Page 43 of Vathia
Roz gives me a one-armed hug and messes up my hair before practically skipping over to Ember. Those two have been the same for a year now. I know she likes him but until she’s ready, she’ll keep her distance. Who knows? Maybe this trip will be good for them.
Within moments they take off and I stand on the cliffside hill, watching them until they’re nothing but specks in the distance.
“They will be okay,” Aemon murmurs from beside me, appearing out of the shadows.
My eyes close and I sigh. “I know. I just wish I was going with them.”
“Everyone is going to be looking for a rider on a royal dragon. You won’t get five minutes over the border without being spotted.” I feel one of his shadow tendrils snake up my leg, causing me to shiver with its light pressure. “Come on, let’s go back to the castle. The others should be getting up soon.”
Turning to him, I take in his carefully arranged features. “Why didn’t you tell me about your father?”
He sighs, scrubbing his face before running his hand through his messy, pale locks. “Because I know how much you loved my father, and to hear that he had betrayed the crown… I couldn’t do that to you. He should be dead, but mother is determined to keep him alive because she thinks he’s been brainwashed. It’s depressing, and not a conversation you have while trying to woo your mate.”
My fingers flex as I decide how to comfort him. Comforting isn’t something I’m used to, but I take a step forward and grab his hands. “I was your friend before this whole fated mate thing. Either way, you should be able to come to me with anything you feel you need to talk about. I know I haven’t been the most open or talkative… but I’m trying. It’s horrible what hedid, but I suppose this is your mother’s way of processing her grief. Maybe try to be supportive?”
He laughs but it’s devoid of humor. “Try to be supportive of a male who killed my mate’s entire family? He would be working with the Lords right now if it wasn’t for mother’s meddling. He should be dead.”
“Is that why Vathia is at war with the rest of Damorleia?” I ask as I slowly begin to piece things together.
Aemon nods, stepping closer and wrapping me in his arms and shadows. In a blink we are in the confines of the library. He scoops me up and sits me in his lap next to the roaring fire. “Yes. The moment twenty years ago when mother sent word to the others that the Lord of Vathia had fallen into a coma is when the first strikes happened. I don’t know what the Lord’s plans were regarding Vathia, but it definitely threw a kink in their takeover. Craven especially has been using it to incite hatred for Vathians and unite the other three provinces, gathering troops for their army. Especially because they can’t invade Maleen.”
My thoughts come to a halt. “Why can’t they take over Maleen?”
“Because the magick won’t let them,” Amethyst says, startling me. Her steps are graceful as she makes her way over to where we are, sitting in the chair beside us. “After that night, once the lords and their minions vacated the premises, something was triggered in the lands surrounding the castle and the city. Some kind of ward went up, and no one has been able to breach it since. Some say the land is cursed by the fates for the atrocities done to their chosen fae. Some say the land is protecting itself and the fae there, waiting for its true ruler to come home.”
The words settle around me like dust after a windstorm. “You think it’s waiting for me…?”
She delicately shrugs. “Only the fates know. Now I’m sorry to interrupt, but I figured you’d like to know why your parents hid your memories and asked me to help.”
I glance at Aemon who smiles softly at me, nodding, tightening his grip around my waist. I should feel embarrassment at him holding me like this while we speak to his mother, but I can’t summon a reason to move. His touch is steadying my emotions. “Of course,” I say, dipping my head. “I remember now that I was supposed to come here, but Gretchen died before anything could happen.”
She dips her head, smoothing out her teal skirts. “Your mother came to me maybe a month before everything happened. She was worried the Lords were up to something so we met in secret. We couldn’t trust Aemon’s father either, so we met in a small tavern in Tiria. She asked me to help you if something were to ever happen to her or your fathers. I immediately agreed. You were like the daughter I wish I had. Plus, watching you boss Aemon around… I just knew there was something special about you. Once I agreed, she told me about the necklace.”
My hand flies up to where the pendant would normally sit, its comforting weight gone.
“There are some old artifacts that lay forgotten or lost, but your family had heard of this necklace that could manipulate memories, change your natural scent and hide a singular magick. It was created for a fae a long time ago who wanted to forget her past and live a new life, or so went the story your mother told me. She spent months looking for it when she suspected she may need to hide you temporarily. I… agreed with her plan. Although I suggested that we hide your Skuggi magick.”
“Is that why I can’t summon my shadows?”
Her eyes widen. “No, you should be able to. Although having them suppressed for so long could make it a bit difficult to access. Just like how it might take some time for all your memories to come to the surface.”
“We will work on it, don’t you worry, Little Dream.” Aemon then addresses his mother. “If she had her Skuggi magick locked away, how was she able to access her dreamscape with me?”
“Mate magick would pull you two together, especially since you were actively looking for her. Her subconscious probably let that part of her magick find you, feeding off yours. But that would be my only guess, because otherwise it shouldn’t have been possible.” She stares off into the fire as she gets lost in thoughts. “I’ll leave you to it. But Ravina, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to come to me. We were close at one point and I would like that again, especially since you will be my daughter by mating.” She smiles but it doesn’t reach her eyes, exhaustion etched so deep into her expression one might think it’s there permanently.
“Of course, thank you for sharing that with me. Try to get some rest,” I tell her as worry sets in. When she leaves the library, I spin on Aemon. “You told her that we’re mates?” I hiss.
“Of course, but she would have figured it out sooner or later. You know nothing gets past my mother.” He holds up his hand as I go to speak. “She’s not going to rush you into completing any of the bonds. I’m sorry, I should have spoken to you about sharing that with her, but I just wanted to see her smile again. She’s been down after that journey. Something must have happened that she’s not telling us.”
My anger deflates out of me. I can understand trying to cheer her up. “I’m sure she will talk to us when she’s ready. Do you think we can work on my shadow magick now? If it’sjust suppressed, I’m sure with your help we can get it activated again.”
“I would be honored to help you, although we probably shouldn’t practice here. The last thing we need is you accidentally vanishing the books to the shadow realm,” he teases before he wraps us in his magick and blinks us to the training yard, appearing under the wall where the shadows meet the rising sun.
Aemon lets me out of his grasp and I move a few feet away then turn to face him. “Okay, now what?”
His lavender eyes rake over my frame as he clears his throat. “Reach into your power that sits in the center of your chest. Picture your shadow magick and try to pull it to the surface,” he instructs like it’s the most simple thing to do in the realm.
I nod, closing my eyes as I reach into the void like space in the center of my power-well. Within the void, I can sense other balls of magick, one for each of the fae types. I can also sense the threads that tie me to both Nero and Vasari. Focusing back on my task, I pull on the dark, cloud-like ball with streaks of white and purple. Ever so slowly it comes with me, but it’s like tugging on sludge. Just as I feel it coming to the surface, it snaps back like an elastic.
