House of Winter

Chapter 46

When she woke up, she found she was surrounded by friends. Jinni was by her side, his huge head resting on her lap. She reached out and stroked his nose, and she noticed that her hands were covered in clean white bandages. Jinni closed his eyes, content now that she was awake.

Tom was pacing, but when he realised she was awake, he spun and rushed to her side, kneeling beside her. "Lumi," he said.

She blinked, and saw Sanna and Ari were sitting on armchairs below the window, bathed in brilliant light. Outside, snow was falling softly, and the sky was pure white.

Katja was on the other side of the room, in darkness. She was on a sofa, with her knees brought up to her chest. Lumi had never seen the princess of Norrlund look so undignified.

"Where's Tai?" Lumi asked.

"Both Virani and Tai disappeared," Tom told her. "And when they did, the fire army retreated. A few of your people have been injured and have remained in Norrlund. They're being treated in the Vulfholm hospital. The rest have fled across the border."

"I quelled him," Lumi said, remembering the watchtower, the feeling of Tai's magic slipping out of him. She looked down at her bandaged hands, and then she used her teeth to pull the bandages off.

Tom made to stop her, but she glared at him, and he dropped his hands. She ripped off the bandages, revealing blistering raw skin underneath. Lumi held out her bare, burnt palm, and tried to make fire.

She felt it inside of her. It was feeble, but it was there. When she concentrated hard, a tiny flicker of fire danced in her palm. She breathed out, and leaned back in her pillows. "I have magic," she said, feeling tears in her eyes.

"You can still be empress," Sanna said.

Lumi laughed at the idea, staring down at the tiny flame, the size of one single candle's light, burning in her palm. This was not the power of a queen, or an empress. This was a child's power, before she had a kinnling. Even with Jinni, she felt more weak than she'd ever felt.

"I suppose so," Lumi said. "When I turn eighteen."

"There's something else," Tom said. He glanced at Katja, and Lumi felt a moment of uneasiness, seeing the way Katja was lying on the sofa, unmoving. She hadn't even looked over at Lumi yet.

"Queen Lisbet was murdered," Tom said, his voice low.

Lumi opened her mouth, wanting to say something, anything, but nothing came to her. Katja didn't seem to hear anything that Tom had said.

"There was a funeral yesterday, but you were still asleep. Katja will be crowned tomorrow."

"Was it Virani?" Lumi asked.

"It was someone with ice magic," Tom said. "It could have been her, or Osvald, or any of the wolfguard. No one saw anything."

"I'm sorry, Katja," Lumi murmured.

Katja didn't look up.

Lumi felt weak from days in bed, but when a servant came with salty vegetable soup, she was able to finish it all, and she felt marginally better. The burns on her hands were sore, but she had had many burns in her life, and she was used to the pain. But now, she knew, she would never deliver this pain to herself again.

In the afternoon, she was able to get out of bed and walk around her rooms. The next day, she was given fresh clothes to wear and even had servants do her hair. They tied it back in a very Norrlish style which made her feel uncomfortable, so she ended up undoing it all and letting it fall down in its natural straight style.

They went to a grand cathedral, to sit in pews and watch as Katja became Queen Katja of Norrlund.

"I don't think I'll get used to calling her Queen," Tom said, helping himself to sandwiches at the reception after the coronation. They had just spent too many hours listening to sermons in Norrlish - Lumi had barely been able to keep her eyes open - and now the nobility were mingling in the drawing rooms of the palace, drinking sparkling wine.