Page 142 of Hidden Kingdoms

The cages that lined the walls slowly twisted as they hung empty from their hooks. I eyed the numerous paintings and photos depicting various species of birds, wondering if we were alone.

Arden continued to pull on his pipe. Swirls of smoke bloomed around us until it grew thin as he burned through the herbs it contained. I placed my empty cup back onto the table, stomach comfortably full of bread and cheese, when Arden spoke.

“Let’s start with, moving forward, I will be approaching all future ventures into your power and background under the assumption that you, Elodie, are indeed a full-blooded Fae. Do you have any exceptions to that?”

Shaking my head, I pushed away the ridiculous part of me that was still trying to deny the truth that my eyes were now open to.

“I think we should start with trying to figure out where your affinity lies. That will give us the best starting point as to how you have ended up in your particular circumstances.”

“What if I don’t have one?” I half whispered, afraid I didn’t belong in this world that I hadn’t wanted anything to do with not so long ago.

“You will. All Fae hold an affinity to one of the kingdoms. It’s why the borders were constructed in the first place, though those lines are pointless if you ask me. The connection to the land of your kingdom is something deep within you; few leave the one they are born to, though there are some exceptions.” He smiled at Alouette, tilting his head slightly towards her. “While your power level will remain consistent in whichever kingdom you find yourself, you will most likely find that the very land you come from is the one that allows your magik to flourish.”

My thoughts spun with the words flowing from him. There was no way I could retain all this. The familiar sound of my bracelets clinking together as I toyed with them helped me to focus, as I breathed in discrete lungfuls of the sweet smoke curling from the fire.

“What is it that’s worrying you about finding out?”

“If it’s not here, will I have to leave?” It was hard to admit that the thought of being sent away terrified me, but I knew within myself my magik didn’t come from this hot, fiery land. Arden’s fingers templed under his chin as he watched me carefully before he spoke.

“I would have thought you’d jump at the chance to leave here?” He raised an eyebrow as I stared blankly at him with no right way to answer. Instead, a knot of fear formed in my stomach as I pictured myself cast from the palace—wholly alone in a world that made no sense.

“I’m afraid I cannot speak for the whims of the Prince, though I do not think he would find it easy to send you away.”

“Arden’s right, you’re not going anywhere, Elodie.” I turned to Alouette, meeting her pale eyes that blazed with a certainty I had no idea if I should be confident in. I appreciated it anyway.

Bastian didn’t care for me. I was only here because they wanted something, and if I couldn’t do what he wanted, I doubted he would keep me around.

“What can you do with your magik? How did you use it in the mortal realm? Was there anything you seemed to lean towards?”

There it was again—mortal realm. A log shifted in the fire, and the flames leapt higher, dragging my eyes from the sparks as I answered.

“I used it for the wards around my house mostly. Or to add a little sparkle to the gemstone I was cutting. Maybe there were some herbs that weren’t doing too good, I could give them a little boost if needed.” I shrugged at him, aware of how unimpressive my magik use was.

“There was no sway to your magik, no direction you felt it went in that felt stronger? That when you leant into it, it just felt right?”

“No.” I frowned in thought. “It just felt like another layer to me, something there, but like I never had a full grasp on it, or even a way to get a grasp on it.” I had never paid much attention to how muted my magik had felt. I hadn’t even known it could feel any other way.

“And now?”

“Now? Now it’s in every piece of me, like a living thing inside me that feeds off my every thought and emotion.”That knows what I need before even I do. “I still don’t know how to control it, but I can feel it all.”

Now it was a rush, a flood. A brightness that sang within me. Like I had been looking through a veil. My first steps through the wards to this place had sliced a line clean through, and I was just starting to peek my head through to see the world in all its colours.

Arden’s pipe was again in his hand, his fingers running over the smooth bowl as he looked at me thoughtfully.

“The only way to guarantee we accurately assess your affinity is to... how can I put it... get a taste for your magik.”

“A taste?” Arden nodded, and my face scrunched in confusion. “So, you’re what… going to eat my magik?”

“No,” he said, a soft laugh following. “You’ll need to allow me to get a grip on your magik so that I can assess which direction it takes.”

“How?”

“Like before when we used the ergeia cognitio, you will feed your magik through me, instead. I cannot hold the power you contain, so it will pass through me quickly, and you must try your hardest to allow it to flow freely.”

“I just give you my magik?”

“Give, no. Your magik is too strong for me to hold onto. As fast as you send it to me, it will leave, which is why you need to keep the flow steady until I can determine which affinity it belongs to. I imagine it will be an uncomfortable experience for us both.”

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