Page 181 of Bone Year

“If I’m a blood mage, then why can’t I use current? I should be able to create it, like you.”

That chill presses against my spine again, the presence drawing closer.

“Two half-siblings, only one may come into power. For that to happen, one of you must die.”

The dark goes silent.

“I’m sorry. What?”

I think my vision would be narrowing with anxiety if it wasn’t already completely black in here.

“Blood remembersss blood, Maelisss Rossse. Thisss perssson will be closer to you than you think. You will be drawn to one another in sssome way.”

“How do I even go about finding this person? Who are they?”

“That isss not mine to give either. The ssshape of the answer is already in your handsss.”

I start to spiral. It could be anyone. I can’t kill anyone. The thought of having a half-sibling I’ve never known and being asked to choose between us—between my power and theirs, between my life and theirs—makes the dark pull tighter around me.

“What if neither of us wants to be a blood mage?”

“One of you will die. It isss desssstined.”

I shake my head. “No, I don’t believe you.”

“You ssshouldn’t worry about thisss now, child. You have more pressing mattersss to attend to.”

I almost laugh.

“More pressing than having a half-sibling and one of us destined to die.”

The coldness comes back.

“Tell me, child. What family hasss been known, for centuriesss, to eliminate any threat to the throne of Valen?”

I go still.

“What?”

“Ansssswer me.”

“I don’t⁠—”

“You do. You know thisss one. Sssay it for me.”

My mouth has gone dry. The presence is pressing in close, the slow heartbeat of Ashwell beating slow underneath my pulse, and I can feel the question with my whole body before my mind catches up to it.

“The Aldrics.”

“Yesss.”

“What does that have to do with⁠—”

“What family, Maelisss Rossse, hasss for four hundred yearsss hunted blood magesss to near extinction? What family ssspilled the blood of your kind acrossss every kingdom of Valen until there were ssso few of you left that the world believed your line had ended?”

“No.”

The word leaves me before the mirror has finished asking the question.