Page 97 of The Call of Crimson
Despite myself, I let out a short laugh. “The Gift came much later than my shadows. I was twenty-two. My only teacher was… my father.”
The admission makes me feel weak.
“So why didn’t he?” Ayden asks, brushing over the fact that I revealed a secret very few knew.
My father’s Gifts were rare and kept hidden. His earth-wielding was common knowledge. What fewer knew about were hisotherabilities. One of them being astral projection. When he was betrothed to my mother, it caused quite the uproar amongst the nobility since almost none of them knew he even possessed a second Gift, let alone a third.
“He had started, but we had so little time to train, and it was never high on the priority list. Then he… died.”
A long pause.
“I’m sorry, Breyla, but that’s unacceptable,” Ayden says softly, but firmly.
My eyes snap to his. “Excuse me?”
“I refuse to let you settle for less than your full potential.”
“I have no one to help, Ayden.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” he says, grinning now. “I can help you.”
Suspicion floods me. “More secrets, Prince?”
He pulls me to my feet. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”
“You can astral project?”
“Not exactly.” He steps behind me, wrapping one arm lightly around my waist. “Close your eyes.”
Against better judgment, I obey. “Now what?”
“You still feel me wrapped around you?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Open your eyes.”
When I do, he’s standing in front of meandstill wrapped around me from behind. I gasp, reaching out to touch his face and find he’s solid.
“What is this?” I whisper.
“It’s an illusion, darling.” His form in front of me smirks, while the arm at my waist gives a playful squeeze.
“But you’re solid,” I sputter. “How?”
“Part Fae, remember? That makes me special.”
I roll my eyes. “You’re something alright.”
“I’m being serious. Mine and Rowina’s Gifts are stronger than most because of our blood. I can cast multiple illusions at once and control whether they are corporeal or not.”
“Holy shit,” I breathe.
“I thought you might say that.”
“This is amazing, but how are you going to help me? They aren’t the same Gift.”
“No, they aren’t the same,” he agrees. “But they’re similar enough that I can. And you need all the help you can get.”
