It only took a few moments roaming the lush gardens to get the fire under control, though her panic was still roaring against her bones.
In the inner courtyard, she was blessedly alone, able to hear her own breath for the first time since she’d descended the stairs inside. She perched along the edge of a fountain, letting the water cool her fingertips as she sorted through the tangled mess in her mind.
In the privacy of the flora, she let the panic devolve into rage.
Not only at her mother’s strategic betrayal but at herself for playing right into it.
The pretty dresses, the dreamy music, all of it a con to get her in front of as many dignitaries as possible. Had she pushed her toward the Martian prince as a way to make up for her forsaken engagement all those years ago? Was her plan to marry her off to correct a diplomatic misstep?
She buried the thought, desperate to get on top of the all-consuming buzz inside her chest before it melted her bones and boiled her blood. The boning in her bodice tightened with each shallow breath.
Between her gasps, shocks of fluorescent green ire speckled her vision, and it struck her.
She could outmaneuver the queen.
The rush of King Mirquios’s hands along her waist washed over her again. The queen had asked her to all but ignore him and focus on Mars to smooth things over with their wounded king, but why shouldn’t she have a say in her Fate?
Who could blame her for falling in love with a handsome king?
She shook her head. It was a ridiculous thought. And a cruel one. She didn’t need to tangle up an innocent monarch in her mess. And besides, no one who knew her well would buy it… unless?—
The air in her lungs disappeared in a sudden heave. A whirlwind of torment swept through the garden, inky black and moving at a rapid clip along the hedges beside her.
She flinched as she held her chest, the midnight-black pain overwhelming her entire body. Her eyes searched the hedgerow for the intrusion, but just as quickly as it crashed over the cobblestones, it was gone.
“Hello?” she called out, rising and pushing her skirt behind her, ready to make a run for it. She could feel something—someone—running at an unholy heat on the other side of the hedges, though the initial downpour of feelings dissipated into silence. She edged toward the wall of foliage, letting the flames in her blood bubble toward her fingers.
She’d be damned if she let a Solarian get the jump on her this close after that nonsense on her way into the city.
Astra stilled her body and closed her eyes, trying to hold the space across the leaves in her mind, searching for any hint of them. It was impossible to sift through so many blurry emotions and spirits, the crowd just a few yards away interfering with her vision.
She called again, “Is someone there?”
The only thing beyond the gardens was the Midwood. Any courtier looking to visit either had plans she didn’t want involved in or was just plain stupid.
There. The heat concentrated into a tight ball, a faint smoke rising from the other side of the hedges.
“I can feel you,” she whispered. The last dregs of darkness she’d felt before drained away, leaving only that intolerable warmth. It wasn’t uncommon for folks to block her from their feelings, but it was eerie to feel absolutely nothing but that terrifying heat—whoever it was had an intrusive understanding of how her power worked.
The notion sent a shiver up her spine. She backed away from the wall, just in case.
“Fine,” she relented. “Stay hidden, but it’s my obligation to warn you that the Midwood will not take kindly to trespassers. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Lunar elves decided they could use a meal. Especially one so warm,” she said, sinking into her stance.
“Oh, please,” the warmth rumbled back. The leaves rustled as they shifted. “Everyone knows the price of a Lunar elf is but a handful of gold coins.”
Astra rolled her eyes. “For the average citizen, perhaps. But you…”
The voice barked a laugh. “What of me, Princess?”
She couldn’t bring herself to lob the accusation. It felt too serious, if she wasn’t certain, though the sweat rolling down her back seemed to confirm her suspicion.
“Take your chances then. Between the elves and my army, you’ll find yourself in quite a predicament.” Astra crossed her arms. “Or, you could surrender yourself now. I’d be happy to deliver you into the queen’s hands myself.”
“As much fun as that sounds, I have somewhere to be.”
“Who are you?” She demanded.
“No one you need to worry about,” he replied.
