Page 49 of Phixmery

“Breathe Ravina,” Nero orders. “You don’t need to tell them the whole truth. You don’t need to tell them who you are. But I have a feeling we’re going to need them in the coming weeks. Just take a chance and trust me? If they betray us, I’ll take their eyes and you can make a necklace out of them.

I try to focus on his words, letting his own calmer emotions pull me out of my turbulent ones. Think Ravina, think. I look at each of their faces, each of them showing various amounts of concern and worry. I’ve grown close with each of them since I arrived here eight moon cycles ago. If I tell them anything, they’re going to be in danger. So before I say anything, I need to make sure they understand that. But maybe I can spin it so they don’t find out who I truly am, but the only way to do that will lead them closer to the truth then anyone else knows.

“Before I tell you anything, I…” I swallow, the words getting caught in my throat.

Rozen takes a step forward with a small smile, attempting to mask the concern that’s dimming his neon-blue eyes. “You can tell us, Rav. Any secrets you have, they’ll be safe with us. Right?” Everyone murmurs their sentiments before he continues. “No matter what, we got your back. We haven’t gone through hell together here not to.”

I swallow the lump in my throat as his words create a warm feeling in my chest. “You have to know, though: if I tell you, you’ll be in danger. I can’t tell you how or why, just what I’ve been told. You may even need to leave Phixmery with me, because if anyone finds out that you know…” I shake my head. “It’s dangerous.” I plead with them with my eyes, begging them to not ask and to go back to bed. To forget they ever saw me down here.

Ember shakes her head. “If you’re in danger somehow, we aren’t letting you do whatever it is you’re doing alone. To the void with Phixmery if that’s what it means,” she states firmly, a steely determination in her expression.

Despite her initial rough exterior and repelling aura she gave off, once she warmed up to Roz and me, she’s been an amazing friend. Someone I could see having my back for the rest of my life if it wasn’t for this situation. But she doesn’t know. Can’t possibly know. Fucking fates, why is this so hard?

“I know Mel and I are in the same boat as Ember. The moment you need out of here, we got your back,” Lennox adds.

“Yeah, and you’re not going alone, so don’t even think about it,” Rozen snarks.

My hand runs down my face. “You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into,” I whisper, my last attempt to get them to go back.

Ember walks over to me and takes my hands in hers. “You could be an heir of Vathia and I wouldn’t care. We know you and your heart, Rav.”

I swallow again, nodding. Pulling my hands out of hers, I rub the sweat from my palms off on my pants. “I don’t just have elemental magic…” I glance at all their faces as I whisper the last bit that I’ve been holding a secret for the past twenty years. But it still keeps my secret of no one knowing who I truly am. “I have all of them.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

IWATCH THEIR EXPRESSIONS RANGE from shock, to disbelief to determination, and I brace myself for the question I know is coming. I can only hope that my answer will draw them away from the main part of the truth. I may not have wanted to tell them, but as long as I don’t tell them the full truth, I am keeping my promise to my mother.

“You’re a Gallalaus Fae?” Rozen blurts, his cerulean eyes widening with revelation. “Wait, how are you alive? Are you a part of the royal family? What are you doing here?” he questions rapidly, and I’m worried he’s going to pass out from not taking a breath.

Ember’s gaze widens with realization as I shake my head, trying to keep my voice steady as I answer his question. “I grew up with my aunt in Shalo since I was six years old. I don’t remember much of my life before that,” I tell them, which is not an outright lie, but it’s definitely not as much as I do know.

“Maybe she’s a bastard? One of those royals were probably getting around,” Lennox adds before wincing. “Not that it’s a problem or anything.”

My shoulders raise and fall slightly, letting them come to their own conclusions. “No one can know though,” I reiterate. “I was told that my life would be forfeit if the wrong people found out.” My fingers fiddle with my necklace again, the warm metal a comfort to me, and all I can hope is that I didn’t do the wrong thing.

Melissandre steps up beside Ember, nodding. “It’s true. They hunted down every Gallalaus who lived in Damorleia. How they did it is beyond me. But somehow you managed to avoid the mass genocide.” Her eyes widen as she squeals. “Oh my fates! You would be the next in line for the throne!”

My head shakes violently and I feel like I’m going to be ill. “No. I have no interest in obtaining the throne. I just want to escape somewhere and live my life where Nero and I won’t be disturbed.”

Ember pipes up, taking my side. “She’s right to hide. The lords would eat her for dinner without a court and someone to help her. Not to mention if Vathia gets wind of her, they will double their force to hunt her down.”

Melissandre grins sheepishly at me while Lennox’s head falls slightly to the side, assessing me. “So you come down here to train not to get caught because…?”

Ember whispers, “Because she’s leaving Phixmery, right? That’s why you tried so hard to push us away? Where are you going to go? How do you even plan on escaping? They’ll send soldiers after you—you’ll be known as a traitor.” She tucks her short black hair behind her pointed ear.

I glance around the space I’ve created down here, a place I carved out of the earth to help me with whatever I needed, before glancing back at them. Then it hits me. “Maybe I’ll head deep into the Gratandi Mountains, carve out a place to call home. But I can’t be a part of this. Maybe that makes me a coward, but I made a promise to someone.”

They all dip their heads in understanding, if also with slight disappointment. But Roz grins suddenly. “We can help you train. I can teach you to master the art of illusions and getting into people’s minds.”

“And I’ll help you get a handle on the Vopn Fö part of your magick,” Ember states, the determined glint back loud and proud in her gaze.

“And we’ll help anyway we can with your elemental magick,” Melissandre adds, punching her twin’s arm and gesturing towards me.

“Yes, of course we will help. If you want us to, that is.”

Rozen takes a step forward, holding up his index finger and twirling it around. “Although, I can’t say I’m a fan of sneaking down here in the middle of the night. We can come down here after dinner, and I’ll just cast an illusion to hide us, because I don’t know how you’ve been doing this, but I need my beauty rest. You can’t look this good with only a little bit of sleep.” He mimics flipping his short red hair over his shoulder before yawning, which instantly becomes contagious, and I realize how much this conversation has drained me.

“Would we be able to start tomorrow then?” I ask. “Also thank you, I—it was hard for me to tell you. Please don’t make me regret it.”

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