Chapter 17 Ren Monroe

Ren began to imagine a normal life.

One in which she did not exist in the shadow of House Brood and all their sins. The weeks passed with Ren focused on whatever spells interested her most. Seminar Shiverian pushed her harder than any teacher ever had. The head researcher was demanding but fair. She never held them to a standard that she was unwilling to meet herself. No matter how early Ren showed up, Seminar was already there, tinkering with one of her ongoing projects.

Ren also got on well with her colleagues. Ellison Proctor stopped by to charm her once or twice a day. He was delightfully shallow. He cared nothing for the magical conversations happening around the room and had accepted this role purely for its simplicity. As far as she could tell, he was tasked with performing the same repeating spell over and over again.

The siblings—Maryan and Flynn—were equally fascinating to Ren. Both of them turned out to be devilishly smart. Top of their class at Balmerick, in the year just behind her. At first, Ren had been confused about why they were both allowed to research there. If this was meant to be an equal distribution amongst the great houses, why would the Winters family be gifted two positions? It turned out they were not twins, but half-siblings born less than a week apart. One a proper-born child of the Winters family and the other a bastard born to one of the Graylantian princesses. They'd made it all the way to life at Balmerick before discovering the other one existed, and after that they'd been thick as thieves, with their father's infidelity as the binding between them.

The only person Ren struggled with was Pecking. He'd been recruited from House Shiverian by Seminar herself, because he possessed a rare gift. He was fully synesthetic. He could literally see magic in the air. While Ren could sense formations and patterns, she had no idea what it would be like to constantly watch magic manifest around them—especially in a city so full of magic that it was on the verge of bursting at the seams. This talent gave Pecking an advantage few possessed, though Ren had not been able to pick his brain on the subject. He'd refused to speak more than two words to her since the initial embarrassment.

Ren enjoyed all of it. A rival, colleagues, the nature of her work. There were a few times when she slipped fully into that version of herself. Someone who had no revenge to carry out. No bond with a boy in a distant castle. She was just a girl who wanted to explore the world of magic and was beginning a brilliant career as a spellmaker. It was always Theo who unintentionally pulled her back. She would feel him across their bond, and then she'd be imagining his tapered jaw and his narrow eyes and his golden hair. With that glimpse of him came all the truths she could not simply wish away.

One evening, Ren returned home from work. She was primarily living in Theo's abandoned apartment in the Heights. It was a sort of guilty pleasure to enjoy the comforts she'd once counted as sins against the Broods: silk sheets, first editions, a balcony with a view.

Two steps inside and Ren felt it. That subtle trace of magic in the air. She paused on the threshold, still half in shadow, trying to determine the source. Only in complete silence did she hear the distant, trickling sound of music.

Ren slid her horseshoe wand from her belt and cursed the fact that she'd sent Vega elsewhere in the city. She carefully slipped out of the buckles of her shoes, then silently padded forward into the unlit house. The sound of the music grew louder. Ren's eyes traced every corner and shadow. The noise was coming from the balcony. She saw the door was cracked open.

Landwin Brood sat outside in the dying light.

He was playing a seventeen-string. She had no idea when he'd had it delivered, but she knew it had not been there that morning. The sprawling instrument normally required three players—one at the neck, one at the legs, and one at the arms. Landwin was running a razor-thin bow across the neck. Ren was not musical, but she knew that was the most delicate of the three. Without the others, it sounded high and ethereal, almost painful to listen to.

He did not move or look up as she walked halfway across the spacious balcony. She felt certain that he'd sensed her presence. Likely he'd only begun playing when she opened the front door. That long-forming anger started to burn in her chest again. Here was the person she'd spent half of her life plotting against. And he was alone.

Ren felt an irrational urge to cast a spell. How many lethal combinations had she rehearsed over the years? But she knew he would never expose himself so easily. She sensed spellwork layered over his clothing. An invisible suit of armor. Knowing she could not strike now—that she needed him weakened and vulnerable—only fired her anger even more. And as it roared in her chest, there was an answer across her bond. It was like the bridge spell she'd performed out in the Dires to help their group across the river. When the magic finally touched down on the other shoreline and solidified. She could not explain the feeling in words, but she knew in that moment, she and Theo were more bound to each other than normal.

She set her mental hands on that spot and pulled.

The answer was instantaneous. She could not see him, but the air around her felt thick with his presence. Ren knew this was a rare opportunity. Theo was watching. A witness to this moment, and Landwin Brood had no idea his son could hear him. She strained to maintain the balance of the magic that kept Theo with her as Landwin finished the last note of his song. A single slash across the instrument's stringed throat. The sound trembled and died. Only then did he look up.

"Ren Monroe. You've been busy."

She kept her breathing steady. Her expression unreadable. What did he suspect? Had he learned about her visit to Ravinia? She stood there in silence, waiting for him to speak.

"… all your work down in the underground." A smile crawled over his face. "How are you liking the Collective?"

Ren didn't even need to lie. "It's exciting work. I enjoy it a great deal."

