“Oh, and about getting lost tomorrow—I’m afraid we’ll have to get lost in the morning and make it home by late afternoon. Before I left the palace, Isla said she and Gerard want to go out on a double date with us. They want to get to know you better.”
“Sounds great.”
Not really, but I can’t very well say the way Gerard looks at me makes me uncomfortable. He hasn’t done anything out of the ordinary. He hasn’t said anything inappropriate. Maybe it’s all in my head, but something about him makes me leery. I get the sense he’s constantly sizing me up, saying things just to gauge my reaction, then filing the information away to use against me at a later time.
He’s like the quintessential politician—sleazy, underhanded, and untrustworthy.
Saban and I say goodnight on the platform where the palace steps split between the two wings. I’m still in the servants’ quarters, which is fine with me, but parting from him is harder each time. After a lengthy goodnight kiss and promises to resume in the morning, I head off toward my room. When I reach our hall, I stop at Addi’s door and knock.
“Come inside. I heard you coming from a mile away. You were so focused on talking to me, you started the conversation well before you reached me.” She laughs and closes the door behind me. “Have a seat. I’ll tell you all I know. Anything else you want to know will have to come directly from Ginevra.”
“Then there is more you know but haven’t bothered to share with me?” I’m trying to keep my temper in check with my friend because I don’t know the reasons behind withholding information from me.
But she had better have a damn good reason.
“Have a seat.” She sighs then paces while she collects her thoughts. “Your magic is different from most of ours, Saraya. Your father was an elf wizard, and your mother was a human mage. You have a mixture of powers from both races. The elves are very powerful, even without being a wizard. They’re inherently skilled fighters and all have limited magical abilities, such as healing, short periods of invisibility, seeing in the dark, and talking to animals. The elven wizards are even more powerful in every way.
“Combine that with your mother’s magical abilities, and you have a potentially volatile mixture of magic. One that is more than capable of pushing you into dark magic. While you were learning to use and control your powers, Ginevra thought it was best not to tell you this. She wanted to wait until you were mentally prepared to explore the elven magic.”
“If my father was so powerful, why couldn’t he stop them from killing my mother and him? That doesn’t make sense.” She knows the answer to my question, but she doesn’t want to tell me. “Addi…tell me. I have a right to know.”
“Because the angry mob used you as leverage. They got to you first and forced your parents to do what they wanted. When Taeral realized they planned to kill you anyway, he used his magic to send you and Zu to the Veil so Ginevra could cloak you. He died protecting Wren and you, but he got you out of here first.”
I feel as if all the wind has been knocked out of my sails. It’s a hard pill to swallow, knowing the people of Easthaven Crest turned on my parents so viciously and without cause, to the point they were eager to murder a baby. “And no one knows who the warlock is who started all this? No one?”
“No, we don’t. That hasn’t been kept from you. If we knew, we could’ve made this a safe haven a lot sooner. But whoever he is, he’s very powerful. He’s remained completely hidden from us all this time, despite all our collective attempts to trace him. I think Ginevra hopes your mixture of elven and human magic will be more powerful than his so we can put an end to his terror campaign once and for all. Like I said, your power is different—and much stronger than the rest of ours. When you’re at full power, you’ll be a force to be reckoned with, for sure.”
“Good. I’m ready for whatever I need to do to open the elf magic door in my mind. The leaders are debating allowing mages back out in the open without repercussions—and most of the leaders are all for it. If that happens while he’s still loose, they’ll be sitting ducks for him to pick off one by one.”
“I’ll contact Ginevra and let her know what’s going on. She needs to remove the magical block she put on you.”
“You forgot to mention that part.”
“Sorry.”
Chapter 17
There’s a place between awake and asleep where a mage can visit another mage as she’s drifting off. I know this fact now because Ginevra surprised me by hopping into my dreams and using that time to explain my mixed lineage.
“Saraya, I need you to pay attention, sweetheart. We have a lot to talk about. Your powers are about to change significantly. You need to understand what will happen after I remove the block. After your encounter with the witches today, it’s not safe to wait any longer.”
“I’m listening, Ginevra. Addi filled me in on some of the details earlier.”
“She told me. Every elf is born with inherent magic, though not all the same. They each have their gifts. Some can hone and perfect their abilities to become formidable adversaries. A select few are born as wizards and mages. Those elves are especially powerful in all areas of magic, including many skills no other race has.
“With your heritage, you’ll have access to unimaginable powers. That much energy constantly coursing through your veins can be dangerous if you don’t keep firm control of your emotions and thoughts. Your first instinct will be to lash out at anyone who hurts you or makes you mad, but you can’t give in to that impulse. Even one time could end in disaster, Saraya.”
“I’ll be careful. I promise. I’m feisty, but I think I’ve handled everything with a fairly level head so far.”
“Memories will return to you after the block is removed. We said you were a baby when this happened, but you were actually a little older. You were almost three. We had to hide those early memories for your own safety. Seeing your mother’s face, hearing your father’s voice—everything will come flooding in at once. You may even remember the people who threatened to kill you the night the palace was breached. I’m putting my trust and belief in you, Saraya. Trust that you can handle this now and won’t turn bitter and angry over events we can’t change.”
