~ The Black Market and Masks ~

"Try it again," Peregrine said, watching Aiden try to use a magic formula.

Aiden closed his eyes and let out a grumble of disgust. His forehead creased as he took deep breaths in an attempt to gather his mana particles. After a few seconds, his finger began to glow a soft yellow colour.

"Look," Winter said, resting her head on her arm. "You're doing it."

He hung his head and mumbled, "That took so long, it's no fair."

"If you're not going to"—Peregrine sighed and flipped through a book—"at least practice, I don't see the point in even teaching you."

Winter giggled at a pouting Aiden. He was finally able to use a weak version of healing magic. It wasn't much, but he was progressing and that made her more than happy.

Winter looked at her finger and thought about Aiden's magic. Aiden, who struggled with his mana, was told to concentrate his magic into a smaller region of his body. That way, it would be easier for him to channel his mana.

Winter mimicked Aiden and closed her eyes. She focused on the cold sensations of her body travelling to the tip of her finger.

"Here," Peregrine told her, sliding a glass of water across the table. "Once you feel like you've channeled your affinity to your finger, touch this water and try to freeze it."

Winter nodded, searching for her mittens in case something went wrong. Once she spotted them, she let out a long sigh and shut her eyes. She focused on the feeling of pins and needles travelling across her skin.

When she opened her eyes, the tip of her finger turned a light shade of blue. She swallowed nervously and gently tapped the surface of water in the glass. The water froze over completely.

She smiled before grabbing her finger that now ached with pain. The once blue skin was now a bright red, a minor after effect of using her affinity. It was akin to frostbite.

Peregrine sighed. "Perhaps you should use a medium."

"What's a medium?" Aiden asked, blowing his warm breath into Winter's aching finger.

"It's an object used as a means of transmission," He told them, rubbing his chin in thought. "Since Winter's affinity harms her body, what if she used something else to channel it? If she channels her affinity into an object, the object would receive most of the damage and not her body."

"Where am I supposed to find an object that can handle my affinity?" Winter asked him. "Won't most normal objects freeze over or break?"

Peregrine nodded with a clear frown. "Ask the King or one of the Princes. I'm sure they can find something."

Aiden huffed, "When will I develop my affinity? Why does Winter always get everything first?"

Winter swallowed nervously with a dry throat. If Aiden knew that her early awakening was a result of being born as his vessel, he would surely flip out. Her early awakening wasn't something to be jealous of; her affinity had almost killed her several times.

Wouldn't it affect him too, though? Since both twins had one half of the same soul, wouldn't Aiden's affinity development occur in a weird way?

Winter thought long and hard before a realization dawned upon her. What if her soul wasn't one half of Aiden's? What if the soul that resided inside Winter's body was Illia's? Since Illia woke up inside Winter's body with no memories as Winter, would that mean that the original Winter's soul had died?

"Her Highness' case is a dangerous one," Peregrine told him. "You're lucky you're progressing normally. You'll be able to properly train with your affinity and develop it. Her Highness isn't capable of even using her affinity properly right now."

As the lesson progressed, Winter's mind was lost in a daze. What if the gods wanted her dead because she messed up the natural order of the story? Illia's soul isn't from this world. Her existence in itself shouldn't have affected the story this much.

She sighed, thinking deeply about the worries that stained her heart. She wondered if there were any prophets in the Black Market.

~***~

Winter's bedroom was swallowed by the silence that accompanied night. She carefully slid out of bed, watching Aiden's movements. Since he slept in his own bed on the other side of the room, it was easier for her to move around during the night without waking him.

She carefully created a lump using her pillows and covered it with her snow-white blankets. From afar, her bed looked occupied. If Esme came to check on them during the night, she wouldn't be able to tell Winter was gone unless she lifted the covers.

Winter quietly sighed, taking careful steps towards her wardrobe. She pulled out the loose dress and cloak she had stashed earlier this morning. She slid her feet into a pair of boots and laced them up with careful hands. She tried to dress as plainly as possible. After slipping into her outfit and hiding her nightgown, she headed towards the balcony doors.

Etrix had pawned off her jewellery earlier today and sent a bag back with the leftover coins from the guild. She tied the pouch around her waist and slipped out of her room through the balcony doors.

"I've been waiting," A voice called from the darkness of night.

