“That’s impossible,” Asha says. “No one from House of Silver has ever possessed crimson magic.”
“I’m afraid it’s true, My Lady,” Commander Titanus says, his deep voice echoing through the room. “Some of my most trusted men bore witness to it. There can be no doubt.”
“Annora, look at me,” Asha commands. Slowly, I lift my eyes to meet hers, seeing the confusion swirling in their depths. “Is this true? Did you use crimson magic?”
“I…” The word sticks in my throat, and I swallow hard, forcing myself to start again. “Yes, I did.”
Her hands shake before she clasps them together, her knuckles turning white with the force of her grip. “That is impossible. Our people have never been able to command crimson flames.”
“I told you,” I whisper, each word tearing at my heart like claws, “about being trapped in Lyra’s body, but you didn’t listen to me.”
Asha’s face drains of color, becoming as pale as the marble beneath our feet. She jerks her gaze toward Commander Titanus and Emerin. “Leave us.”
The moment the heavy doors swing shut, Asha turns back to face me. “This is impossible. You know as well as I do that it’s impossible. What in the name of the gods is going on?” Her voice catches on the last words.
“I’m sorry.” The apology tumbles from my lips in a desperate rush, as if by offering it, I can somehow mend everything.
But I cannot.
I especially cannot mend the deep lines of pain etched across Asha’s face, as if I’ve carved them there myself with a cruel blade.
She stumbles backward, her body seeming to fold in on itself as she sinks onto her chair and shakes her head over and over again.
“Ash. “I take a tentative step forward, then another, needing her to see me, to believe in me again, to love me. “Please, Ash.”
She sits frozen, staring vacantly into the distance.
“Asha…” I cannot bear the thought of her hating me and locking me away like Grandfather did. “I’m sorry. I’ll learn to control it. I swear. It will never happen again. I promise.”
Still, she doesn’t speak.
Tears blur my vision as I fall to my knees in front of her. “Please don’t hate me,” I beg. “Please, Ash. I’m still me. I’m still your sister.”
Her eyes lift to mine and hold, a profound sadness burning behind them. It’s a look I haven’t seen since the night her child died.
“Asha, I will do anything. Say anything.” Tears sting my eyes and trail down my cheeks. “Just tell me what to say, and I will say it.”
“Titanus,” she calls out.
The door opens, and her guard steps back into the room.
“Take Annora to her bedchamber, and stay at her door,” she says, her voice hollow, empty, void of happiness.
Sudden visions of being locked inside the fortress by Grandfather flood my thoughts. All those days of having to hide when he entertained, all those summers when I could never go into the city.
“No!” I fall forward until my forehead presses against the cool marble floor. “I’m begging you, Asha. Don’t lock me up. Please, I cannot bear it.”
She doesn’t answer, nor does she stop the commander from pulling me to my feet and dragging me from the room.
ChapterFifteen
ANNORA
The door slams shut,and the lock clicks from the other side. A lock keeping me inside. A lock keeping me from my sisters.
I want to scream out to them, to beg them to open the door, to free me, but I know Asha has probably already warned Emerin and Tahira to not let me out. Besides, with the commander standing guard, nobody is getting in or out.
I rip my hematite necklace away from my throat and throw it across the room. If I hadn’t been wearing it, I wouldn’t have been able to summon flames.
