“Thank you for telling me. I promise I won’t say anything to Ryland, and I will try to be more understanding of his actions. I imagine he’s pretty pissed at the Fates for doing this to us, and I can’t really say I blame him.”
The day had been full of revelations, and I was feeling a whole lot better about my place within Arvayta. I had a plan forming in my head that I hoped Stryx agreed with or could use alongside whatever he was cooking up.
I wasn’t ready to die, and I sure the hell didn’t want to go dark like the Fates predicted, so now that I knew more about myself and what to expect from those around me, I felt ready to continue training.
“Enough with the heavy, and no more physical exercises. I want to learn how to control my magic. Stryx said we needed to work on orbs. Tell me more about them,” I suggested.
Jordan grinned before standing and reaching a hand out to me. “I’m more than happy to do so. But only for you, Chuck.”
I had a very strong feeling I’d live to regret this moment, but it didn’t stop me from placing my hand in hers and following her further out into the fields.
Jordan stood about twenty feet away from me, and we were facing each other. “Okay, I want you to create an orb. I know you read a bunch of the books or at least flipped through them, so I’m assuming you know how to do that much already.”
Blushing, I nodded. “I used one on Ryland earlier. It sort of backfired, and Oliver paid the price for it.”
“Ah, that makes much more sense, and I really wish I could have been there to see it, but a girl needs her beauty sleep. Oh, well. I’m sure there will be many more opportunities to see you do something completely wrong that causes someone else pain while bringing me sheer joy.”
I scowled at her, but she ignored me while creating her own ball of magic. It was perfectly symmetrical and a pale orange color. As she started tossing it between her hands, I focused on my inner well of power and sought out my own orb.
Just like when I was porting previously, gathering the magic and bringing it forward wasn’t easy or natural, but it was doable. Pulling it toward my hand, I watched in fascination as a lavender orb shimmered into appearance within my palm.
Jordan cheered for me. “Good job. Now, what were you thinking about when you created it?”
“Nothing except for making it appear. This whole intention thing freaks me out, especially since I almost killed Ryland earlier. I wanted the orb to sting a little and it ended up acting just like a bee sting instead.”
“Seriously pissed I wasn’t there. Anyway, I know it seems hard, but you’ll get the hang of it. I won’t let you fail.” As soon as the words left her mouth, I knew they were true.
Jordan was the best friend I could have ever asked for, and I trusted her to get me through whatever obstacles lay ahead.
We spent the next two hours creating magical orbs with different intentions and I learned that purple was my magical color as orange was Jordan’s, which made sense since she had an affinity for fire like I did for water.
Anything I created would always have a tint of purple to it, but the darker it was, the more powerful it would be. When I was finally able to make an orb that was nearing a midnight-black color, Jordan finally called our session a success.
“Let’s go get some gelato and head home,” she suggested.
“Dessert before dinner? I will never say no to that, especially when I skipped lunch.” We’d been so busy that I hadn’t even realized it was nearing four in the afternoon, but it had been a good day. A day that made me feel a hell of a lot better about being thrown into this insane world. I had thought I was prepared for it, but not even close.
When we arrived back at the house, Ryland was just leaving, and I froze in place as soon as I appeared in the yard.
Jordan nudged me, then whispered, “You have to act the same. He can’t know I told you.”
That was going to be harder than I realized, because I immediately felt sympathy for him instead of irritation.
He nodded to Jordan. “Did you finish her training for the day?”
“Yep. She’s proficient in orb creation now. What time are we beginning tomorrow?” she asked.
“Good. Let’s see if she can keep from almost killing anyone again. Let’s start tomorrow around seven. There’s no reason to be there before sunrise.”
I knew that last bit was a stab at me and tried not to let it piss me off, but I failed. “Can the two of you stop speaking as if I’m not standing right here?” I snapped.
Ryland glanced me over, then turned back to Jordan. “Don’t be late.”
