Touch of Power (Alythian Legacy #1)

"Freya! Dinner is ready!"

I slam my book close and race into the kitchen where my mother is putting the final touches on her favorite dish and one of the only dishes she makes for us all. She only makes it when Nan is in a fowl mood which lately seems to be a lot.

Quickly setting the table, I watch as Nan says goodbye to one of her customers at the front door and she gives me a sweet smile before sitting down at her designated spot at the table. I sit beside her and glance to the spot at the head of the table which is only reserved for my grandfather, who passed years and years ago. I have yet to persuade Nan in letting me sit there.

After my mother serves us, there's a weird chill in the air, despite the warm weather we've been having. Then my mother says, "Do you find it weird no one has manifested powers yet?"

Nan's eyes snap to my mother. "Aurora. Not now." She cuts me a glare but I'm too focused on my meal to care.

"We should have seen signs by now-"

"Stop!" Nan yells causing me to jump. "There's no need to speak about your crimes aloud."

My mother looks between me and Nan. "They are not crimes when-"

"Aurora!" Nan shouts. "Not. Now."

"Fine," my mother grinds out. I look at them for a bit but I know not to meddle in their fights. They've rarely ever seen eye to eye so I just know to keep out of it as much as possible. But little did I know that when my mother puts me to bed, that this would be the last time I would lay my eyes on her.

***

I blink awake.

My body doesn't feel like its my own, as if I'm just floating in oblivion... which is where I should be. There's all these different voices around me but none of it makes sense, it's as if I've forgotten how to speak our language. The lights in the room are entirely too bright and blind me as I glance around the room, trying to find the sources of these voices.

"Freya?" someone calls out. Someone stands above me and in my haze I can't decipher who they are. They carefully check my vision and pulse. "Your Majesty!" the person shouts to someone else within the room while I wince at how bloody loud they are.

Then someone else comes into my vision. "Freya," he gasps. Kit looks as if he wants to kiss me but thankfully refrains from doing so. He takes my gloved hands - though his hands are covered with his own pair of gloves - and squeezes them as if he can't believe his eyes. "I thought I lost you."

I turn to see the room void of anyone else beside me and the prince. Whomever was in here before has taken their exit. "What happened?" I ask groggily and where the fuck are we?

Kit shakes his head and frowns. "What do you last remember?"

I close my eyes, "I remember Scarlett and Jun... your father..." I reopen my eyes. "Oh, Kit, I'm so sorry." I try sitting up but my body doesn't want to respond the way it should.

Kit sits by me, never letting go of my hands. "Take it easy," he says softly. "You've been unconscious for eight days," he reveals quietly. I don't fully register what he just said until he explains what happened after I blacked out. Every sympathizer with Scarlett has gone into hiding, including Jun and there's been no trace of them anywhere. Louis has been scouring the kingdom for them but there's quite literally nothing. They found me next to the king's body with no other evidence that Scarlett was there besides our bodies covered in frost.

"Eight days," I repeat almost silently.

He smiles weakly. "It's been torture not knowing how to help." He squeezes my hand again. "Words cannot explain how elated I am that you're okay." Okay doesn't quite describe how I feel but for his sake I'll take it.