“I understand what you’re saying, Ginevra. To be honest, I wish you’d just told me that from the beginning, rather than lying to me about it. I’m having a hard enough time trusting anyone in this realm as it is.”
“We all make mistakes, Saraya. We can only do the best we can with the information we have at the time. There’s no way I could’ve known how you’d react had I told you the truth from the start.”
“You’re right. It’s okay. I understand you have to protect more than just me. If I need to vent about anything I remember, I’ll come to you and let it all out. I won’t go off on my own and blow up the kingdom or anything like that.”
“Lie still. I’m removing the spell now.” She rubs her fingers across my forehead, whispers an incantation, and pulls the energy of the spell from my head.
A sensation like chains falling away and allowing my mind to open fully envelops me. The extra measure of power surges through my body, electrifying all my cells at once. The memories flood my consciousness—love, loss, hope, agony, fear, and elation grip me all at once. I squeeze my eyes shut, grasp the sheets in both fists, and ride out the storm raging inside me. The conflicting emotions are at war, each trying to take control at the same time.
Then the visions of my early childhood begin to play like a movie on an enormous silver screen. Indistinct flickers of my mom’s smiling face looking down at me, my dad’s muscular arms carrying me to bed, and Nana holding me close to her while she wept over her tremendous loss.
“Let them flow like the river, Saraya. Don’t latch on to one just yet. Let them all out so it’ll be easier for you to go back and visit each one later.” Ginevra coaches me from the sidelines while I fight to maintain control and composure.
Concentrating on the good and releasing the b
ad seems to quench my sudden thirst for vengeance over the events of the past. The love I felt from them when I was little is still alive, wrapping around me like a warm, snuggly blanket. I miss my nana more than I can express, but I’m content knowing she’s okay wherever she is. What hurts the most is not knowing my parents and not remembering them outside of the memories I’ve just recovered.
With a little deep breathing and meditation, I’m able to slow my speeding heart and stop myself just short of hyperventilating. When I’m calm again, I begin to realize the immediate changes in my body. The buzzing I thought would break my entire body into a million pieces is gone, replaced by a mighty humming coursing through my veins. The intensity of the force infiltrating my every cell is beyond incredible—it’s intoxicating.
I spring out of bed to my feet, walking around the room to expend some of the sudden, pent-up energy. Though it doesn’t make sense, I feel so much stronger—in my bones and my muscles. “Ginevra, is this possible? Can I be stronger because of this?”
“Yes, dear. That’s the elvish magic flowing through you, doing its job.”
This is amazing. I suddenly want to go outside to test my new abilities under the veil of darkness. After throwing on some clothes, I slink through the long hallways of the palace until I reach the side service entrance. From here, I can sprint to the edge of the forest with minimal risk of being seen by anyone. My eyesight in the darkness has changed. Now, I can see everything. Not black blobs. Not indistinguishable outlines. I can make out every tiny detail, even from a long way off.
Satisfied the coast is clear, I take off in a dead run away from the castle. My speed increases with every step until I’m certain the trail behind me is nothing but a blur. When I stop deep in the forest, I’m not winded in the least. I feel amazing and could’ve kept going for miles and miles.
“Ginevra, I wish you could feel what I feel. I can’t even be upset with you for keeping this from me now because I’m too elated.”
“That’s one of the perks of being part elf, sweetheart. The downside to that is your anger will take you to equally dark places. Remember Rycan’s reaction to you when you first encountered him—the intensity of his hatred? Elves thrive on passion, whether it’s love or hatred or anything in between.”
On my way back to the castle, I decide to slow my speed to no more than a leisurely stroll so I can take in every detail of the forest with my new elvish vision. The vibrant colors of the flora and fauna are even more vivacious, making me want to stop and touch everything I see. The crescent moon hangs high in the sky tonight, casting its soft white glow over the openings in the treetop canopy.
“Look who’s back and all by herself. No human bodyguard with you tonight, huh?” The angry witch from earlier is back with her friends in darkness.
“I don’t need a bodyguard.” I cross my arms over my chest and issue a silent challenge with a quirk of my eyebrow. “Who are you?”
“Starla Keeling, the leader of the Sisters of Shadowmoon. Who are you?”
“No one you’d know.”
“Is that right? If you’re no one special, why is your spirit energy cloaked? What are you trying to hide?” She places her hands on her hips and issues her own challenge.
“I didn’t know my aura was cloaked. I’m not hiding anything.”
“Maybe we should take her back to the coven with us, girls. We can make her tell us all her secrets before we sacrifice her to Dredor and take her powers for ourselves.”
“There’s no need for all that, Starla. I’ll be glad to tell you exactly what I’m thinking and feeling right now.” The slow simmer of anger builds in my chest, but I quickly extinguish it. Her challenge is hollow, and we both know it. She’s trying to scare me and save face with her coven at the same time.
But I’ve never been a pushover.
