Maybe that was why none of the courts had helped us, why they’d left Elwen to rot under my stepmother’s rule. They were afraid of entering into any kind of conflict, afraid of what the Seven Spirits might do should the fighting get too bad.
“You look lovely in that gown,” Jasper said, interrupting my thoughts. “Thank the dragon lords that you’re out of those horrid clothes. I can’t believe the king of thieves dressed you like that.”
“Well, it wasn’t like he had gowns lying around,” I said, feeling a defensiveness that I didn’t understand. “And the tunics and trousers were practical. Much easier to fight and travel in than gowns.”
“Fight?” Jasper’s brows furrowed, and he reached a hand across the table. “You had to fight?”
“I was training,” I said. “For a mission that Penn wanted me for.”
“What a bastard,” Jasper said.
Though I’d thought the exact same thing many times over, I didn’t like hearing the word come out of Jasper’s mouth. I shoved another spoonful of stew in my mouth, chewing on the rabbit meat.
“I’m so sorry for what you’ve been through, Liliath.” Jasper swallowed. “We’ve had our own problems, here in Gilraeth.”
“What’s happened?” I dotted my mouth with my napkin and took a drink of wine.
“Princess Seraphina has been cursed, her parents both killed.”
“Cursed?” I asked. “What kind of magic could curse someone?”
“Magic from Sorrengard.” Jasper took a deep gulp from his goblet.
I gasped. The shadow court.
“But... but we haven’t heard from the shadow court in sixty years.”
Not since the little island had waged war on the rest of the continent. They’d managed to destroy the star court, but the rest of Arathia banded together and banished them back to their island, using our collective magic to defeat them and severely deplete their forces. We hadn’t heard from them since that war so long ago, and most of us assumed their society was in shambles and they hadn’t been able to rebuild.
“A sorceress came here from Sorrengard,” Jasper said. “We didn’t know of her true origins until it was too late. She overtook the throne, cursed my poor cousin, and now she uses her dark shadow magic to rule over us. No one has been able to overthrow her.”
My heart pounded. The earth court was in shambles, and now this? The fire court was also in danger?
I stood, no longer hungry. “Jasper, this is why now, more than ever, we have to band together to save our courts. Have you spoken with the leaders of Fyriad, Apolis, Valoris?”
Jasper stood as well. He shook his head. “No one wants to help, to get involved when the shadow court is at play.”
“But if one court is in danger, then we’re all in danger.” My voice shook. This shouldn’t surprise me. After all, no one had come to save me.
Except Penn. But he’d done it for his own selfish purposes.
“We’re doing the best we can,” Jasper said. “But right now, everyone is scared, fearful of what this sorceress, what Sorrengard, wants. If they’ve sent her to destroy us, then I don’t want to know what plans they have for the other courts.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said. “Poor Seraphina. Does anyone know how to break her curse?”
He shook his head. “Many have tried, to no avail.”
I raised my chin. “We’re going to help her. We’re going to fix all of this.” I stepped forward and grabbed his hands. “Together.”
He chewed at his bottom lip, something he only did when nervous.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Nothing. Let’s sit and enjoy our dinner.”
We both sat again. “You’ve been dealing with so much here.”
Jasper nodded. “Yes, I’ve been very busy.”
