Cateline felt more powerful than she ever had in her life, and she hardly used magic. It enthralled her that she was able to illuminate the attic of the western wing, but that was nothing compared to what could be.

She wondered how powerful she would be if her father did not keep her locked away, and if her mother did not give her that bracelet. When she first noticed it was missing, she worried about the consequences. Now? Now, she’d be happy to never see it again.

One thing she did hope to see again was not just her family, but also the woman who kept whispering to her. She figured it was Seraphine, the woman from the bathhouse, but there was no way to be certain.

Cateline had not slept. She only looked away from the books in the library to ensure Aiora was not peering over her shoulder. At the end of her talk with the headmistress, she was advised to be weary of her allies throughout this process of discovery.

Why she was being so vague, she did not know, but for once she felt content with trusting Leolina’s words. In fact, she wanted to walk up to her and discuss the existence of Seraphine and the supposed Silver Dragon, but somehow Cateline kept that hush. As far as she was aware, the only other person who knew about that was Aiora, and obviously she claimed it to be heresy.

Well, if it was that, then Cateline would soon become the village heretic.Not like I wasn’t that in Axulran, according to my father…

When they would sneak out to collect produce and fruits in preparation for supper, she would be enlightened on both the good and bad parts of Denzethea that her family forbade. If it wasn’t for him, she wouldn’t even have a clue there was anything else outside of Axulran.

Surely, that was what her father wanted, but that was not the point.

She missed Alleyn and his wise teachings. He told her about Satyr’s before she ever saw a portrait of one. He discussed the Elven bloodline and how so many people had the gift of magic due to being part elf, but most would never know. One of the last times she saw him, however, was when he opened up about a war he took part in.

The War of Mimicry was a series of brutal battles her grandfather organized. Her father, Airen, led the battalions through agony, death, and torture as they fought against magic. Most notably, the militaries of Axulran fought against Traburg, but nations across the entire world of Denzethea joined forces. People he called the “Lizard Folk’” fought alongside the mages of Traburg, while the “Wiser Scholars” joined forces with Axulran. These names were foreign to Cateline, but they slipped off the tongue like she had known them all her life.

Mind flashing back to that moment of torture in her home, she ached for Terrence. She wondered when he went through that agony, or if it was even real at all. It was a dangerous thing, relying on the doppelgangers that were trapped behind that mirror. Why they existed was another question entirely, but she feared that one would never be addressed.

Did Leolina even know about their existence? She knew that Cateline was up in the western wing, but did not even blink at the idea of that mirror holding part of her soul.

Alleyn claimed that both sides utilized these dopplegangers, and she wondered if what lived in that mirror were one in the same as the twins in the stories, but she would hate to jump to that conclusion. Perhaps it was just a coincidence. A damned good one, at that.

The twins would often stick near their host counterpart, mimicking each movement and strengthening the magic they used against each other. Axulran, despite their loathing for magic, understood that a war built around magic, required it. According to this book, though, each Knight Mage was executed after losing the war.

That part was conveniently left out by Alleyn, but she did not blame him. As young as she was, that brutal part of Axulran’s history was most likely left better unsaid. After all, she was a royal member of the family. How could she represent Axulran if she hated it? Unfortunately, that feeling came with age. Perhaps that is why she had little desire to return home, but so much desire to return to her brothers. They were the only things that were any good for her.

At the bottom of the page was a passage. It struck her so much that she held her hand over her chest, as if to clutch at her heart.

When either side would take a warrior prisoner, they would always assume they had a doppleganger and would begin to torture the prisoner. The doppelganger would feel that pain, and if strategically planned, it served the opposing side an advantage when that twin fell in agony. They were independent creatures that thought and acted on their own, but the magic and energy came from the host source. Similarly, if a doppelganger was kidnapped, any pain issued onto them would then be experienced by the host.

That part alone was terrifying enough, and knowing that she had a doppelganger hiding in the attic meant she had one more thing to worry about. Luckily, the only person who knew about it was Varin. Perhaps Leolina, but she didn’t think of her to be much of a threat.

