Malice

and the others—looking at me like I was an animal allowed indoors. Aurora is the only one who ever—
But no. The queen made it clear that I won’t be seeing her again. There’s no point remaining in Briar now.
“Did something happen?” Kal asks carefully.
“Nothing that hasn’t happened a thousand times before.” But it’s so much more than that. Aurora was—no. It’s no use dwelling on what might have been. “I thought I had a friend,” I admit. “I don’t.”
Kal crouches, extending a tentative hand to Callow. She nips it in her I will tolerate you fashion. “One of the Graces?”
I shake my head. Those amethyst eyes surface, filled with laughter and mischief. The dawn-colored silk of her hair set against that flawless skin. “The Princess Aurora.”
“The—” A stray piece of glass cracks as Kal abruptly straightens. I never told him about my summons to the palace. Or about the abandoned library. Callow flaps her wings in disapproval. My fists clench at my sides, expecting him to begin berating me. Reminding me of the royals and their history with our kind. He doesn’t. “The crown princess.”
Gulls cry in the distance, as if even they think it’s a ridiculous idea.
“That’s what I said.”
“Forgive me, Alyce. That is—given your heritage—a strange choice of friend.”
“I know that.” The back of my neck heats. “And I said we’re not friends.”
Kal’s shadows draw closer. They nibble at my ankles. Wend around my waist. Ice dances down my torso as his hand lands on my shoulder. “She was cruel to you.”
“Not her,” I answer automatically, cutting him off. “She would never…” But I can’t finish. “It was Queen Mariel.” And so many others.
“Ah. That does not surprise me.” Kal tucks a lock of hair behind my ear and I’m tempted to lean into him, starving for the connection of another person. The need is so much greater now that I’ve experienced what it’s like. “But it is for the best.”
I jerk away from him. Callow returns to my side and clacks her beak, sensing the downturn in my mood.
“Hear me, Alyce.” Kal’s chest appears in front of my nose. I inhale the scent of winter nights and frostbitten trees. “Perhaps the princess is kind. Perhaps she even cares for you. But she will never understand you. Not as I do. And when the time comes, she will turn on you.”
“She would not.”
“Alyce.” He says my name gently. Almost like a caress. “Which of them has not?”
The truth slices through me, quick as a hot blade. I think of Mistress Lavender, who acted as though I was the cause of the animosity between myself and the other Graces. Even Laurel, though she speaks up for me from time to time, did nothing when Rose revealed my identity at Aurora’s birthday masque. Hilde is kind enough when I visit her shop, but could I run to her if I needed help? Would she stand by me if the king decided Briar had no more use for a Dark Grace? I don’t know.
“Au—” Her name snags and I clear my throat. “The princess isn’t like them.” I parcel the words out carefully, watching him for signs of disagreement. Of anger. “She wants to abolish the Grace Laws and the Grace Council when she’s queen. She wants a new Briar.”
“Does she?” Kal’s stance remains fluid and easy. His tone light. But I detect the undercurrent of disdain in the way his shadows jerk. “I hope she succeeds. But I think you will find that much is lost in the ascension of a princess to a queen. Especially a Briar Queen.” He picks up a diamond-shaped pane of charred glass and sends it sailing out of the tower, a spark of bottle-green against the backdrop of the sea. “She may not even survive to her coronation.”
That ugly thought rears its head. Queen Mariel was adamant that Aurora would find her true love and secure Leythana’s line. But what if she doesn’t? No. I don’t want to think about that. And it shouldn’t matter. I’ll be gone by then. But I can’t stop thinking about it—about her. The way she called me Vila without revulsion. Took my arm in front of everyone.
“Do you know who cursed her?” The question wriggles its way free of my heart. “The name of the Vila wasn’t in the book you gave me.”
One eyebrow quirks. “I was wondering when you were going to ask me about that book. You have been so silent that I worried you might have sent it to join the other.” He gestures at the gap in the wall. “Could this be the reason you are embracing your Shifter magic.”
I shrug and move past him, looking out at the sea. “I’m still not sure what to believe. I only know that denying my power has brought me nothing but misery. And I won’t be a prisoner here any longer.”
“Good. But the book from Malterre was written before the war. The Vila in question was not notable then. And you will not find her in any of the books in Briar, either. She was stricken from the annals of the realm.” His shadows sharpen to spikes. Callow scuttles out of his way. “After the curse was enacted, it was treason to even utter her name.”
“But you know.”
“Even I cannot speak it.” A grim smile stretches tight across his lips.
“It’s part of the binding enchantment.” Disappointment rushes through me. “And you’re sure there’s no way to break the curse?”
“Quite sure.” Kal nods, tossing a flat stone from hand to hand. “She was a powerful one, that Vila. Bent on vengeance. Only she could undo the curse. However, even if she wanted to, it would be risky.”
“Why?”
“You know that Vila magic hinges on ill intent. Breaking a curse, even one cast with their own power, is an act of mercy. She could have tried to retract her work. But it might not have ended well.”
The briny tang of the wind smells suddenly like copper. Like the