A Trial of Sorcerers: Book One by Kova, Elise (universal ebook reader .txt) 📕

strange to say aloud. Her whole life, Eira had seen people shunned for saying the name. To do so was to bring about bad luck, they said. But perhaps it was the name of her birth mother. Or the name of her birth mother’s employer. “I honestly don’t know if I am or not.” Eira sighed and tried to relax the ice coating her body. She couldn’t let it get out of hand again. The thought evoked memories of Cullen’s arms around her and the frost retreated.

“What does that mean?”

“Nothing,” Eira muttered.

“How do you know of this place?” Deneya motioned around her.

“I found it by accident. How did you find those forgotten halls of Solaris?” Eira turned the question back on the woman.

Deneya smirked. “I found them, by accident.”

“You’re lying.”

The elfin laughed outright, a hearty and fearless sound. “You are a fun one, aren’t you? Not even the slightest amount of fear toward me and my magic despite being from Solaris. You remind me of a good friend of mine.” Deneya started for the passage behind the bookcase. “You’re right. I’m lying. But you don’t seem to be. Which makes you none of my concern. Enjoy lying in Adela’s bed, Eira.”

Deneya slipped back into the rough-hewn passage. Eira was on her feet in an instant, following closely behind. She heard the echo of whispered words as Deneya summoned a glowing orb over her shoulders, casting a pale light on the hallway.

“It was Adela’s then? That room?”

“It was.” Deneya kept walking.

“How do you know?”

“I know a lot more about Solaris history than you do.” Deneya didn’t even turn to speak to her, or slow down. Eira had to use magic to root her feet in ice just to keep up, otherwise she’d slip at the woman’s pace.

“It seems everyone knows a lot more about my history than I do,” Eira said with a bitter note.

That earned an inquisitive glance, but Deneya didn’t remark. Instead, she asked, “Why are you following me, apprentice?”

Eira didn’t entirely know herself. Something about this whole interaction—the whole day—was like a dream. And in a dream, didn’t people go wandering secret passages with pointy-eared sorceresses?

“Why did you ask me about Adela?”

“It’s best not to worry about it.” Deneya emerged into the forgotten hallway that the passage connected to. Eira was close behind her. “Nothing good will come of anything involving Adela. The superstitions do have that right.”

“Is…is Adela real?” Eira dared to ask.

“What kind of a question is that?” Deneya stopped in a square of moonlight streaming through the cracked glass of the windows at their right. “Of course she’s real. You were in her room, weren’t you?”

“Right. But is she still someone to worry about?” Eira rephrased her question.

Deneya’s lips twitched into a frown for only a second. “Very much so.”

“But the stories of her… They’re from a long time ago. They mention her stealing the royal treasure of the last Solaris king, right before his death, and fleeing to Oparium.” And she likely used the passage to escape, Eira realized, glancing behind her.

“Yes, and?”

“That would’ve been almost seventy years ago.” Eira took a step forward, stepping into her own beam of moonlight. “Is a seventy-year-old woman really out terrorizing the seas?”

Deneya slowly raised a single finger. “One—do not presume what can and cannot be done because of age. Even for humans, like you, your mind limits you well before your body or skill does.” She raised a second finger. “Two—I can assure you that Adela is alive and terrorizing. She hasn’t come around these parts for a while. Thank your princess admiral for that.”

“Where is she?” Eira asked as Deneya went to leave.

“Last I heard, off the west, southwest coast of Meru, causing trouble for the Empire of Carasovia.” The woman quirked an eyebrow. “Why are you so interested?”

“I…” Eira bit her lip, chewing on it and her words. “Why did you ask if I was associated with Adela?” She braced herself for the answer because she already knew what it would be.

“Your performance at the trial today. You moved like her. Your magic looked like hers.” Deneya ran her eyes over Eira from head to toe. “Yargen bless, you truly look like her.”

“Do I?” Eira took a hasty step forward, as if she were rushing toward the truth. Her foot crossed out of the moonlight and once more into the darkness.

“I’ve answered enough for you. It’s time for you to answer a question for me.” Deneya continued her assessment of Eira. “What did you mean when you said you didn’t know if you were Adela’s or not?”

Eira dropped her eyes to focus on her toes. Her parents had asked her not to share her truth for her own safety. They’d been proved right, hadn’t they? Deneya had held a dagger to her throat on suspicion of association with Adela. What would she do if she found out Eira might be…might be of Adela’s blood?

She slowly shook her head, raising her gaze. “I don’t know why I said that. It’s been a long day. I’m not making any sense.”

Deneya smiled slyly. “Now it’s you who’s lying.” Eira went to counter but couldn’t get a word in. “That’s fine, Eira. Go and rest; let your head sort itself.”

The elfin turned, folding her hands behind her back and started off into the darkness. Eira felt pulled toward her, like someone had knotted an invisible rope around her waist, tethering her to the woman. The Firebearers who were gifted future sight whispered of the red lines of fate, given to all mortals by the Mother herself. Was this what the pull of fate felt like?

Eira stepped backwards slowly. She was just about to put her back to the woman and leave her, and the thought of her, behind when Deneya’s voice cut through the silence.

“However…should you sort things out and wish to speak again…” Deneya glanced over her shoulder. In the moonlight the blue of her eyes took on an unnatural purple hue. “You can meet me here