did his power reacted that way? Why mine did. I slowly breathe out. "Okay," I say under my breath. And started walking.
The palace guards allowed me through without any questions. That is even worse than being stopped. Rowan meets me at the door. "You came, " he says.
"Don't sound so pleased."
He leads me through quiet corridors, this time. Further into the palace. Away from the grand halls. We stop at a large wooden door engraved with sigils.
Rowan opens the door. The room is circular. Stone walls decorated with glowing runes. A raised platform in the middle. And next to it
Prince Kael. He looks quite different this evening. Not so formal. More anxious. He is not dressed in royal clothes. Just dark training clothes. As if he was expecting a fight. When he sees me, a flicker of something changes in his eyes.
Relief. He quickly hides it.
"You came, " he says.
"Don't make it weird." A faint breath of amusement. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet."
Rowan closes the door behind us. The runes along the walls light up. "What is this?" I ask.
"A containment chamber, " Kael explains. "It blocks external interference."
"Interference"?
"Council observers."
That makes sense. I cross my arms. "So what now?" He steps onto the platform. "Stand here."
"Why do you always say things like orders?"
"Habit."
"Break it."
A pause. "Would you," he says carefully," stand here?"
I blink. "That's new."
He doesn't smile. But his shoulders relax a little. I step onto the platform. We stand face to face. Too close. The atmosphere changes immediately. I sense it. The vibration. The force. His power is awakening under his skin. Not violently. But consciously.
"Tell me if you feel anything," he says quietly
"I always feel something when I'm near you."
His eyes get deeper. "Explain."
"Magic," I say as a matter of factly.
He breathes out slowly. "Are you sure?"
"No."
He still raises his hand. The red light flares over his fingers. Heat spreads between us. The pressure keeps increasing. And under my skin the resistance comes up. Not violently. Not hurting. Just steady. Like a wall. His magic tries to break through it. The runes on the walls light up more brightly.
He clenches his jaw. "Don't move, " he commands.
"I was not planning to."
The red glow grows stronger. Sweat is rolling down his temple. The air is charged. My heart is drumming. The pressure goes up. Then... It breaks. Not outward, but inward. His magic crumples in on itself as before. The red light is getting dimmer. His hand falls down. Quiet. We both are panting.
He looks at me. "You have repeated the mistake."
"I haven't done anything."
"You are rejecting it."
"I am just here!"
"That is exactly the problem."
He moves towards me. Slowly. The sound vibrated again. But this time it was gentler. Quiet. "Lyra, " he whispered, "the mere fact that you were here prevented my curse."
I gulped. "Seems like that is your problem."
"It will be if the council decides to hold you as a hostage."
There it was. The truth. I met his eyes. Near enough to notice the faint scar running along his jaw.
"You don't trust them, " I say.
"No."
"Why?"
His eyes drifted to the runes on the wall. Then back at me. "Because they built this curse."
My stomach drops. "And you let them?"
"I did not have a choice."
Silence stretches between us. He looks tired again. Not prince. Not blade. Just... a person carrying too much.
"I don't want this, " I say quietly.
"Neither do I."
We stand there. Magic humming softly around us. Two people caught in something bigger than both of us.
"I'm still human," I muttered.
His look softened barely. "I know"
"Then why does it seem like I'm not?"
He doesn't respond right away. Instead, he holds out his hand. Slowly. Deliberately. His fingers just about to touch mine. The space between us is full of electric tension.
"Because," he murmured, "one thing in you answers one thing in me."
My breath was caught. And the first time since this situation started. I don't know if that scares me. Or if it is a kind of recognition. And that might be even worse