For the next two weeks, I didn’t see Sebastian even once. Not that I was upset about it; I’d just gotten used to dividing my life into two categories—when he’s around and when he’s not. Because, usually, those were two very different lives.
While he was away at a specialized school, coming home only during breaks, and later at the Triune Academy for Men, where he didn’t even have to return for holidays, life at home with Uncle Robert was pure bliss.
But when he did come back, everything turned upside down. I’d hide in the corners of the massive castle just to avoid crossing paths with him.
After the academy, Sebastian joined the Svargs, the fighters who defend the kingdom, guarding the western borders of our country. Soldiers, in other words. By the way, only mages of the absolute and warrior women can protect us from the monsters. No one else can. But I don’t recall hearing much about female mages among the military, at least not recently.
Now, my so-called “brother” had already become a Konrad. At twenty-six, that was quite an achievement. It meant he commanded a sizable squad of mages.
So, even now, he wasn’t home often. That’s why I was so surprised he showed up for the ball. Why bother?
But I quickly pushed that question out of my mind and spent all my time in the home library, searching for any information I could find about keepers.
It turned out there wasn’t much. Yes, in past generations, there were more of these magical women, and there was even a faculty for household magic. But it was shut down because there was no one left to teach.
In one ancient book, I found a mention of keepers as ideal homemakers. Apparently, their energy protected family castles from destruction, even during wars. But for that kind of protection, some sort of ritual was needed, and the book didn’t mention anything about it.
And that was it.
Well, I hoped I’d find more books at the academy.
As much as it pained me to admit, I didn’t know a lot about the war between the desert evil and the mages. Mostly just the dates of major battles and the names of famous military figures. Maybe I’d learn more on the special course?
Uncle Robert had just been informed that classes would start in a month, and I’d already been invited to attend.
Just like that! I couldn’t even refuse. This year, the course was free, and I’d be studying with girls mostly from common families, with varying levels of magical gifts.
As Mage Wolff said through the communication crystal’s screen, “No gift is too small, and everyone needs to learn to control their abilities.”
“Well, she’s got a point,” I said to Uncle Robert, flashing a wide smile as I remembered the black scarf tightening around Sebastian’s neck.
She also explained that the program would last one year, with five final exams, and everyone who passed would receive diplomas allowing them to work as maids or healers’ assistants, provided they succeeded in the exams.
Honestly, I didn’t even know how to feel about all this.
Me? A maid? Not that I looked down on servants, but that’s not how I was raised! I’ve got dresses in my closet worth a hundred maids’ salaries!
A healer’s assistant? That sounded a bit better. But how could I help? By mending socks for the sick?
Uncle advised me to ignore all the talk about diplomas and just learn something useful for myself.
Another week flew by with trips to the shops, buying various necessities from the list the academy had sent.
Stationery, magical notebooks, self-writing pens. I also ordered a coat from Madame Curie.
She’s one of the most famous creator couturiers. She just looks at you and instantly knows all your measurements. And the things she makes! Light, beautiful, comfortable, and they never wear out. Now that’s real magic!
I couldn’t resist and picked out a few new dresses too, since Gloria and I were planning to go to the underwater theater. It’s an incredible experience, let me tell you!
The actresses are mermaids, the stage is the ocean floor, decorated with radiant crystals. You get to the theater through a portal—how else would you reach the depths of the sea?
But first, you have to put on a special magical mask. It’s completely transparent, like thin glass, and when you press it to your face, it feels like it fuses to your skin. With it, you can breathe underwater for at least two hours without feeling any pressure.
I was blown away the first time I went. And their singing—oh, it’s unreal!
We planned the outing for Sunday.
But all this busyness was just a facade, a way to hide from myself and the thoughts that kept creeping into my head. How pathetic I am, and how lucky it is that my parents aren’t here to see this!
Besides, no one except Gloria had reached out to me since the ball. Before, I’d constantly get invitations—to grab coffee together or go horseback riding. Now, when I saw familiar girls on the street, they were always rushing somewhere and had no time. And that hurt. In my whole life, no one except Sebastian had ever treated me with contempt, but now, it felt like the whole world had turned its back on me.
If only I could be someone else…
Sunday came quickly. In the morning, they delivered a new lemon-yellow dress with bare shoulders and a full skirt.
As always, before going out in public, I applied a mask made of magical flowers for my face and hair. These were specially cultivated flowers, later finely ground and added to creams and masks. By the way, this variety was developed by a creator who lived about two hundred years ago. After using these masks, your hair is bouncy and shiny, and your skin practically glows.
By seven o’clock, I was ready. In my new dress, high-heeled shoes, my hair cascading in waves down to my waist. The maid clapped her hands:
“Oh, you look so beautiful today!”
“Thanks for your help, Kitty.”
