Page 106 of Madness of Her Mages

She tapped her chin with a long, black fingernail, giving me an assessing look. “We need to train your siren.”

“To do what?”

“To withstand any attack.” She bridged the distance between us while staring at me as if she could see into my soul. “I’m going to ask you again, Shirina, and I want you to be honest. What other magic do you possess?”

I swallowed my apprehension, knowing I had no other option but to tell her the truth while praying she didn’t use the knowledge against me. “I can hear the telepathic conversations of bonded mates.”

She crooked her head, her eyes fogging with confusion. “What?”

“It’s how I knew my mother and father were going to have Thorin erase my memories,” I explained matter-of-factly as if we were discussing the weather, “and how I discovered Felicity was going to poison us and why she wanted your throne.”

“Interesting.” Her eyes widened then narrowed as she flashed an appreciative smile. “Can you hear my conversations with Mortimus?”

I shook my head. “No, and I can’t hear the conversations between bonded siblings, just mates.”

She looked at Mortimus, and he let out a loud neigh before she turned back. “Mortimus says the conversations between familiars and their witches and bonded siblings are on different pathways than fated mates, but you may develop that skill over time.”

I cringed at that.

“What other magic do you have?”

“That’s all I know about, I swear,” I answered, refusing to break eye contact so she’d hopefully believe me. “If I have more magic, it’s been suppressed. I was afraid to practice magic around my parents. They already thought I’d turn evil.”

I tensed when Malvolia stared into her horse’s eyes, and I knew they were speaking telepathically about me.

Malvolia finally turned to me. “You have more. We just need to unleash it.”

“How?” And how did she know I had more? Had her horse told her? And were we supposed to trust his judgment?

“We use a tool to unleash it.” Malvolia picked grime out of her nails while her horse looked over her shoulder. Was it my imagination, or was Mortimus’s maw pulled back in a fanged smile?

An icy chill wrapped around my spine and set my teeth on edge. “What tool?”

She looked up at me, black ink spilling from her eyes. “Fear.”

I took a step back. “Wh—”

Malvolia threw her hands toward me, black magic shooting out of her fingers.

I had no time to react when a burning rope wrapped around my throat and acrid smoke poured into my mouth and nostrils. I fell to the rushes, clutching the noose around my neck, my fingers blistering and burning as I tried to dislodge it. Stars of pain exploded behind my eyes and my fingers swelled like raging rivers before I finally projected.Let. Me. Go!My words rang like thunder, and the ground shook beneath me.

The rope fell away, and Malvolia flew into her horse with a scream before tumbling to the ground.

I fell onto my side, coughing up bile, Blaze’s shout echoing behind me before my world darkened.

“SHIRI, WAKE UP.”

I blinked up at Drae through hazy eyes, wondering why he was frowning and why my head hurt so much. And what was I doing on my back? A loud horse’s neigh brought me back to reality.

I took Drae’s hand and let him pull me up. Horses whinnied and stomped behind us. What had angered them?

“You okay?” he asked, rubbing my back.

“Yeah.” I clutched my throat, relieved when it no longer burned. I smiled at Daminica as she hovered nearby, her green witch robe swirling around her feet. “Thank you,” I mouthed to her.

She gave me a stealthy smile and then whispered something to Lady Veronica. I caught Lady Veronica’s grim expression and the panic in her eyes as she glanced at me. Was she concerned about me? Why?

Elements, I was so worried about you.Blaze knelt beside me, pulling straw out of my hair.I heard you cry out in my mind.

---