Total pages in book: 182
Estimated words: 171176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
“I’m so sorry I haven’t had time to speak with you properly,” she said before sipping her tea. She set the cup on the saucer and the saucer on the coffee table. “I’ve had some pressing business to attend to. Every time I come here, it is always a working holiday.”
I nodded politely, wondering what this was all about.
“As I said, I got some interesting news from my king last night.” Her smile was friendly. “First, would you be so kind as to humor me?” She looked to the side, where a shelf held a little red box with a very cool design stenciled on the side. “I have the kit to determine how much of your heritage is directly connected to fairy lineage.”
Butterflies swarmed my belly. “Sure.”
The test required a sample of blood mixed with a potion made by fairies. After using a needle to prick my finger, she squeezed out a drop into a waiting glass vial. Lights danced in a little orb and then a single color illuminated the sphere: cherry red.
“An exact quarter.” Her smile was jubilant as she tucked the test back into the box.
“So, one of my grandparents was full fairy? Or maybe two of them were half? Or three—”
“It is very likely one was full fairy, yes. It will take some time in the archives, but we should be able to establish who was traveling or living near your grandparents at the time of your mother or father’s conception. Likely your mother’s, since the wolf court of Flamma prefers its higher-level positions be occupied only by wolves, though I suppose the mixed blood could be hidden if the magic wasn’t obvious. We’ll look, at any rate. I’m sure you’d like to know.”
My teacup rattled on the saucer, and I set it down. The idea of family ties to the fairies spiked my adrenaline. It was like living in a dream.
“Yes, please,” I said softly, clasping my hands in my lap.
Her smile was genuine, and I felt a rush of warmth that she seemed happy I wanted into her society.
But really, who wouldn’t? The fairies were such pretty, ethereal, magical beings. Anyone would want a family tree reaching back into their history.
“Now.” She sat back down, clasping her hands like mine. “Let’s discuss your magic. You are what is known as an Emoter. The effects of this magic are just what it sounds like: you emote your feelings into the space around you. Those feelings can affect people in whatever way you desire. I thought you might also have some empathic traits, but I believe you have developed a sort of sixth sense to danger based on your troubled life. That is commendable, but not a trainable magic. The emoting portion of your magic, however, is highly trainable.”
“That’s the mind-fucking Vemar talks about.”
She inclined her head. “It is. A very powerful mind-fuck. We have a great many Emoters in our kingdom; it is not an uncommon form of magic. Through intense training and study, most Emoters only reach a passable level of service. They can change a person’s mood, mostly, turning a happy man sad, for example. They can make an enemy more willing to give up their secrets, things like that. We do not have anyone with the level of power you possess, able to turn dragons against their king. Able to send people fleeing out of the castle. We have historical records of Emoters that strong, but there have been none in recent years. Until you.”
I massaged my temples, starting to shake. It was hard to process what she was saying. I hadn’t grown up sensing my animal, but I’d grown up amongst shifters. I’d had a frame of reference for their kind. I had nothing for this. It wasn’t even making sense. Sure, I now had proof that I had fairy blood, but a strong magic as well? I simply couldn’t comprehend it.
“Are you s-sure? My mother didn’t have any magic at all.”
“First, we aren’t exactly sure about that, are we?”
I remembered what Hadriel had said, that maybe my mom’s ability to influence people—they’d hated her one moment and fawned over her the next—might’ve been magic. She had been looking for shifter magic all that time, not fairy magic.
“For argument’s sake, let’s assume she didn’t,” Calia continued. “Mixing fairy magic and that of shifters can sometimes be . . . unpredictable. Usually, one of the magics will be at the forefront, whichever is stronger. That is the most common result. That is why it could very well be your father who has the fairy magic, hiding it from his court. And then sometimes the magics compete and essentially cancel each other out. If your mother truly didn’t have magic, this is likely what happened. Rarely, sometimes the magics boost each other, making each stronger. This is what I think happened with you. Your shifter magic is as strong as it comes, as evidenced by your true mate. Your Emoter magic is incredibly powerful, something we haven’t seen in a long time. The emberflies clinched it for me. You have created for yourself an advanced warning system, unconsciously drawing to you the elements that would best display danger. Through training, this can be achieved in a multitude of ways, not to mention the other uses of the magic. You are a gem, Aurelia. A fairy gem. And my court would love to have you.”