When he spoke of his heart, my own heart took over, unable to resist his nearness or the allure of his words. I didn’t speak, instead tilting up my face to his in a silent invitation.
With a soft sigh, he pulled me into his arms and pressed his lips down against mine.
New strength flowed into me, rejuvenating my tired body. I responded eagerly to his embrace, giving myself over to the feelings I had been denying and fighting and ignoring for so long. For an endless moment, there was nothing but Lucas. Lucas and his fire, and the wonder that, despite everything, he truly cared for me.
When he at last drew back, his breathing uneven, I let myself stare in wonder at his perfect features and brilliant eyes. It all seemed surreal. Lucas was a prince. He had no business caring for someone like me.
I jolted, pulling back slightly as the thought triggered an unpleasant memory.
He frowned down at me in quick concern.
“You said you have no business listening to your heart,” I said, “and you’re right. Didn’t you tell me once that as royalty you can only ever marry someone from one of the great families? The purity of the blood line and all that.”
He bit his lip, a shadow crossing his eyes. The silence lengthened, and he made no effort to deny it.
This time I pulled back fully, dragging myself from his arms.
“So what is this to you? A dalliance? A temporary distraction?”
He shook his head quickly. “No. Never. I want to be with you, only you.”
A new fire of hope lit inside me. But caution still held me back.
“You want to fight then? Fight for change?” Some of my excitement tinged my voice. With Lucas by my side, perhaps I could take my place as a mage and still push for change, after all.
“Changing the laws about royalty could only be the beginning. We could do so much good, Lucas. Just think of what we could accomplish together—just like in Abalene. Together no one and nothing could stop us.”
But I hadn’t even finished the last sentence when I saw something in his eyes that killed my fire. I didn’t need to hear his answer.
“You’re not going to fight for change,” I said, my voice dull even to my own ears. “You’re not even going to fight for us.”
He tried to take my hand, but I pulled it out of his reach.
“It’s not that I don’t want change.” His eyes pleaded with me. “And it’s certainly not that I don’t want you. I’ve never wanted anything more. But Kallorway is on the move. They haven’t made a push like this since before we were born. Ardann can’t afford to be divided right now. We can’t afford to focus anywhere but on the war effort.”
“The war effort?” I shook my head and stumbled back another step. “Then that means I will be nothing but a weapon, and we can never be together.”
“After the war—”
I laughed, the sound grating against us both. “The war has been going on for thirty years, Lucas. If you won’t fight for change until it ends, you may never have the chance.”
He stared at me, and I could see the struggle raging behind his eyes. I willed him on, desperately telling myself it wasn’t too late. He could still choose us.
But I saw the moment my battle was lost.
My shoulders slumped, and the exhaustion came crashing back in. “Go,” I said, not giving him the chance to speak. “It seems there is something more important than me, after all.”
“Elena,” he murmured my name, his voice desperate and his arms reaching for me.
I shook my head. “No. It’s all or nothing, Lucas. If you won’t fight for me and with me, then we can never be together. It seems your head had the right of it all this time. Your laws are clear. I am not a suitable choice.”
A tiny spark of hope still lived in me. I waited to hear his voice deny my words. Hear him say that he would see the law changed or an exception given. That he would find a way. But he said nothing.
“Just go,” I repeated. And this time he obeyed me.
For a long time I stood alone outside the arena. For one brief, shining moment, I had let myself believe. I had opened the door and let in every feeling that I never should have had. And now it had been ripped away, and the pain felt far greater than his sword in my shoulder had done.
It took a long time to remember how to breathe. And even longer to remember how to walk. And then, when my head hit my pillow, I could remember nothing but how to cry. The tears poured out of me for a long time, and then sleep claimed me.
Chapter 25
I slept all afternoon and all night. Only the breakfast bell the next morning finally woke me. For a moment I tried to remember why I felt so groggy and stiff, and then it all came crashing back.
I groped at the healed skin on my shoulder, feeling for a reopened wound before I realized the pain I felt was in my heart. I lay back and took long breaths until it subsided.
I had never had Lucas. I had never thought I would. One dizzy moment of wild hope didn’t change anything. And I would keep telling myself that until my heart believed it.
Slowly I dragged myself out of bed. I hadn’t spoken to my friends since the combat exam, and they would no doubt be worried. Plus, I wanted to hear how their composition exam had gone.
Slowly I descended the stairs, my mood at odds with the light-hearted chatter all around me. Exams were over, homes beckoned, and the sun outside shone brightly.
I entered the dining hall, my eyes seeking out Lucas’s table before I could stop them. He wasn’t there. I didn’t know whether I felt more disappointment or relief.
I took my own seat, and Coralie greeted me with relief.
“I didn’t know whether to knock on your door or not. I wasn’t sure how much sleep you would need after yesterday…” She peered at me with cautious concern.
“Stop.” I held up my hands and glared around the table at all of them. “Yesterday was exams. Nothing else. I don’t want any of you treating me differently or tiptoeing around me. I couldn’t bear it.”
