Page 47 of Veil of Shadows

Trivan cocked an eyebrow upward. “How much time will it take for them to answer that question again?”

“Usually, at least two weeks before they’ll consider answering the same question again.”

“In that case, in a week’s time, you could use my magic for a calling,” Lars offered. “I’m generally considered the least magical in the group.”

“That’ll still hurt her,” Jax growled. “You may not be as strong as me, but you’re no weakling, Lars.”

“But he’s not nearly as strong as you,” I countered. “None of your friends wield magic like you do, Jax. Nobody’s magic will hurt me like yours did.”

He winced, and I immediately regretted my comment. But instead of agreeing with me, he took a deep breath and then shook his head. “No.”

My eyebrows shot up. “No? Seriously? Don’t you want to find your brother?”

His nostrils flared. “Of course, I do. But we’ve only just started searching, and you’ve never been unaffected by a calling, right?”

My throat bobbed, brushing against my collar when I swallowed. “Well...no, but I can still try doing one forme. That’ll likely not leave me injured.”

“But will that leave you weakened?”

“It . . . well, I suppose . . .” My brow furrowed. “Honestly, I don’t know. All of this is new to me.”

“Exactly. You have no idea what state you’ll be in.”

I glared at him because even though I hated to admit it, he made very good points. Since I wasn’t a queen to the semelees, I didn’t have complete control of them. As a princess, it was common for them to deny me answers on the same subject, or if I ventured to the Veiled Between too quickly for the same fairy to ask a new question, they often denied me too. It was why I could typically only do one to two callings a month for the same fairy. The semelees wouldn’t allow anything more than that.

I’d always been grateful for that limitation in a way. It’d kept me from being mercilessly used, again and again, by the same fae. But now...for the first time I was wishing the semeleesdidn’thave that stipulation.

Holding himself in a rigid line, Jax said in his princely tone, “My official answer is no. Elowen is not to hurt herself for us again, especially if there’s no guarantee we’d even get any further answers.”

All of the males eyed one another, nodding acceptingly, and Trivan even bumped Alec, giving him anI told you solook.

And in that covert gesture, I couldn’t help but wonder if Jax’s complete inability to even consider having me harmed again stemmed from the feelings Alec claimed he’d developed for me.

A flush ran through my body, and it took me a moment to realize what it was.

I felt warm. Because to Jax, I had worth. He actually cared about my well-being.

The flush in my body grew because maybe Alec was right. Maybe Jax trulydidcare for me more than he was letting on.

Or maybe Jax would have had that reaction for any fairy who he felt was innocent of deserving the punishment a calling could inflict.

Some of the warmth in me diffused, and I opened my mouth to tell Jax that while I appreciated that he cared, the fact remained that I would ultimately recover from any pain inflicted on me. And more than that, for the first timeIwas choosing to do a calling. I wanted to find Bastian too, and in roughly a week’s time, enough days would have passed for me to venture to the Veiled Between again to ask of his brother. The semelees would likely answer at that point.

But just as those words formed on my lips, voices came from outside of the room.

Everyone fell silent.

But the voices soon drifted past.

Trivan moved closer to the door and listened. “It’s just another group enjoying the excitement of the upcoming Matches.”

I released a sigh of relief, but it was enough of a reminder that we needed to get out of here and carry on searching for Bastian.

“What would you like to do, my prince?” Lars dipped his head toward Jax, the red in his hair glowing like fire in the lights.

“I want eyes kept on this barn at all times in case he returns. When are the others arriving?”

“End of the week.” Alec glanced toward a clock on the wall.

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