"Oh good. How wonderful. Yes, Theo shared with us that you were interested in spellmaking. Seminar is the very best. Some would say Ethel is better, but I think Seminar is the greatest spellmaker of our generation. Who knows? Maybe you could be the greatest in yours."

He allowed that thought to hang in the air above them. Ren realized she was still clutching her horseshoe wand. She hastily tucked it back into her belt. If Landwin Brood meant to duel her, he'd have brought an army with him. No, this was something else. Ren just wasn't sure what.

"Well, Theo was right," she said. "I enjoy the work. Thank you for arranging the position."

Landwin Brood watched her carefully before nodding. His eyes returned to the seventeen-string. "Do you recognize this instrument?"

Ren frowned. "It's a seventeen-string."

"Not just any seventeen-string." He stood and circled. His fingers traced the wooden frame. "This is the same one that fell on that tavern. We purchased it from the wreckage at a local auction. For the past three months, a mender has been working with the wood. It's very difficult work. Low success rate, really. But our house has some of the best craftsmen in the world. What do you think? Looks brand-new, doesn't it?"

Ren felt another surge across her bond. Theo's pain, bright and hot beside her. She knew he was still there, watching the scene unfold as she'd watched the moment of his arrival at Nostra. His emotions darted from embarrassed to furious. Ren lifted her chin ever so slightly before answering. "Teahouse."

Landwin lifted an eyebrow. "Pardon?"

"It fell on a teahouse."

"That's right. My mistake. And you were here that night? When my son attempted the magic."

Ren's throat bobbed. "I was."

"Let's see where he erred."

Her breathing hitched. Landwin Brood performed the same spell. He adjusted his stance, altered his footing, and began the exact casting Theo had that fateful night. "The Winter Retreat" echoed out again. The instrument began to float. Ren could see the magic was properly tethered to the stones this time. Not the awning. She still struggled to breathe as she watched it float recklessly out—following the same path it had before. Landwin observed the instrument with casual disinterest.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here."

Ren said nothing. She'd been wondering exactly that.

"I've been… retracing Theo's steps. That's what you do when your children leave the careful paths you've set out for them. You try to figure out where they strayed, how far they walked, and what might be the best way to get them home again."

He looked back to Ren. She worried his lack of concentration would send the instrument plummeting to the city below for a second time. More, it felt like Landwin was using the instrument as a threat. Listen to me—drink in every single word—or I will ruin even more lives.

"I was hoping some time in Nostra might… have an impact on Theo. But he seems stubbornly intent on following this course."

This course. Meaning a relationship with her. Ren felt an odd surge of pride hearing those words. This was no bond-born feeling either. It was a fierce pride that echoed in her chest. Theo was loyal to her—and she felt a surge of loyalty to him. The seventeen-string was passing the point where Theo had lost control. The song continued on, sad and heavy and full of meaning. Ren watched as the instrument began to rotate back. She was not sure what correspondence Landwin had been having with his son—but now she knew Theo had rejected his offers.

He'd chosen her instead.

"Which brings me here," Landwin concluded. "I have an offer for you."

Ren could not believe how direct he was being, after so much subtlety. Always wielding his influence behind the scenes to isolate her. This was either a sign of desperation or a sign that he felt as if he had something to offer that she wouldn't dare refuse.

"I have been approached by Seminar Shiverian," he said. "She thinks highly of you. I confess I was surprised. Theo talked you up, but what boy doesn't feel that way about a first love? I knew you were talented. Your record at Balmerick reflects that, I suppose. But you must be rather gifted if Seminar would come to me directly."

Ren couldn't help feeling a subtle thrill. It was not an emotion she could completely contain, and she knew Theo would sense it building inside her. This was a confirmation. She was good at magic. Not just at school and books and research but the kind of magic that might matter in the real world. It was validation, even if it came from the lips of her sworn enemy.

For a moment, she'd lost track of the seventeen-string. She glanced over and found it was crossing the lawn again. Nearly back on the balcony.

"She can't officially offer you a contract," Landwin said. "After all, you are technically the Brood representative in the Collective. But our houses can make arrangements. You could join House Shiverian when that agreement ends. You would be Seminar's understudy, guaranteed a position as a spellmaker with them. And as a show of good faith, I would also give you the deed to this."

He gestured to the apartment. Ren was astonished. It was nearly enough to knock her off her feet. The deed on a property like this would be unthinkably valuable. Something she would not have been able to purchase in her lifetime, no matter how successful she might be. Not to mention the stability of an understudy position reporting directly to Seminar Shiverian. It was nearly perfect. Quite the gilded cage. Beside her—still invisible to them both—she could feel Theo's agitation. Almost as if he were pacing.

"In exchange for what?" she asked.

The great seventeen-string finished its final rotation. It floated flawlessly back into its original position. Landwin Brood waited for the instrument to settle fully before turning back to her.

"Sever your bond with my son."