As I descended the stairs to the hall, I heard voices. I stopped and listened:
“No, and I’ll say it again, no! I didn’t come here for that! I don’t care how she feels!”
“But Sebastian, she’s just a girl, and a very young and vulnerable one at that. Why do you act this way?”
I’d heard similar conversations between Uncle and Bastian before, but they’d never changed a thing.
So, I hurried down the rest of the stairs and opened the door.
Sebastian was standing next to his father, about to reply, when he saw me.
His gaze turned sharp, his eyes sliding over my face, then lower, lingering a bit on my chest. I suddenly felt my cheeks burning.
“This is exactly what I’m talking about. You let her get away with too much!” he said angrily.
Without another word, he walked past me as if I were part of the furniture.
“Uncle, I’m begging you, please don’t say anything more to him! It won’t help! Besides, I’m used to this Sebastian, and I can’t imagine him being any different.”
That was the truth.
“Alright, alright. Go on now,” Uncle smiled and kissed my cheek. “Have fun. Do you have your communication crystal with you?”
“Yes, of course. In my purse.”
“Oh, these girls’ purses of yours—what can’t you stuff in there? Go on, run along!”
Outside, a carriage awaited me, harnessed to Krygas—winged black horses. The portal to the theater was in the city center.
I loved riding in a carriage, looking out the window, thinking about pleasant things. Plus, Krygas—huge, black, winged horses—barely touched the ground with their hooves. As a child, I used to imagine I was flying, not riding.
But today, my thoughts kept circling back to Bastian. Could he really be different? He was kissing that girl, and he was probably tender with her. What would his tenderness be like?
Could he ever be tender with me?
I tried to imagine Sebastian looking at me with love. Wait, what!?
“Stop it, you idiot!” I told myself. “That’s the last thing I need!”
Outside the window, tall buildings, green gardens illuminated by magical lanterns, flashed by. A perfect picture of a perfect world. Nowhere would you see dirt or decay; everything bloomed year-round. But that kind of life was only for mages and magical women, and even then, not for everyone.
For people like Bastian, though. Among common folk, strong mages were rare. Magic was mostly inherited. Our world was divided by magic. I’d never been to the non-magical districts, but I’d heard they weren’t nearly as cozy.
“Whoa there! We’ve arrived, miss!”
The coachman’s gruff voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
“Thank you, Alfred.”
He helped me down, and I immediately spotted the portal in the center of a small green square. The arch was adorned with thousands of tiny colorful fish that darted—or rather, swam—in different directions as soon as you raised a hand toward them. Some of the fish glowed, and from a distance, it looked like the arch itself was shining.
Nearby, I saw Gloria in a red dress with flowers in her hair.
“Good evening, lovely lady. May I steal you away?” I said in a mock deep voice.
“Oh, please, someone steal me away from here!” Gloria squeaked back, and we burst into laughter.
“Have you been waiting long?”
“Nah, just got a bit bored standing here alone. So, you ready?”
“Yup!”
“Then let’s go!”
We held hands and stepped into the portal. A light feeling of weightlessness—and there we were, in the middle of a massive lobby.
No matter how many times I’ve been here, it always amazes me! Mirrors lined the walls, each with a number above it, and the floor resembled a chessboard with large black and white squares.
As soon as you stepped out of the portal, a golden arrow lit up on the floor to guide you. Ours led us to mirror number four. On the other side, a young merman in a tuxedo and white shirt appeared—quite a funny sight paired with his tail. He extended a red velvet box through the mirror. Inside were two masks, which we quickly put on. It felt like dipping your face into water, but you could still breathe. After that, we grabbed the merman’s hands, and he guided us through the mirror.
We literally swam, holding onto our guide, until we saw a huge stage formed by colorful corals. In front of it were chairs with magical safety belts.
The merman seated us and strapped us in. We looked at each other and smiled—our dresses swayed slightly, and our hair floated in all directions.
“I’ll never get used to this. Not many people here today,” Gloria noted, waving at Ophelia, who sat two rows ahead of us. Ophelia waved back and immediately turned away.
“Can’t say I’m upset about that. Now, I’ve pretty much ceased to exist for people like Ophelia.”
Gloria gave me a sympathetic look and squeezed my hand.
“Don’t pay attention to them.”
Meanwhile, the magical spotlights in the theater dimmed, and only the stage sparkled.
“Is it the mermaid and the prince again today?” an older mage sitting nearby asked me.
“Yes, but it’s a new version.”
The story itself wasn’t new, though.
A mermaid falls in love with a prince, comes to land for him, but he doesn’t love her. He mocks her and, in the end, kills her for the amusement of his friends.
All of this is accompanied by songs that tug at your heartstrings, so if you’ve got something to cry about, this is the perfect place.