Trying to be the bigger person, I held my tongue as he disappeared. I really wanted the animosity between us to go away. Hopefully tomorrow would be a better day.
Chapter Thirteen
The following day was utter hell. Jordan was no longer my best friend. Stryx was going to be de-feathered then cooked for dinner, and Ryland… He was going to be gutted just before I tossed him over a cliff. The only person I didn’t personally want to kill was Oliver, but it was still early, so anything was possible.
“Kali, quit being afraid of the magic. You’re only hindering yourself and making me late for lunch,” Jordan complained.
Yeah, easy for her to say. She hadn’t been knocked on her ass like I had more times than I cared to admit and laughed at when I blew up one of the boulders instead of just chipping it with the least amount of power.
Apparently, before I could move on, I had to learn control of the storm raging within me, but when Stryx lifted the block even a quarter of the way, I screwed up every time. I’d had all this confidence going into the morning. I was going to do better and prove I was capable of handling things, but that strength was slowly ripped away as I continued to fail at what was asked of me.
On top of not being able to control the endless well inside me, everything hurt. The magic burned my insides and made it hard to breathe when I tried to wield any sort of control over it. Part of me wondered if I wasn’t already dark and these were the consequences of it. Maybe no matter what we did or how they tried to prepare me, the ending for me wasn’t going to be all sunshine and roses.
Stryx flew into the back of my head and smacked me with his wing before landing on the table beside me. “Kaliah Grace, I don’t want to hear another word about going dark. This is all in your head, and you need to move past your fears. I will not let anything happen to you. Not during training or when we go to the Otherworld. You need to believe you’re safe; otherwise, this will be a waste of time for all of us.”
“You don’t understand. I can’t control it!” I screamed in his face as my frustration hit a new high.
“Yes, you can. You are more than you believe, and I’m going to prove it. It’s time to sink or swim, young one.”
With those final words, Stryx snapped his beak and began to flap his wings, but instead of flying away, he hovered above the table while wind slapped me in the face.
Glancing back at the others, they all stared wide-eyed, likely just as surprised as me at Stryx’s actions. Though, none of them intervened. Then, the burning sensation within me turned into a scorching one, and panic raced through me more than ever before.
“Stryx, you have to stop. Whatever you’re doing isn’t working!” I yelled above the roaring of the wind coming from him.
He ignored me, even as I fell to the ground and a glow began to surround my body so bright that I couldn’t even tell what color it was. Suddenly, I realized this was exactly how it felt when I’d “died” before being brought to Arvayta.
Stryx was trying to kill me for real this time.
Yelling could be heard through the roaring, but I couldn’t tell where it was coming from as I fought to keep consciousness and not die again. I wasn’t sure how many times I could do that and actually come back. Once seemed like more than enough.
The magic within me raged until it found a way out through different exits. Some left my hands like I was used to, then some of th
e power seemed to go straight through my heart like an electrical current that made me start convulsing on the ground.
Lastly, when I tried screaming through the agony, magic poured out of my mouth and went who knew where. My only hope was I hadn’t hurt anyone other than Stryx.
Hands grasped at me as I flailed around, unable to control any aspect of my body. A loud snarl sounded near my ear, and I was raised off the ground. When I dared to open my eyes, I still couldn’t see anything other than bright lights, as if I was staring directly into the sun, so I had no idea how someone was able to carry me, but whatever they were doing was working.
The power began to calm within me, but my energy was completely gone by the time the pain began to dissipate. So, even though I could probably see again, opening my eyes seemed like an impossible feat.
“It’s going to be okay, Kali. Just hang on,” Ryland’s voice whispered in my ear, and a wave of excitement ran through me.
Why was he, of all people, helping me? Wouldn’t life be easier for him if I was dead, considering how angry he’d been at our bond? I would have thought for sure he’d have been sitting back enjoying my torture. But at the same time, I couldn’t deny the joy that coursed through me knowing he’d come to my rescue.
