Chapter One

E vienne closed her eyes as the cold damp of the autumn morning settled deep into her bones. The air, laden with fog, hung suspended in her lungs; in this very moment, she felt the kiss of mist on her lips, the numbing bite of cold in her toes. She exhaled, her eyelids lifting slowly as time resumed its ever-forward march.

As the seconds drifted by, she felt her heart beating a steady rhythm. She surveyed her surroundings as her horse shifted beneath her. An inhuman snarl cleaved the silence, forcing her into intuitive motion.

The vicious point of her silver-bladed ring pricked her palm as she turned atop her horse, calling to the magic that coursed through her veins. Her blood was the spark, but her will fanned the flames of her power.

She faced down the massive beast then, with its spindly canine legs and grotesque, sallow face. Its smattering of black fur matched the depthless shade of its massive, empty eyes. Its teeth were bared, thin lips pulled back in a snarl.

Evienne didn’t hesitate; her Regne du Sang, the most ancient and revered of the blood magics, was music to her. Without remorse, her power took hold of every drop of blood in the creature’s body. With nothing more than a delicate twist of her wrist, she contracted the blood, and every bone in the beast’s limbs snapped.

She pushed it down then, and when it lay prone on the ground, she gave one final tug on her magic to collapse the creature’s skull.

Sounds of other mages locked in combat with these creatures, the Gevaud, surrounded her suddenly in an unwelcome din. It was not that they were unexpectedly loud—this was a battle—only they did not match the silence of her mind.

A pack of Gevaud had swarmed into the small town square. Evienne’s fellow Sangviere now worked their blood magic to eliminate the threat, taking on the beasts one by one.

A scream pierced the air as a cluster of the creatures targeted a formation of mages on the opposite side of the square. Evienne watched, helpless from this distance, as they overpowered one of the Sangviere, taking him to the ground and ripping through his flesh with feral growls.

The other mages in his formation tried to defend themselves, one throwing up a glowing red shield of magic in an attempt to save her companions. They were not on horseback, though. Most Sangviere were not experienced enough to wield from a mount. Evienne knew they wouldn’t last long. She urged her horse into motion across the square; this is why she was here, after all.

As she neared the group, now surrounded on all sides by the Gevaud, Evienne sliced a longer cut in her palm with her ring, blood welling as the dainty silver blade cut through her skin.

Her magic came to her in a rush now, and the lifeblood of the nearby creatures called to her. She felt their life force as if it were a siren’s song. Her power hummed, and she closed her eyes to revel in the feeling of rightness. She seized the creatures’ blood with her magic, taking hold of every drop that rushed through their veins, and pulled with all her might.

All at once, the six Gevaud that had surrounded the mages burst in a shower of red mist.

Evienne reigned in her horse, nodding in reassurance to the wide-eyed Sangviere who now stood before her in shock. Her breathing was heavy. Such a feat of Regne du Sang was not for the uninitiated—magic took a physical toll—but Evienne was the greatest Sangviere Ichorna had seen in hundreds of years. Her abilities were unmatched by any living mage.

Lou, the commanding officer of this unit of Sangviere, pulled up their horse next to Evienne’s. They were out of breath as well; this was the largest recorded horde of the horrible beasts to attack since the so-called Gevaud Crisis began nearly ten years ago. The first Gevaud had been spotted in Ichorna about a hundred years ago, but they had started terrorizing people more recently. What had started as a nuisance had become more serious, with the Gevaud stalking and killing townsfolk if left unchecked. Sometimes, like today, packs of them would ransack a town in broad daylight. Lou waved to a medic, who rushed over from the edge of the square to tend to the fallen mage.

“I’m glad you were here today. What you just did certainly wasn’t something we should leave to the novices,” Lou said, still trying to catch their breath.

“I am glad I could help; the attacks seem to be getting worse every month. This is the most I’ve seen in one place,” Evienne answered, surveying the chaotic aftermath of the battle. She was still out of breath, and her muscles had started to ache. The cut on her hand was already beginning to close though, the sharp pain turning to a dull throb.The healing spells she wove into all of her castings kept her palm from forming too much scar tissue.

Lou nodded, their face grim. “The people of Cambrai were able to get out in time. It seems like they were able to follow those evacuation protocols you set up fairly seamlessly. It’s a good thing, too. Our casualties could have been significant if there had been a whole town of civilians here.”