Winter saw a flicker of silver from inside a cloaked hood. Henrik was dressed in plain clothes like her. His cloak covered most of his body, but she could tell from the thirst in his eyes that it was him.

"We need to talk," She whispered. "Let's go somewhere where we won't get caught."

Henrik smirked. He reached out a gloved hand and ran it through Winter's silvery locks. The colour of her hair instantly began to change to a shade of dark brown.

"What is..."

"It's alteration magic," He told her, drawing his hand back. "It won't last long, so we should get going."

Winter's once sparkling curtains of silver hair were replaced by a shade of brown and her ice green eyes had been washed over by a shade of hazel.

Winter let Henrik draw her into a warm embrace that seemed to melt away the ice in her veins. His hands was warm and soft in hers, with an unwavering grip of strength. She shuddered slightly in his arms.

She gazed down at the ground beneath them. It seemed to fade away into the void of darkness and she felt her legs shaking. She wasn't sure if it was fear or the cold. She met Henrik's eyes and he smiled reassuringly.

"Come," He said while edging her closer to the railing of the balcony. "We have to jump."

He hoisted her up and the pair stood on the railing in an embrace. Her knuckles whitened from holding his hands so tightly. Winter's toes curled around the end of the railing and she felt the cold stone through her boots. And they jumped.

At first, Winter kept her eyes shut. She allowed the darkness to consume her and felt the cold wind blowing through her hair and against her body. She felt Henrik's hands in hers. She opened her eyes slightly and to her surprise, she wasn't plummeting towards the grounds. They were soaring through the sky.

She was horrified, but never felt more alive in this world as Winter. Adrenaline pulsed through her body as she was suspended in the air, rushing towards the hard ground below her. The impact would likely kill her if they continued to fall this fast, so she closed her eyes and awaited the inevitable.

As the night around her turned into a blur, she felt a familiar feeling of warmness envelop her entirely. She was blinded by a bright white light. Is this transportation magic?

She felt Henrik's arms around her and she buried her head into his neck. She held him tightly, fingers intertwined behind his head as he grabbed her legs. He landed against the floor with a gentle thud, carrying Winter in his arms. He released her and her feet her feet hit the ground in a much less gentle nature.

"We're here," He told her softly.

Winter looked around her nervously. Sure enough, they were in an alley of some sort of market. People of all sizes walked around with masks and hoods covering their faces. There were several vendors and booths set up, but the usual cheery atmosphere of a market was replaced by an eery silence. There was a sort of heavy tension in the air that made Winter nervous.

Henrik pulled out two masks from his satchel and handed one to Winter. She took the black mask and slipped it on her face before drawing her hood up.

"First," She told him from behind her mask. "You have to stop following me around."

Henrik's eyes flickered with amusement from behind his mask. "I couldn't help it."

Winter frowned, shaking her head. "What are you even doing here? You do realize if you get caught in this Empire, you'll get in serious trouble."

"I'm here for the same reason as you," He said, adjusting Winter's mask with his gentle hands. "The Dark Mage. I sensed his presence at your banquet, so my father allowed me to stay here and investigate further."

"The Dark Mage?"

"The wielder of the devil's power. He used to reside in my father's Empire, but we were never able to locate him. All that we found was a trail of victims left from his crimes. Isn't that why you want a book about Dark Magic? You wan't to find proof that connects them to the Laurentes."

Winter swallowed nervously. "Just how long have you been stalking me for?"

"Long enough."

"You're seriously-"

"You should be glad," He said softly against the faint whispers of the marketplace. "I went to investigate the Laurentes after you mentioned them and sure enough I felt something weird at the Marquis' estate. It wasn't black magic, but I sensed something off there. I'm not sure what it was, but I need to find out more."

Winter hesitated. "Why are you helping me?"

"I'm not just doing this for you. The Dark Mage killed my mother, so I have every intention of killing him slowly."

Winter paused. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"Never mind that," He said, reaching out a hand for her to take. "Tell me what you need from here."

Winter took his hand and felt the warmth of his palm against hers. "Information on Black Magic, a medium for my affinity and I need to see someone who has similar powers as a prophet."

Their eyes met and for a moment Winter felt as if she would melt away into his stare. She cast her now hazel eyes at the ground and focused on the frayed laces of her black boots. She wouldn't let herself be pulled in by him any longer.

He gently led her into the crowd of masked people. They melted away into the marketplace, hidden behind the shield of their masks.