Pain coursed across their bond. She could feel Theo's retreat. She wasn't sure if it was the pain of his father's betrayal—or a deeper fear that Ren might say yes. Landwin's offer was clear. Abandon Theo. In doing so, Ren knew she'd also be abandoning her best chance of revenging her father. She was already inside. Like a whisper in the walls. The plan unfolding at this very moment—if it worked—would bring House Brood to its knees. More than that, Ren could sense a subtle ache in her own chest. To accept this would be to depart from Theo and she… she wasn't ready to do that. That truth felt like a betrayal of sorts, but it was right there, needling into all her other thoughts. She might actually want to be with him. Especially if her plans worked.

But at her very core, Ren was a logical creature. She knew there were a hundred very difficult steps between here and there. Everything would have to go right for their plan to come to fruition. Dahvid Tin'Vori would have to perform a miracle. Nevelyn Tin'Vori would need to do the same. What Landwin Brood was offering her now was dreadfully real in comparison. An actual guarantee of the kind of life her mother wanted for her. Ren felt Theo's absence. He was no longer there. Almost as if he was hiding from the answer she might give.

She decided to ask a question instead.

"If I am so talented, why would you not want to keep me as a match for your son?"

She already knew what he would say, but it bought her time to think. It was obvious that the easiest life for her waited down the road where she said yes. Abandon the Tin'Voris to their own plot. Take the position. Bid farewell to Theo and House Brood and go about living a normal life. Would her father's ghost come back to haunt her if she chose that path? If he visited her on some lonely night decades from now and found her living out her wildest dreams, safe and happy? She thought that might actually be enough for him. But she knew it would never be enough for her.

"Regardless of talent," Landwin answered, "you are not the right person for our son. There are politics involved in every decision. Theo has known this since he was a small boy. His life is not completely his own. We have alliances to consider. Previous promises to honor. Theo cannot marry someone simply because they dazzled him with a few spells while he was lost in the woods."

How easily he reduced her accomplishments. Ren marveled at how outdated his words sounded, even if they were utterly unsurprising. This was more evidence that the old houses weren't powerful because they possessed unique imagination or creativity. They were powerful because they'd been the first ones to arrive in Kathor. It was that simple.

"And if I do not accept your terms?"

Landwin set a hand on the instrument again. "I imagine life would be rather unpleasant for you. Theo would remain in Nostra. Permanently. And if you marry him, your life would be spent there as well. Away from Kathor. No spellwork. No magical research. From what I understand, there is not even a proper archive room there. Your life would be reduced to that of a steward. You would care for a lonely building, and a lonely man, for the rest of your days. And if I might be perfectly frank, that is the best-case scenario."

He shrugged, as if these consequences required no more than a snap of his fingers.

"Because that charming, sad little life relies on several factors going right for you. It depends on Theo not growing bored with you, or bored with Nostra. If the day should come when he wants to be restored to his rightful position, I would gladly help him. But Theo would know the price. He'd have to be severed from you. And then? You'd go back to having nothing at all.

"That life also depends on what I find in the coming months. As I said, I am following my son's footsteps. I've interviewed people about the party that night. Learned everything I could about what happened. My next stop is the portal room. Did you know that Balmerick's top researchers are still at a loss about what happened? No one's used the room since your incident, because they can't figure out why the magic failed. I plan to make my own inquiries. I wonder what I'll find.…"

Landwin Brood lifted both hands, mimicking a scale. He was weighing these imaginary options for her life in his upraised palms.

"Spellmaker. Head researcher. House Shiverian. The freedom to live however you want. Or…" He slid the opposite hand slowly downward. "Housewife. Exile. An unremarkable existence." Landwin considered her with those narrow eyes. "Do you truly love him that much?"

No,she thought. This is not about love. It's much more to do with hate.

That familiar fire roared back to life in her chest. His words would not douse it. The pretty baubles he was dangling before her would not distract her. Ren felt the surge of emotions pouring across her bond, reaching for Theo. He'd somehow cocooned himself. Like he was behind a door, and her rage was knocking again and again. He might not witness this directly, but she desperately wanted him to feel every pulse of what she felt now.

"I will not abandon Theo for you," she said boldly. "I am not your plaything. Neither is he. We are bonded, and that is the way of it. I will not be severed from him, no matter what you offer."

Landwin's playful smile faded. "Ren Monroe," he said. "A name that history will forget."

And with that, Landwin Brood walked past her. Right through the spot where she imagined the ghostly version of Theo had been standing before. Ren's fingers went numb. She wanted to reach for her wand. Begin casting the spells she knew that could unmake another person. She wanted to hit Landwin again and again until he was nothing but bones at her feet. Ren did not strike, because she knew now that time was on her side. Theo had witnessed some of their exchange. He would have questions. There was an equal fury building on his side of their bond for once. Landwin Brood had unwittingly given Ren an unbelievable gift. She would use it against him, because she needed a version of Landwin that wasn't protected. She wanted him vulnerable and at her mercy. And that Landwin Brood?

He would die at her hands.

Ren had never been so certain of anything in her life.