Unease knots in my stomach as Tyne strides in, eyeing the two of us suspiciously.

“Did I interrupt an important conversation?”

“No,” I say at the same time Seir says, “Of course not, sire.”

He reaches over and tucks the book back in my satchel. Then he heads back to the side of his desk, pulling open his drawer to riffle through. “We were just discussing a story we’d both heard as children.”

“Is that so?” He crosses his arms and leans against one of the poles holding up the curtains. I sorely wish the pole would give away so he would crash onto the ground.

But no such luck.

“Tell me more about this story that has you both so amused,” he remarks.

Seir answers smoothly as he lifts the piece of glass eyewear and slips it onto his eye. “It’s the story of the Indelible Sword.”

"Ah."

The story of the sword was said to go as follows: in ancient times of endless war, before the world was split into pieces as it is today, there were only two factions. One had magic and the other did not. Nevertheless, the magicless faction was far greater in number than those with magic and tormented them, until the magic users made a deal with a deity that gave them unlimited power.

The magicless faction began losing the war, and one of their princes, the youngest of them, prayed to a different deity for help. The deity answered by transforming the prince into a sword that could not be marked or broken. The sword would win every fight it was in, because of the Prince's unrelenting soul that was inside the sword. The Prince's oldest brother used the sword in the next war and cut down no less than thousands of magic users by himself. He blamed them for his brother's death and sought to kill every magic user ever.

I don't entirely remember how the rest of the story goes, but eventually, the Indelible Sword was lost and no one has found it since.

“Folk tales?” Disapproval is clear in Tyne's voice. “That’s what you occupy yourself with healer?”

“It was merely a story I needed to distract her from the pain,” Seir’s voice is carefully lax and he's a far better liar than I initially thought. He leans down to peer into my eyes and I blink at the distorted reflection in his glassware.

“Ah,” Tyne says and I feel his gaze on me. It takes everything within me not to snarl back at him. His gaze is like a thousand fire ants crawling over my skin. “And what brought about this pain with the lady?”

I hate the way he calls me that. It brings back bad memories.

“Adria suffered an attack yesterday,” Seir says. “She is now having a headache as a result of it. And I’m simply checking to ensure that she did not suffer some head trauma as well.”

“And why is the young lady not getting checked at a local apothecary rather than the Royal Family’s healers?”

“I got hurt in service of the Prince,” I say before Seir can answer. I'm surprised at how stable my voice is given the amount of loathing coursing through me. “He requested that I get seen by a healer in the castle. That way I would not have to pay for it."

“You were with the prince when the injury happened?” Tyne comes closer, his eyes shifty with interest.

“No,” I respond.

“Then what service were you performing for the prince to sustain such an injury?”

I pretend like I'm going to say something but then shake my head lightly. “I cannot say. The prince made me promise not to tell anyone.’

Irritation furrows his eyebrow and I almost giggle at the sight. Take that, you arrogant toad.

“I’m an advisor to the royal family,” he says “Surely you can tell me.”

I shake my head again, nearly dislodging Seer’s hand which is currently at the back of my head, searching for knots. “The prince made it clear that I was not to tell a single soul. It was top secret. But I’m sure if you were to ask him yourself, he would explain.”

Tyne's face tightens and I celebrate my victory in annoying him once again.

“Are you done with her?" He suddenly addresses Seir. "His Majesty would like to see you."

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“Almost sire,” he says and Tyne rolls his eyes. With one last considering look at me, he pivots with his billowing cape and leaves the room.

“Toad,” I mumur under my breath.

Seir gives me a surprised look and I instantly catch myself. "Oh no I meant–"

“Don’t worry, I won’t report you,” he says, with a smile. “Tyne York is not my favorite person either. Besides, you're my new alchemy friend. It would be a shame if I were to lose my new alchemy friend to a beheading.”

“Please, he’s not worth a beheading," I tell Seir. "More like a brief and very gentle flogging.”

Seir snorts. “I knew there was a reason I liked you.”

“You liked me?”

”Yes," he nods. “I felt a camaraderie with you from the first day we met. Like we've met before in another life."

A warm feeling like a gentle wind blows through me.

“That's strange, “I say. “Because I felt that way with you too.”

We smile simultaneously and then I consider another question I wanted to ask Seir.

“The Farrow witch,” I say. “How is it working with her?”

He shrugs and straightens, removing his eyewear. “It’s fine, I suppose. She’s not very keen on teaching and I have to pick up a lot of things on my own, but she’s a well of knowledge on potions.”

“Does she have healing powers?’

“I think so,” he said “But I’ve never seen them in action. They’re reserved strictly for the Royal Family.”

