Sapphire sighed loudly, collapsing against the soft grass. Her leg bounced under her skirt, unable to stay still. Since her duel, the pace of training had slowed, and her body was restless without her usual routine.

She missed the water and the exhaustion it brought her. But when she approached the lake, she found herself too afraid to enter.

‘You’re going to have to get back in the water eventually, you know that, right?’

‘I know. But … I just need a little more time.’

Evera returned her gaze to the sky, watching a bird fly overhead, and Sapphire appreciated that she knew when not to push the subject. Another beat of silence passed before Sapphire rolled over, looking at Evera. ‘I read Kya’s journal.’

The girl turned to her, their faces nearly touching. The castle had ears and eyes, little birds perched on every sill – and a private conversation took effort.

‘What did you think?’ Evera whispered.

‘I want to see the barrier.’

‘Pursuing trouble never ends well.’

Sapphire blew out a breath and rolled away from Evera to lie flat on her back again.

‘Have you truly never wondered about it?’

‘I mean, of course. But after learning about it in school, about the creatures that lie beyond the guard, I lost my interest. Some things are better left alone.’

‘I want to see it.’

‘Your parents will never allow it.’

‘They won’t know.’

Evera rolled her eyes. ‘They know everything.’

The response was honest and deafening, and she knew Evera was right.

‘She was a very distant aunt, you know. The woman who wrote that journal,’ Evera said quietly.

‘She reminds me of you a bit. I wish I could have met her.’

Evera smiled and returned her soft gaze to the sky.

She needed to know the country well to properly serve as queen.

That was the reasoning she’d repeated in her head as she pulled on the heavy blue cloak and sneaked out of her room that night. The hallways were dark and quiet, and she couldn’t push down the feeling that someone was lurking in the shadows. The typically warm and airy castle was very different without natural light spilling through the windows.

She kept her head down, her pace fast, and she refused to stop until she was outside.

There, she paused only to pull the cloak tighter around her shoulders. The night air carried a chill, the moon was high overhead, and she did what she could to blend with the shadows as she moved towards the lake. She had studied the map closely.

The Voltra Sea cut off Astral, Aleburn’s terrain had canyons and dangerous cliffs, and the Isle of Irobel would take days to reach.

No, the simplest way to get to the barrier was through Ciliria.

All she had to do was navigate the forest.