I was on the way to my training with Magister Crowold when I was intercepted by an anxious Cilia.

  "Lady Velmire... I, pardon me," the woman glanced around anxiously.

  I never saw any member of the staff or my family in this area of the house. But there was no such a thing as too much caution.

  "Come," I instructed her as I made my way to one of the doors lining the corridor.

  An old guest room, now used to keep books and old training equipment.

  "Make it brief, Cilia. There are eyes everywhere." She had better not put us in danger for a trivial matter.

  "I was just wondering if Hana is alright. You know, after that night..."

  I exhaled. I wasn't aware they were friends. Or maybe she'd been sent by Father to dig into my relationship with Hana.

  "She's faring much better now. Her injuries have been taken care of by a medic. You don't need to worry." The red headed woman exhaled. She was either genuinely concerned or a great actress.

  "Thank you, milady," she swallowed, one thumb rubbing her clasped hands.

  I nodded, ready to leave when her voice stopped me.

  "I... I don't know any other mage who would have done what you did that night." She raised her eyes from her hands, staring me with solemn seriousness and something else I couldn't identify. "So, if you ever need anything, please let me know. I can be discreet. I couldn't do much that day, and it's been haunting me. If I can be of help in the future.... I want to do so."

  For a moment, the only sound that reached my ears was the sound of my own breathing.

  "Thank you, Cilia. I'll keep that in mind."

  To trust her right away would be stupid. I'd put her loyalty to the test soon enough. I didn't know how useful she could be. But if the time arrived, to have another card to play could be valuable. Vital, even.

  With a nod, I left the room.

  My lack of affinity with healing magic and all things aether related did not change no matter how much time I spent on research or practice. What took me days to advance with Magister Valdosta took me weeks with Crowold. It was tempting, to place the blame entirely on the old Magister for my shortcomings. But I knew it was deeper than that.

  So I did the only smart thing I could think of.

  "What happens if, accidentally, I were to disrupt the aetheric flow of a person?"

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  Magister Crowold's eyes snapped to me from his arrangement of crystals and pages on the table.

  "Oh, that's a great question!" He fixed his round glasses on the bridge of his nose. "It depends on how much you were to disrupt it. And on which area of the body that occurred, and how..." he scratched his beard. "If it's the body, and it was only superficial damage, let's say,lasting a few moments, the patient would be in great pain, maybe faint. But the damage could be reversed. With the proper care. If it's the head we're talking about... Paperwork, a hearing with the High Council of Arcanuum..." he shook his head. "Don't worry, dear girl, we won't be practicing on human subjects for a long time, maybe ever. No need to worry yourself with those thoughts."

  My face lit up in a warm, relieved smile. "Thank you, magister. It sometimes worries me that I might cause damage to someone, accidentally."

  "Oh no, no need to worry! Although, I do advise you, child, don't try to tamper with someone's etheric flow network until you have a better understanding of it. Even if it's an emergency. And with your training and hard work... yes, in a few years we could get there!"

  We both knew that wasn't the case.

  I nodded, eyes bright.

  Later, while studying yet another diagram on aetheric flow, I commented, "It must be nerve wracking. To have such a responsibility on the patient."

  Crowold smiled, eyes still on the book. "Well, at the very beginning, yes. But all medic trainees begin working assisting the more experienced medics."

  "I cannot help but wonder, seeing that aetheric flow manipulation is such a powerful type of magic... Has anyone ever tried to use it to attack?"

  This time, his eyes rose from the book, rounder than his glasses.

  "Well," he cleared his throat. I put my decade-long experience in lying to the use, lowering the corners of my eyebrows and eyes just enough to get genuine worry. Consternation.

  "Yes, although now it's been deemed illegal. Since the end of the Caltherian Revolts, over fifty years ago. In September 1923, to be exact," he nodded. "During the pacification of the miners, some Enforcers of the Order used aetheric flow manipulation... It was later deemed an inhumane use of power. Condemned even by Virellia," his eyebrows furrowed a smidge.

  I scoffed. "What would they know about Belaria's internal affairs?"

  "Indeed," Crowold nodded, eyebrows now high on his forehead. "But they're still valuable allies. And the international relations were tense. Of course, I don't entirely agree with the unethical use of such magic. The purest form of magic, if you ask me."

  My next trip to Father's library included a tome on Belaria's history.

  I spent that night reading all about the suppression of the revolt of the miners in 1923.

  Very few words were written on the use of aetheric magic at the time.

  Magister Valdosta's book, on the other hand, was as useful as it was unsettling.

  Not the contents, per se, but it got me wondering why Grandfather would instruct him to teach me such things.

  Shockwaves, kinetic magic used to displace objects, people, to immobilize.

  Why would the daughter of a respectable mage family need to learn such things?

  A knock on my door made me pause as my hand was skimming over my dresses to select the one I'd be using the day after at the promenade.

  "Come in," I called from my dressing room, just as an ivory velvet dress was catching my attention.

  "My lady, Lord Velmire has requested your presence this noon for lunch."

  That caught my attention. It had been over a fortnight since I had shared the table with my family. What could possibly be happening for them to arrange another one so soon?

  Nevertheless, by noon I was descending the stairs wearing a green dress and black boots.

  As I approached the grand staircase I heard father speaking with someone whose voice I didn't recognize.

  "Lady Alya." Valerian Merwood was the first to greet me, Allistair a step behind him.

  My heartbeat was suddenly strong enough to be felt pounding against my ribs.

  "Lord Merwood, Lady Merwood, what a pleasant surprise." It came a little high-pitched, but at least I didn't stutter as I reached them.

  Livia got closer to me, patting her son's arm on the way. Aemilia remained on the far left of the foyer, quietly observing me. Her eyes flicked toward her older brother before setting once more on me. That only spurred my heart to gallop even faster. Later that evening I would curse my dress choice, as the fabric announced every shallow inhale as breathing became a conscious effort.

  My eyes darted to my father before quickly turning to smile at the older woman.

  When Grandfather joined us, my hands started becoming clammy.

  When we entered the dining room my suspicions were confirmed. Father and Grandfather sat at the heads of the table. Lord and Lady Merwood at Father's sides. Before I could freeze any further, Grandfather signaled for me to sit at his right, next to Aemilia—across from Allistair. His hand rested a second too long on the back of my seat.

  I had not been overthinking then. The second dance at the Yule dance, my father's seemingly sudden interest in Merwood. It had all been deliberate.

  When Allistair took a seat across from me I noticed Father observing him.

  While staring at the rim of my glass as a maid poured me red wine I heard the voices of the men of the table exchanging words. Alliances, trade, titles. None of it reached me.

  If they meant to arrange my future like the seating at this table, they would soon learn I was not a chair to be moved.