"You’ve never accompanied her to any of her healings?"

"No. She only comes down here occasionally under orders of his majesty or to help me address illnesses I know nothing about. The guards take her back when she’s done. I'm told she's also sent as an emissary to heal the King's allies in the surrounding villages."

Drat. That's what I was afraid of.

I'm assuming that it's the Farrow Witch who is sent to heal Wolf's mother and not Seir. Therefore Errila's name would not be in Seir's healer's book.

Still, I try.

"Have you ever been sent outside of the castle?" I ask. "Or had someone brought to you? A plump elderly woman with yellow hair and light brown eyes?"

“A commoner?" he asks and I nod. He shakes his head.

“I heal strictly soldiers and occasionally friends of the royal family. Like you. But no, I’ve never seen any such woman as you have described.”

Double drat.

“On the topic of your head, there doesn't seem to be any lasting injury," he comments. "The headache might just be a brief after-effect of the stress on your body. I would recommend some rest and if the pain doesn't go away, some Murin Potion from the apothecary should help. That or freshly cut Joba herbs."

Over my dead body. I indulged in far too many Joba herbs in my past life, I don't plan on using them again.

“Thank you,” I say and get to my feet.

“No problem,” he smiles. I pick up my satchel and swing it over my shoulder.

"I’m really glad to have met you," he says, surprising me.

"I’m glad to have met you too."

As I leave the healer's abode, congratulating myself on my success, a niggling worry waits at the back of my mind. I can't help but be concerned about Tyne's appearance. Could he have heard what we were saying? If so, would that affect anything that happens in the future? Could that derail my plans?

“Ah, how annoying,” I exclaim because everything else was perfect except that. My plan went on without a hitch, but now I have to consider the repercussions of Tyne's possible interference.

I think about it so hard as I head out that I nearly give myself a real headache.

And then in the courtyard close to the entrance, I stumble on a sight that makes it worse.

Caster and Wolf are standing a few feet away from each other both with arms crossed glaring at each other. No words are said, but the vilest insults are spat from their eyes.

I sigh deeply before I approach.

“Prince Caster,” I call and he glances at me. His frown softens.

“Adria,” he says. “I heard you were not feeling well.”

“I’m feeling better now, thanks to you,” I say. “Sorry about how I acted yesterday. I was just shaken by what happened."

I'm not really sorry about it but I figure, for now, Caster is a better person to have as a friend than an enemy.

“No, I understand," he says and he reaches out to touch my arm but Wolf growls and I stiffen.

Caster, seeing my reaction, withdraws his hand.

“You had every right to be upset," he says. “I just wish I had been there to save you.”

"I can save myself,” I point out, a tad tartly. “But in any case, thank you. We must be on our way now."

"Adria wait–"

"Wolf!" comes a soft singsongy voice that pierces through my eardrums, magnifying my headache by several folds.

Genya appears floating like a fairy swathed in a pink gown with tufts resembling flowers emanating from each fold. She looks unusually feminine today. I wonder if that's for Wolf's benefit, especially when she beams up at him. “You’re here.”

Her enthusiasm is barely concealed even though Wolf merely frowns at her and Caster gives her an odd look.

I wonder how Caster feels about his betrothed's fascination with Wolf. Does it turn his belly the same way it does mine?

"My lady," I greet with a curtsy mostly to distract her.

She turns to me.

“Oh, Adria. How nice to see you again.”

I bow for her once more and she dismisses me with the flick of her wrist, before turning back to Wolf.

I straighten and notice that it's four of us, all eyeing each other, trying to evaluate the relationship between the other three while smiling with daggered teeth.

It's all a headache.

I leave the scenario first, walking through the entrance and nodding at the soldiers. I don't hear Wolf’s footsteps behind me but then he's soon walking beside me.

"Did you get the information you needed?" he asks.

"Partly,” I say. “But the meeting was successful."

He nods. I think he's going to ask me about his mother but he doesn't.

Still, I tell him, "I didn't manage to find out where your mother is being kept. I'm sorry. But I'm working on another plan that should work."

"It's fine," he responds. "I trust you."

"You do?"

He waits, then nods.

I smile.

I ride the high of Wolf's words and success with Seir all the way home, and once I get there, I go through another round of conditioning training while Wolf cooks indoors.

After dinner, I open the book attempting to force myself to read but once again, it's like the letters swim before my vision. Still, I try. I don't want to be entirely reliant on Seir to teach me alchemy. Perhaps there are some symbols I can learn myself.

But I only manage two pages until my eyes began sliding closed in sleep.

Only to jerk awake in the middle of the night with a single distinct thought: Jace is in grave danger.