However, today they changed the story a bit. The mermaid kidnapped the prince, but it didn’t end well. Her people banished them, and they had to go to a mage so the prince could breathe underwater. The prince fell in love with the mage, and the mermaid, in despair, took her own life.
“Can’t they have a happy ending just once in these plays?” Gloria said as we exited the portal. “Why couldn’t they go to an old, ugly mage instead?”
“I don’t know. Maybe they enjoy the suffering? Or maybe a story like this actually happened once. What do you think?”
“Who knows? Maybe. Hey, it’s only ten. Wanna hit up a bakery? All this tragedy’s got me starving!”
Gloria looked at me with hungry eyes.
“Sure, let’s go. I’ll just text Uncle that I’ll be late.”
Pulling out my communication crystal, I quickly typed a message.
The bakery’s grounds were enchanted to be in eternal summer—sunshine, butterflies, tables set in the middle of a green meadow.
“What’ll it be, girls? ‘Maiden’s Dreams’ cake or ‘Heavenly Manna’ dessert—our latest specials!” the waitress asked with a friendly smile.
Gloria and I exchanged a glance and spoke at the same time:
“Let’s get both!”
“I’ll take both!”
The specials turned out to be delicious. We ate and chatted about all sorts of nonsense.
After saying goodbye to Gloria, I climbed into the carriage and glanced at my communication crystal. Almost midnight—late!
The house was quiet, so I slipped off my shoes to avoid clacking my heels and had almost reached the end of the hall when the study door opened, and Sebastian appeared in the doorway. His black jacket was unbuttoned, his hair messy, as if he’d been sleeping in a chair or on the desk.
He crossed his arms and leaned against the frame.
“And where have you been?”
My first instinct was to answer normally, but he annoyed me so much that instead, I tilted my head up and snapped:
“Do I have to report to you or something? What’s it to you where I’ve been?”
His eyes darkened instantly.
“Yeah, I think you do,” he said, stepping closer. “Very much so.”
“Why’s that? Who gave you the right?” I was on a roll now, but wasn’t I old enough?
Did he think he could lock me in my room again until evening without food or water?
Sebastian came so close that I had to step back.
Why does he have to be so freaking tall?! I could strain my neck just trying to look him in the eye! The thought flashed through my mind and vanished as Bastian raised his hand, as if to touch my cheek. But without touching my skin, he moved his hand down, near my chin, my neck, my chest. I flinched away from him and bumped into the wall, my heart pounding like crazy.
“You…” I breathed. “What are you doing?!”
“So, where were you, little sister?”
He pulled his hand back, but I could still feel the warmth from his fingers, and my cheeks started to burn.
“Don’t call me that. I’m not your sister. I was at the theater! Why are you on my case? Let me through!”
I tried to sound firm, but my voice kept breaking.
“And what, already hooked someone?”
“Go to hell!”
He grabbed my chin, squeezing painfully with his fingers. He leaned in so close it felt like he might touch my lips. I held my breath.
“I suggest you don’t talk to me like that. Because everything you’re wearing, everything around you, belongs to me. And when I ask a question, be so kind as to answer. Do you understand?”
He spoke quietly, but no less threateningly for it.
“It doesn’t all belong to you—it belongs to Uncle Robert!” I tried to pull away, but no luck!
“Are you so sure? Of course, how would you know that Father hasn’t handled family affairs in ages? All you think about is buying a new dress and spending more money!”
“That’s not true!”
“Oh, isn’t it? This dress—it’s new, right?”
“Yes, but…”
“See! I’m not against it. Maybe it’ll help us pawn you off sooner. Just next time, go for a deeper neckline, and maybe no one will notice how empty you are.”
I gasped, choking on the insult. My hand flew up on its own, but Sebastian caught it.
“Don’t you ever dare…”
He didn’t finish. A loud crash and the sound of shattering glass came from the study, followed by a low growl.
Bastian pushed me behind him and turned toward the door.
“Stay here,” he whispered.
I didn’t have the strength to reply, just watched as a black haze enveloped his arms up to his elbows. He kicked the half-closed door open, and what I saw in the study made my skin crawl.
In the middle of the room stood an onyx table, and on it—a monster.
A giant spider with enormous chelicerae, covered in black spikes, with a scorpion’s tail.
Saliva dripped from its mouth onto the table, hissing and burning a hole through it.
I wanted to run, but my legs felt glued to the floor. Then a black haze enveloped me.
“Stay there, Elvira!” Sebastian’s voice echoed in my head.
The spider, seeing him, let out a wild screech and lunged forward, trying to reach him with its legs and tail.
Sebastian made a gesture of power with his hands and struck with pure energy—black, laced with flashes of white lightning.
The spider flew back into the wall, shook its head, and jerked upright. Now it wasn’t in a hurry.
