The Kingdom's Crown (Inheritance of Hunger #3) - Kathryn Moon Page 0,69
probably only a distinction between my being dressed for public and being dressed—or undressed—for my Chosen. He might've been right too, more formal garb would be a reminder to the mages that I was their princess, rather than someone they might safely discuss magical theory with.
"Fine, you're right. Let's go."
We'd moved bedroom furniture out of one of the spare rooms, creating a sort of office for Cresswell and a bit of a break room for the guards assigned to me. We found my bear there, playing cards.
"Aye, of course you leave now while you're winning," an older man griped, but he stood and bowed to me and shook Cresswell's hand before we left.
"The mages might not let you in," Aric warned him. "They'll have enough complaints about Bryony and I barging in."
"They will if I tell them to," I said, lifting my chin high as we marched to the far wing of the castle near my mother's suites.
"You trust these men?" Cresswell asked Aric.
"Stars, no! Well, with Bryony's safety, yes," Aric rushed as Cress bristled. "With Kimmery's magic…no. Two of them don't even trust themselves with it. But Simon will be there today. He's a halfway decent magician and curious enough that he'd be willing to listen."
I couldn't remember ever coming to the mage's hall before, at least not intentionally, and before my own Hunger had grown, I never would've noticed the slow pulse of magic that echoed from the large double doors.
"You feel it?" Aric asked me as my steps slowed.
I nodded. "I don't get much tug, though. I'm just very aware. It's funny to me that I never felt these things before."
"Most Kimmerians wouldn't. The first step of learning to use magic is learning to sense it, and your Hunger creates your advantage," Aric said. "Now, let me see what they've tried this time to keep me out. Feels like Nathan's work…ahh, and a bit of knot this time?"
I turned and shared a private smile with Cresswell as Aric brightened over his puzzle.
"This might take a bit of time," Aric warned.
"May I try something?" I asked, smiling and trying to appear innocent.
Aric frowned and glanced at me over his shoulder. "Try…? I suppose you might."
I nodded and waited for him to step aside. I didn't know even a quarter of the charms and spells and structures as Aric, but I didn't really need to. I am the source, I thought, pressing one hand over the lock and taking the knob with the other. There was magic in the door, yes, but it wasn't as fresh and eager as my own. Aric wanted me to show these mages a demonstration so I needed to save most of my power, but I spared a little then, letting it leak into the door and the seam where the mage's charm held.
"Well that's just not fair," Aric muttered, but he grinned at me with pride as the spell grew muddled with the touch of my magic, like hot water dissolving thick honey until the two blended together.
The knob turned, and I bounced into the room on light feet, delighted with my own victory.
"Oh, now what do you wa—Ahh!"
The young man who'd come storming in to find me nearly toppled over in surprise, but I didn't pay him any attention, transfixed by the sight in front of me. My Hunger rose, not in arousal, but in something like jealousy or anger. Here was power, glowing and gilding and dense. Not just my mother's, but generations of the queen's line's magic all mixed together and trapped in glittering facets of this conduit.
"Bryony," Aric said.
"Who made this?" I snapped out, looking directly to the young man, who'd gone pale and frozen at my arrival. "Who created this? Whose idea was it to take our power and let you men hoard it like some greedy wasteful creatures?"
"N-N-Nathan!" the young man howled.
I stiffened as a gentle palm rested on my shoulder and then sighed as Aric drew me back from the prism in its cage at the heart of the room.
"I'm fine," I said, a little breathless, but I turned to face him so he would know I was still here with him, and not overtaken.
"Ah, Chosen. Now you've done it."
I spun and found two more men in the opposite doorway, one elderly and annoyed, the other middle-aged and smirking at Aric.
"He's-he's brought one of them here, Nathan!" the young stammering man cried.
"I see that, Kenneth," Nathan, the eldest mage snapped.