Slamming the book shut, she held her face in her hands and sighed. For once, she wanted that ghastly woman to reappear. Perhaps this time when she was asked to join her, she’d say yes. Anything to get away from this relentlessly frustrating academy.

Standing to her feet, she left the stack of books where they were and exited the library. Peering up the skylight of the entry hall, she watched the clouds chase the sun. They were dark, signaling a storm to come. What captured her attention the most was a red glow that peeked through the small and infrequent openings in the clouds. With a furrowed brow, she walked outside. There weren’t many scholars out due to the weather, the wind blowing her hair haphazardly in front of her face. Gripping onto her skirt, she moved out to the center of the courtyard and looked up at the sky. After a roar of thunder and strike of lightning, Cateline flinched and turned her head away, only refocusing as soon as the clap subsided into silence again. As gentle droplets of rain began to fall onto her skin, she noticed the edge of the clouds above starting to blur across the sky in unnatural waves.

As an opening presented itself, Cateline went slack jawed and watched as a giant beast flew between the clouds. It was hard to tell due to the rain and dark clouds, but it looked scaled and had wings the size of one of Lighthelm’s annexes. With wide eyes, she watched as the beast opened its mouth wide and spewed out a bolt of lightning into the sky that exploded in veins of bright energy. Alongside this came another clap of lightning, and it disappeared into the clouds once more.

Without wasting another second, Cateline scrambled back inside and wiped the water from her skin. Across the entry hall was Varin who caught her frazzled stare, eyes widening as he approached Cateline. Alongside him was Thaddius.

“What has got you so wound up?” Varin asked, arms folded across his chest.

Cateline held her hands behind her back and shook her head. “Just got a bit wet from the rain, that is all.”

Thaddius laughed and peered past her through the windows. “Sure, sure. It’s barely sprinkling. Did you see a ghost?”

They both laughed at this. Varin shrugged before speaking. “No, but really, what happened?”

Cateline cleared her throat and lowered her stare to the ground. “You won’t believe me, and I assure you I am anything but crazy…”

“You have proven otherwise,” Thaddius said with a grin. Normally, this would earn a harsh glare in response, but she was hardly in the mood. For now, she ignored it. As their irritable laughter died out, she crossed her arms over chest and looked Varin in the eyes.

“Varin, do you know how the mirrors in the western wing work?”

“What mirrors?” Thaddius asked.

Varin’s face fell, his eyes darkening with frustration. “Not the slightest clue. Come on, Thaddius, we have to go.”

Varin led the way for the two, Thaddius only following after looking between the two of them nervously. Cateline watched as Varin’s hand twitched against the fabric of his pants before walking around her, his hand smacking onto the handle of the door before she turned around.

“Oh, and Varin?”

He paused, only Thaddius turning around to face her as she spoke.

“I saw the Silver Dragon. The one that woman told me about. I could only assume you knew about that, too?”

This was a complete shot in the dark. Cateline knew he and Aiora were close, and that they were looking over her during her lessons with the headmistress days ago. It didn’t take a master puzzlemaker to put those pieces together—their eavesdropping, the way Varin always turned the corner whenever she noticed him near, and the way Aiora got so accusatory when she unveiled her visions of Seraphine and the prophecies she spoke of.

Cateline could doubt and tremble about these fearful hallucinations all she wanted, but today was the first day that she saw something in the flesh. It was not masked by the fog of a hot bath house. It was not shoved under the rug by a useless mentor. No, it was real, and it was flying in the sky just as Seraphine had warned weeks prior.

Sometimes, even the best archers take a leap of faith and shoot through the smoke, only to land their lucky arrow in the skull of a commanding officer of the royal army. And, as Varin turned around with his eyes widened and face pale, she figured he was just the person she meant to shoot for.

“So, tell me, Varin… What are those twins doing up there in the attic? We can start there, and work our way to that silly little dragon that woman keeps telling me about.”