Evienne hummed her agreement as she and Lou watched the Sangviere working with the troop of guards stationed in Cambrai to clear the square of Gevaud corpses. Using her magic as she had today made her feel so alive, so connected to the world around her, but she was exhausted now—and hungry.

No matter how many times Evienne confronted them, the sight of the massive, mangy beasts unsettled her. Despite years of dealing with them, no one knew where they came from or what caused their attacks. Her patience with the unknowns had long since worn thin, but it seemed answers were impossible to come by.

After a few moments, Evienne turned to Lou. “Is there anything else I can do to help here?”

“I think we have things reasonably under control now that those horrible things have been dealt with,” Lou said. “I know you must have things to do back in the city, High Sangviere,” they added with a teasing smile.

“Lou, stop it, you know you don’t need to call me that,” Evienne answered with a small laugh. They had known each other for nearly fifteen years—ever since Evienne had arrived in Lucinne with no friends and no family in the city.

“Regardless, that is what you are, Evienne, and I know you’re very busy. So, don’t worry about us. We’ll clean up and oversee the return of the townsfolk. I’ll see you soon,” they said and nudged their horse forward, making their way over to a cluster of confused-looking guards.

Evienne smiled as Lou retreated and turned her horse, Belle, toward the main road that led out of the town square. Belle’s hooves clicked against the paving stones. She shook her black mane and shifted into a canter. Lou hadn’t been wrong; Evienne did need to hurry back. She was meeting with the queens this evening. She had received the summons last night, and at this rate, she was going to be late.

It would have been easy to take the Rail Dellumine back to the city from Cambrie. The network of magic-powered trains now connected all of Ichorna, and there were special cars at the rear that accommodated passengers of the equine persuasion. But Belle had never enjoyed being herded onto a Rail car, and Evienne loved the hour-long ride back to the capital city of Lucinne.

As she rode, she felt some tension leaving her shoulders. As much as Evienne loved Lucinne, the bustling city that had been her home for nearly two decades, her heart sometimes longed for her home to the north.

She passed one of the lookout towers that now dotted the land all across Ichorna and waved to the guard currently stationed there.

Evienne was proud of the fact that her system of lookouts manned by Ichornian guards had worked so effectively to warn of the horde of Gevaud roaming the countryside near Cambrai. She knew she had more work to do, but her contributions were helpful to Queen Aldith and, most importantly, to the people of Ichorna.

Her role was to oversee the Sangviere and advise the queens, with some special assignments as needed. She taught classes at the Academie du Sangviere and managed placing mages in various roles throughout Ichorna. It had been months since she had been on a defensive mission like the one today, but she had decided it would be best to be there as backup for the other Sangviere. She felt now that had been a wise decision; perhaps she was not supporting the other mages in the field as often as she should be.

When Evienne began her training as a Sangviere, she never imagined where the path would lead her. She had been friends with Queen Aldith—who had, at that time, been the crown princess—in school, but she did not anticipate ever rising high enough to serve as one of the Queen’s closest advisors.

The countryside drifted by as Evienne let the brisk autumn air fill her lungs. The breeze nipped at her despite the thickness of the blood-red wool coat and black leggings that made up her uniform. She rarely wore it these days, but it was easier to ride a horse in this than in her preferred velvet gowns.

She always struggled with her feelings after an encounter with the Gevaud. She didn’t have cause to use her Regne du Sang often, but she reveled in the call of this part of her magic in her soul. She knew this ability to control other living things was part of why Ichorna had been isolated for so long among the nations of Domhan na Rùin. She knew outsiders found blood magic to be abhorrent and unnatural; but when she used that magic, she felt connected to life itself, and it felt right deep in her bones. Wielding her Regne du Sang made her feel free in a way nothing else ever had, and she felt guilty for it.A lifetime of warnings about the dangers of blood magic pulled at her mind every day.

Lush, misty hills flattened into damp, empty fields, the smell of rich earth on the wind as Evienne neared Lucinne. The capital city was at the center of Ichorna, like a great beating heart.

She reached the gates of the city by dusk, weary and damp and absolutely starving. She knew better than to go on this sort of outing without packing food for herself, but she had forgotten, and now found herself in a bit of a silent rage. She would have to hold out a little longer, though—she needed to go straight to her meeting with the Queens.

As she rode through the city, rich sounds, smells and colors overwhelmed her senses. The scent of spices and warm bread found her, and her stomach grumbled.