“You do realize what you did was unheard of, though, right?” said Finnian. “People tell stories about mages who can do a controlled working with a single word. And none of them were trainees.”
I held up my hand to stop him from saying anything further.
“I passed my exam. That’s what I did. That’s all I did. I made sure I would get to be a third year with you crazy lot.”
He grinned, looking more like his usual self. “I can understand how that prospect would be enough to motivate anyone to epic feats.”
Coralie gave me a sudden hug. “I’m just glad you’re all right. I thought for a minute there…”
“What about you?” I asked quickly. “How did the composition exam go?”
“Easy enough,” said Saffron. “Even Araminta passed without trouble. Coralie cornered Lorcan afterward, and he said you’d passed yours in the arena.”
I nodded. “Sorry if I worried you all. After I heard that I’d already passed, I headed straight for bed and crashed. Hard. I’m fine now, though.” I glared at Coralie who was looking teary again. “Truly.”
“Well that’s good.” She smiled properly for the first time since I had entered the dining hall. “Because my parents are sending a carriage for us today. And we wouldn’t want to delay our departure and lose any party preparation time.”
I brightened. I had almost forgotten Lorcan had given me leave to travel to Abalene. Being with Coralie would be many times better than remaining alone at the Academy, no doubt pressured into helping Lorcan and Jessamine with their investigation. I resolved not to approach Lorcan before I made my escape, after all. There would be time enough for questions when I returned.
And he had said I could visit home as well. Perhaps for Midsummer, if I was back in time. I might even be able to convince Jasper to come with me. All together again. It had been far too long since we had managed that.
My eyes strayed across the room, but Lucas still hadn’t appeared.
“Every
one seems to be leaving fast this year,” said Saffron.
“Well, we didn’t have any crazed abductors storming the Academy this time around,” said Finnian. “So excitement levels are a little low.”
“Lucas disappeared as soon as he passed his composition exam,” said Coralie. “Someone saw him leaving the Academy. I guess that set the tone, and now the rest are scrambling off as fast as they can go as well.”
So Lucas had left. I wouldn’t be seeing him again until next year. I tried to remember that was a good thing, but a pain had started up again near my left shoulder.
I glanced around the dining hall, in an effort to distract myself. It did look half empty.
“Have you heard the rumor?” Araminta slid into an empty seat at our table. We all stared at her blankly, and she grinned.
“This is great. I’m never the one to hear things first.”
“Come on, spit it out,” said Finnian good-humoredly.
“Well, as you know General Griffith came to watch all the arena combat exams. I can understand his interest in the fourth years—they’ll all be traveling to join him at the border in a couple of weeks. But rumor says he had a special interest in the second and third years too.”
She paused dramatically for a moment, and I could only hope she wasn’t about to say anything about me.
“Well, apparently with Kallorway on the offensive, and with all those deaths earlier this year, he’s been arguing that it will do the trainees good to be exposed to the front lines before they graduate. The rumor is that next year the third and fourth years will be heading for the border for at least a month. Not to fight directly, of course. But to see it for ourselves. To study the war effort like we did the epidemic. To get practical, on-the-ground training.”
She shivered, and I couldn’t tell if she was excited or terrified.
The other three peppered her with questions and exclamations, Saffron sounding as horrified as Finnian was interested. But my mouth seemed to have stopped working.
I had passed. I was supposed to be safe for another year. And yet somehow General Griffith had found a way to get me to the front lines after all. Oh, the third and fourth years wouldn’t be fighting. Of that I had no doubt.
But upstairs in my wardrobe, I had a stark gray uniform. I wasn’t just a third year, I was also a private. A member of the Armed Forces under Griffith’s command. I had seen the greedy light in his eyes after my bout. Once he got me to the front lines, what would he order me to do? And would I survive it, whatever it was?
I forced myself to take a deep breath. I was still better off than if I had lost the bout. I would travel to the border as a trainee, and surely some at least of our instructors would accompany us. Even Lorcan himself, perhaps. I would not be entirely outside of his protection.
Someone called to Araminta from the entrance hall, and she leaped to her feet, giving hurried farewells to us all as she took off. Coralie stood as well, dragging me with her.
“We need to pack, or we won’t be ready for the carriage when it arrives.” She fixed the other two with a stern glare. “We’ll see you at my party, right? You won’t forget?”
Saffron rolled her eyes. “Of course we won’t.”
A sunny smile broke across Coralie’s face, and somehow a little of its warmth crept into my own heart. The four of us would be together again soon. With no responsibilities for a little while except to celebrate Coralie and enjoy ourselves.
Autumn would come soon enough, and all its problems with it. I would have to face Lucas again. And, sooner or later, I would have to face the front lines.
But I had survived everything thrown at me so far. Somehow I would find a way to survive those hurdles as well. Dwelling on them now wouldn’t help.
