Touch of Power (Alythian Legacy #1)

The prince and I meander down the main roads of the town, still a bunch of people out and about despite the brisk air and the late hour. Most catch on that we're not from around here and most assume that Kit is the prince just based on rumor alone as his eyes are not a dead giveaway in this light.

Kit doesn't seem worried that people know who he is despite not having any guards following him but that doesn't stop me from being a tad on edge. Maybe we should have asked Ferris or Henry to accompany us but I just wanted Kit alone and not seem like we're always being watched.

Trying to get over the fact that we are indeed being watched by almost everyone, I instead take in our surroundings as this is the first time I'm out and about in five years. Even when I was back home, Nan had a strict time I had to be home so this new bout of freedom is a bit overwhelming.

Passing by some very colorful people, Kit leads us down a quieter road and soon there's just us. How he's not absolutely terrified someone could attack us at any moment, I have no idea. And as more time passes, the more my mind starts to wander.

"Now that we have time," I say as Kit slows in front of a bakery to examine the goods in the window. Maybe in the morning, we can stop here before we continue northward. "I need to ask you some things."

Without glancing at me, he says, "Ask away."

"Why are we going to Normount?"

There's a pause before he says, "I thought Louis told you."

Frowning, "He barely told me anything, my prince. And forgive me for being forward but shouldn't you be the one to tell me what the hell we're doing?"

Kit glances at me and sees my genuine frustration. Sighing, he turns to me fully. "No. Forgive me, Freya. I've been a little in over my head with everything that I seem to be keeping you in the dark."

"Well now's your chance to make it up to me," I say as I resume walking. "Tell me your thoughts. Why are we going to Normount?"

The prince joins my side once more but again there's a pause. As we pass by a particularly loud, drunken group, Kit gently places his hand on my back to make sure we're together. There's a rumor that a Conjurer has been residing in Normount, experimenting on powered people to see what makes us us, he says to me mind-to-mind.

"A Conjurer?" I blurt out loud.

While it wasn't an unspoken rule he wanted to keep the conversation private, he makes it clear as he says, When speaking about our duties, let's make sure we're alone. Kit makes us go back to the main road as we head back towards the inn. I have a strange suspicion that there's something to his experiments, Kit says as his hand drops from my back.

What do you mean?

Kit's really good at pretending like we're not speaking mind-to-mind as he nods to some women who are heading back home after their shifts. Almost everyone who gets powers from Normount have multiple powers, such as my mother and Henry, and that's a rare sight in of itself to have multiple powers. To have the majority of them come from one place means there's something fishy going on.

I accidentally bump into Kit's side as a group gets too close to us. As his hands steady me, I ask, Do you think the Conjurer is the culprit for this high rate?

We can't rule anything out, Kit says as he returns his hands to himself. Scarlett is sending a group there too to look into him as well.

My eyes snap to the prince's. "What?"

"She was the first to give me the details anyways, so I suppose I shouldn't take all the credit for this trip-"

"Are we meant to work with them? Are we to ignore them?"