The Terrible Gift (Empath Found Book 1)

by Colette Rhodes

  Arthus arched a brow, looking around the silent table. “Is your dinner conversation always this stimulating, or is this all on my account?” he asked lightly.

  Leigh snorted, and I felt some of the tension at the table dissipate. “You’re a bit intimidating,” Leigh replied honestly, and Briallen elbowed him.

  “So, how do you and Fi know each other?” Briallen asked casually while shooting me a glare that promised we’d be discussing this new development later. I hadn’t mentioned Arthus to my friends because I wasn’t sure he’d be comfortable with me telling people about us.

  “I’m her suitor,” he responded smoothly, without an ounce of hesitation. Huh, maybe I’d read him wrong after all.

  Leigh let out a low whistle, “Both your suitors have gifted abilities, Fi? Quite the circle you’re forming there.”

  “She’s not done. She’ll have three for sure. Still, time for Bryn to get his act together,” Briallen muttered.

  “B!” I hissed, face flaming. Speak of the devil, Bryn had just walked through the door, and I looked up in time to see his hard glare on our table. Our eyes collided, and for a second, I thought I saw a flash of something that looked like hurt, but it was gone the next instant. There were too many people in the room for me to get a clear read of his emotions. Even though he had just entered the commons, presumably to get dinner, Bryn turned on his heel and stormed out. Confusing fae.

  I shrugged off the weird moment and focused my attention on the five people in front of me who had quickly become a significant part of my life over the past few weeks. I’d never had a group of friends before, and I was more grateful than they could possibly know for their friendship.

  We finished up dinner and Marlen, Arthus, and I seemed to naturally gravitate out of the commons together. Having them either side of me felt like a little slice of heaven. Could I be selfish enough to pursue claiming them as mates in spite of the problems it might present for my magic?

  Would the mating pull even give me a choice? As we walked, Marlen’s hand was gripped firmly in mine, the idea of not touching him seemed insane to me. How much of that was me and how much was the mating pull?

  “There was something I’d like to discuss with you both if you have a moment,” Arthus enquired politely. He was much more reserved around Marlen than he was when it was just me. There were zero sexy air magic tricks happening right now.

  “I’m free,” I said a little hopefully, looking to Marlen. It felt so good being around both of them, I didn’t want to go back to my cabin yet. Even if Marlen would probably come with me.

  “Sure.” Marlen smiled at me. I should have known. He never really denied me anything.

  I was beginning to understand what Briallen had meant about different mates balancing you in different ways. Marlen was my teddy bear who would let me get away with murder, but I could already tell that wasn’t how the dynamic between Arthus and me would go. If Bryn and I had decided to pursue the mating pull, I knew without a doubt he wouldn’t have let me get away with anything. It’s probably the thing I liked most about him.

  “Great, let’s go to my cabin. Fewer ears around,” Arthus added quietly, drawing me out of my revery before striding off ahead. I exchanged a glance with Marlen before pulling him along after Arthus.

  Arthus’ cabin was much nicer than mine. Not to bitch about it because I genuinely liked my cabin and I was grateful I didn’t have to share it but holy hell, this one was way cooler.

  “How’d you wrangle a circle cabin?” Marlen asked with a low whistle.

  “A what?” I asked him.

  “It’s a cabin for mates, they’re a bit more spacious and have enough furniture for three people. And just the one bed, though it’s much bigger,” he added with a wink and I flushed. Too soon for that conversation.

  “I’ve had it since I was a student. Everyone knows about my gift, it isn’t safe for me to have a roommate,” Arthus answered with a shrug.

  “Speaking of safety, I’d like to talk to you about your schedule, Fi. Specifically, all of the times I’ve noticed you walking between classes on your own. That is a dangerous risk to take, given the two threats you’ve already received,” he continued and I stared at him.

  “Er, first of all, have you been watching me around the campus? I...don’t know how I feel about that. And what do you know about the threats? Only one was public,” I said suspiciously. Had I read Arthus completely wrong?

