Isla breathed in, slowly, as Terra’s lessons ran through her mind.
Be still, child.
Do not be easily troubled.
You are a warrior.
Let them fear you.
Let them see what it means to be wild.
The star flew.
Isla heard the unmistakable clang of metal against metal as it found its mark.
She lifted the fabric from her eyes—and couldn’t help but smirk as she saw Oro, king of Lightlark, still glued in place, his gaze not on her but on the crown she had knocked from his golden head.
It clattered loudly on the ground before settling, echoing through the silent room.
Isla sauntered over to Oro, forgetting her rings. His eyes finally went to hers. She couldn’t read him in that moment and didn’t try to. Instead, she bent down and picked up his crown.
“You dropped this,” she whispered before handing it over and taking her seat once more.
She hadn’t used a drop of power in her demonstration. But no one questioned her, shocked at her nerve. Outraged.
And for just a slice of a second, she felt like the most powerful ruler in the room.
Oro was the last ruler to perform.
Isla expected fire. A raging inferno from his hand.
Instead, the king stood, placed a palm on the table—
And the stone turned to gold. It happened in waves. The metal overtook the marble, then dripped down the side and smothered the floor. In seconds, it was all gilded.
An impossible power. Thousands of years ago, it was said Starlings could make diamonds. Wildlings could make emeralds and rubies grow in their palms like flowers.
Sunlings could turn goblets to gold.
It represented a complete mastery of power.
Could he turn a person to gold? Kill them by gilding them?
Rulers decided how their trial would be judged. Azul announced that the nobles would be voting for the winner, with the caveat that they could not vote for their own realm. As if that made it fair.
It was no surprise the king won, again. Hedeservedto, Isla had to admit, with a display that had rendered them all speechless.
Even the Sunling nobles looked shocked. They had clearly never seen Oro use this power before.
Which only made Isla wonder what else the king was keeping secret.
CHAPTER TEN
JUNIPER
The night tasted of salt. Wind blew the scent of the sea up and over the cliffs and trees, to where Isla crouched, on the outskirts of the agora.
Patterns formed for the patient, Isla knew, and she had learned to be a very special brand of persistent while trapped within her glass castle. It had been five days since Azul’s demonstration. Celeste was busy sourcing the gloves. No other trials had been announced. So Isla had focused on her part of their plan. She had visited the agora almost every night, watching. Waiting.
