Page 46 of A Fate of Ice and Lies
“My friends are vulnerable every day because of me,”I insisted. “Let me do this for them. I’ll have my magic restored by tomorrow morning.”
Aside from the flapping of her wings overhead, she stayed quiet. Waiting, I pressed my lips together. I didn’t doubt she’d burn our cottage down, but I also knew she wouldn’t harm any of us. Still, I didn’t want to sleep outdoors that night, especially once I depleted all my magic.
“Will doing this ease your guilt?”she asked.
From outside, I heard her land on the clearing by our front door.
No.“Yes.”
“Liar,”she grumbled.“You can do it outside where I can watch you.”
I raised a hand in silent triumph and motioned for Brenton and George to follow me outside. George ran out while Brenton leaned on my shoulder to keep weight off his injured foot.
He squeezed my shoulder when we made it outside. “Thanks for doing this,” he said.
I jutted my chin toward the barn and paddocks he’d made. “Thanks for doing all this.”
George clapped and kind of hopped from one foot to the other, reminding me of when we were young and would carve time out of our schedules to play. “I can’t wait to rid myself of these blisters. I swear I’ll never take smooth hands for granted again.”
Nalari huffed out a laugh.
When I peered up at her golden eyes, she dipped her head in a single nod.
“This one time,”she said.
“Thank you,”I replied.
Taking in their eager, almost youthful expressions, I went to my friends and grasped their shoulders. With my eyes closed, I pushed my magic to them. As the first bit of magic left me, some inner fae instinct reared up and crushed the connection I’d made with George and Brenton. I squeezed my eyes tighter, forcing the connection back open as I drove my magic to them again.
A warm sensation I recognized as Nalari’s magic coursed through me, helping me dig deep as I gave my magic away. Doing this went against every instinct, and the more of my magic I gave, the sharper the pain in the center of my chest grew. When I felt the last bit of my magic drain, I stepped back and opened my eyes.
My vision blurred as it normally did when I depleted my magic into the dirt to maintain Teddy’s grounds and her path to the store.
Brenton bounced on his now healed foot and slapped my shoulder in joy. I stumbled back a step, and Nalari growled.
“Sorry, sorry,” he said, putting his hands up. “It just. . . it feels good. Right.”
George put a heavy arm over my shoulders, and with a loud, exaggerated smack, he kissed the top of my head.
“This is great,” he said. “We owe you, Elias.”
I shook my head, rejecting the idea of them owing me anything when I owed them everything.
“I’m gonna lie down,” I told them. “Have fun, but maybe stay away from the humans.”
I blinked slowly, sleep already trying to claim me.
“Can we share some of our magic with Everly?” George asked my departing back.
I stilled.
“When she gets back from work,” George continued.
I turned, ready to agree before I turned to Nalari. It’d taken four days for her ears and teeth to look more human although the pallor of her skin remained white.
“Your magic is more powerful than hers. If she absorbs your magic, it might take even longer for her to maintain her more human features,”Nalari said.
“Humans get sick,” I said aloud so George could hear me. “If it takes days for her to look human again, then she can call Teddy to let her know she’s sick and can’t make it to work.”
