Chapter 19
NINETEEN
LEAH
“I want you to understand that showing you this does not bring me any sense of joy.”
Leah stood with Elizabeth in the empty room previously occupied by Jack and Abigail. They were alone. Leah looked over at the young girl with regret in her eyes, or as close to the look of regret as she could feign.
“When did they leave?” Elizabeth asked just above a whisper. “Why—why would they have gone without me?”
“I’ve told you before, but you won’t trust me yet.” Leah placed a comforting hand on the girl’s shoulder. “They fear us, because they don’t understand us. They fled the palace in the early hours of the morning, even killed a few guards in their hurry to escape.”
“No.” Elizabeth turned to look at Leah. “Abigail wouldn’t have killed anyone. She’s not a murderer.”
“How well did you really know her?” Leah asked with a shrug. “You didn’t think she’d leave without you, either, but she did that, as well. The truth is, she’s happy with Jack. They’re off probably already outside the walls, starting their life together.”
One of the many gifts Leah possessed was the ability to read people. What she saw in Elizabeth’s eyes now was someone close to the edge, so very close in believing the lies she was being spoon fed. In cases like this, a simple nudge was all that was required.
“As soon as you complete your training, you’ll be free to go after them, if that is what you choose.” Leah looked at Elizabeth once more. “But I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to leave until you have a better understanding of your gifts.”
The witch and her apprentice stood in the vacant room. The stillness was so complete that Leah could hear the beating of her own heart in her ears. She knew what was coming next; she had seen it before.
“Okay.” Elizabeth moved toward the open door. “Teach me. I want to learn.”
“Wise choice.” Leah followed Elizabeth from the room and through the palace underbelly. “You’re progressing through each lesson faster than even I anticipated. Give me a few more weeks, and you’ll have what you need.”
Elizabeth didn’t say a word. Her short, determined steps said everything her breaking heart could not.
Teacher and student passed through the calm palace labyrinth that made up the training area for Elizabeth’s lessons.
They passed large chambers, living quarters, and storage rooms. Leah looked at each chamber with a smile.
She had spent a large portion of her time below the palace, perfecting her art as well as experimenting and training those she had hoped would be the answer she was so desperately seeking.
But none of her subjects had proved as valuable or as powerful as Elizabeth.
The girl was one of a kind. Perhaps one day she would even be more powerful than Leah herself.
The thought scared her at first. It was something she had never had to worry about before.
Even with Ashley, who was a master behind the mage blade and a heartless killer.
Elizabeth was special because the girl already had the potential to use magic when she was born.
The experiments done on her had only amplified what was already there.
These thoughts led to Leah wondering who the girl’s mother could have been.
She had read the reports on the Burrow Den incident.
Abigail and Elizabeth’s father was nothing to consider.
He was fanatic, but no magic flowed through his veins.
The thoughts came to a halt as Leah followed Elizabeth into their training room.
This room was like no other in the palace underbelly.
Where everything else was sparsely decorated with plain, grey stone walls and floor, this room was made up of shiny, white marble flooring and white pillars standing side by side that didn’t hold a ceiling at all.
In place of the stone ceiling that should have been, was a view of the stars and galaxies beyond.
The pillars rose ten feet tall until they simply vanished into space.
Gazing at the beautiful scene had been Elizabeth’s favorite thing since she was introduced to the room, but not today. Today she was on a mission.
Elizabeth stalked to one end of the long room, ignoring the many magical artifacts along the walls that usually gave her pause.
With the queen’s unlimited recourses, Leah had quite the collection of magical artifacts.
Ancient books with worn leather covers stood neatly in the corner of the room, staffs and wands etched with magical runes had been placed on holders and mounted on the wall.
Elizabeth ignored them all. She reached the end of the room and turned to Leah. She shrugged off her black cloak and took a stance, one foot in front of the other, arms wide, legs bent. Magical yellow flames burst to life in her open palms.
“Let’s start.” Elizabeth nearly shouted the words.
Things couldn’t have been going more perfectly if Leah wanted them to. She could practically see the hurt and anger in her apprentice’s eyes.
“It’s obvious that you’re angry for being abandoned by those you thought you could trust.” Leah shrugged off her own cloak and took a similar stance at her end of the room. “Use that anger now. Let that drive your actions and give you strength. Begin!”