34



You spend the rest of the night lying face-up on your cot, staring up at the moon.

It's not impossible for the moon to turn red naturally, you know. But the shade it turns during an eclipse is never this vibrant, and surely you wouldn't have been arrested for this if it was something the royal astronomers could predict.

It can't be natural, but an Academy-taught mage couldn't have done this. It would have to be an illusionist, and you're supposed to be the only one of those. But hardly anyone knows about you, so could there be another one out there somewhere?

But why would they be replicating the start of Alvis's prophecy? Do they know it was false?

You turn the idea over in your mind for half the night at least. It's not long before you run out of useful insights, but it's less frightening than considering the other option: that somehow, Alvis's false prophecy is coming true.

Eventually, you sleep.

Next

You're woken the next morning by footsteps approaching your cell, and you're sure of their source before you roll over on your cot to look. Whoever had you arrested thought you were responsible for this, which means they know you're an illusionist, and there's only one person in Archa who fits that description.

Pushing yourself up to sit on the edge of the cot, you address your guest.

Once again, Letha Kardos is standing on the other side of the bars.

She looks almost as you remember her: taut, muscled frame; tawny skin; long dark hair pulled back. But there's a complex web of braids in her hair that she never bothered with before, and the sword at her side has intricate patterns on the hilt that only would have been there three years ago if you'd spelled them into existence. This blade would hardly require your assistance to look magical, though you somehow doubt it can catch flame on its own. You think she's wearing silk.

She also never used to glare at you like this.

"Why are you doing this?" she hisses, leaning in close to your cell. "Lighting up the moon again all night. Did Alvis put you up to this, how did you—why are—what are you trying to do?"

You notice there aren't any guards remaining in the dungeon, and no other occupied cells. She's ordered them all out. She has to know that will attract attention, whether or not she persuaded the other guards to stay quiet last night.

Getting answers matters more to her than keeping this quiet now. And if she thinks you're trying to fake the prophecy again on your own, you can understand why.

You're going to have to sort this out.