Beatrice POV
I healed six more plants before my energy ran out. Each one came easier than the last. By the sixth, I barely had to think about it.
"Mother would be so proud," Corin said softly. "You have her gift. Her touch."
"I wish I'd known her," I said. "I wish she could have taught me this herself."
"She is teaching you." Corin gestured to the healthy plants. "Through me. Through your blood. Through the magic she passed down. She's here, Beatrice. She never really left."
That afternoon, Silas ambushed me in the library. He had maps and documents spread across three tables.
"Pop quiz," he announced. "Name the five major families of the Eastern Territories."
"Ravencrest, Thornfield, Ashwood, Silverpine, and Moonveil," I rattled off. "Ravencrest holds the most land. Thornfield con
