CHAPTER 15

Once I'd returned from visiting my father, I was greeted to a package of clothes waiting on my bed. I'd spent hours sat with him, dancing around the topic of my mother so much that I left in a storm of annoyed silence.

A note from Eroan sat atop the package, his handwriting a swirl of beautiful lines. The letter explained that he'd missed the evening's feast to prepare the outfit as requested by Althea.

What concerned me was not the fact someone had been in my room whilst I slept, but the reason as to why I required the training leathers in the first place.

Although, with the pent-up frustration from my father's silence, the idea of punching something sounded perfect.

The training leathers that I'd been adorned with weren't like anything I'd worn before. Form-fitting and made from dark material, the outfit clung to all parts of my body, making me self-conscious. Despite feeling discomfort in my own appearance, I couldn't deny the physical comfort of the clothing; not much different to a second layer of skin, it allowed for free movement.

To my surprise, it was Lady Kelsey who burst through the doors to the room. Her gown swept behind her as she practically floated inside, a beaming grin yet another countless jewel she held.

"You are awake," Lady Kelsey exclaimed as she joined me. "Although you look, well, terrible."

"Thanks?" I said, shifting from one foot to the other.

She waved me off, flashing her many-jewelled fingers. "Sleep is important for both body and mind. Your skin is pale, and your eyes dull. Is the bed not comfortable enough?"

"I slept fine." I tried to rein in any negative tone, aware that I was sharing the company of the woman who owned this very castle. Offending her was not the brightest of moves, even if she offended me with her off-hand comments.

"I am not convinced." She side-eyed me. "No bother, I will request for you to be excused early this evening to catch up on some much-needed rest. The last thing you need is… late night company to keep you from sleeping."

A blush crept up my cheeks in a wave of warmth. I bit down on my inner cheeks to try and stop the embarrassment from flashing red across my face. "Forgive me if I come across rude, but is there something I can do for you?"

"For me?" She pressed a hand to her chest. "No, dear, it is I who can do something for you. Whilst Althea is… occupied, my dear sister Lyra has asked for me to be the one to guide you through some… basic training of your magic. Something even the most inexperienced could follow."

Her last few words felt oddly similar to a slap, but her smile seemed to soften the blow. My mind then went to Althea and Briar, and my heart sank into the pits of my stomach.

"Briar. Is she…?"

Lady Kelsey's face straightened for a moment, bright eyes dulling as something dark passed behind them. "The girl has survived. Just about."

My breathing altered at her revelation.

A weight lifted from my shoulders as Lady Kelsey continued to explain. "It is still too early to understand the lasting effects of the poison, but Althea has commanded the best healers and apothecaries in Aurelia to aid in the investigation."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"You can help by becoming less of a hindrance and more of a threat. My task is to aid in making you independent, in tune with what it means to be an Icethorn." Her eyes scanned me from the tips of my polished, laced boots to the pads on my shoulders. "Eroan has outdone himself. Truly. You look ready, but do you feel ready, Robin?"

"For what?" I asked, acutely aware of Erix's dagger, which rested beneath the plush pillow.

"Control." Lady Kelsey stepped forward, slim, golden gown spilling around her feet like a pool of molten lava. With her hands gently clasped before her wiry frame, she regarded me. "Yourself and your magic."

"I guess I am," I said, excited about the concept.

"The first step of control is acceptance of it. So, we are off to a great start. Now, Robin, tell me what you know of magic."

"Not a lot," I admitted, mind wandering to the sealed box in my chest and the cold tendrils of power that it harboured. "I know it belongs solely to the fey and is as dangerous as it is beautiful."

"Wrong, wrong and wrong." Lady Kelsey began to pace before me. "Magic belongs to no one. It is the wielder who belongs to the essence of magic. A common misconception. I forgive you for your lack of understanding." I didn't realise I asked for forgiveness. Before I could say as much, Lady Kelsey carried on her speech. "And not all fey are in alignment with magic. As you could imagine, that would be highly chaotic and, frankly, rather disturbing. Only those who harbour the blood of one of the four courts can call upon it. Each power is unique from one another, and never the same."

I watched, mouth agape, as she raised a hand. Snakes of silver smoke lifted from the tips of her fingers, twisting up into the air as though she'd blown a candle out on each one.

"Our family members each share magic of warmth and flame." A flash of Althea cradling a rosebud of fire between her hands came to mind as Lady Kelsey spoke. "Now, I understand you are highly aware of your own abilities since you have used them, perhaps unwillingly, on two occasions."

I raised my own hand before me, toying with the idea of letting that box open and releasing the chill that hid within. No, it was far too dangerous. Fisting my hand, I dropped it like a stone to my side.

"You should not fear it, instead, make it fear you. Think of it as training a wild wolf. You cannot simply leash it and hope it listens to your bidding. You must allow it to trust you as you learn to trust it. Grow familiar. It is the only way you will ever gain some level of control and understanding. And with the amount of power that you possess, control is utterly important, for your sake and those around you."

"That doesn't exactly fill me with great confidence." I laughed awkwardly, waiting for Lady Kelsey's face to show she was exaggerating.

Her expression was nothing but serious, which made me feel worse.

"I am not here to make you comfortable," she admitted, wiggling her fingers until the smoke vanished. "I am here to make you understand your magic, because if these attempts on your life persist, you are going to need something to use as defence or, my favourite choice, offence."

"You think it will happen again?" I asked her, feeling a sense of motherly comfort spilling from her. I did not remember any of her children being introduced at the council meeting. Perhaps she did not have any, but her demeanour seemed to scream with maternal comfort and instinct.

