Morana

I took extra care with my appearance while preparing for dinner that evening. Two baths were necessary. One to wash away the grime of several days, and another to soak my bones and wash my hair. The generous splash of moonrose oil in the water made my skin soft and smelling of summer nights in Edresh.

When I climbed out of the water the second time, I didn't feel like a creature made new. There were too many stains on my soul that a bath could not cleanse, but I at least felt competent enough to put on the show that would be required of me tonight. They had removed all remnants of the night before while I was gone. Even the bedding on my cot was freshly laundered, and as I sat before my mirror, it was easy to pretend that last night and this morning were nothing but dim memories of a nightmare.

But that's all it was. Pretending. Just like tonight. Everyone seated at the table would be pretending, and the winner would be the one who was most convincing. That should be easy enough for me, because as it turned out, I had been pretending all my life.

I selected one of the gowns Queen Thera gave me. A deep violet silk, several seasons out of fashion and far less modest than most court members would wear. The fabric also reeked of jasmine and sandalwood. I recognized it as a perfume sold on Market Street near the pleasure houses. All the dresses were the same.

No matter how I tugged at the square neckline, I could get it no higher than just above my nipples. Breathing deeply would not be on the menu tonight then. Not unless I wished to expose myself to the entire royal family, and while I might be trying to win their favor, there were better avenues to do so.

Sitting before my mirror, I set about repairing the damage to the skin below my eye. Touching it drew tears to my eyes. The small cut the book left behind was small, but the bruise forming around it was not. It spread across the soft tissue just below my eye and moved all the way down my cheekbone.

Blending the creams and powders I discovered in the trunk with the dresses, the worst of the discoloration faded. They were thicker and more pigmented than the cosmetics I remembered Astreia using, but if they belonged to the same woman who owned the dresses, it was likely she used it for a similar purpose. Queen Thera likely had a good laugh when she packed this trunk, never expecting it would actually be helpful.

I stared at my hair in dismay. Normally, I was quite vain about my hair. Nearly black, it hung to my waist in shining waves that Astreia loved to curl with a heated iron rod. So many of my first years at the palace had been spent tucked away in her room, playing with each other's hair and sharing dreams.

Now looking at my hair turned my stomach. My eyes drifted to the short patch below my ear, and even though it wasn't possible after only a few hours, I swore the white was growing more visible. If I could wear a cloak and hood through the entire meal, I would do it.

Instead, I picked up a brush, gathered the strands at the nape of my neck, and pinned the length into an elegant twist. It was simple and a little messy, giving it a well-worn appearance that I quite liked. But most importantly, it hid the patch of white.

Cool fingers curled over the bare portion of my shoulders, and my eyes flew to the mirror to find Kuga standing behind me. She leaned over and picked up a decorative hair comb I'd discarded for being too gaudy. Silver and encrusted with amethyst gems, its weight was noticeable as she slid it into the base of my hairdo.

"No," I protested, when I saw that her placement exposed the white patch.

She put her hand over mine as I tried to pull it out and shook her head. "Leave it."

"Why? They'll know."

"And?" She shrugged a sharp shoulder. "Does a lion hide its claws and fangs?"

"A lion was born with claws and fangs. I got this by doing something evil."

Kuga dragged in a deep breath and exhaled noisily. I waited for her to argue with me. To tell me that protecting myself wasn't wrong. Instead, she said, "The powers you have...taken...are not the claws and fangs I speak of, child. It is your power as a Deathsinger. As a daughter of Fate, you were given the power to lift the veil off an immortal soul, and when you stand before the king, he will see the white in your hair and remember this."

"I thought you wanted me to fall in line?" I spun around in my chair and arched a brow at her. "This feels...rebellious."

She flashed her teeth at me. "There is falling and line, and then there is cowering. We never cower."

"What is it that you get out of this?" I asked. The question had been on my mind for a long time, but I hadn't been brave enough to ask it.

"I could ask the same of you."

"What do you mean?"

"You do not need lessons from me to survive Araphel. Those powers you carry will not stop you from burning if the Fyrbyrd ignites while you are there."

"No, but I think it certainly gives me an edge."

"An edge I'm not sure you need."

I chuckled nervously. "That's far more credit than I deserve."

"King Brinley told me today that you admitted to being a Seer."

"Yes. I suppose I forgot to mention that."

"Strange, that." She beckoned me to follow her into the chilly night. "It's been nearly two centuries since I was welcome among my people, and even then, that power was rare. Only one or two ancient bloodlines carried it."

We walked side by side, our heels sinking into the soft earth. Torches lit the paths between the tents, but even if we had no light, we could find our way to the king's tent. It sat atop the hill, lit up by a thousand pixie lights strung through the trees. I wondered what Cassia thought of that.

The camp was mostly quiet. Every so often, a bark of laughter would shatter the silence. The few groups of soldiers huddled around fires stopped talking as we walked by, and I could feel their eyes between my shoulders.

"I'm still not following what you're trying to say," I said when we were alone again. "Being able to foresee another's death would do me no good in Araphel. There is nothing alive. And as you said, it has been centuries. Perhaps the power has become more prevalent."

"No." We stopped at the base of the hill. She walked in front of me looking like one of the spirits that occasionally appeared in the night. "I do not think so. When the king saved me from my banishment, I made a point to learn all I could about the current Deathsingers, and I discovered that the king had hunted them to near extinction. Entire bloodlines gone."

"Kuga," I said, addressing her by her name for the first time. It felt intimate. Almost like friendship. "Are you telling me you might know who my family is?"

Gods, what would I do if she knew the truth? With everything I learned about the Winter Woman, I grew more conflicted. She clearly still held a measure of loyalty to her people, but they had banished her for her crimes. The king had saved her, but that wouldn't be enough to keep her at his side. That I did know about her. She served herself above everything, and she would sell me out in a second if it furthered her interests.

"Perhaps," she replied cryptically.

"Tell me."

"I will tell you when I am certain, but Morana..." She hooked an arm through mine and pulled me up the hill. "Do not keep secrets from me anymore. Do you understand? You have no allies in this camp, not even me, but I will at least be honest with you."

"No, if you were honest with me, then you would tell me why you're helping the king. You would tell me why he really wants to relight the portals. He doesn't care about the lost souls or the worlds tearing."

"I said I would be honest with you. I did not tell you I would bare my soul to you."

"Then that is all I can give you, too."

She grabbed my chin, her long fingers sliding up my face, and she squeezed, forcing my lips to pucker. "My claws and fangs are bigger than yours, girl. It's important that you acknowledge that. Understood?"

Heat flared through me, and the smell of fabric burning filled the air. Kuga hissed and snatched her hand away. The tips of her fingers bubbled as blisters formed.

I glanced down. The lace on my sleeves was frayed and blackened, but that was the extent of the damage. Reaching inside to check my strands of magic, I found the thread of fire magic vibrating in readiness, and for the first time, it didn't frighten me.

"Did you acknowledge that?" I asked her, smoothing my hands down my skirt before marching up the hill, bracing for the next battle ahead.