Stupid soulmate bond was screwing with my emotions.
Before I could question much more, I heard the splashing of water. As soon as the cool liquid touched my skin, a sizzling sensation traveled along my body, and I was finally able to open my eyes. When I did, I was nose-to-nose with Ryland, whose concerned face didn’t once waver from mine.
“Are you okay?” he asked, voice gruff and low as he fully submerged my body into the water except my head.
Nodding, I did an internal check. Nothing was burning any longer, except for the parts of my body that were currently being cradled against Ryland, which I was choosing to ignore.
He smirked. “Can you talk?”
“Yep. I can probably stand, too, if you set me down,” I replied, trying to keep any feeling from my voice.
“Stryx almost blew you up. I wasn’t sure what to do except get you to the falls before things got worse,” he said as he loosened his hold on me.
When he let go of my legs, the moving water shoved me down and my body ended up flush against his. “I’m sorry,” I stammered, trying to push away from him, but the water seemed to be fighting against me.
His face creased in confusion. “It seems we’re literally being pressed together. Are you doing this?” he snapped, letting anger replace the confusion.
“Of course I’m not. You’re the one who brought me here. Maybe I should be asking you the same thing,” I retorted.
He huffed. “Listen, Kali. I’m sure you’re nice, but someone made a mistake. You’re not my soulmate. Don’t make this any harder than it already is.”
I heard his words and I understood them, but I also felt his fingertips tracing circles around my wrist in the water and wondered if he should be telling himself we weren’t soulmates instead of me.
“Ryland, all I care about right now is keeping myself alive and making sure other people don’t die because I’m alive. And maybe if you’re so against the Fates saddling you to me, then you shouldn’t touch me like you can’t stand the thought of letting go. The water isn’t doing that.”
His eyes widened as he glanced at his fingers around my wrist. “I didn’t mean…”
“Yeah, I know. Now get us out of here.”
The current in the pool beneath the falls was only around us, and I knew without a doubt that something bigger than me was interfering in whatever was happening, but there had to be some way around it. I couldn’t stay stuck to Ryland in the water all day.
The current pushed us closer together until my face pressed into his chest and I could hear the rapid thumping of his heart against my ear. I fit perfectly against him while his palms lay flat against my hips. If he wasn’t being so stubborn about the whole thing, I’d probably attempt to make a move on him, but I wasn’t pathetic and didn’t need him if he didn’t want me.
Correction, I didn’t need him to like me. I did apparently need him to help me get out of the mess I’d found myself in. Then, we could never speak again if that’s what made him happy.
The tearing pain in my chest said it wasn’t going to be so easy to walk away from my soulmate, even if he was a jerk, but others had said it was possible. So, I’d survive it and do my best not to let myself be completely shattered by a stranger in the process.
With those thoughts, I’d officially decided that magic sucked.
“What are you two doing?” Jordan screeched from above us as she came racing toward the water with Stryx and an older lady right behind her.
Focusing on the newcomer I wasn’t familiar with, I watched in fascination as she moved her hands in circular motions and then thrust them at Ryland and me. When the magic came closer, instead of hitting us, it dove into the water and the pressure keeping us locked together finally gave.
Ryland scrambled away first, and I followed immediately after. When I was back on the grass, Stryx landed on my shoulder. “Dry yourself off.”
Peeking over at Ryland, I realized he was completely dry; the only evidence we’d taken a swim was the disheveled appearance of his hair.
Not wanting to be shown up, I connected with my inner fae, but ended up on my ass instead as Stryx flew away to avoid being crunched on the ground underneath me.
Jordan snickered, but the newcomer shushed her. “Kaliah, my name is Lorelle. Let me help you.” She reached a hand to me, which I gladly took and stood up. “As you’ve learned, your power is too strong for your body, and you’re unable to handle the full amount gifted to you. In time, this will not be the case, but I have something to help you in the interim.”
