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 froze at the last line as she once again got up, moving to a little alcove with a desk.
“What do you mean?” Explosions of excitement and nervousness went off inside me.
Her indigo eyes twinkled as she handed me a folder, placing a wrapped present on the coffee table in front of me with the other hand.
“Just what I said.” She resumed her seat. “We would love to have you. You will have a spacious apartment in the fairy castle and servants at your disposal. We have carriages at the ready for our castle residents, so you will be able to leave whenever you wish. No more being caged for you, Aurelia. Your life as a captive will end immediately. Our tailors are the best in the world, and our cooks just as fine. Your yearly income is noted in that folder and is negotiable, though I think you will be pleased. The situation with Granny will be a thing of the past. Our guards will hunt her upon your acceptance and end her threat to you forever.”
“What . . .?” I opened the folder and scanned the contents, seeing a description of the apartment, drawn pictures, and a yearly sum so extravagant that it seemed like a joke. This whole thing seemed like a joke, actually. A prank, maybe, someone having a little fun at my expense. I closed the folder and looked at the present. “What will I do there?”
“You’ll train your magic, of course. You won’t just learn how to work magic—you’ll also have access to tutors, a large library, and other professionals to help you on your intellectual journey. I know how much you love to learn. You’ll assist the king and court but will still have ample time to roam the grounds and gardens, savoring each beautiful day. It is a wonderful area with pleasant, giving sorts of people.” She tilted her head a little. “You will be welcome there, Aurelia. You will be a treasured member of the community. You’ll be one of us. A fairy.”
I let out a shaky breath, looking at the present, still unable to comprehend it all.
“Please.” She gestured toward the present, indicating I should take it.
I did, pulling the ribbon and letting it fall to my lap before peeling away the paper. Inside the little box was a fairy knife. It immediately started to glow when I picked it up, the hilt a gorgeous moonstone—a clever nod to my dual magic. It was touching. I watched the blade spring out, slicing the air.
“A gift,” she said.
Remembering how she’d put the blade away, I did the same, setting it back into the box and closing the lid. My whole body was shaking now, not just my hands. Adrenaline and longing pumped through my veins. I felt incredulous but excited—and so horribly confused about the sudden turn my life was taking.
“You’ll want to think about it, I imagine.” She reached for her tea as I sat with my hands on the box, looking down at a surreal situation. “But remember, we are the only ones who can train you in your fairy magic, Aurelia. Any shifter can teach you how to run and fight—and we can employ a whole pack to do just that—but the dragon kingdom doesn’t have the means to train you any other way. You need to get a handle on that magic, and we are the only ones who can help you do it.”
I didn’t look up. “What about working with plants and making my product?”
“A wonderful hobby. The dragons have fashioned their gardens after what they saw in our kingdom. We can purchase anything you require and would just ask that you make whatever is safe and throw away anything that is not. We would not dream of asking you to stop an art you so dearly love.”
I looked up at her then. “And Weston?”
She smiled at me warmly. “Has an open invite to join you. Your apartment has plenty of space for you both, and a family if you choose it. It would be a dream to have such a powerful alpha represented in our court. There, he would get to reclaim his true right—the title of alpha.”
I nodded slowly and gathered up my things, putting the ribbon and wrapping on the coffee table. She stood as I did, her hands clasped in front of her and her smile so pretty.
“We could be friends, Aurelia,” she said, and I could tell she meant it. Longed for it, even. “I don’t have many because of my position. I can’t be open with the people here because of it, either. My relationships are always strained, and with my sister gone, I don’t have anyone to confide in. You’d be entering the court at a status similar to me. Your magic is that attractive to the king. We could be like sisters, open with each other in a way we couldn’t be here. In a way the royals here can’t be with anyone below them. In a way Weston can’t be with the people below him—your fate should you become a beta at his side.” She stepped toward me and put a hand on mine. “Think about it, will you?”