The city had drawn her in from the moment she arrived as a child, feeling alone and unwanted and adrift. It was home now.

As she approached the palace, the main road took her beneath the Rail Dellumine overpass. The bronze cars, with their swirling filigree design, sped silently over the tracks.

The Rail system was the great pride and technological joy of Ichorna. Its invention a hundred years prior had been alluring enough to outsiders to finally draw them to reopen trade with Ichorna. Visitors and immigrants from across Domhan na Rùin now filled Lucinne. The web of infrastructure had expanded, with the Rail Dellumine reaching even the most remote villages and towns.This expansion had been Queen Aldith’s sole focus in her first years as Ichorna’s ruler.

Evienne nodded to the guards as she passed through the palace gates and made her way to the stables at the edge of the complex. Soon, the whole palace would be overflowing with foreign visitors. Queen Aldith had invited nearly every noble in Domhan na Rùin to Lucinne to ring in the new millennium. Evienne was curious about what the month-long celebration might bring, but she already felt a bit tired at the thought of all the events she would have to attend. As High Sangviere, she was expected to participate to keep an eye on things, yes, but mostly because Queen Aldith liked to show her off. Evienne and her magic had a bit of a reputation.

She left Belle in the capable hands of their stable master, patting the horse’s flank fondly before stepping back out into the deepening twilight.She hurried across the main courtyard of the palace complex and entered the main building’s labyrinthine halls, her steps quick.

Queen Aldith’s sitting room was at the far end of a long hall and occupied the southeastern corner of the palace. The light in this beautiful room was soft in the evening, and Evienne paused in her hurry to take in the lovely shades of dusk.

Oddly, it was one of the only rooms in the whole palace that did not have Lucinne’s characteristic stained glass. Instead, the room was all crisp white marble. Dramatic splashes of deep blue textiles dotted the room; the couches and chaise, the massive rug, and the impossibly long satin curtains all shared the midnight hue.

A small fire crackled in the hearth to combat the deepening evening chill. Evienne found her usual seat by the fire and waited for the queens to arrive.

Léhiona floated into the room a few moments later. The Queen Consort was arrestingly graceful. She always wore a menagerie of vibrant colors in fabrics that caught the air and billowed around her. Her presence in any space was captivating.

Her hair was the color of spun gold, her skin alabaster, and her eyes an unusual and striking violet. Léhiona was the most beautiful woman in all of Ichorna, Evienne was sure of it.

Léhiona’s perfect rosebud lips spread into a smile at the sight of Evienne. The two had become fast friends almost as soon as Léhiona had arrived twelve years ago.

She had made her journey from Ichorna’s northern neighbor, Beitar, as a teenager, continuing a centuries-long tradition of diplomatic marriages between the two nations. Just like the consort before her, Léhiona had made a vow of silence regarding her homeland that was magically enforced by Beitar’s king before she came to Ichorna. Evienne thought the custom was bizarre, but it had been that way for as long as anyone could remember. The consorts came to Ichorna and had a fresh start, cutting all ties with their homeland.

“Evi, did you eat dinner?” Léhiona’s voice fluttered through the space, catching on the hard marble in soft echos.

“I’ll eat after our meeting,” Evienne answered too quickly, and Léhiona’s eyes narrowed.

“When was the last time you ate?”

Evienne grimaced, her dark brows tipping up in guilt. “Breakfast…”

Léhiona rolled her eyes, her chuckle flitting through the room. “I’ll have something brought, and no, I will not hear any arguments about it.”

Evienne smiled at her friend, slumping back into the cushions in acquiescence.The thought of food was too wonderful to put up a fight.

Léhiona moved to ring for the staff just as the massive wooden door swung open, and the human tempest that was Queen Aldith strode into the room.

She was a force of nature. No matter where she was going or what mood she was in, Aldith commanded every ounce of attention. She was fearsome to her enemies, and respected by her people. She had earned their obedience early and often, and now she commanded their fierce loyalty.

Aldith was crowned queen very young. Her father died when she was just twenty-four, and Aldith had taken his place the very same day. Her mother—who had been from Beitar—followed the king in death soon after, falling victim to a mysterious wasting illness.

Six years later, and Aldith’s wild mane of curls was still mostly black as night, but a few silver strands now peeked through. Her eyes were the darkest brown, her complexion sun-kissed. She always wore black.

