Page 105 of Hunted in the Shadows
Perhaps there were very few things in this world that were actually impossible—I’d just been too sheltered to know it.
I swallowed hard. “Valiantmay be a pompous title, but Edin is said to have sacrificed himself in the rite that charges empty gemstones. My father always told me that charged gemstones became sparse over the years because fewer warriors were brave enough to offer up their lives to ensure their people had access to potent magic.”
Marcellus said nothing for three long breaths. “What would you think of a centuries-old warrior who commanded his underlings to spread a rumor of his sacrifice?” Though his smile was wry, his expression made me suspect he cared very much what I thought.
I broke away from his stare, settling on the ruby that marked the center ofThe Fox’s Harp. “My father doubted that he would be willing to perform the rite himself. He said there was too much of the world he hadn’t seen enough of yet. So if Edin’s sacrifice turned out to be nothing more than a rumor… I don’t see the use in shaming him for it.”
The chuckle Marcellus breathed was surprisingly humble. Self-conscious. “After a certain number of decades, an unaged face and a new name does wonders. Though, eventually I foundno desire to venture far from this place. Not once I gathered others who shared the same vision as I did.”
Though I was firmly seated, his confirmation made the room spin around me.
Him?
The mythical warrior I’d read about in old tomeswasreal—and he was seated right beside me. I suddenly realized I could smell the salt and metal on his clothes and was struck by what a privilege it was to know something so intimate as his scent.
“You’re centuries old,” I whispered. “Impossible.”
The corner of his mouth quirked upward, his fierce gaze pinning me. “You have no idea what’s possible.”
I eyed the many rings on his fingers questioningly, once again considering the faint aura of gemstone magic that clung to each one. He closed his hands on his knees, frowning slightly.
“Do you know why so many fairy communities halted their progress?” he asked. “Isolation. Closed-mindedness. They were unwilling to see the possibilities the world held for them. Even gem magic became ostracized in many places.”
I nodded in understanding, my heart pounding. Father had said much the same of Elysia. I remembered his frustration, the arguments with Mother waking me in the middle of the night when Hazel was but an infant. Marcellus wore that same steely look, his eyes glazed with anger.
“No matter the rising odds stacked against us, no matter our dwindling population… Those in power refused to mingle outside of their own kind, certain that no mutual bonds could ever be formed. That no creature besides our own kind could be of use to us.”
“The sirens,” I realized.
His gaze met mine, certain and bold. “Once a moon cycle,” he said. “The population of Veloria gathers here in the Starforged Sanctum, and we drink the sacred gift of our siren brethren. Inreturn, we live in peace together. They are protected within the glamour bounds, safe from rivals and hunters, given plentiful food.Thatis what the stars intended.”
Sacred gift?
Then, it connected.Blood. Siren blood was said to have healing properties and prolong one’s life if ingested. And if someone had an infinite supply of blood…
I should have been repulsed, but all I could focus on was the miracle sitting beside me.Edin the Valiant.I was speaking to a living legend, and the defiance of what should have been impossible made my heart flutter. Staring at him, feeling the intense pulse of the gem magic surrounding us, my fantasies felt less impossible, too.
“The gift is not without its drawbacks,” Marcellus swept a look around the vast chamber toward the stars winking overhead. “Not every fairy finds eternity palatable. Some choose the inevitable alternative—though I do everything in my power to prevent this. And… It has been many years since the laughter of children has filled these halls.”
“Oh.” It was all I could utter as this crashed down on me like a wave. I recalled the faces we had passed on our flight here—only now did it dawn on me that not a single child had been among them. No children steering their hummingbird mounts while they waited impatiently for their wings to become rigid enough to carry them.
What the fuck?
He shot me a placating smile, shifting a little. “Procreation is the only drawback of this gift. I hope you don’t think I’m some suffering bastard now.”
“Of course not,” I said, breaking the tension with a laugh. I chewed my lip, selecting my next words with care. “I suppose there are difficult decisions we must make to survive.”
I must’ve chosen wisely—thank the stars. Marcellus’ gaze flushed with warmth again.
“Well said,” he granted. “In an unkind world, we must protect the longevity of our kind at any cost.”
Dozens of questions wavered at the tip of my tongue. Questions that would have revealed how fragile my mask of complacency was. Marcellus did not seem like the type who enjoyed having his way of life challenged—and perhaps I wasn’t in any position to poke holes in how someone lived, considering the company I’d kept the last two months.
I cleared my throat and said, “Your camaraderie with the sirens sounds like something out of an unwritten story. A legend to be told in reverent whispers under the stars.”
His expression softened. “Itiswritten in the stars, for those who are willing to find it.” He turned his attention up at the night sky. “I suppose you’re familiar with the stories behind the great constellations?”
“Of course.” I observed his reverent expression as he stared upward. “Is it strange to say it’s a bit surreal to hear that a living legend is so engrossed in the same stories I fawned over?”
