Chapter 30
The next morning, I woke up.
I wasn't entirely sure when I had fallen asleep after my very dignified emotional breakdown the previous night, but when I opened my eyes, I felt... lighter.
Not better.
Not healed.
But functional.
Which, at this point, counted as progress.
The maids had already prepared the bath under Martha's supervision and offered to assist me, which I declined immediately.
There are limits to how much vulnerability I am willing to display within a twenty-four-hour period, and I had already exceeded that limit yesterday.
Also defiance had to be maintained.
Consistency is important.
After breakfast, which I ate in silence while mentally preparing myself for yet another unwanted turn in my life, I made my way toward the carriage.
And of course they were already there.
Lucien, Lysenne, and Rhaevan were standing together, talking with the kind of easy familiarity that made them look like a perfectly balanced trio who belonged in a story.
Which, unfortunately, they did.
For a brief moment, I felt it-that quiet, uncomfortable distance and the sudden awareness that I was standing just outside something I was technically supposed to be a part of.
They had ease. Familiarity. Shared understanding.
I, on the other hand, had a very strong urge to turn around and leave.
Instead, I walked toward them because I had apparently stopped making sensible decisions a long time ago.
"Good morning, Cassie," Lysenne said warmly. "All set?"
"I hope so," I replied.
She smiled, soft and reassuring. "You'll do well. I believe in you."
Of course she did.
She was radiant, composed, kind, everything a female lead is supposed to be.
Unlike me.
I gave a small smile in return, because anything more would have been dishonest.
Then Lucien stepped forward.
"Cassie," he said, far too comfortably, "I'll visit you often."
"Why?" I asked immediately.
"To keep track of your progress."
Naturally.
He smiled, clearly entertained by himself.
"Have a safe journey, Cass."
I paused.
"...It keeps getting shorter," I muttered.
"I like Cass better," he said.
I could feel Rhaevan watching me, but I steadfastly pretended he did not exist.
I was still angry with him, and I intended to remain angry for a respectable amount of time.
And just as I was about to step into the carriage-
"My lady."
I turned.
"Martha?" I frowned. "What are you doing here?"
"I've been assigned to assist you," she said. "Even in the tower."
I narrowed my eyes.
"...Are you spying on me?"
"Will you believe me if I say no?" she replied flatly.
I blinked. That was fair, but I scoffed anyway.
"You are unbelievable. The first thing I do when my magic becomes legal is to use it on you."
"I look forward to it," she said calmly.
I rolled my eyes and stepped into the carriage.
---
The journey was... smooth.
We passed through towns decorated with vibrant fabrics and lanterns swaying gently in the wind.
"Why is everything decorated?" I asked.
"The Moonlight Festival is drawing near," Martha replied. "It's a tradition the entire capital looks forward to."
Ah.
Of course.
There is always a festival before something goes wrong.
---
When we arrived, I stepped out of the carriage and stopped because the Tower was not just a tower.
It rose into the sky like something unreal, spiraling upward in pale stone and glass that caught the sunlight and scattered it into shifting colors, while floating platforms hovered around it as if gravity had simply been politely dismissed.
The Tower seemed to breathe magic, each stone humming with a life of its own.
"...Woah," I said.
"Welcome, Cassie," Theo said, clearly pleased. "To our humble abode."
"You call this humble?" I repeated.
"Yes."
"Ah. Then I'd hate to see what you consider excessive."
He smiled.
"Come," he said. "I'll show you around."
He gestured to the staff to guide Martha and the luggage away, then looked at me.
"This way, Cassiane."
I followed because curiosity, unfortunately, wins every time.
---
Eventually, we reached his office, where I discovered that Rhaevan was already there.
Of course he was.
I frowned at him briefly and then ignored him on principle. Consistency, remember?
Theo took his seat and gestured for me to sit as well.
I did, although with considerably more caution than a chair probably warranted.
"So," I said, crossing my arms, "what happens now?"
Theo folded his hands together.
"Now," he said, "we begin."
I stared at him.
That sounded significantly less like the start of a lesson and considerably more like the opening line of an execution.
"I don't do well with vague statements," I said. "They usually lead to suffering."
"You are not here to be trained like a soldier," he said.
Good.
"That would be inefficient."
Less good.
"You are here to understand your magic."
I leaned back slightly.
"I was doing an excellent job of ignoring it."
"Yes," he said calmly. "And we've established how ineffective that is."
I exhaled.
"I've survived years without using it," I said. "I was managing."
Theo didn't respond to that. He simply folded his hands and said, "Show me your magic."
I blinked at him.
"Must we?"
"Yes."
I considered arguing.
"I'm afraid I have to decline."
"You're in no position to decline."
I frowned.
"Well, that hardly sounds optional."
"It isn't."
I sighed and leaned back in my chair.
"You know, most people begin new acquaintances with harmless questions. Where are you from? What's your favorite color? They don't immediately demand a magical demonstration."
Theo looked entirely unmoved.
"Cassiane."
I narrowed my eyes.
"That's my name, yes."
"Show me your magic."
I opened my mouth.
"Before you think of another excuse," he added calmly.
I closed it again.
Beside him, Rhaevan had developed that infuriating look that suggested he was trying very hard not to laugh.
I glared at him.
He looked away with speed of light.
"Cassiane," Theo said patiently, "if we are to train your magic, I need to understand its current state."
I hesitated.
"It's really not that impressive," I said at last. "I can do small things. Occasionally useful things. More often, accidentally destructive things."
Theo remained silent.
I sighed.
"Fine. To be completely accurate, my magic and I have what I would describe as a deeply unstable working relationship."
"Cassiane," Theo said patiently, "your magic does not disappear simply because you refuse to acknowledge it. It reacts, it accumulates, and right now, you are keeping a very tight lid on it."
I stiffened.
"I can feel it growing stronger."
I stared at him.
This man had a remarkable talent for freaking people out in the calmest possible tone.
"Show me," he said.
I frowned.
"Why do I get the feeling that's going to end badly?"
"Because it might."
"Well, that's reassuring."
"Cassiane."
I let out a long sigh.
"This is a terrible idea."
"I agree."
I looked at him.
"You agree? And we're doing it anyway?"
"Yes. Don't try to force it," Theo said. "Just pay attention to it."
"That is only slightly less concerning than your previous instructions."
"It's the best I can offer."
I sighed and closed my eyes.
I hated this man.