Queen Raven's Arc

Chapter 2 of 2

The crow had flown. Now Raven had three days and a ballroom that could scare guests away. She pushed open the tall doors and stepped inside. Dust hung in the air. Sheets covered the tables like burial cloth. The great windows were gray with grime, and cobwebs hung thick in every corner. No one would want to dance here. It looked like a tomb. Morgana followed her in, feather duster in hand. Her orange-striped stockings flashed under her torn maid skirt. She looked around the huge, dead room and let out a small breath. "Ma Reine, three days," she said. "We cannot clean all this." Edgar came behind her, silent as always. He carried no tray this time, only a candle that would not stay lit in the cold air. "The room remembers happier nights," he said, his voice low and strange. "But memory alone will not warm it, my Queen." Raven knew he was right. Scrubbing and hanging cloth would take a week. She had days. For years she had hidden her magic. She had feared what it did to people. But now she needed it, not to frighten, but to build. She did not even know if she her power could even do that. She walked to the center of the floor. "Stand back," she said. Morgana and Edgar stepped toward the wall. Raven lifted her hands and closed her eyes. She pictured the room the way she wanted it. Carved pumpkins glowing along the walls. Candles floating in the air with no strings. Tables dressed in black and gold cloth. She held the image tight and pushed her power into it. The air shifted. She heard Morgana gasp. She heard Edgar's candle drop. She did not open her eyes. The floor hummed under her boots. Cold wind moved across her face. She poured everything she had into the picture, until her arms shook and her breath came hard. When she opened her eyes, she nearly cried. The dust was gone. Golden light filled the room. Pumpkins grinned along every wall. Candles hung in the air, burning soft and steady. The tables shone under black and gold cloth. It was beautiful. It was warm. It looked like a place people could love. Morgana pressed both hands to her mouth. "Ma Reine," she whispered. "It is a dream." Raven laughed, breathless and proud. For the first time, her magic had made something good. Raven still had a lot to learn about her power and magic, but tonight she had created something beautiful with it and that satisfied her.