  “I’ve hardly been following you,” he said dismissively. “You’ve been going out of your way to walk past the air mastery classroom, have you not? The mating pull is constantly drawing us together.”

  That didn’t sound as creepy as following me around and he had a very valid point about me hanging around outside the air mastery classroom.

  “As for the threats, Bryn told me you’d received two and he thought there may be more but you wouldn’t tell him because he’s on your list of suspects?” Arthus raised his eyebrow at me in a way that made me feel distinctly judged.

  “I don’t know,” I sighed. “I’m just being cautious, just in case. I know that upsets him though I don’t really understand why. He doesn’t even like me.” A strong tickling sensation told me both Marlen and Arthus were amused by that idea.

  “What?” I asked them accusingly, crossing my arms and giving them each my best glower.

  “I don’t know Bryn well, sweetheart, but I doubt he would have told me what an idiot I was by running from you or threatened me not to tell anyone about your gift if he didn’t like you,” Arthus said with a light chuckle.

  “He did those things?” I asked, baffled. “Maybe it’s the mating pull driving him to protect me or something. Remember, I would be able to tell if he had feelings for me. Empath, remember?”

  “You’ve spent most of your life trying to avoid other people’s emotions, foxglove. I’m not sure you would be able to tell with Bryn. It might not be as obvious as you expect it to be,” Marlen countered gently.

  “Okay, let’s move on from this topic and never discuss it again,” I muttered irritably. “What were you saying about my schedule, Arthus?” Arthus gave me a long look but let the subject drop.

  “I can tell you’re resistant to the idea of relying on other people but can you at least allow the two of us to escort you on campus until we know where the threats are coming from?” Arthus asked.

  I huffed a sigh but I could feel both Arthus and Marlen were genuinely concerned, and Arthus didn’t even know about the two drawings of me in a cage yet.

  “Okay, sure. You two can escort me around like bodyguards until we figure out who is sending the notes,” I conceded.

  “That’s our girl,” Arthus murmured into my ear, kissing me lightly on the temple. Oh my, those three words had a serious effect on my libido. Arthus definitely noticed, tilting my chin gently towards him and stroking his thumb over my cheekbone. I knew my stare was bordering on longing and I should try to regain some cool points but I just wanted him so much, I totally lost my head being in close proximity like this.

  “Soon, sweetheart.” He smirked. That infuriating word again. I resisted the urge to growl at him as Marlen wrapped an arm around my waist from behind me.

  “All in good time, foxglove. Let’s head back to your cabin, I’ll take care of you,” he murmured in my ear, giving my hip a light squeeze. I don’t know what I expected to happen but I was definitely surprised when Marlen threw Arthus a cheeky wink and Arthus chuckled softly in response. How is this my life?

  I was not thrilled at leaving Arthus behind but at least I was bringing my sexy water fae home with me.

  Fi

  “I hired a carriage for us tomorrow,” Briallen said casually as the six of us ate dinner together for the second time.

  “Why?” I asked, my tone laced with suspicion. “Where are we going?”

  “Where indeed, my love?” Leigh enquired, his voice deceptively calm considering the tension he was feeling. “Marlen and I are both on guard duty tomor
row.”

  Marlen’s concern swirled through my gut and I reached over to give his hand a comforting squeeze.

  “Don’t be mad,” Briallen sighed. “Fi hasn’t had a chance to visit Inver yet, she only owns Academy-issued clothing and we both need dresses for the masque. I’m so desperate to take her shopping!” Briallen pleaded and Leigh’s resolve crumbled into dust. I don’t think I’d ever seen him say no to her.

  “What’s Inver?” I asked, turning to face Arthus.

  “A market town, around an hour’s carriage ride from here. It’s shorter by flight but that will limit the amount of stuff you can bring back,” he replied, cocking a brow at Briallen who flushed as pink as her hair.

  “I can accompany the girls tomorrow,” Arthus added, and both Marlen and Leigh’s relief was palpable.

  “Do you not have to do guard duty?” I wondered aloud, frowning as I realized again that I didn’t know all that much about my mysterious air fae.

  “Not anymore, sweetheart. Just the students,” Arthus said softly.

