Page 119 of Faerie Fate
And halfling shifters were positively forbidden.
My rib cage was a prison and the only thing keeping my spinning insides from spilling out. “Me? You want me to bring the barrier down?” I had to make sure I’d heard him correctly.
“You are the only one who can do it. Now, if you please. Who knows what kind of havoc that monster is wreaking as we speak,” Tywin snapped. A vein bulged at his temple.
How did Tywin know about my magic?
I stared at the king, startled, before forcing my gaze away again. It always made me feel strange to stare at him. Like I was constantly trying to see bits of Mike on his face and coming up short, unable to recognize anything kind or caring in Tywin’s features.
“Well, Miss Alderidge?” he pressed. Irked at being kept waiting.
This was a direct order from my king. And although I had no damn clue how to take down a barrier, I’d done the impossible at EverRose. Earned myself a nickname I didn’t deserve.
I blew out a breath. “Yes, sure.”
Wild magic writhed in my veins. Rather than rising from the well, as I’d always seen my power do before, this time it erupted. It was everywhere. It was me.
It encapsulated body and soul and when I lifted my hand, it needed only minimal prompting in a direction. It crashed against the invisible barrier between the realms, hammering at it. I saw it clearly, a wall of wavy invisible heat like a mirage in a desert, trapping us on one side or the other.
Okay, so I mightactuallybe the only one capable of taking down the barrier. The keys would work now if I wanted them to.
I didn’t need one.
The wall dropped, my magic the absolute victor in this match without having to order it. And barely winded, I stepped through the open portal to the Fae Academy for Halflings without a key. The doorway opened up in front of me outlined in gold.
A thought. Barely formed. It became an order and the portal widened enough to accommodate the others, too. The magic recognized the gasps behind me, the terror from everyone, including the king. It allowed them space for their awe.
If I’d thought the problems King Tywin had with me were gone because of the changes to history, now he’d certainly be suspicious of me again.
Then my gaze snagged on the solitary figure in the room at the academy. Kendrick Grimaldi straightened, throwing back his shoulders. But there was no mistaking his reek of fear or the insistent pulsing in the scar around my neck. We were still connected.
My soul still belonged to him.
My magic roared inside of me but instead of cowering, I stood straighter, drawing it around me like a protective cloak.
“Tavi, what are you doing?” he snapped.
“What?” My head tilted to the side. “No loving greeting for yourmate?”
My voice hardened as I stepped into the headmaster’s office with him. I’d known instinctively where he’d be.
The sumptuous furnishings Headmaster Leaves had chosen were shredded now. Kendrick had raked his claws along the damasked wallpaper and left furrows in the plaster. The leather chairs near the desk were intact but the Turkish carpet over old oak floors was littered with debris strewn from the desk. He’d emptied the bookshelves.
The last time I’d seen the room, I’d been on the wrong end of an interrogation by a werewolf detective. Back then, I thought my worst luck was the uncanny ability to stumble over every dead body in a ten mile radius.
Now I knew better.
“The mate who tried to kill me and then disappeared?” Kendrick snickered. “Why would I greet you with anything but disgust?”
It only took him a second to regain his composure. He snapped his fingers and several wolves swarmed from the open doorway to the office, the door torn off its hinges.
“I knew you’d be back. Which is why I’ve brought insurance with me.”
I swallowed a gasp when two wolves dragged Livvy in front of Kendrick. Her legs were bound together with a spell, her boots dragging over the rug. The same magic cut off her vocal cords to keep her from screaming.
I held firm. “You think your wolves scare me?” I forced the words out. “Or do you enjoy trussing my mother up like a turkey?”
Kendrick’s eyes flickered to the people behind me, then landed on me again. The king, Mike—they were insignificant.