“She forgot to eat again, didn’t she?” Aldith’s silky alto voice met Evienne’s ears.

“Of course, but we’ll rectify that momentarily,” Léhiona called from the other side of the room.

Aldith approached and took her place across from Evienne, on the chaise. She and Léhiona always shared the reclining sofa during these meetings. Though theirs had been an arranged marriage, it was not a loveless one, from what Evienne could tell.

Aldith and Léhiona were opposite as night and day, yet somehow they seemed perfect together. Aldith’s steel was tempered by Léhiona’s grace. Though Aldith was Queen Regent, she respected Léhiona’s opinions on matters of state more than anyone else’s. Léhiona was more than a Queen Consort in practice, if not in name.

Once a maid had hurried in with a serving cart of delicious-smelling food and a steaming pot of tea, Aldith and Léhiona situated themselves on the chaise side-by-side. Evienne made herself a plate of tender beef and savory vegetables before sitting back in her chair and eyeing the queens expectantly.

“Beitar has sent word that they plan to send a delegation for the celebration of the new millennium in a few weeks, and we’d like you to keep an eye on them while they’re here,” Aldith said smoothly.Léhiona watched as her wife spoke, her impossibly long lashes brushing her high cheekbones.

Evienne froze with a bite halfway to her mouth, eyes wide. “Beitarans are coming? Did they say why?” Evienne’s questions fell from her like drops of rain at the start of a downpour.She found herself glancing at Léhiona to gauge her reaction to Aldith’s declaration.

“They didn’t say why, but they are sending a nobleman, as well as his travel companion, a scholar from Sgùrdruid. I think perhaps their magic has finally all gone, and they’re coming to ask for some sort of aid,” Aldith answered, her face a smooth mask of indifference.Léhiona sat at her side, no apparent emotion on her lovely face.

It did not escape Evienne’s notice how odd it was to sit here in front of Léhiona talking about the Beitarans as if she was not one herself, but one of the conditions of the marriage alliance with Beitar from centuries ago was that the consort would be magically bound into silence regarding anything related to their homeland. Léhiona could try to share, but speaking on certain topics would physically hurt her. From what Evienne understood, if Léhiona veered too close to a topic concerning Beitar, she would experience a searing pain in her sternum akin to the sensation of burning. It had never made much sense to Evienne to set up a diplomatic marriage and then bind someone into silence; they could not speak or act in the interest of Beitar because of the magical gag. The arrangement seemed to rather one-sidedly benefit Ichorna. Evienne didn’t know what to make of it, but it wasn’t her place to pry.

“What sort of aid could we offer? And if they knew they would need our help, why be so incredibly distant all these years?”

“Who knows what they want, but they are always invited to these sorts of things, so I suppose it was to be expected they’d eventually make an appearance. I’m just surprised to see them crawling to us in my lifetime. I suppose we’ll have to wait for their groveling to start to learn more,” Aldith mused.Evienne was taken aback at how brusquely Aldith spoke of Léhiona’s homeland in her presence. Aldith had always been direct, but this seemed harsh even for her. Evienne stowed her unease at the display and attempted to stay focused on the conversation.

“Well all right, they’re coming. Did they say when they will arrive?” Evienne was trying to process this information. The celebration for the turn of the millennium had been announced last year, and all of the important leaders across Domhan na Rùin had been invited to attend. Ichorna had hosted a similarly grand celebration at the last turn of the century, so it seemed it may become a tradition.

Everyone attending would gather here in Lucinne for a month of festivities. Diplomatic summits, balls, tournaments—all manner of spectacle—would take place during the final month of the year. Many had already responded to signal their attendance months ago, but a few last-minute changes to the guest list could always be expected. To hear about visitors from Beitar, though, was extremely unexpected—they would likely be the talk of the event.

“They’re set to arrive in three days’ time,” Aldith answered. “We’d like to put you in charge of keeping an eye on them. Nothing too obvious—you can mask it as hostess duty or personal interest—but we are wary of their intentions. There is no one we would rather have to handle any threats than you.”

“Of course, I’m happy to stay close to them. Thank you for trusting me with your safety and the safety of our people.”

“Who else would we ask? They’ll be flattered that the High Sangviere has taken such an interest in them. Who knows, maybe you’ll enjoy their company!” Léhiona laughed a bit, her expression too pleasant to be natural, and rose from her seat to pour herself a cup of tea from the cart the staff had brought.

