Page 21 of Wrath of the Never Queen

And now, all that remains is a smallscratch in a prison high above the trees. The bedchamber has been cleaned, sanitised of any remnants of the maidens before me. Except one inch that Morraine claimed for herself.

I spend two full days scouring every crevice of my chambers, looking for any other signs of the Never Queens before I find something. Etched under the drawer of the vanity table are the wordsbreak the magic.

Lying on my back, looking up at the message, I run a finger across the text. It is difficult to tell with words etched into metal and wood, but the handwriting seems different. Another Never Queen, perhaps. I stare at the wordmagic. Why not curse?

A knock at the door interrupts me. I scramble up, closing the vanity table just as Inez enters.

“My sincere apologies, Miss Shivani,” she says quietly. The tone of her voice warns me she is not being overly polite, but she is genuinely sorry for something. A sense of dread creeps over me as she hands me a letter on a silver tray. I pick it up with shaking hands and read it as she looks on wordlessly. Fear blooms in my chest.

“This is for tonight?” I ask, but I already know the answer. Inez lowers her eyes and nods. “But I thought the king was in Swordstead?”

“A storm in the north pulled him back, miss.” Her voice is hushed, as though speaking at a funeral. “He arrived last night and will set outagain once the storm has passed.”

I take a moment to absorb this before I tear the paper into tiny chunks. They flutter onto the carpet, silent.

“Leave, please,” I tell her softly. “I do not wish for dinner. I need to be alone.”

When the king comes for me, is left unspoken but known between us. How many of the Never Queens have received a similar letter?

“Yes, miss.” Inez inclines her head but her eyebrows are knitted together in concern. As she leaves, my decision is solidified. I know what I must do.

Not long after I had started eating again and regained some clarity, I searched my chambers for anything I might use for escape. Now, I commit my list of escape items to memory and rush to the wardrobe. A bundle of clothes sit tucked into the back where I first left them. I quickly pull off my impractical gown and take thick boots and dark riding trousers from the wardrobe. I twist my long hair into a braid, pulling it away from my face. Without dinner arriving, I sit by the window and wait for the sun to set. My leg shakes, and I pick at my nails while I watch it dip below the treeline. Once the sky turns a deep navy blue, I know it is time for me to go.

I blow out the candle next to my bed, plunging my chambers into darkness. I open the window fully, pulling it back as far as it will goso I can see the wide windowsill sitting beneath it outside. The sill leads around the castle as a ledge and, as far as I can judge, it has a point where there is a gap of only a few feet between it and the nearest tree. The tree itself has not yet been trimmed, so the branches extend over the castle walls. After watching the guards for several weeks, I have noticed they patrol infrequently and with little care. I assume they are unconcerned that anyone can scale the stilts to reach the castle grounds. But it works in my favour.

I have spent every night in this room staring at both the tree and the ledge. My mind had flopped indecisively between whether either of them would support my weight or not. Especially the branches of the tree, which I will need to leap onto. Initially, I had dismissed the plan as too dangerous. But now, after the summon from the king to visit his chambers tonight…No. This is the only plan I have. I cannot leave through my door, so I will need to leave through the window.

I glance one last time at the torn paper on the carpet. My chest constricts. I turn away, swinging the window open and climbing out. Cautiously, I test the strength of the ledge by placing one foot on it and pressing down. When it does not immediately crumble, I pull the rest of my body through and clamber upright, facing inside. I grip the window tightly. With a rush,I realise…I amout. I breathe in fresh air for the first time in weeks, filling my lungs with the sweet scent of the trees. Adrenaline pumps through my body and roars in my ears. The chill of the evening air nips at the exposed skin on my neck and hands, but I can barely feel it.

Slowly, I begin to slide each foot across the ledge. My fingers grip the small grooves in the wall in front of me. I press myself as closely as possible against the brick until it digs into my chest and scrapes across my thighs as I move. I hear the clink of the guard's armour some distance away. A thrill erupts in my chest at defying them without them even seeing me.

My body thrums with fear and elation. The muscles in my back twist—no, just one muscle. Myophidis responding to me. I inhale sharply and squeeze myself against the brick.Au’manarushes through my body, up to the tips of my fingers and warms me from the inside. Tears spring up in the corners of my eyes.

My witchcraft has returned to me.

Caught up in the joy, I close my eyes and reach out to it. As I do, my balance skews. My foot slips. My eyes snap open as I steady myself, but a piece of the ledge falls from underfoot.

“Fuck!” I exhale quietly. I regain my balance quickly, pulling myself up and staying stock still. I press my forehead against the wall and take deep, slow breaths. The crumbling brick from the ledge skitters down, making anavalanche of noise against the silence of the night.

I do not move, waiting for one of the guards to notice me. My adrenaline fights against my fear of either falling to my death or of being caught, and I clench my teeth to stop them from chattering.

After several minutes, when I am almost certain I am safe from the watchful gaze of the guards, I summon the courage to continue across the ledge. I desperately want to reach out to myau’mana, but I cannot focus on both my magic and keeping my balance at the same time. Reluctantly, I push it to the back of my mind. I reassure myself that once I am safely on the tree, I will feel myau’manaagain. I move at a much slower pace and test each step before fully committing.

I can do this, I think to myself, only half-believing it.Just a few more steps.

I reach the end of the ledge and carefully turn so I face outwards. The first thing I notice is the sheer drop to the ground below, and my body seizes up. Solid red brick lines the platform the castle is built upon. I quickly avert my eyes upwards.

“Saints…” I mutter. I slowly inhale through my nose to steady the roil within me and focus on the pinprick stars. I stand flat against the wall for a while longer until the tremor leaves my limbs, and I am brave enough tolower my eyes.

I catch sight of the tree. It feels much further away than it had from my window. Doubt pricks at the corners of my mind, threatening to invade. The branches are thinner than I had thought. Visions of falling through the tree plague me. My imagination goes into overdrive, showing me snap every branch as I plummet to my death.

I fight against a wave of panic, but it is like swimming against the current. My head whips from side to side as I assess my options. I cannot go any further from my chambers as the ledge has ended. If I turn and make my way back to my room, I resign myself to the king tonight. That isnotsomething I am willing to do. I glance down. I am too high from the grounds to somehow dangle myself off the ledge and drop down. At the very least, I would break my legs, rendering me helpless while I waited for the guards to find me. The king would either follow through on his plans for me tonight or spike my head for trying to flee.

It must be the tree. I rationalise it in my desperate brain. Even if the branch breaks, it will slow my fall at least. I spy a slightly thicker branch which may be able to hold me. I turn my body slightly, aiming for that one. I can only hope the noise of the break will not alert the guards, and I can climb to the safety of the swamp unnoticed.

With no other option, I prepare myself. I bend my knees an inch and tense every muscle in my legs like a coiled spring.It is either jump or…I close my eyes briefly and think about the summons from the king. About what he expects from me tonight. I shake my head. No, this is the only way. I lick my lips nervously and get ready to leap.

“What in Saint’s name?”

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