“The Domina would know the answer,” Cameron said.
She shook her head. “I don’t think the Domina wants me asking questions. Not right now. And I doubt any of the ladies-in-waiting would know. Only a few of them have any power and none of those are strong.” Her mother’s power wasn’t strong enough for her to know such things, either. Madame de Montesse’s face suddenly sprang to mind. A free witch. Schooled in Illvya. She would know. But that path was risky whilst she was in disgrace with Eloisa and the Domina. The last thing she needed was them thinking she was curious about Illvya.
“The Illusioners have books on the arts,” Cameron said suddenly. “Now that you have manifested, you’re entitled to see them.”
She could have kissed him. And that thought brought the desire to do exactly that. She fought it back, focusing instead on the solution he offered.
So, find out more. That was the most sensible course of action. Most of the Illusioners’ library was open to the court, though generally the ladies went there only for novels and poetry, as far as she knew. But, as Cameron had said, now that she had power, she could access those books that were off-limits to those without. Or the ones about earth magic, at least. She could see if there was anything that would help her understand what had happened. Knowledge, after all, was power.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Sophie?” Lady Beata said as Sophie stepped into the queen-to-be’s antechamber. “I thought you were dismissed for the day.”
Sophie nodded, smiling at Beata and the ladies grouped on the chairs around the fireplace. “I thought I was, too, but there was a note waiting when I got back to the erl’s apartments. It requested that I return.”
“I didn’t send a note,” Beata said.
“No. It came from the Domina.”
“I see.” Beata glanced down at Sophie’s hand as if expecting to see something there.
A betrothal ring, perhaps? After last night’s events, the ladies had to be curious about why the queen-to-be had wanted Cameron and what had happened behind the closed doors to Eloisa’s chambers. All the more reason to obey the Domina’s summons and get past the ladies as soon as possible.
Besides which, once she had finished doing whatever it was the Domina wanted of her, she could finally get the sleep she was starting to desperately need. “I must attend the queen-to-be,” she said firmly, and walked past Beata. She didn’t miss the speculative glances directed at her, though the look Beata gave her was more frustrated than curious.
Lady Beata was used to being the one in charge of the ladies-in-waiting and one of Eloisa’s closest confidantes. She wasn’t taking being kept out of the flow of information very well. But Sophie wasn’t here to make Beata feel better, so she ignored her and the other ladies and knocked on the door to the bedchamber.
Inside the room, the scene was much the same as it had been earlier in the day. Eloisa in the bed, face still bandaged, the Domina and a temple devout standing nearby. As Sophie closed the door behind her, Eloisa lifted her head.
“Sophie?”
She went to the bed, curtsied. “Yes, I’m here, Your Highness.”
“Your parents are well?”
“Yes, milady. They hadn’t reached the capital before the—well, they are unhurt.”
“Did you tell them of your betrothal?” Eloisa asked. Her voice sounded weaker. Softer and less certain than it had been earlier in the day.
Sophie glanced at the Domina, who made a little “go on” gesture. “Yes, my lady. We did. My father wishes to speak to you, but I do not think he is displeased.”
“Your father should be grateful to the queen-to-be for saving your skin,” the Domina said.
Sophie bit the inside of her lip, determined not to rise to the bait. The Domina had been needling at her all day, but Sophie wasn’t going to give her even more ammunition to vent her anger.
“Tell the duty captain when you leave,” Eloisa said. “He will be able to make an appointment for your father to see me.”
“You shouldn’t be seeing anyone yet,” the Domina protested. “You need to heal.”
“There are things to be done,” Eloisa said, pushing up on her pillows. “The kingdom needs to know that someone is in charge again. That we are unbroken. That we—” She broke off with a gasp, clutching at her head.
“My lady?” Sophie said, but the Domina was there, pushing her out of the way.
“Where does it hurt?” Domina Skey demanded.
“H-head,” Eloisa gasped, then cried out, one hand clutching at her skull.
The Domina laid a hand over Eloisa’s. Sophie saw a shimmering pulse of power—faint silver rather than the brighter shade that the Domina’s magic had been earlier in the day. Apparently, she wasn’t the only tired one.
Sophie held her breath, but Eloisa’s expression didn’t alter.
“Give me your hand,” the Domina demanded, and Sophie held it out obediently.
The Domina’s fingers clasped hard around hers, biting like a vise. There was a curious sensation like the room doubling in front of her eyes and then a roar in her ears as a rush of power moved through her like a burning tide. Too much. Too fast.
Sophie gasped, but the Domina’s fingers merely tightened to the point where the bones in her hand began to throb a protest. The sensation was secondary to the searing pulse of the power.
Too much.
Her head started to spin, and she closed her eyes, swallowing against the dizziness. It didn’t help. She felt herself stagger, and then she fell, the room fading around her.
When Sophie opened her eyes again, she was lying on the floor, one cheek pressed to the expensive silk carpet. It took a few seconds to remember where she was, what she had been doing. The queen-to-be. She rolled and pushed up, ignoring the dizziness that rose with the movement of looking toward the bed. The Domina stood there, looking down at Eloisa, who seemed to be sleeping.