Page 8 of Kingdom of Faewood
Above, the galaxy’s stars twinkled like sparks of glittering sand.
Guardian Alleron sat beside me in the center of the carpet, counting the rulibs in the velvet sack the king had given him. The coins’ heavy weight clinked together. It was the only sound besides the howling wind and wildling chatter from the Wood.
“Are you doing all right, Elowen?” my guardian finally asked after he finished his accounting.
Another shiver wracked my frame. “I’m fine, just cold. The king’s and Lordling Messepire’s magic have thankfully worn off.”
Guardian Alleron’s voice dropped in sympathy as he pocketed his coins. “Nightmare magic is quite terrifying, but it was all an illusion. Messepire’s magic couldn’t actually hurt you.”
“I know, but the images that I was seeing were horrifying, and the hallucinations?—”
“You’re fine now, are you not?” he asked, his tone a bit sharper.
I pressed my lips together. “Well, yes, but?—”
“Then there’s no need to carry on about it.”
My brow furrowed.Am I carrying on again?Icontemplated that. I didn’t think I’d been, but I was tired, and time always seemed to pass at a slower rate when I was dealing with the side effects from a calling. Perhaps he was right, and I’d been complaining more than I’d realized.
Nodding, I pressed my lips together once more and also reminded myself that my guardian hadn’t once scolded me for struggling to fulfill all three callings today. I should be grateful for that even if I’d done what he demanded to the best of my ability.
After all, I’d been successful to some degree on all three callings. I’d found Lordling Himil’s daughter, I’d provided Lordling Messepire with the location of a missing heirloom, and during the king’s calling, I’d revealed answers about the future. All with the help of the semelees.
I’d done what’d been demanded of me even if it’d hurt me in the process and even if I’d grown so fatigued I’d been put in harm’s way.
A memory of the largest semelee that I’d interacted with during the king’s calling brushed against my mind like fluttering wings. The semelee had called to me, lulling me with its siren song. I’d been so tired I’d almost detached from the fae lands entirely. It was only the activation of my guardian’s device on my collar that had stunned me from the semelee’s grip.
“Elowen?” my guardian said, his tone a bit less sharp. “You’re all right, aren’t you?”
Shuddering, I shoved that fearful memory aside andlocked my gaze upward as the carpet swayed and billowed beneath me. “Yes, Guardian. I’m fine.”
He hummed in satisfaction and settled back for the remainder of the ride.
Light from the three moons barely penetrated the canopy when the Wood grew dense again, but in the open areas, the shimmering array of constellations and the plethora of stars held my attention.
I concentrated on our realm’s natural beauty, anything to keep my mind off the numbing coldness that continually made my entire body shudder. But, as my guardian had pointed out, at least the king’s elemental magic and Lordling Messepire’s psychic power had finally abated. At the moment, I was only dealing with Lordling Himil’s water elemental side effect.
Shivering, I forced myself to once again gaze at the stars for a distraction. The Alonidrus constellation blazed brightly above, and it was easy to locate the three planets visible tonight in our solar system—Jeulic, Merimum, and Titun. The planets shone brighter than any star, and they pulsed in colorful waves that shimmered around them like a halo. Each planet’s magic formed a protective cloud, like an aura, and not for the first time, I wondered what color our planet emitted.
I doubted I would ever know, but at least the beauty of the skies helped numb the terror of my work today.
My teeth began to chatter when we careened over a bubbling stream, and the wind picked up on our final stretch through the Wood.
“We’re almost back, Elowen, and then I shall reward you with three full days of rest. You did well tonight even though you once again couldn’t twist fate.” Guardian Alleron’s tone cut through the wind whistling through my ears.
“But...twisting fate is illegal, Guardian. Even though King Paevin would like me to, I don’t think it’s wise to try.”
He shrugged. “Is it truly illegal if a king demands it?”
Frowning, I clamped my mouth shut. Twisting fate was the ultimate power of a lorafin, yet I wasn’t even close to having enough control over my magic to do so. And despite what my guardian claimed, itwasagainst the law. I could be brought before the supernatural courts for twisting fate, even if a king demanded it. So while King Paevin may not be reprimanded, I certainly would be.
My guardian carried on, oblivious to my discomfort. “The king was still pleased, however. Thanks to what the semelees revealed, he now knows how many spectators will show for the Matches. He shall have the staff prepare. Yet, he also told me that he wants you to keep trying to master your magic completely. One day, if the semelees are agreeable, he would like you to twist fate for him.”
I squirmed, not liking where the king’s interest was going at all. “I’m sorry, Guardian. I still can’t access that part of my magic...”
“I know, which is why you won’t be punished. However, the king has requested your presence again in two weeks’ time with only him in attendance. Of course, for that much rarecontinued access to you, I shall have to raise the price. Even a king has to pay if he wants to use my lorafin.”
Mylorafin.