Page 81 of The Fae Girl 1

In these moments it felt so natural. So easy. And yet back when those men had attacked me all of it was gone.

Jelric frowned when I told him that. Perhaps I’d done something wrong, he’d said, which I guess was more than likely.

He’d give me homework each day. And more often he hand me a book so big and dusty I struggled to carry it back. I’d sit for hours, writing, studying, doing everything I could to learn new patterns, new bits of magic.

Indi and Nela were with me constantly, and though I know they were still spying on me, I guess I’d learnt not to resent it so much.

Mira seemed to spend more and more time away from us, and if the whisperings between my guards were true, they had more than a little to do with a certain Lord Ridley. Not that I minded. She was always here when I needed her, and besides, I’d grown up without a maid, hell, I’d grown up without any servants, so having to fend for myself for a few hours each day wasn’t exactly asking a lot.

I slumped into the chair after another long session. Jelric had set me a challenge to not only master and repeat all the new magic I’d learnt but to prove that they were memorised. That I could do them without having to refer to a cheat sheet.

I groaned running my hands over my face. Some bits were easy. Pulling water was easy. The pattern was so logical I could do in my sleep. But others, others were harder.

I opened the book, flicking through reading through the pages, shutting my eyes and imagining each new pattern to try to get them stuck in my head.

“What’s she doing?” Mira whispered.

“Ssssh.” Indi said.

“Why’s she screwing her face up like that?”

“I’m trying to memorise.” I snapped.

“Memorise what?”

“The patterns.” I half grumbled opening my eyes.

Mira was stood gawping at me like I had a second head. Indi was sat across looking like anything was more interesting than what I was doing and Nela was busy sharpening a knife that I highly doubt wasn’t razor sharp already.

“Urgh.” I groaned.

“What is it?” Mira asked.

“I can’t get this into my head.” I moaned.

“But you’re Fae.” Mira replied.

I let out a laugh. “That doesn’t mean I know how to do this. These patterns, some of them…” I looked up and even as I didn’t mean to, I felt it.

The pull.

Suddenly the pattern from the pages was there, in my head, no, not in my head, in the air around me.

I cried out.

Trying to stop it. Trying to stop myself but the magic was already forming, already multiplying before I could do anything.

Mira screamed. Nela and Indi jumped to their feet.

“The curtains are on fire.” Mira hissed. “The curtains are on fire.” She started running round, flapping her hands if they were wings.

“Put it out.” Indi shouted as if I even knew the magic to even do that.

I ran into the bathroom, grabbing the jug, and filled it as quickly as I could but it was taking forever. I could hear shouting, doors slamming, clearly something was kicking off.

I ran back in, sloshing the water half on myself before chucking it over the curtains.

“What is going on?” Prince Fain snapped.

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