Evienne knew it likely wouldn’t get her anywhere, but she had to ask. “Léhiona, are these emissaries people you knew before you came here?”

Even from where Evienne sat behind her as she added sugar to her tea, Léhiona’s shoulders visibly tensed at the question. “I uh,” she started before taking a deep breath. “I met Lord Solon once when I was a girl. He came to visit the court at Sgùrdruid for a season. The scholar, Professor Doehlan, I know nothing of.”

Aldith snagged Evienne’s gaze and pursed her lips, disapproving of Evienne’s prying. Answering such questions could hurt Léhiona, and she was very protective of her wife’s free and gentle spirit.

“Thank you for sharing, Léhiona,” Evienne added, her face apologetic as she held Aldith’s gaze.

Aldith quickly pushed the conversation forward. “We can’t take any risks with so many members of Domhan na Rùin’s leadership in attendance.”

“Of course not. You have my word, they will have my undivided attention during the celebration. I’ll work with the other Sangviere to delegate my other responsibilities temporarily,” Evienne stated, her voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through her.

She was to be responsible for the Beitaran visitors. She should feel nervous with so many unknowns at play, but all she felt was a sense of wonder and excitement. She would have to watch them, yes, but she would also get to talk to them. She would get to ask them about their people and customs in a way that no one really had for a generation. She wondered what they would be like.

Lost in her thoughts, Evienne’s mind drifted out of the conversation, only focusing when Aldith called her name in question.

“Evi? Are you still with us?” Aldith’s voice held a note of laughter.

“Yes, apologies!” Evienne smiled and laughed at herself. Her friends knew her well enough to expect this sort of thing; her mind wandered often.

“I was saying that Dominique will be increasing security around the Centrale Dellumine for the event, but I want you to make sure the Beitarans stay away from the facility. The last thing we need is those recluses stealing the technology that has finally coaxed the rest of the continent into trade with us,” Aldith said coolly.

The mention of Dominique’s name had the muscles in Evienne’s shoulders tensing. She knew her friends couldn’t cut Dominique out of their lives because of what had happened between the two of them, but their tolerance of her still stung.

“Understood. I will ensure they don’t get too close to any of our proprietary equipment,” Evienne said, hoping that was the end of this conversation.

Aldith nodded; it was settled.

The way Aldith spoke about the Beitarans in front of Léhiona left Evienne uneasy; she attempted to regain a shred of normalcy. “Aldith, will Sylvain be joining us for the celebration?”

Aldith rolled her eyes and chuckled, her features lightening. “Yes, my wayward little brother should be here tomorrow morning, actually.” She had a soft spot for her sibling. The now twenty-four-year-old prince was often away, traveling Domhan na Rùin and enjoying his total lack of responsibilities.

“I am glad to hear it. I am sure he will be the life of the party,” Evienne said with a smile. Léhiona was smiling as well; she and Sylvain were very close.

“Right, I should begin making arrangements,” Evienne said as she rose, setting her plate back on the serving cart.

“We will see you very soon, Evi.” Léhiona turned her warm gaze to Evienne from her place on the chaise.

Evienne smiled at her queens before bowing slightly at the waist and turning for the door.Her steps carried her across the palace to her own rooms, where she promptly collapsed into the massive plush armchair by her fireplace which, thanks to the palace staff, already held a crackling fire.

She stared into the flames as she tried to gather her thoughts, her exhaustion finally catching up with her. She hadn’t used her magic so extensively in quite some time, and it came at a cost.

She was grateful, though, to have gotten out of the city, despite the reason for her trip. Ichorna was about to host the largest celebration in a generation, so her duties would keep her here for the next month.She knew her assignment with the Beitarans would require a lot of meaningless conversations with nobles, and she already felt drained at the thought of it.Drained and excited.

She sighed, rising to change out of her uniform. With heavy eyelids, Evienne quickly washed—feeling more grateful than usual for the magically heated water the capital provided—and slipped into an impossibly soft black silk nightgown. Her position as High Sangviere came with healthy compensation, and she shamelessly enjoyed the nice things she was able to buy for herself, this incredible nightgown included.

Evienne settled into the plush pillows, closed her eyes, and was asleep in mere moments, letting the day slip away from her as she retreated into her dreams. Tomorrow’s problems would be there for her when she awoke.