Page 63 of The Fae Girl 1

I let out a small laugh. Like that wasn’t obvious.

“Stressed and unhappy.”

“What do I have to be happy about?” I snapped. “I’m your prisoner remember.”

He frowned, a look of sadness in his eyes. “Alice.” He said so quietly I only knew he’d spoken my name by the way his lips moved.

I looked away. Fighting back the tears that felt so close to falling. Was it the magic that was making me feel so vulnerable? Or was it the look on his face that had affected me so?

I walked over and grabbed a shawl that was draped over the chair, throwing it over myself to give some dignity to the situation.

“Let me teach you how to pull this back. How to gain control.” He said.

I nodded. Like I had a choice anyway.

“Close your eyes. Feel your magic inside you.”

I did as he said. My magic ignited like a match thrown on gasoline. Like it had been raging inside me and just needed a spark.

“Good.” He murmured like he could feel it. “Now reach out, feel the magic around you, feel for the pattern of it, your pattern.”

I frowned following his instructions. The magic felt so familiar. As though I were slipping my hand into a mirror and pulling out my reflection.

“Now pull it back. Pull it into yourself.”

I didn’t know how to. How did I pull it? I imagined reaching out, grasping at it, and as if that were the answer I felt it slipping into me. I felt my magic retreating. When the last essence of it slipped inside I let out a low breath opening my eyes.

“We need to make sure that doesn’t happen again.” Jelric said quietly. “Your magic is still out of control and while it is, you’re a risk to everyone in this castle.”

I bristled at that. At the same echo of words that Fain had said to me. “You’re the ones that…”

He held up his hand all but silencing my retort.

“It’s to be expected. Our world is new to you. Magic is new to you. You are as untrained as a day old baby.”

I scowled.Like that was my fault.

“Here.” He murmured, pulling a small black crystal no bigger than an inch from his robes. “Every night I want you to focus your magic. Focus it and put it into here. Every morning you wake, you can pull it back out.”

I narrowed me eyes. “What does it do with it?”

“It will keep it safe.” He said passing it to me. All but pushing it into my hand. “It’s only for the moment. Till you learn control. But it will ensure you will not have moments like this, won’t have nightmares that result in this.”

“How do you know I had a nightmare?” I replied.

He gave me a reassuring smile. “Isn’t it obvious?”

I shook my head. “This whole place is a nightmare.” I muttered.

He walked out, pausing just beyond Nela and turned. “Get dressed. We’ll start our lesson early.”

“Great.” I said before shutting the door. Shutting them all out.

Ididn’t want to go to the damn ball. I had every intention of saying no but Mira had insisted that it would have been a hanging offence to refuse the High Queen.

I considered feigning a sickness but knew no one would believe it. I was stuck. I’d have to attend the damn thing whether I liked it or not.

Mira had taken great pride in picking out a fabric for my dress; a deep shimmery red that apparently offset perfectly with the gold streaks in my hair.

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