Page 26 of Madness of Her Mages

I scowled at him, resenting him for not choosing my side.

Malvolia arched a dark brow. “Mywar?”

I repressed a shudder when her horse gave an angry neigh.

Blaze and Nikkos edged closer to me.

Turning up my chin, I refused to be intimidated, even if the beast could snap off my head with one bite. “They will not be pawns inanywar.”

“They must have special magic if you wish to hide it from me.” Malvolia loosed a long breath, her shoulders slumping as if she’d accepted defeat. “How can there be trust between us when you keep secrets?”

I stiffened at the censure in her tone. “How can you expect me to reveal our secrets when you give me no reassurances?”

“Very well, Niece.” She splayed a hand across her heart. “I swear on my honor I will not use the children as pawns in this war.”

She should know about Ember.Drae’s voice echoed in my head as he gave me a pleading look.It will help our case when we need to prove Bertram and Sol are demons.

I wasn’t reassured when his brothers didn’t contradict him as they stood stoically beside me. It bothered me that my mates wanted me to cave to the queen of my childhood nightmares, though I knew I didn’t have any other choice.

I don’t need any help proving they’re demons, I said to my mates through thought.I will force their demons to reveal themselves with my siren voice.

“Well, Niece?” Malvolia asked, annoyance ringing in her words.

You need her to trust you,Drae scolded.

I refused to look at him. “And swear that they won’t be mistreated or punished for their gifts.”

“Very well.” She heaved a sigh. “I swear.”

“Ember is a spirit talker,” I said, regretting the words as soon as they were spoken. Trusting Malvolia with my secrets was one thing, but trusting her with the girls’ secrets felt like a betrayal.

Malvolia gasped. “She speaks to the dead?”

I stiffened. Was that disgust in her tone? “Yes.”

“And her sister?”

I swallowed as I looked down at Aurora. She blinked back up at me with so much trust in her eyes, my heart felt as if it had splintered in two.

Tell her, Shiri,Drae said through thought.

I refused to look at him, though I could feel his gaze boring holes into me. “She can teleport,” I finally answered, feeling asif the words had been ripped from my chest. I was suddenly overcome by an overwhelming sense of fear and self-loathing. What had I done?

Aurora clung tighter to my leg in such a pure act of trust that made me feel even more miserable.

Malvolia’s eyes widened. “To where?”

“To places she knows.”

She leaned toward me. “She can’t travel to Peloponese?”

“No.” I grimaced, thinking that my aunt would love for nothing more than for this innocent child to teleport her into her enemy’s court for a surprise attack. “She’s never been there. She’s never been anywhere,” I added, “besides our home and a few other stops on the way to Abyssus.” I tensed when she gave me a questioning look. I had yet to tell her exactly the location of my parents’ home. If I didn’t tell her, I feared she’d force it out of my mates. Not that it should have mattered. My parents were long gone by now.

Her eyes widened then narrowed. “Can she teleport just herself or others?”

“Herself and afewothers.” I emphasized the word ‘few.’No, this innocent child would not be teleporting your army for you.

“I see.” She rubbed her jaw, her gaze drawn to the sprites who were buried in the folds of my dress. “Both are magical gifts that run in the Avias line. Your great grandmother was a spirit talker, and your great, great aunt could teleport. Aurora is so young to teleport. We should mute her magic with a tau stone.”

---