Page 29 of Queen’s Gambit

‘That’s a violation. A psychic mage must not enter someone’s mind uninvited. She’s no convict or suspect for me to pry into her thoughts.’ He resisted, yanking his hand away when I pushed it toward Lily’s temple.

‘She’s family, and something’s happened to her. I have, at most, an hour to find out what’s going on before people start asking questions. Do it! I’ll bear the consequences.’

Riordan looked at Irsha, then at Tova, and both of them nodded, accepting we were crossing a line. Lily hissed when he stepped closer, recoiling from Riordan’s touch.

‘I can sedate her if you want,’ I offered, but he shook his head.

‘No, that will only complicate matters.’ He reached out to Lily, who bit at his hand, more enraged striga than graceful fae in her red-stained dress.

Irsha cradled Lily’s hands, pressing them to her sides. Riordan exhaled, pressing his fingertips to the fae’s temples, and I felt Tova’s hand slip into mine.

When I looked down, he attempted a reassuring smile. I hung onto that just to avoid looking at Lily’s grimace or the big droplets of sweat gathering on Riordan’s neck as he muttered a cantrip.

‘Fucking bastards,’ he snarled, and my heart skipped a beat. Riordan never cursed. When he shook his hand in pain, I was close to crying.

‘Something’s wrong,’ Irsha warned, a moment before Lily’s body arched in his arms, white foam bursting from her lips. She thrashed, animalistic screeches torn from her throat. My magic reached out, latching onto her ailing body. Lily was on fire. Something deep inside fought to claw its way out and I didn’t know what to do.

Instead, I focused on what was in front of me. I wove my magic, calming the fire, relaxing taut muscles, and easing the pain. After several tense minutes, she stopped seizing, and I turned to Riordan.

‘What the fuck just happened?’

‘Geas, the worst kind. Someone locked her in. I can sense Lilliana’s spirit inside, scratching at the cage in her mind, screaming to get out, but I couldn’t reach her. It’s fae magic, and I’ve never encountered it before.’ He wiped the sweat from his brow. ‘I’ll go to the university tomorrow. I promise I’ll find a way, but it’ll take time.’

‘I’ll call Alaric.’

I gasped, my racing heart stuttering. Annika stood in the doorway, one hand resting on her belly, the other holding the door frame.

‘You need a fae who knows curses. I have a fae who was cursed for five hundred years,’ she answered, and I instantly looked at Danka.

‘Yes, my lady. I’ll drag him here this instant.’ She turned on her heel, rushing out of the bathing chamber.

‘Where are the other women?’ I asked, eyeing the empty room behind Annika’s back.

‘Went to rest in their quarters. A small siphoning of their Aether, and everyone suddenly grew tired.’ At my raised eyebrow, she shrugged. ‘A Conduit ability. Don’t worry, nobody noticed anything blaming the tiredness after such a long day.’ She looked at Lily, pale and panting in Irsha’s arms. ‘Will she be safe?’

‘I don’t know. Can you help?’ I downplayed the hope in my heart, but Lady Annika was a legendary mage who’d just sent the cream of Dagome’s nobles to their beds. Anything was possible.

‘All I can do is replenish her Aether, but I can’t manipulate it in the body. Only healers and vivamancers have that ability,’ she said, coming closer and sitting next to Lily. ‘Who is she to you?’

‘My friend, my… my sister.’ I blinked away the tears. Anika reached out and placed her hand over mine.

‘I had a sister like that. Katja, she… Whatever’s happened to your friend, it’s not your fault, and we’ll do everything we can to help.’ The compassion and pain in her voice told me she knew the feeling intimately.

‘Thank you,’ was all I managed past my tight throat.

We both jumped when the door bounced off the wall, and a pale Alaric stormed in. He stopped, his gaze settling on Ani, who rewarded this dramatic entrance with a deep sigh.

‘I’m fine, but this one needs help. She is…’ Annika paused, looking at Riordan for confirmation. ‘Under some sort of curse.’

If looks could kill, Danka would be a wet smear on the floor from the glare Alaric shot her.

‘Child, next time be precise when you shout, “The lady is dying, follow me,”’ he said, exasperated. I had to bite my lip to hide a smile. Danka knew exactly what to say to provoke the Dark Fae. I would have to be very careful around her cunning mind.

‘Leave the child alone,’ Riordan cut in, coming closer. ‘Lilliana is under a fae geas. I tried to break it, but she began seizing. Do you know any spells to remove it?’

‘Describe what you saw in her mind first. There are various ways to remove a geas, and I need more than a one-sentence explanation,’ Alaric answered. All eyes turned on Riordan.

‘It was a wall of ice. I could sense Lilliana behind it, but couldn’t break through. Something or someone blocked every attempt.’ His answer, and Alaric’s frown, crushed what little hope Annika’s reassurance had raised.