I smiled at Coralie and then across at Finnian and Saffron.
“Let’s make this a good summer,” I said. “One to remember.”
Finnian raised his glass of juice in a toast. “A summer to remember.”
We all echoed back the words, and then Coralie dragged me from the dining hall. Our summer was waiting.
Note from the Author
Read Voice of Dominion, The Spoken Mage Book 3, to follow Elena and Lucas to the front lines in their third year at the Academy.
To be kept informed of releases and of bonus shorts in the Spoken Mage world, please sign up to my mailing list at www.melaniecellier.com.
Want more fantasy, romance, adventure, and intrigue while you wait for the end of Elena and Lucas’s story? Try A Dance of Silver and Shadow, the first book in my Beyond the Four Kingdoms series in which twelve princesses must do a lot more than just dance when they get caught up in a dangerous and magical competition.
Thank you for taking the time to read my book. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, please spread the word! You could start by leaving a review on Amazon (or Goodreads or Facebook or any other social media site). Your review would be very much appreciated and would make a big difference!
ROYAL FAMILY OF ARDANN
King Stellan
Queen Verena
Crown Princess Lucienne
Prince Lucas
MAGE COUNCIL
Academy Head (black robe) - Duke Lorcan of Callinos
University Head (black robe) - Duchess Jessamine of Callinos
Head of Law Enforcement (red robe) - Duke Lennox of Ellington
Head of the Seekers (gray robe) - Duchess Phyllida of Callinos
Head of the Healers (purple robe) - Duke Dashiell of Callinos
Head of the Growers (green robe) - Duchess Annika of Devoras
Head of the Wind Workers (blue robe) - Duke Magnus of Ellington
Head of the Creators (orange robe) - Duke Casimir of Stantorn
Head of the Armed Forces (silver robe) - General Griffith of Devoras
Head of the Royal Guard (gold robe) - General Thaddeus of Stantorn
Acknowledgments
Elena and Lucas still have a long way to go, and there are still lots of corners of the Spoken Mage world to explore, but I enjoyed expanding their world at least a little in Voice of Command. I also enjoyed dreaming and planning where their journey will take them next. Writing a series that follows the same characters and working on arcs that will require multiple books to pay off has been a new experience for me. And I’m grateful to everyone around me who has listened to me think, scheme, and stress aloud, and to those who have dived into the world with me to make sure that it’s coming together in the way it needs to.
My family—Marc, Adeline, and Sebastian—deserve the same praise as always for both bearing with me and keeping me going. I’ve greatly enjoyed the extended break with you that was my reward for finishing the edits on this book. I look forward to both many more books and many more breaks shared with you in the coming years.
My beta readers never cease to astound me. And their support for this book has been an encouragement when I really needed one. Thank you Rachel, Greg, Priya, Ber, Katie, Marina, and Casey.
Kitty, Kenley, Shari, Aya, Brittany, Diana, and Marina—your friendship means a great deal to me, and I hope 2019 brings new heights and new joys to all of our writing journeys.
Thank you to my editors, Mary, Dad, and Deborah, for keeping me consistent and helping me to bring this next chapter of Elena’s story into its final form. I can’t wait to discuss all the ins and outs of books 3 and 4 with you!
Further thanks also to my cover designer, Karri, for taking Elena to the next level. It continues to be a pleasure to work with you.
And to God, whose voice is the first and only true source of power—thank you for giving us words and creativity and the chance to explore what we can do with them. May we always choose to follow in your footsteps and speak life rather than death.
About the Author
Melanie Cellier grew up on a staple diet of books, books and more books. And although she got older, she never stopped loving children’s and young adult novels.
She always wanted to write one
herself, but it took three careers and three different continents before she actually managed it.
She now feels incredibly fortunate to spend her time writing from her home in Adelaide, Australia where she keeps an eye out for koalas in her backyard. Her staple diet hasn’t changed much, although she’s added choc mint Rooibos tea and Chicken Crimpies to the list.
She writes young adult fantasy including her Spoken Mage series, and her Four Kingdoms and Beyond the Four Kingdoms series which are made up of linked stand-alone stories that retell classic fairy tales.
Also by Melanie Cellier
The Four Kingdoms
The Princess Companion: A Retelling of The Princess and the Pea (Book One)
The Princess Fugitive: A Reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood (Book Two)
Happily Every Afters: A Reimagining of Snow White and Rose Red (Novella)
The Princess Pact: A Twist on Rumpelstiltskin (Book Three)
A Midwinter's Wedding: A Retelling of The Frog Prince (Novella)
The Princess Game: A Reimagining of Sleeping Beauty (Book Four)
The Princess Search: A Retelling of The Ugly Duckling (Book Five)
Beyond the Four Kingdoms
A Dance of Silver and Shadow: A Retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses (Book One)
A Tale of Beauty and Beast: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast (Book Two)
Voice of Command (The Spoken Mage Book 2) Page 23