Page 32 of Stolen Magic

I looked away, focusing instead on straining the draft into a glass vial, adding a single drop of honey to temper the bitterness. If revenge hadn’t consumed me, what would I have chosen instead?

“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “I’ve never really let myself want things.” Especially those I couldn’t have.

His eyes searched mine. “Then maybe it’s time you start. Over the course of our future together, we can figure it out together.”

For one fleeting moment, I allowed myself to believe in that possibility—to imagine discovering pieces of myself beside this surprisingly gentle man, one step at a time.

The thought twisted painfully, like thorns around my heart. I gave my head a small shake, forcing away the foolish fantasies that would dissuade me from my purpose.

Still, I found myself lingering even after I’d finished my preparations. My fingers toyed with the cork of the completed bottle, reluctant to end the moment. “Did you ever make a map?” I asked. “A real one?”

Callan’s expression softened. “Not yet, but maybe someday.”

He hesitated a moment, then shyly pulled out a worn notebook from a pocket. I leaned forward curiously as he thumbed through the pages, catching glimpses of sketches, each carefully labeled.

“One day I hope to put all these together in a large map of the kingdom,” he confessed.

“Are these Eldorian villages?” I asked.

He nodded, allowing me to examine a page. I was awed at the detail, both buildings and natural landmarks painstakingly copied with accompanying notes on the opposite page, mostly names and occupations of the inhabitants. I squinted at a tiny outline of a leaf withwishvineprinted below it.

My gaze snapped up to his. Mother had tended that very plant—not for its beauty or innate healing properties, but because of its magic. Why had Callan documented his discovery of it?

He smiled at my inquiring look. “When I travel, I like to look for unique plants and occasionally bring samples home to plant in our…herb garden. I make notes of where they were discovered.”

I scanned the page again, wondering what Callan knew about magical plants, or whether it could be pure coincidence that the herb he’d labeled had powerful properties. I shut the notebook and handed it back to him silently.

“Maybe we can find something you’d be interested in tracking when we travel together?” he suggested as he slipped it back into his pocket.

The way he saidtogethersounded like an invitation, as if he was already visualizing our future, not simply as a business arrangement but as a partnership. And just for that breath of time, I wasn’t a spy, an imposter, or a thief of names and memories. I was simply Lysa, a girl who dared herself to believe in more…even if that was a name he still didn’t know.

CHAPTER 12

By the time I reached my chambers, my heart was pounding for reasons I didn’t fully understand. Myst awaited me on the windowsill, her silver-tipped tail curled neatly around her paws. As soon as I entered, she leapt soundlessly to the floor and padded towards me and brushed against my legs, her luminous eyes gleaming in a way that suggested she knew exactly what had transpired between me and the prince, as well as the confusion that lingered.

I bent to stroke her soft fur. “I know, I let him get too close.”

For once, Myst didn’t rebuke me. She merely pressed her head into my palm before curling up in my lap, her posture angled in silent invitation.

Grateful for the distraction, I let my fingers drift through her soft fur, the motion calming. While I’d been immersed in the royal archives, she’d occupied herself with hunting in my stead. I longed to search for my stolen magic myself, but after being caught once already, I didn’t dare risk it again…especially with my resolve so frayed I could barely admit how much I feared losing the prince’s good opinion. A hypocritical wish, considering everything. If I succeeded in my quest—or even ifI failed—Prince Callan would eventually find out the truth and could only despise me.

“Any luck?” I asked.

Myst’s tail flicked once, swishing against my lap. “No magic, at least not in the palace. Not today.”

I hadn’t realized I’d been holding my breath until I released my pent-up exhale of disappointment. Whatever progress I’d made from the information I’d uncovered in the archives had been undone by the prince’s words, and this news only pushed me further back.

“But…” Myst added, her ears flicking towards the window, “I did notice something strange in the meadow beyond the stables west of the castle.”

I mentally examined the map of the Eldorian palace I’d studied for hours in preparation, tracing the route from my bedroom to the field in question. “The goose field?” What could possibly be located there?

She nodded. “It isn’t magic, but it’s undoubtedly something you should be aware of.”

My pulse quickened. “A trap?”

“More like…acomplication.”

That was the last thing I needed, considering my hands were already full with too many unraveling threads, but the path to revenge was never meant to be smooth.

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