“I’m not just Legendborn. I can do more.…” I pull away and grasp William’s forearms. “Need pain.”

“You’re hurt?” William scans my body. “Where?”

“No,” I mumble. “Pain… it helps me… resist a mesmer.”

His eyes widen. “You can resist mesmers?”

I huff a laugh. “Dunno about right now, but yeah.”

William’s gaze sharpens. His eyes dart to the hallway and back before he takes my arm in both hands. “Then I’m really sorry about this.”

“Wha—” My mouth opens wide in a silent scream. A hot rush of aether floods my skull, spreading like fire through my senses. Bright, burning lemons and scorched oranges under a summer sun… William drives his power down through my skin, into my veins and muscles, burying it deep into my bones. Then, in a single lightning strike, my mind clears. My voice returns with a breathy, shocked “Owww!”

William releases me. “Will that work?”

I gasp. “What the hell, William?”

He winces. “I’m sorry! Aether burns when there’s too much of it, too fast, remember?”

“Ugh.” I nod. “Yes.”

Max reappears right as William guides us to the door. “Let’s go, Crown Scion.”

Outside in the white hallway I follow Max, who, blessedly, walks at normal human speed. I take the time to put my thoughts and memories in order. The Regents captured me. Drugged me. They have interrogated me over and over for three days. Three. Does anyone else even know we’re here?

This is not how any of this was supposed to go.

Another memory surfaces, this time about the serum. Someone told me about it earlier, I’m sure of it—Gabriel! His voice echoes in my ears. We have suppressed your ancestral inheritances. Arthur’s physical strength and your ability to manipulate aether. That means no aether and no red root, but the other inheritances from Vera’s Line, like… my senses, the mesmer resistance… the Regents’ scientists wouldn’t find those traits in Legendborn blood. Wouldn’t even know to look for them. God, I hope those abilities aren’t affected too. I need every defense I can get.

We make a left turn, go down a short hall, and end at a large wooden door.

Max cracks the door, peeks in. Nods to someone on the other side, then gestures that I proceed.

I enter a large conference room with windows that let daylight stream in.

The door clicks shut, leaving me standing alone in front of the High Council of Regents. In the middle of the room is a dark rectangular table. Lord Regent Aldrich, Regent Gabriel, and Regent Cestra sit on one side, while their Seneschals sit across from them on the other. But… they aren’t even looking at me. Instead, Aldrich and Gabriel speak to each other in low tones. Cestra sits bent over a tablet. Tacitus flips through a yellow legal pad as he speaks to Serren.