want to kill her. I’m not a murderer.”
Then what do you wish to do with her?
“Nothing. I only want to be unequivocally considered the most beautiful woman in existence for all of my days.”
Oh?
“But not just beautiful…I want to be so beautiful, it terrifies people,” I whispered, surprising myself. “True beauty is fierce. That’s why my sister likes her scar. I want to be as fierce as I am lovely, and for everyone who looks at me to fear me.”
Beauty alone is not what strikes fear. What you want is power. But you have that already. You are of ancient, magical stock. What stands in your way, splendorous queen?
He spun me back around, graceful as a trained dancing partner, but kept my hand in his plated grip. The muscular shape of his body swelled through the mirror, as though it were molten metal and he, a model, shaping its mold. His bright silver eyes seemed to carve rivets into my very soul.
What stands in your way? he repeated.
“Valory Braiosa,” I whispered. “By a fluke, she is more powerful than any other elicromancer. There is no one able to hold her in check.”
Together, we will rival her in power, Nexantius said, stroking my hair. Together, you and I will cut her down.
TWELVE
GLISETTE
THE night seemed to darken as Ambrosine leaned against the entry to the Edifice of the Holies, wearing a revealing black nightdress confected of sheer lace. Her eyes appeared to shine silver.
I shifted my stance to shield Navara and Hesper.
“Why do you look so nervous?” Ambrosine asked, her claw-tip rings toying with the ribbon closure of her gown. “Like foxes prowling in a vineyard.”
“Come here, Ambrosine,” I said evenly.
“You don’t command me any longer, Glisette.”
“One step over the threshold. That’s all.”
She cocked her head. “This place is considered sacred by my new family and my people. I do not wish to defile it with my unbelief.”
She pronounced “defile” with relish, as though the word tasted delicious. Then, turning a patronizing smile on Navara, she added, “I know how your mother valued faith, dear girl.”
“Where is my father?” Navara demanded.
“He’s resting. How many times do I have to tell you that he’s feeling unwell of late? He is a proud man and will allow only his wife to see him in such a condition.”
“You’re lying!” Navara lunged, but I shoved her back. “If I find out you’ve harmed him in any way, I will—”
“You’ll what?” Ambrosine asked. “Cut off your nose to spite your face, just like your hair?”
“That’s enough,” I said, squaring my shoulders so that Ambrosine could plainly see where my loyalties resided. “This game you’re playing must end. Enter the edifice or take us to the king.”
A grimace tightened Ambrosine’s features. I didn’t believe in this lore of the Holies and the Fallen, but her hesitance to take even one step into the edifice needled me with doubt. Her narrowed eyes shot up to the altar, down to the missing tiles and the treasures Navara had scattered on the floor. As she realized the princess had tricked her, her nostrils flared.
“Right this way,” she said, collecting herself, and turned to descend the steps.
Navara started to follow, but I grabbed her by the elbow and swung her around. “Stay here, both of you,” I ordered. “You’re right: Ambrosine doesn’t want to come in here, for whatever reason. You’ll be safer here than anywhere else.”
Hesper nodded. I could trust her to protect the princess.
By the time I jogged down the steps, I saw only a streak of golden hair trailing around a corner.
“Keep up!” Ambrosine called.
Turn after turn, I glimpsed enough of her to continue pursuit: the hem of her gown, a lock of hair, her swiftly retreating reflection. The concept behind the mirrors became clear. They didn’t just feed her vanity; they helped her maintain control by sowing confusion.
The mirror illusions became more artful the longer I pursued her. They created a labyrinth of infinite, nonexistent corridors and stairwells. The pounding in my head grew unbearable as I struggled to make sense of them.
And then I lost her. Maybe I’d taken a wrong turn. I retraced my steps and came face-to-face with a mirror. A pang of panic made my limbs feel weak. I could have sworn I’d come from that direction.
I swallowed my fear and spun in place, determined to make sense of this maze. Navara stood at the far end of the hall.
“I told you to stay in the edifice,” I whispered harshly, but the princess didn’t