Chapter 35
Elara
The grandest parlor in the palace was empty save for Elara and Sera.
A fire roared in the hearth, crackling and popping.
The air hung heavy with unspoken tension as the two women faced off.
Elara slammed her hands—which were holding a fan of playing cards—onto the table.
The force of the motion threatened to knock their crystal wine goblets onto the ornate carpet.
“Come on! You’re cheating. You have to be.” Elara pouted.
Sera offered her a knowing smile. “I’ve been playing this game since I learned to talk. It’s not my fault no one can keep up.”
“And I’ve been hustling drunken, bluffing courtiers since I could sneak my way into the gambling parlors!
” Elara shook her head, reveling in both the wine and the company.
Both offered her a much-needed reprieve.
The two women had spent the entire morning eating, drinking, and playing strategy games.
With a laugh, Sera tossed back her blond hair and refilled her goblet with wine. She pulled out a delicate silver case the size of a playing card. With a soft click, she opened the ornate box and offered it to Elara, who eyed its contents with suspicion, a slight frown furrowing her brow.
Out flew a series of cards, much like the set they used to play their game.
These cards floated in front of Elara, each one illuminated by the signature purple glow of Sera’s illusion magic.
The figures on each card danced, cried, or kissed, animated by magic.
More than any other, the Moon card held Elara’s attention.
It featured a woman draped in flowing white robes lounging in the crook of the crescent moon, stars woven into her long hair.
Elara snatched the card out of the air and inspected it.
“If I wanted to cheat, I’d be using these instead,” Sera teased. With the snap of her fingers, the card in Elara’s grasp shifted from the Moon to the High Priestess, who winked at her before changing back.
“Beautiful,” Elara whispered in awe. “Where did you get these?”
Sera ran a slender finger over the silver case, tracing the whirls etched into its surface. “I’ve had them since I was a child. I believe they belonged to my mother.”
“My mother gave me and my sister enchanted music boxes. I never realized how many magical devices there are in the world. The possibilities are so exciting.”
Sera clutched the pendant hanging against her chest. “Not all of them are beautiful. Or harmless.”
Elara resisted the urge to press her friend, admiring the woman depicted on the Moon card instead.
Sera leaned closer to examine the card in Elara’s grip. “She looks like you,” she mused.
“You think so? Something about her seems so familiar.” Like Elara, she had long dark hair, a detail the artist had captured along with the spirited glint in her eyes and the resolute set of her jaw.
“Well, we’ve been playing for hours, so you’ve seen the Moon’s face at least a dozen times today.”
Elara laughed, passing Sera the card with a quivering hand. “That must be it.”
“Don’t feel bad, you’re a quick study. You actually make it hard for me to beat you, which is more than I can say for Caelan.”
Elara frowned, recalling how tense their last training session had been. She still couldn’t shake the feeling that he was keeping something more from her. Maybe Sera was too.
“I’m worried about him, Sera.”
Sera stiffened, clenching her jaw. “Me too,” she whispered behind the sound of her card shuffle. She tapped the edge of the deck on the table.
Elara weighed her next words, not wanting to reveal what she’d learned about Lord Stormrider’s intentions.
Or what she and Ursa had learned about Lysandra’s true nature.
Neither fact was critical to their current objective, and she didn’t want the information to fall into the wrong hands. “Do you think our plan will work?”
“With enough allies to support us and the element of surprise? Yes.” Sera didn’t lift her gaze from the cards in her grip.
“And . . . without them?” Elara asked, biting the inside of her cheek.
“Caelan has been quietly preparing his men for days. You’ve had Meg and Iris rallying the palace staff, yes?” Sera asked. When Elara nodded, Sera continued, “And I’ve been keeping my eyes and ears open, ensuring that Lord Stormrider suspects nothing.”
“I don’t think we’re ready,” Elara said, mind wandering back to her frustrating conversation with Caelan.
“Is anyone ever truly ready for war?” Sera rose a sculpted brow.
“It’s more than that. Caelan was harsh on me in our last training session, and he’s right—there’s not much I can do if it comes down to a battle.”
A haunted look crossed Sera’s face. Her usually sharp features softened, revealing the young girl behind the stoic woman.
“What is it? You don’t have to protect me from the truth,” Elara said.
“There won’t be much any of us can do if it comes to battle. No one has ever beaten Lord Stormrider. Certainly not Caelan. And we are relying on Caelan’s men to be more loyal to him— and you—than they are afraid of his father.”
“But once you blind him, Caelan should be able to capture him?”
Sera sighed deeply. “Lord Stormrider has known my magic for a long time. He has built up certain protections against me.” She touched her necklace again. “I won’t be able to hold him for long, but I will do my best to give Caelan enough time.”
“Can Caelan really do it? Imprison his own father?”
“I hope so. And I hope that capturing Lord Stormrider is enough to put an end to this nightmare.”
Elara nodded. “He has many supporters. It’s delicate work. Rebellion has been brewing for a while, and I’m sorry to say that Lord Stormrider wasn’t the one who started it. The nobles will take sides if the capture doesn’t go smoothly.”
“It’s a good thing you two like each other, then.
A wedding with the new head of the Stormrider family and a renewed alliance between your two houses will strengthen your family’s position.
” Sera appraised Elara with a look and sighed.
“I have to be honest with you. I’ve seen Caelan falter when facing his father. ”
Elara shuddered, recalling Lord Stormrider’s assault on her in the throne room after her miscarriage. Caelan had frozen before he saved her. “I’ve seen it.”
“We might want to land on a backup plan, in case he needs rescuing. How far do your healing capabilities stretch?”
Elara sat back in her chair, folding her hands in her lap. She loved Caelan and would fight for him however she could, even if that meant betraying his trust. “What did you have in mind?”
With a frustrated sigh, Sera shook her head, her shoulders slumping. “It’s important to understand the bounds of your magic. But your situation is so unique. No proper mentor—no offense to your physician friend. We can’t simply cut off your finger to see if it grows back. It’s not worth the risk.”
“I’m glad you think so.” Elara chuckled darkly. “I heal well now from most injuries that could occur in the course of battle. Deep cuts, broken bones, burns.”
“Caelan actually let you break a bone?” Sera shuddered. “I didn’t realize how . . . intense your training was.” To Elara’s surprise, she sounded impressed.
“And my pain tolerance has increased immensely,” Elara said, her voice barely above a whisper, the vulnerability of the moment making her feel exposed.
“I’m sorry for that,” Sera said, almost to herself.
Elara could only imagine the torment that Sera had experienced at Lord Stormrider’s hand.
If it resembled Caelan’s so-called upbringing, it must have been arduous.
The familiar sting of being judged for another’s actions struck Elara, giving her a newfound appreciation for what her friend had endured.
“It’s the price we pay for power,” Elara said, placing her hand over Sera’s across the table. “Power and greedy men.”
A mischievous grin spread across Sera’s face, her eyes sparkling with a sudden idea. “Remember your vision? The one with your family at the wedding?”
Elara nodded, a slight smile playing on her own lips.
“I have an idea. How do you feel about being bait?”