‘Have you ever met one? A Shadow Witch?’

His face shifted slightly. ‘Once. And I’ll never forget it. Ict serventi cortus,’ he whispered, the language of the Elders rolling from his tongue with ease. ‘Wickedness made flesh.’

To her dismay, Ashes’ smile flashed in her mind.

Could wickedness look like that? Could wickedness be so … beautiful?

She blinked a few times, trying to shove the unwelcome thought away. But she knew it wasn’t the first time she had considered Ashes’ beauty, and was even more certain that it wouldn’t be the last.

‘There must be other issues, to force your parents to come all this way,’ she finally said, hoping to move on from the talk of Shadow Witches.

‘There’s been some …. worry about the barrier. That the magic is weakening in Ciliria. I’m guessing they want to discuss how to move forward.’

‘Is the barrier weakening?’

Kaian gave her a lazy smile.

‘The Elders have protected our home for a thousand years, highness. I trust we are in no real danger and there is no reason for you to be concerned.’

A few minutes passed, and she felt the weight of someone’s eyes on her. When she snapped her head up, she found Sadara watching her from the dining room, a sneer on her gaunt face.

Sapphire clenched her fists tightly until they ached.

Because she did belong here. A depraved woman like Sadara would not change that.

That night at dinner, she ate with unsteady hands, her thoughts racing. She laughed at conversations she wasn’t heeding and tried to answer questions she hadn’t heard. Anything to avoid suspicion.

When the sun slipped away, she lit a candle, braided back her hair, reached for the potion she had stolen earlier – and almost didn’t take it. The witch had seen her eyes the very first day – but there was always a chance of meeting someone unintended in Ciliria. So, she swallowed the potion, still not used to the way it slid down her throat.

Taking her cloak from the hook on the wall, she buttoned it tightly around her chin in an effort to conceal herself. She hoped to move among the shadows undetected by any man, woman or creature she might pass.

But as she stared at her reflection in the looking glass, her hands continued to shake.

For a moment, she wondered if she should crawl into bed right now. Would she fall into a dreamless sleep?

Or was it all inevitable? Would she wake to find Ashes perched on her sill like a raven, her voice like a death knell as she came to collect on their bargain?

So, when she stumbled out on to the shore of Ciliria, the moon moving quickly to its zenith, Sapphire knew she would seek out Ashes.