As I predict, Tyne summons me to the castle the next day, using an unknown man as a messenger.

Once night falls, I bundle up in one of Wolf's older coats, and I head down to the castle, Wolf staying behind me in the shadows.

I'm allowed in by the guards but to my surprise, Tyne frowns when I remove the coat to reveal my plainer dress, bought with a silver coin from a used goods store.

"Is that the best you could get?" he asks.

I glance down at my dress frowning. "I don't understand sir." I assumed that this would suffice, since he would want me to pose as a maid.

Tyne doesn't explain. He simply sighs and pinches his nose.

"No matter," he summons me in, leading my down the black stone balcony towards the dining hall at the other side. We make it through the hallways to the golden lit dining hall where the Ravens are already seated and seem to be carrying conversation. I try to hang back with the servers waiting at the entrance but Tyne puts a hand on my back, forcing me forward.

"You will be sitting with the Ravens," is all he says, to my everlasting confusion.

The King looks up as we walk in and doesn't seem surprised by my presence.

What on earth is going on here?

As I tentatively approach the Ravens, they all look up to me curiously. I smile nervously executing a small bow, and the Raven girl with the freckles bows politely, while her father nods. They don't seem to mind that I'm sitting at the same side of the table as them.

The Raven girl doesn't look me in the eye though. She stares off into blank space, her mouth moving lightly as though talking to herself. I get the feeling her mind was lightyears away.

As she does, her eyes flit around the room like a bird, dropping on one thing, she mutters, then moving to another. She doesn't seem like she can settle on a single thought for long, juggling at least a dozen ideas all at once.

I pull up a seat at the edge of the table trying to make myself as inconspicuous as possible. The room is relatively quiet as we wait for the meal to be brought out, but the Raven girl and her father appear to be involved in a very intense discussion.

And then the King breaks the silence with a booming voice.

“So,” he says and my heart skips a beat when I find his intense gaze trained on me. “Adria Elvswick. Tyne tells me you had a vision.”

I glance at Tyne in surprise.

Drat, I miscalculated.

I didn’t think Tyne would tell the King about me and my vision.

I thought he would try to take credit for it.

But then Tyne smirks at me and I understand.

Ah. So he didn’t trust my vision after all. Perhaps he thought I lied to him simply to execute our mission.

Drat. Drat. Drat.

"Care to repeat this vision you had?" The King asks, his voice challenging. My heart races. Instantly I want to run or shout for Wolf. I know he'll hear me. And he'll be willing to cut his way through a lot to get to me. Maybe even the King.

I draw confidence from that to answer calmly. “I’m not sure which vision you’re talking about, sire.” Did Tyne tell him the truth? All of it?

"I’m talking about the vision you told Tyne most recently,” the King says. "I'm very curious. There was a poisoning, you say?"

Everyone in the room stills, even the female Raven and her father. They turn to me and then back to the King.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

I swallow and think of what course of action to take. I don't know what the King's intention here is. Why is he saying this in front of the Pangeans?

“She a seer,” the King explains to the Pangeans who are looking confused at each other. “She sometimes has dreams of things before they happen. So, Adria. What did you see this time?"

It's the second time he's used my name and it's as disconcerting as an omen. In my first life, I probably would have rejoiced that the King knew my name. It would have shown me that I was no longer a nobody to him, that he was starting to respect or at least value my role in the family.

But now...I don't want to hear my name on his lips. I want to remain nobody to him.

"What is your vision, Seer?" The King repeats, steel in his voice.

“That someone would poison the little Lady Raven," I admit.

A murmur goes through the room.

The girl squeaks. “Wait, me? Why?”

I turn to her. "A lot of people in the North hate Pangeans. People lost family in both sieges, people who will go mad for a chance at revenge."

“And who would do such a thing?” Tyne asks. His eyes wide and daring as though he wants me to accuse to King so he'll have a reason to have me killed for treason. “Be honest.”

