I glare down at the scene as I slowly descend the steps.Īpologize. Only one woman here has that kind of mental shield. The first is a pernicious viper, but the second… My magic slams into a mental wall of ice. My magic leaches out to study their minds.
MY MAGIC CARPET REVIEWS SKIN
I watch as a woman with beautiful ebony skin in a pale blue dress runs into another woman. I step outside my room but pause at the top of the stairs. I am satisfied with how the gown hugs my curves lovingly, and the deep violet color enhances the mesmerizing shimmer of my eyes. I take a few moments to check myself in the mirror. I take the time to refresh myself and change, but I am eager to get back downstairs. I wonder if anyone will be quick enough to catch her before she plummets to her death. She teeters back and forth at the top of the stairs, and I smile as I shut the door to my room. A particularly loud and obnoxious girl ascends behind us, and I can’t stop myself from flicking my fingers. I glide up the steps, following him to my allotted suite for the month. None here are worth my attention.Ī butler rushes forward and leads me to the grand staircase. My eyes trail over the competition as some look me up and down. Even dark magic has limits, but marrying into this royal lineage will give me access to elemental magic. I will succeed and claim what I need, what I crave. I have to discard each of my competitors without gaining notice from within the castle or attention from without. Each step has been carefully evaluated and considered. I will walk over their corpses without hesitation, but I have to win first. I must play the game and not reveal my position. But that would be too suspicious, not to mention it would require far too much power. It is so tempting to release my magic and send all these insipid misses home, crying to their mothers. The pale dress lends a deceptive soft blush of innocence to my ivory skin, and my white hair is coiled high on my head as if awaiting the crown. I make my steps unsure at first, faltering to a stop in the center of the foyer. I’ve been practicing for this role my entire life, and I have far more on the line than some silly title. Some of them instinctively know that I’m more than what I seem. But I see the way their hands clench and their eyes pinch. Several of the women look me over and then dismiss me as if I am beneath their notice. Between my first and second step into the foyer, I’ve soaked up all the necessary knowledge, and I recall my magic with them none the wiser. My powers leech from me, slithering unseen through their vapid thoughts, gathering the intel I need. The doors bang hard against the walls, making several of them jump in response. The opulent entryway is filled with women, some noble, some even royalty, all of them primping and preening, hoping to catch the king’s eye. My blood-red lips curl as I shove them open, not waiting for the footmen or the butler to announce me. Everything can be done with a wave of my hand.Īs I glare up at the dual doors, the massive tree carved into the wood splits down the middle. They are merely pawns to dissuade prying questions or annoying insights. I do not need any further help, not that I needed them in the first place. At the door, the maids back away and follow the footmen, allowing me to make my entrance alone. The footmen scurry to take down my trunks, using the servants’ entrance to enter the castle. The maids make sure my white dress is wrinkle-free and perfectly arranged as I glide up the stairs. Their eyes are glazed from the spell I have cast over them, but they jump to attention. My clap summons the two maids and three footmen who have traveled with me. In reality, I am the viper in their midsts. With my pale hair, I glow like a shining beacon of hope. From head to toe, I am clad in virginal white. The white silk of my skirt dances around my ankles, hitting the edge of my snowy boots. I’m here as the docile Lady Azura to compete for the king’s hand.
Now, now, those kinds of thoughts won’t help in maintaining my disguise. I wondered if they would fling themselves to the ground and allow me to walk across their backs if a rug was unavailable. A footman jumps forward to place a carpet beneath my feet before they can touch the manicured grass.
A branch dared not grow too far out of line in the hedges, or it would be snipped by the gardeners standing at attention with shears at the ready. Every inch of the picturesque castle in front of me is groomed meticulously. The air of the Lithelle Kingdom is crisp, making my lungs burn ever so slightly from the purity. Map Description automatically generated Chapter One Azura A picture containing text, dark Description automatically generatedĪlighting from the carriage, I clap my snow-white gloves together.