  “That seems unfair,” I muttered.

  Marlen shrugged. “I guess it’s how we earn our keep around here. The Academy isn’t as well-funded as it once was. Not enough magic to keep the population up.”

  “Swear you’ll stick with Arthus the whole day, B. I mean it. I don’t like you going out without me,” Leigh interjected, still fixated on tomorrow's shopping trip.

  “I swear,” Briallen said honestly, gripping his hand.

  “Aderyn, are you coming with us?” I asked. She had been even quieter than usual tonight.

  “I’m going to sit this one out, I hope that’s okay,” Aderyn responded shyly and I felt a strange awkward embarrassment emanating from both her and Marlen. I frowned up at him but his look clearly said not now so I let it drop. I trusted that he’d talk to me when he was ready.

  Briallen’s rising excitement made it hard to focus on anything else after that, it buzzed over my skin like a swarm of bees. I smiled at her giddiness, I could think of worse ways to spend my day than shopping with Briallen and Arthus. Besides, I’d been meaning to learn more about Avalon and this was the perfect opportunity.

  ◆◆◆

  The journey to Inver was beautiful. I hadn’t been in a carriage since that first night I arrived in Avalon and I was glad I had another opportunity to see the realm from the ground. The view was mostly trees and a couple of rolling meadows again, but I still hadn’t gotten used to the majestic beauty of Avalon, or the sense of peace it provided me.

  We traveled for a long time before I began to sense other souls around us. The Academy grounds must be seriously isolated. As we approached Inver, the forest became sparser and cottages were interspersed increasingly closer together. We crossed an arched stone bridge over a little river to get to the town gates, then exited the carriage where it would wait for us outside the town walls.

  The town was walled the whole way around, with an arched entryway that held a large metal grate that could be dropped to keep the citizens in. Or the intruders out. Whatever. We passed through on foot and I was immediately struck by how different Inver was from the Academy. There were no dirt paths or treehouses here — Inver was all cobbled streets lined by tall, connected stone buildings. It looked like the ground floor of each building was a shop or workspace, with housing above them.

  I looked around in awe but keenly felt the loss of the grass beneath my feet. There was an uncomfortable tightness in my veins that made me think that my discomfort was emotional but magical. My magic didn’t like being away from nature.

  “Inver is a market town for the whole realm, not just fae,” Arthus said, taking pity on my confused face. “More and more fae live within the city walls now though. Without an affinity element, the need isn’t as pressing to live amongst nature. The goblins don’t care about being close to nature, they make up most of the population here.”

  As we followed the winding path into the town, the streets became more crowded and stalls began to litter the pavement and I realized there were definitely more species than just fae here. Toward the hub of the market, the goblins definitely outnumbered everyone else.

  A vain part of me was grateful I was a fae, not a goblin. Aesthetically, they were...not great to look at. Their noses were so long, they looked more like a short elephant trunk, hanging down over their blubbery, downturned mouths. All of them had shifty, beady eyes that glittered black, contrasting with their pale leathery skin. The goblins kind of reminded me of blobfish, if blobfish had spindly arms and legs.

  A hard elbow to the ribs from Briallen made me realize I was staring. I wasn’t exactly being subtle either, the goblins were a good couple of feet shorter than me, so my perusal had been pretty obvious.

  We wandered past a row of more permanent-looking stalls, with canvas coverings and makeshift wooden displays for the wares, as well as people who looked like they’d just parked up their cart of goods for the day wherever they could find a spot. One of the carts was manned by two centaurs. They were beautiful and majestic — basically the polar opposite of the goblins. The centaurs had the head, torso, and arms of a human, but their lower half was the body of a horse.

  The female centaur had smooth, dark skin that seamlessly blended into a rich ebony horse coat. Her long black hair was as straight and silky as her tail, both swished elegantly as she moved. She wore a brown leathery-looking bikini top to preserve her modesty but nothing else. Her face was the most beautiful I’d ever seen, with high, angular cheekbones and dark almond-shaped eyes. Her male companion was just as stunning, with pale skin and thick chestnut hair that matched his coat.