“I’m not sure," I admit. “I don’t see much besides the effect of the poison.”

"Ah,” he said. “Well, then it’s a good thing I ran separate investigations of my own. You!” He points his hand and one of the servers at the entrance jerks.

"Bring it," he says

The server hesitates, fear in his eyes. He then walks forward slowly.

“This man here was ordered to pour wine for the Ravens. Is he responsible for the poison?”

"I don’t know," I admit

"You don’t know or are you trying to protect him from my wrath?" the King asks.

"I would never commit treason, Your Majesty," I say as anger rivulets through my veins. I have to clench my hands to keep from shaking. He’s trying to force my hands, trying to make me condemn this man to death for a crime we both know he did not commit.

All for what? What is he trying to prove to the Ravens?

And then I realize.

Oh, what a terrible plan the King has devised.

"You better name who is responsible for the poison, Seer," the King says threateningly, pushing me to decide. “Unless you are part of this scheme yourself."

My tongue gets ahead of me and I say, "Your Highness, with all due respect, I would not have warned you about this if I was a part of this scheme."

"Then who is it?"

"I don't know."

There's a stalemate now as the King's eyes blaze but I don't back down. I won't accuse an innocent man. I dip my head in supplication.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help, Your Majesty," I say.

The King doesn't say anything, and when I sneak a peak, I see the traces of anger still on his expression.

And then I realize. He's furious at me, furious that he didn't get to kill the Raven girl.

He wants me to suffer for it.

The King then abruptly turns to the server. "Pour her the wine."

I blink as the man jumps to do his bidding. "Your Highness?"

"Since you refuse to say who brewed the poison, I doubt there's any poison at all," he says. "So you will drink the wine and if it's poisoned then you were telling the truth. If not, you will be punished."

"That isn't necessary, your highness," Lord Raven interjects. "We have poison testers with us that can–"

"She says that the poison can bypass your testers," the King says. "You can check for yourself." He passes the goblet to Lord Raven, who glances between us and pulls out a small vial of clear liquid from his pocket. He releases a drop into the drink but it doesn't change color.

"See?" the King says. "Undetected."

The King gestures back for the goblet and Lord Raven hands it to him.

He looks at me and holds it up. "Well, Seer. You either name the person responsible or you drink the poison yourself."

The bastard.

The cruel, unhinged bastard.

He smiles and I see the pure hatred shining from his eyes. The King hates me. I don't know why, or what I did but that much is obvious.

I keep my eyes on the King trying to suppress the rage. I'm sure I fail. I feel it like a noose around my neck.

I wonder if this is how I die in this timeline.

How awfully pathetic.

Then I glance at Tyne.

He's eyeing me steadily, carefully.

His eyes are not hateful like the King's, not even amused.

They seem to be telling me something. Play along?

I struggle to think rationally through my rage, but I do it anyway. Tyne would not be so calm if I were going to die here. The King may not like me but Tyne has already seen how useful I can be. He will convince the King to keep me alive.

Which means there's likely no poison in the drink. The King is only doing this to humiliate and damage my reputation as a Seer.

I'll be punished then for 'lying', likely with a public flogging, and my reputation, what little I have, will be in tatters.

But I won't be dead at least.

I turn my gaze back to the King and drag my chair back, walking slowly to him.

If only the rest of the Village did not perish with you, I would have let you make the mistake and die for your stupidity.

I pick up the chalice delicately, eyeing the red liquid swimming inside.

This isn’t at all how I thought it would play out. But it might present a different kind of opportunity.

The Pangeans are watching me now, deathly silent. They likely know what happening here, know that I’m suffering for trying to warn the king of their demise. They know I’m a Seer, a trait that's rare even amongst the magic users.

And they know I tried to save their daughter’s life.

It’s the last thought I have before I put the goblet to my lips, tipping the contents in my mouth.

The liquid is sickly sweet, flowing down my throat.

And then, my body erupts into flames.