the next one would come. There was no struggle in her now, but no life either.
"It's done now," Cosmo whispered, turning my face back to his.
"Oh."
Camellia and I hadn't spoken again, but she hadn't tried to kill me and there was something almost soothing about sitting at her side, trying to keep her calm and comfortable as pain wracked through her. Hideous and heartbreaking, but not full of our usual animosity.
"I'm so sorry, muse," Cosmo said, his voice cracking. He leaned in, kissing just above my nose and staying there.
I sank into him, my arms circling his shoulders, my body pushing itself into his. There were no tears, I was too tired or my emotions regarding Camellia were just too complicated, but there was need. The demand to be held closely by someone safe. My Chosen, Cosmo and all his depth and empathy especially.
Cosmo lifted me up from the floor, hooking one arm beneath my knees and cradling me as he moved steadily for the door.
"My mother is giving up the crown," I whispered.
"We heard. She'll have to wear it for the night at least," Cosmo answered. "It's time for us to sleep."
I glanced over his shoulder, watched Head Guard Amos move quietly into the cell, drawing the thin sheet up and over Camellia's body, leaving only shadow and firelight in her place.
29
Bryony
“You don't have to do this today, Mistress," Owen murmured as I paused in front of the mage's office. Inside, the conduit pulsed like a heartbeat. "Aric said he could manage the work."
"He did, but I am faster," I said, stroking my hand over Owen's forearm to reassure him. "The coronation preparations are being made, and we can't expect Holden to wait much longer. None of the other Chosen even waited for her funeral."
Not that Camellia's funeral had been much to speak of. Officially, Camellia's illness had been lumped in with my grandmother's, and the burial had been a small affair. It looked shameful, that was what I thought as if we were trying to hurry through the event and move on from Camellia quickly.
Owen was still frowning so I added, "Anyway, it helps me to keep busy."
He relented at that, as I knew he would. It was the truth too. I was glad my mother had decided she could only tolerate one round of mourning in a year, even though carrying on in life as if everything were normal was just another injury against Camellia's memory. My sister would be a footnote in our line, like all the other sisters who had died in some far off castle. On days when I burned with anger, that felt right. Other days, it made me queasy and sad.
Owen opened the door to the mages' workroom just as Simon and Aric bustled out of opposite doorways, heading for the conduit. Surrounding the great crystal prism on the ground were deep crates of pennies and crowns and quarters. This wasn't my first day pulling magic from the conduit, pushing it into crystals to be buried throughout Kimmery, but it was our last opportunity to finish the work. We'd leave Kenneth and Holden a little pool of magic to work with, enough to frighten Kenneth but not so much as to allow Holden to go to war.
"Princess," Aric said, eyebrows lifting briefly. He looked me over, studying my expression, and then nodded. "Good. You know I hate heavy lifting."
My lips quirked, and I considered running into his chest to push him roughly and kiss his cheek. Aric seemed to understand best of all my Chosen my need to keep moving.
"Well stocked?" he asked.
I thought I might've blushed, which was kind of silly really, considering I'd spent almost a year enjoying my Hunger with my men. I glanced at Simon, who looked amused and more than a little curious.
"Yes," I said simply. I was well stocked on my magic. I'd spent the morning in bed with Owen, Cosmo, and Cress. And then another hour or more in the bath with Daniel, Thao, and Wendell. "Do I really need to be if I'm pulling from the conduit?" I asked.
Aric shrugged. "Can't hurt. Come here, there's an open spot."
"Where are Kenneth and Nathan?" I asked, moving to the other side of the conduit, where crates had been pushed aside to make room for someone to stand directly in front of the conduit's frame.
"Nathan's keeping Kenneth busy. And truth be told, I don't know that Nathan would approve of this exact method of magical distribution," Simon