Page 25 of Heir of Shadows

Not fully.

And that was the problem.

Ember tilted his head, as if waiting for me to admit the truth to myself.

I exhaled sharply, raking a hand through my hair. “Fine. I’ll make things difficult for her. Show proper royal disdain. But…” My eyes dropped to my hands, where faint traces of blue still flickered in the firelight. “Maybe not quite as difficult as Father wants.”

But even as I said it, a whisper of dread curled in my stomach.

Because I knew—I knew—if I wasn’t careful, I would be the one consumed.

11

Marigold

The day afterthe ceremony, they had me jumping right into remedial classes. I couldn’t say I didn’t need it, but it all felt like too much, too fast. The energy from the wellspring still thrummed under my skin, a steady pulse of power, but when I tried to grasp it—todirectit—it slipped through my fingers like water through cracked glass.

Still, I arrived early, nervously fingering my father’s ring as Scout poked his head out of my sleeve to investigate our new surroundings.

Raven was already there, leaning back in a chair and twirling a strand of black hair while staring at a thick book—Third Week Trials: A History of Traditional Challenges.Her beetle was methodically exploring the desk beside her.

“You’re doing tutoring too?” I asked, sliding into the seat next to her.

“Nah, just moral support.” She grinned, closing the book. “Plus I heard Dr. Reyes is brilliant with theoretical applications. Thought I might pick up some tips before the trials.” She tapped the book meaningfully. “Did you know they test everything from basic spells to complex magical theory? Everyone’s freaking out about preparation.”

My stomach twisted. I needed to get my power under control fast if I wanted to avoid raising an army of dead things in front of the entire school.

“Speaking of freaking out,” Raven said, her voice dropping lower, “did you hear about the vampire attack near Fort Collins?”

“What?” I blinked, pulled from my spiral of worry about the trials. “No, I’ve been too focused on…” I gestured vaguely at my stack of remedial texts.

“My cousin’s in the Shroud Guard there. Says they’re getting bolder, coming closer to populated areas,” she continued. “And Fort Collins isn’t that far from here.”

A chill worked its way down my spine. “Great. So I have to master basic magicandavoid getting eaten.” I tried to joke, but my voice wavered. Scout pressed closer, sensing my anxiety. I turned to Raven. “Is that how they work? Drain our blood?”

She shuddered. “Yes, witch blood is particularly sweet to them, I’m told.”

“Are they another species?” I asked, thinking about how I was somehow both human and witch. “Or are they made from humans like in the stories?”

“You don’t know?” Her voice held surprise.

“All this is new to me,” I reminded her.

“Vampires were once human, until they are turned,” she said. “They live in nests with their creator, their sire.”

“Do they look like humans? Could they pass among us?”

“Yes, they can,” she said slowly. “Though I expect we’d notice the difference in their energy.”

I remembered Ms. Wallace’s words about them “not being that organized”. “Do they have a greater government? Like the Council?”

Raven shook her head. “Their sires make treaties and work together sometimes, but mostly the clans are scattered.”

“Then how are they fighting a war?”

“Chaotically,” she said with a grim look. “We never know when or where they will attack.”

“That’s terrifying.”

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