Valley of Fire and Shadow by Angela M Hudson

Author:Angela M Hudson [Hudson, Angela M]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-06-24T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Two

Astara

* * *

The first half of my study days were dedicated to magic. My parents had not marked me for the Dark Texts, and even Aerik wouldn’t mark me for the New Dark Texts he’d written. They were all happy to teach me from them, but not to allow me the freedom to learn on my own. And I understood that. The Dark Texts were dangerous.

So, I read stolen grimoires from Master Winston’s private lab instead—texts he’d written himself on the proper instruction of magic, over a thousand years ago. The language had been foreign to me at first, but I was fluent now, and I’d learned more from two of these books than any class or Master had taught me. I was sure Winston knew I had the books, but he never said anything, and yet he always had a conspiratorial glint in his eye when he passed me in the halls.

The second half of my study days were spent learning the rules and laws of the Spring Nexum, the Eldamar monarchy, and reading newspapers and stories and books, even fictional ones, about queens and kings. Peoples’ opinions could teach you a lot more about being a royal than any instructional book. You learned faster through what not to do than a bullet point list of what you’re supposed to do.

When my mother one day gave up the crown for another life, I’d be ready. And no one would ever know I wanted it. If they knew now, they’d judge me based on who they saw when I was young. They’d assume that when I eventually became queen, I’d be the same person. So, they had to see the changes, subtly, over time, and understand before I ever announced my will that I was the right Eldamar heir for the job.

When I’d studied enough for my eyes to feel like sand, and then again after an elixir to keep me focused, I left my room and headed down to find Eowyn. But Lorne stopped dead in the corridor ahead of me, looking left and right as though she intended to run instead of waiting to talk, so I walked at a quicker pace, calling her name.

“Lorne, wait.”

She halted again, hesitantly, a leather satchel over her shoulder and a stack of books in her arms. “Hi.”

“Hey, moving off campus for a bit?” I asked, nodding at the bag.

“I uh…” Her brow folded a little and quivered with a string of emotions across her face that she quickly reined in. “I need to give Henry some space.”

“Had a fight?”

“A big one. I’m not sure he can ever forgive me.”

I laughed at that. “Look, you and Henry may have gotten together pretty quickly, without really knowing each other that well, but if you knew him, you’d know he’s not the type to ice someone out forever.”

“I don’t know, Astara,” she worried aloud. “He was pretty cut.”

“He’s also got a really big heart,” I assured her, feeling familiar enough to reach across and gently rub her arm in a show of support.

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