"Of course it will," she said plainly. "I have no doubt about that. But whilst you are in my city, I will be sure to keep you as protected as possible. That means both with the guards I fund and the time I will invest into ensuring you can use your power when required. You may think of me as a tutor, and you're my student."

I smiled at her, the idea not off-putting. "If it makes me less of a liability, then I'll be the best student you've ever had."

"Then let us begin."

"Slower," Lady Kelsey demanded, teeth chattering as ice clung to her skin and hair. Not an ounce of enjoyment could be found upon her. In fact, a smile hadn't been shared since we began this dance of magic and exhaustion.

It'd not taken much for me to focus on the chest within me and command it to open. Locating the new, strange power was the easy part. It was holding it back that I struggled with.

My hands shook, arms aching as I held them up. It was as though I held a ball between my hands, but the space was empty of the mundane. Instead, a whirling frozen storm spun between both palms, a vortex of magic which lashed out, spilling its hungry, cold presence into the rest of the room.

We'd been at this for what felt like hours. Lady Kelsey's calm attitude had soon melted away as she snapped at me to rein in the power before it destroyed yet another room in her home.

"I am trying…" I said, straining with focus as the ball of pure energy throbbed. It was close to impossible to even breathe normally. My head was growing lighter, my eyes sore against the light of the room, but on I persisted, trying to gain some level of control over such a small amount of power.

With a great splutter, the power winked out, the ball of magic exploding in a puff of ice that fell to the floor in a flurry of perfectly shaped snowflakes.

"Even the most persistent of teachers knows when to call it a day." She swiped a hand over her forehead as though it was herself who had done all the work.

"You look… exhausted, truly," I said through laboured breaths. "How did you cope?"

"Nasty boy." She flicked a hand at me in jest. "It will be harder for you. You are years behind in training, and your limits are far greater than mine or anyone else's in our court."

"Why is that?" My legs wobbled as I stumbled towards a chair I had been longing to fall into this entire time. Lady Kelsey joined me, gown creasing as she plonked herself down in the chair opposite me.

"Since we are clearly finished with the practical side of our lesson, we can finish up with some theory. The larger the family of a court, the weaker their ties to their inherent abilities will be, as though the magic in our blood dilutes."

I thought of the power I'd seen from Althea and Lady Kelsey and had – up until this moment – praised their control over it. But it wasn't control that kept their power small, but instead the weakening of it due to the size of their family.

"It is why the history of each of the four courts has some horrific tales of bloodthirsty murders. Siblings killed siblings, and children killed their sires, all to strengthen their own magic. I have limits to what I can do. It was not always this way, but when my sister had her many children, it caused my magic to weaken." I partly expected to see some level of disappointment or resentment as she spoke, but it did not show itself. "I suppose whereas one could look at it as little, whiny brats stealing from you, I just saw it as a fair trade. Magic for family. But there is only one of you, Robin, and that means you house great power within you, something that has not been seen for years."

"The more I learn from you, the more I uncover yet another reason why someone may want to kill me off."

She sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "The Cedarfall Court is the largest of all four. The Elmdew not being far off. Whereas the Oakstorm Court have always believed in smaller families to ensure their power stays… potent. Until now, they have not been rivalled by another court."

I raised my hands in defeat. "I'm really not interested in being a rival to anyone."

She laughed, throwing her head back dramatically. "Oh, dear boy, the Oakstorm Court have other concerns than you."

Oakstorm – the summer court.

"Such as?" I asked, aware there was more to her comment that she was not sharing.

She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and propping her face up in her hands. "The humans ."

The chill in my chest spread wide like the unfurling of wings. "Dare I ask why?"

"It was believed that the lost Queen Oakstorm and her second-born son were the first to be captured by Hunters beyond Wychwood. Since then, King Doran Oakstorm has been the sole contributor to the pending siege on the human realm. Him and his son, Tarron, have been rather persistent in their goals of taking Durmain by storm – literally. In fact, if memory serves me, they were the first to put forward the idea of war to the courts a few years after your – Julianne was murdered. Oakstorm and Icethorn have always been tense but close allies. The Icethorns' supposed end was the final straw that broke King Oakstorm into petitioning for the war that he spearheads to this day."

I swallowed hard, thinking of Orion, the poison and the gryvern attack. "And they do not see me as a threat? I know what I mean to stopping the war. The Oakstorm Court sound hellbent on making sure it proceeds."

Lady Kelsey reached for my hands and held them in her own. Her warm touch was a stark contrast to the chill that had seemed to bury itself into my skin. "They are as much a threat to you as my own kin are and the humans who likely wait with their beastly pets for you to step out of safety."

"Every time I think of eating, I see Briar convulsing on the floor. Every time I look out a window, I see the gryvern. All I see around me is danger, and I admit I'm not ready to face it."

She squeezed my hands, contemplating something in silence as she dropped her gaze from mine. "The world is a nasty place, that I cannot deny. So, let us sharpen you into a weapon, both mind and magic, then you will be prepared for any opposition you face."

"You are a wise woman," I said. "Has anyone ever told you that?"

"Wise?" She gasped, pulling back as though my touch had burned her. "Owls are wise, and I am no owl."

I laughed, unable to stop myself. "Then what are you?"

"Lady Kelsey Cedarfall, sister to the queen. But to you, I am a weapon forger, and you are my latest creation. A little dull, but soon we will sharpen you until I am confident you can face any threat, no matter which side of the border it comes from."