Pulling the white light into me is infinitely more natural now that Ginevra removed the block. Like a magnet attracted to steel, the light is drawn to me, filling every nook and crevice inside. Pulsating and pounding through me, the power behind the magic builds and pushes against me inside like water pushing against a dam, ready to break free.
Starla’s jaw goes slack first, gaping open while she gawks at me in disbelief as my magical strength increases. Her sisters of the night follow suit and begin backing away from me. “What are you?”
“Tired of your shit, that’s what I am. Don’t return to this part of the forest. You’re not welcome here. I thought we made that clear earlier.” Lightning flies from my fingertips, striking each witch separately and sending them flying through the air. They hit the ground with a thud and mumbled curses before they scurry away.
“Nice job containing your anger, Saraya. You had me worried there for a moment.” I can feel Ginevra’s smile in her voice.
“It’s all under control, G. Don’t worry about me. Who is Dredor?”
“I don’t know, Saraya. That isn’t a name I’ve heard before, but I’m on a mission to find out now.”
* * *
Falling asleep last night was next to impossible, but I managed to get a few hours of rest before meeting Saban for our all-day adventure. He’s already waiting in the kitchen when I walk in to have breakfast.
“Good morning, princess. Sleep well?”
“I was too excited to sleep.” That’s not a lie. It’s just not the entire truth. “But don’t worry. I’m more than ready to go exploring with you today.”
“Your eyes—they’re glowing purple even more than usual. They’re mesmerizing.” He stands and walks toward me as if he’s entranced, not moving his gaze from mine.
I shrug nonchalantly, eager to change the subject. “I’m happy. I can’t wait to see what the day has in store for us.”
We eat breakfast together, then he ushers me out of the house, pulling me toward the barn. He glances over his shoulder and rewards me with his perfect smile. Those steel-gray eyes darken with mischief and secrets.
“Are you ready?”
“More than ready. Are we flying today?” I’m giddy with excitement.
“Yes, we sure are. I remember how much you loved it, so I thought we’d head out alone. We had too many people with us last time.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
Saban’s horse is saddled and ready to go when we walk inside the elaborate barn. “Do you want to ride with me, or do you want your own?”
“I’ll ride with you this time. Next time, I’ll take off on my own.”
“Perfect. I was secretly hoping you’d say that. I like having you close to me.”
He climbs up on the horse then helps me up to ride behind him. With my arms around his waist and my chest pressed against his back, we take off for our secret destination. When we’re high above the earth, I tighten my legs around the horse and stretch my arms out to the sides and let the wind flow through my fingers. I can so clearly envision myself flying without the help of the horse, I’d swear it was real.
He takes the long route so we can enjoy the scenic view from above. His trusty steed carries us with no effort at all. We circle a large open field at the edge of the Easthaven Crest northern border with Elderwater Basin before coming in for a landing. The edge of the forest is the backyard of a beautiful English cottage. The front yard is a vast, multiacre lake with crystal-clear water.
“Saban…wow. I’m speechless.” I turn in a slow circle, trying to absorb all the beauty surrounding me.”
“I’m glad you like it. This is my secret home away from home. I come here to relax and recharge after the crowds at court suck the life out of me. No one knows about this place, except you.” He tucks his finger under my chin and gently lifts my face to meet his gaze. When his lips touch mine, a surge of heat floods my body. Stronger than before. More urgency and need are embedded in our sensual embrace. Every nerve ending inside me is exposed and overloaded with desire.
When did I become such a sucker for a gorgeous smile and a smooth line?
Chapter 18
“We have plenty of time to avoid the rest of the world before we have to get back. What did you have in mind?”
His steel-gray eyes darken for a moment, stealing my breath with the hidden meaning behind them. “There’s a canoe behind the cottage. How about a tour around the lake? I can show you the stream that connects it to the river from Elderwater Basin. We may see a few merpeople out today. You seemed especially fascinated with Talia.”
“A romantic paddle around the lake? That sounds perfect. I hope we do see merpeople today. They’re intriguing to me—how they can change so quickly in and out of the water.” I shrug one shoulder and give him a lopsided smile.
“You’re cute when you’re embarrassed. But you never have to feel that way with me. I want all of you. Wait here—I’ll go get the canoe.” He winks while flashing that megawatt smile at me, and I feel the blush creep up my face in response to the naughty thoughts about him that flash through my mind.
When he disappears around the corner of the rock house, I tilt my head back and soak in the bright, warm sun. It really is a perfect day to enjoy the lake up close and personal on a canoe. His thoughts drift into my mind, and I open my eyes to find him walking toward me.
The muscles in his arms and chest bulge with the canoe perched on his shoulder, but he carries the full weight of it with ease. No heavy breathing. Seemingly no exertion at all. My lips part and my eyes fly open wide, roaming over his broad chest before dropping to his muscular legs. When my perusal brings me back to meet his gaze, the smirk on his face says it all. He doesn’t have to read my mind to know exactly what I’m thinking.
Cloaked: Easthaven Crest, Book One Page 13