Another leap, and its tail nearly grazed his shoulder. Sebastian dodged just in time, and in that moment, black tendrils extended from his hands, wrapping around the spider and starting to crush it.
The monster screeched, struggling to break free. It thrashed and struck with its venomous tail. The tendrils squeezed tighter and tighter until the spider went still. It twitched a few more times and collapsed.
The tendrils retracted into Sebastian’s hands, and he fell to his knees, breathing heavily.
The haze surrounding me vanished, and I rushed to Bastian.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” I reached to put a hand on his shoulder, but he jerked away from me.
“Get out of here!” Two words, but I didn’t recognize his voice—low, almost a growl.
“Bastian, I’ll call Uncle!”
“No! I said, get out!”
He turned to me sharply, and I saw that his eyes were completely black, dark runes glowing blood-red through his skin before fading.
I stepped back, and the next moment, I was standing in the middle of my room. Did he just transport me here? Open a portal?
It seemed so. But why only now? He could’ve done it right away. Or could he not?
What a nightmare! A desert monster right in our house!
What if Sebastian had been on duty?
I paced from one end of the room to the other, unable to stop, until my gaze caught on a book lying on my bed.
Where did it come from? I hadn’t brought anything from the library.
Stepping closer, I saw it was the same book from the attic.
Strange.
I touched the silvery cover with my fingertips and opened it, but once again, I was met with blank white pages.
Who brought it here? Maybe a household spirit? But where would one come from?
Yes, they did exist in our home once, but now they mostly slept. These days, a lot was done by servants, and there were plenty of magical devices that cleaned better and didn’t show any attitude.
Because household spirits are temperamental creatures. If they feel like cleaning, they will; if not, they might even break something. At least, that’s what people said. I’d never seen one myself.
I placed the book on the shelf and sat on the bed. My hands started to tremble. I couldn’t let myself fall into a panic! I’m alive, and everything’s fine!
Standing up, I went to the bathroom, turned on the water, and added a calming infusion.
Slipping off my dress, I climbed into the tub. The steam from the infusion gradually relaxed me, and I felt a lightness in my body.
What on earth was that? And what was that with Sebastian? I’d never seen anything like it in my life, though maybe I just know too little about absolute magic. I’d only seen desert monsters in textbook illustrations. But there definitely wasn’t a spider like that in any of them—I would’ve remembered.
Getting out of the bath, I quickly pulled on a nightgown, but I wasn’t sleepy at all.
I was worried about that infuriating rooster. What if he’s hurt? And why did he tell me not to say anything to Uncle?
But leaving my room felt scary too.
I grabbed my communication crystal and texted Gloria. She didn’t reply—probably asleep already.
I lay down in bed. Sleep wouldn’t come. I tossed and turned, then couldn’t take it anymore—I got up, threw on a robe, and stepped into the hallway.
Nothing bad would happen if I just checked on him. What if he dies before morning?
Though the prospect was tempting, he’s still not a stranger to me.
Approaching the door to his room, I knocked softly. Nothing. I gathered my courage and knocked harder. From the other side, I heard some noise and the sound of footsteps.
The door opened, and there stood Sebastian. Half-naked Sebastian. As in, no shirt. He held a towel in his hands, probably just out of the bath.
Involuntarily, my eyes traced the sculpted muscles—his abs alone were something else! You could do laundry on them! And on his shoulders and chest were black tattoos of ancient runes, some of which I recognized.
“Seen enough?”
I quickly lifted my gaze to his face. His eyes were green again, as usual.
“Yes, I mean, no!”
Spirits, what am I even saying?!
He smirked crookedly.
“Listen, Sebastian, I was really worried about you, and I couldn’t sleep, but now I see you’re fine, so I’ll go.”
“Does this happen often with you?” he asked seriously.
“What exactly?” I didn’t understand.
“Do you often worry about me?”
“No! I mean, it’s not like that!”
“Then what is it like? Elvira, I’m perfectly fine, and trust me, there are plenty of people to worry about me, so good night.”
He slammed the door right in my face.
I stood there for a moment longer, then quickly returned to my room.
I tossed my robe onto a chair and climbed into bed.
What a pompous turkey! I’ll never ask how he’s doing again in my life. Can you believe it? But on the other hand, what was I expecting? Isn’t this the same Sebastian who used to pull my hair, practice magical tricks on me, call me names, set me up in front of teachers, and lock me in the basement?!
For a while, I just seethed with anger. I really am an idiot!
In the magical nightlight, tiny fairies flitted from flower to flower, winking at each other. I didn’t have the heart to turn it off; after what I’d seen, I was afraid to sleep in the dark.
Gradually, my eyelids closed, and I found myself in the hallway again, next to Sebastian. But this time, he didn’t just touch me—he kissed me. Well, there you go, ‘Maiden’s Dreams’ cake indeed!
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