Page 96 of Dueling the Suitors

A moment of hesitancy fell on her, but she pushed it aside and pressed forward. Whatever this person wanted, they couldn’t do anything to her. Besides, they were right. She wanted answers. Once she had them, she would finish off this threat.

No one would dare challenge her and Cyrus again.

Astoria grabbed the brass knocker and knocked twice.

No answer.

She knocked again. Again, there was no answer.

Were they playing her?

Bracing herself for anything and everything, Astoria pushed at the door. It was unlocked, and it opened inward. She sent light into the room, searching for a trap on the floor, in mid-air, or on the ceiling, and entered.

The room looked like an old and abandoned ballroom. Dark and eerie, the smell of dust and dampness filled the air. She gulped loudly before calling out, “Hello?”

“You made it,” came a strangely familiar male voice from further inside the room.

“Who are you?” Astoria called out, holding the light out in front of her.

“Why don’t you come closer and see for yourself?” The drawling voice was too familiar, but she tried and failed to match it to a memory.

“If you attempt to do anything stupid…” Astoria warned, taking cautious steps forward, “You better think twice before picking a fight with me.”

The man chuckled darkly. “Oh, I think I’m the last one who needs that reminder.”

Pieces clicked into place. Astoria’s steps faltered for a moment. Itcouldn’tbe…

She picked up her pace, growing the light in her palm until it was bright enough to light her surroundings. A dark and hooded figure caught her attention, blended into the shadows. It moved towards her as she came into view.

Astoria lifted her hand slightly, illuminating the familiar sneer on the hooded man’s face.

She gasped inwardly. “You!”

Wizard Orion threw back his hood and flashed his sickening, wicked smile at her. “Hello, Empress. It’s good to see you too.”

She barely recovered from the shock.All this time?“You will pay for this, you devil! I will make you regret this!”

“Actually…” he mused and snapped his fingers. Astoria had no sooner blinked than cuffs appeared in mid-air right in front of her. Faster than she could think, they clasped around her wrists.

The light died out immediately. She tried to summon it back, but her powers felt out of reach. She felt nothingness. Terror seized her.

“What did you do?” she growled at the wizard whose outline she could barely make out in the faint moonlight pouring through a window behind him.

Wizard Orion waved a hand in the air, and the room lit up by the enchanted candles along the walls. “Anti-magic cuffs.” He jerked his chin at the bronze cuffs on her wrists. “You can’t use magic with them on, not even a fraction of your powers. They are terrifyingly silent, aren’t they?”

“I should’ve known it was you!” She sneered at him. “The notes, the poison—”

“Oh, those weren’t me.” The man laughed wickedly. “Honestly, I didn’t step into the scene until now. Oh, I havebeenpart of all this, but I would never take credit for what unfolded in the last two weeks.”

She narrowed her eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“You think I’m the mastermind of all this?” he asked and laughed again. “Oh Astoria, you poor, naïve dear, I’m only his assistant. The mastermind of this great ploy is, well, why don’t you turn around and see for yourself?”

Astoria’s back stiffened, the hair on the back of her neck standing up. She felt someone watching her from behind.

Heart pounding in her ears, she turned. And the ground fell from beneath her when her eyes landed on him.

19

---