  I had about a million questions on the tip of my tongue, but Arthus silenced me with a long knowing look.

  “Some of the visitors to Inver have more sensitive hearing than we do. Best save the questions for later, sweetheart,” he murmured in my ear and I nodded to let him know I’d heard him.

  Briallen clearly didn’t have time for my questions anyway. She powered through the crowd, parting them with ease until we came to a dressmaker’s shop, marked by a wooden sign with a picture of a needle and thread hanging above the door. Briallen tugged me through the door and I snagged Arthus’ hand to make sure I didn’t lose him. I felt a brief flash of his surprise, probably because I never initiated physical contact with Arthus. It wasn’t our thing.

  There were racks on racks of dresses all throughout the store, and Briallen explained that we could choose the design we want and the tailor would make them to our sizes and send them to us on campus. It felt indulgent to spend my stipend on clothes when I probably had enough Academy-issued things to go on, but I also really wanted a few things for myself. The meager supplies I’d brought with me from Albion were basically a disintegrated mess now, as Bryn warned me they would be. Besides, I needed a dress for the masque and I definitely didn’t have any gowns in my wardrobe.

  I drifted over to the wall of gowns and felt Arthus step up close behind me, inches from my back.

  “You know, Marlen and I talked about it this morning and we both like you in red,” he murmured in his deep, sexy voice, breath hot on my ear. Arthus’ gently circled my wrist and lifted my hand so my fingers brushed over a beautiful, deep red ball gown.

  It was made of linen, like all of my other clothes, but it looked and felt infinitely more luxurious than anything else I owned. I didn’t have a great view of it on the rack but the bodice looked quite skimpy while the skirt was made up of asymmetrical layers that gave it a full, fluffy effect. It was very striking.

  “I’ll try it on,” I promised, my voice breathy. Gods, all Arthus had done was touch my wrist and I was a hot, panting mess. He’d better stop with this you’re-not-ready-Fi bullshit soon, I was losing my mind.

  In the end, I bought the red gown and an emerald linen long sleeve top and maxi skirt combo that seemed to be a popular winter fashion trend. We stopped at some of the roadside stalls and I picked up a plum-colored woolen beanie with matching
gloves, as well as an enormous scarf that could have doubled as a blanket in a plaid-type pattern. I ended up donning all three straight away because I definitely was not warm enough in my wrap dress and cardigan.

  On our way back toward the city gates, something must have caught Arthus’ eye as he directed Briallen and me to stand with our backs to the wall we could keep an eye on us at all times and went to talk to a stallholder.

  “Briallen?” I asked and she hummed in response, distracted with admiring the silver leaf brooch she’d just purchased.

  “My feet are freaking freezing.”

  “What?” She looked up in surprise.

  “My feet! Why don’t fae wear shoes? It’s winter,” I said, trying and failing to keep the whine out of my voice. Briallen burst out laughing.

  “We use the connection to nature to support our magic. You can get by without it but it always feels…odd. You’re not feeling that now? Being in the town?” she asked curiously.

  “I mean, I guess so. I just…do you all just get used to having cold feet all the time? It’s seriously uncomfortable,” I said with a shrug.

  “I suppose we are just used to it. I have leather riding boots I use sometimes in winter if I’m flying and it’s really cold out, or if I’m visiting somewhere snowy. It doesn’t feel right though, so I don’t use them much. Did you want to get some while we’re here?”

  I sighed, not wanting to be the odd-fae-out on campus by wearing shoes. “No, it’s fine. I’ll guess I’ll just have to harden up.”

  Arthus returned then, one hand behind his back and the slightest hint of nervous energy rolling off him, skittering down my spine.

  “I have something for you,” he said slowly, and Briallen politely took an interest in a nearby fruit stall to give us an illusion of privacy.

  “You didn’t have to get me anything,” I told him sincerely, even as my excitement bubbled up, threatening to overflow. No one had ever got me anything before. I’d been given donated presents each Christmas but they were always purchased by an anonymous stranger for a Girl, Aged X, not for me in particular.