She backed away before reaching into a bag that was draped over her shoulder. When her hand came back out, it was holding a crown. A real freaking crown with purple gems made from something very shiny and silver—white gold, chrome, platinum? I had no idea, but there was no way I was wearing it. Nothing screamed “look at me!” more than a crown, and I had zero desire to have that kind of attention on me.
“Don’t look at the crown like that. It’s not going to bite you,” Lorelle chastised.
“But do I have to wear that thing? Or can I just keep it in my pocket or something?” I asked.
She shoved the crown at me. “You should be proud of your heritage, not ashamed of it. This crown will help you control your erratic magic, and possibly save your life. As soon as you accept who you are, the easier this will be for everyone.”
Then, the crazy old lady disappeared.
“Who the hell was she?” I asked, fidgeting with the crown that warmed in my hands.
Stryx landed back on my shoulder. “That’s Lorelle. She’s the second most powerful person currently in Arvayta.”
“Who’s the first?” I asked.
His beak snapped at me as if I should have known the answer already. “Me. Now, put the crown on and get dry, then let’s break for the afternoon before coming back this evening.”
Grinding my teeth, I reluctantly put on the crown and heard Jordan snickering to Ryland, who I assumed was waiting to call me Princess again, but surprisingly, kept all opinions to himself.
When the crown was placed on my tangled mess of hair, it was almost as if it melded to me. I shook my head, but it didn’t budge. Then, I tapped into my abilities and was thankful when I stayed upright the second time around.
As my magic spread throughout my body, I thought about what I wanted it to do. Within a few seconds, I was completely dry, including my hair, which was softer and fuller than it had ever been. Euphoria filled me. Sure, I didn’t want to look like or be a princess, but having control over the power within me filled me with a completely different kind of joy I’d yet to experience.
Then, I remembered something Lorelle had said. “What did she mean about me accepting who I am? Does this have something
to do with the Arelia thing Jordan mentioned before?”
Stryx narrowed his eyes at her, and she shrugged. “Hey, I was just guessing. If you didn’t want her to know, then you should have let the rest of us know.”
“It is what it is. Not that it makes any difference, but yes, you are the next Arelia. Your grandmother was the last one, and it appears you’ve inherited more than just her eyes,” Stryx answered.
“It sounds like it should be a big deal if there hasn’t been one alive in a couple of centuries,” I said, hoping he would expand.
Stryx flew to me, and I held out my hand for him. “Listen, Kaliah. You need to focus on one thing at a time right now. If you try to take on too much, it will only hinder your growth. Being an Arelia doesn’t change anything about what we’re doing, but I promise when the time comes, I will make sure you know more.”
My mind wanted to argue with him, but my heart was at peace with the answer. I trusted Stryx with my life, and he was right. There were a lot of other things going on, and I was okay with circling back to the Arelia subject later.
“Now, if that’s all, you two port home and I’ll find you later. We’ll work on funneling your abilities through the crown now that Lorelle has provided it. Once you get a real handle on your magic, we’ll take a trip to the Otherworld.”
“Is that wise?” Ryland questioned.
“We have to show Alaryk we’re not afraid, and our allies need to know Kali is capable of doing what needs to be done or they won’t stand behind us. It’s the only option we have,” Stryx answered.
Once again, the pressure was on, but just maybe with this crown and access to my magic, there was a chance I wouldn’t fail at everything that was asked of me.
I wasn’t ready to give up, even if I was beginning to realize I was in over my head.
Chapter Fourteen
A week later, the crown had become almost a permanent part of my body and had changed me in more ways than one.
My skin was brighter and firmer, my eyes even more vibrant than before, and my hair was now rocking some interesting blonde highlights that appeared purple whenever I had the crown on. Though, the most obvious change to me was the new points at the tips of my ears. They weren’t sharp, but there was a definitive alteration that had left me in freak-out mode for a solid forty-eight hours.
Of Dreams and Sorcery (Royal Fae Guardians Book 1) Page 9
