Page 109 of The Omega's Bloodline: Part One

“How long can a lockdown go on?”

Three months or so. Tensions will run high long before we run out of supplies.

“You think so?”

We’re all very used to running free in the woods to work out energy.

“At least you’re all set up for indoor enrichment. How opposed would everyone be to taking on their smallest forms to get their zoomies out?”

Haru snorted, his body shaking with silent laughter as he walked.Most don’t want to be in such a vulnerable form around here.

“They’re missing out. I’d be a house cat in a heartbeat.”

I assume you say that because you have been loved and are kind to the animals in your life. Not all of us have been so fortunate.

Guilt kicked me in the chest. “I didn’t think of that.”

Haru took the stairs to return me to Yelena’s suite, forcing me to cling for dear life as he took each set in a single leap. I punched in the code Yelena had given me to access her suite and Haru carried me inside. With my tour over, I settled into the task Yelena had assigned to me, snuggling down between Seth and Caden with Melinda’s book.

Dozens of bloodlines were recorded, but none of the names were familiar to me. Some of the information was repetitive, things I had learned on my own over the years with my regular religious study. But some things were new. I learned that the origin myth for witches was that the gods had mixed their divine ichor with starlight to form the first witches. And the shifters explained their abilities through the myth of the gods tossing fallen stars to earth, where they splintered and shattered, and filled the animals they encountered with the magic they needed to change forms. There wasn’t a lot of crossover between the two, and I needed to focus on witch history anyway, but I was curious about everything.

The types of magic seemed almost endless. They covered the elements and a wide variety of different gifts—telepathy, telekinesis, empathy, influence. I already knew that I had some sort of fire magic, and Yelena had said that I had sex magic as well. Melinda’s book only had a brief mention of it, which was significantly less than I had hoped for.

What it did contain was unfortunately very little I didn’t already know. The magic was primed in the same way as the body and mind, so it could be encouraged in the same manner. Anticipation, touch, desire, and worship could draw the magic to a spike in the same way a body was brought to release. Some people learned to charge and hold the energy within them. It sounded to me like edging, building up that energy, but never letting it free. The actual release of magic tended tobe unpredictable, unless it could be guided into specific sources. That made sense, given how Yelena had used the amulet. I would have to try charging one myself to see if I could use the magic at a later time without exhausting myself the way I did now.

A lot of the magic seemed to be based purely on will and intent. While specific skills depended on the magic of the individual witch, more common skills were a matter of the mind.

Seth jolted awake, a spasm of his fear squeezing my heart. I reached out, laying my palm to his chest, and the anxiety ebbed away. Ever since I had saved his life, I could feel him like a heartbeat in my body. I knew where he was and most of the time I knew what he was feeling. I wasn’t sure if it was some weird quirk of the magic so I had been hesitant to say anything. Seth hadn’t said anything either so maybe I was the only one feeling something. Yelena had mentioned a bond, but I didn’t know what that felt like and wasn’t sure if that was what had happened.

I curled closer to Seth, whispering soothing murmurs in his ear and pressing a kiss to his cheek. Caden was still being remarkably chill about the two of us, but maybe that was simply because he had bigger fish to fry with Yelena and Haru and the whole nest situation. It wasn’t nearly as bad as I had expected. The beginning had been terrifying, but I didn’t feel like I was in danger with Yelena. Every time she called me precious I felt it down to my toes, like she really truly believed that I was.

We hadn’t spoken about the kiss.

I turned back to the book once Seth had fully woken and flipped to the family trees again, hoping that some sort of memory triggered or divine spark to give me an idea of where to focus. I closed my eyes and held my palm over the book.

Hecate, please help me. I don’t know what I’m looking for.

My fingertips tingled as I laid them onto the page. I traced them over the lineage, flipping the page again, and again, untilthe tingling turned to heat, and I was spiritually yanked from Yelena’s suite and into the forest. Hecate was there waiting for me, her skin glowing like the moon.

Hello, Logan.Hecate smiled softly and swept toward me in a pool of mist.What does that page say?

I stared down at the parchment. “It’s the O’Clery line. Is that the one Melinda mentioned where one of the old witches tried to steal the magic from her partner?”

Hecate nodded.Fiona was misguided. The two magic types don’t work the same and are not meant to inhabit the same bodies. With children born of witches and shifters, they take after one parent or the other, but never both. Some, like your lioness, have small traits, but can never wield both magics without the assistance of a conduit.

“Does this mean that I’m part of the O’Clery line?”

Hecate nodded again.The punishments for Fiona’s crimes resulted in her and her bloodline being bound and their magic locked away, so that none of them might have the same idea.

“So what doIhave to do? I obviously haven’t committed the crimes of my ancestor.”

You have been given the opportunity to correct her mistakes.

“How am I supposed to do that?”

Even if I could give you all of the answers, you’re not ready for the task yet. Focus on growing your power and learning to wield it so you will have the best chance when the time comes.

“Couldn’t I prepare better if I knew what was coming?”

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