by Willow Hayes
Twelve
Kenna
I am reflective during my drive back to the apartment, working through the events of the past week, and what my life has become with the introduction of magic to it. I’m not exactly good with change. Who am I kidding I’m total shit when it comes to change, so this upheaval has been exceedingly difficult.
When I walk in the door Akito bounds up and bumps his head against my leg looking at me expectantly. I chuckle and scratch behind his ear. “Missed you too, buddy. Did you behave?” I ask him with a suspicious brow. He sits on his haunches, trying to look as innocent as possible. I laugh out a snort, “Yeah, I didn’t think so.” I smile at him as I walk into our small living room which really is more forest than room. Between Rya being a dryad, and my love for gardening the room overflows with life. Come to think of it, my Earth magic probably had something to do with my love for plants. I smile at the thought of my magic being there with me, even when I didn’t know it.
Rya, wearing light blue sweats and a white tank top, has her legs curled under her on the couch and is closely studying a stack of papers. She looks up at my entrance and gives me a tired smile. I smile back and ask, “Hey Sunshine, how was the nursery today?” I put my purse on the table and grab a water from the fridge. I wander over to the couch and peek at the papers that surround Rya. I find page after page of spreadsheets, so it must be work related stuff.
“It was good. Busy, but good. I was just looking through the numbers from last quarter to see if I can swing hiring on another staff member.” She waves the papers a bit to indicate what she has been studying. “How was your first day of training, Sparkles?” her smile brightens with the question, and she sets the papers aside.
“It was amazing!” With hearts in my eyes I tell her about meeting my magic and getting my ass kicked by Nakoa.
“If you are smiling that much about having your ass handed to you it must have been amazing.” She laughs at my emphatic nod. I sober a bit as I tell her about having to move one of my kids, and the emotional meeting I had with the family. “Oh Kenna, I’m so sorry. I know those days are the hardest.” Not wanting to focus on the heartache any further though, I suggest a movie, to which Rya asks in a hopeful voice, “A romance?” I laugh and with an exaggerated eye roll I let her choose the movie.
As she is putting the movie into the player there’s a knock on our door. Akito rushes to investigate, and I tell Rya that I’ll answer it, so she can finish getting the movie queued up. I walk the few steps to the door and open it, only to find no one there. Weird. Akito darts around my legs, and when I reach out to stop him I see that he’s sniffing an envelope sitting on our door mat. An envelope with my name scrawled across in neat and precise letters. That’s odd. Why would anyone leave a letter on the mat instead of sending it in the mail? For that matter, why knock and leave the letter and not wait for the door to be answered? I grab the envelope and close the door, completely baffled. “Who was at the door?” Rya asks.
“No one, or I suppose the someone that left this letter, but they weren’t there when I opened the door.” I hold the letter up for her to see, and she repeats my earlier thought about it being odd. I open the envelope and feel my brow wrinkle in further confusion when the sole item turns out to be a picture of me at work. “This is utterly bizarre.” Rya makes a noncommittal noise in response, waiting for my explanation. “It’s just a picture of me at work. Why would anyone send this to me?” I hold the photo out to show it to her and startle when I realize there are words written on the back in the same neat handwriting. “Holy shit Rya, listen to what was written on the back of it:
I know who and what you are. You are a danger to everyone you love. If you attempt to publicly declare your lineage you and yours will suffer.”
“What the heck?” Rya moves to stand next to me as we examine the words carefully, trying to determine their meaning. “Do they mean they know you are a caster? Or royalty?
“Your guess is as good as mine. It seems like maybe both though. But why would I declare my lineage? And for that matter, why would anyone care if I did?” Confusion and incredulity fill my voice.
“Can I see the picture again?” Rya asks, and I hand it over. As she studies the image her chocolate brown eyes widen in alarm. “Kenna, this is what you wore to work today. This picture was taken today.”
I take the picture back and feel ice settle in my veins. “So, whoever sent this knows where I work, and they seem to know a shit ton more about me than I do. That scares me even more than the threat.” As fear meets anger my fingers begin to spark. “Fuck!” I drop the letter and work to calm my magic.
“How often has that happened today?” Rya’s voice is full of concern over the unintended display of my magic.
For half a second I consider lying, not wanting to admit to my lack of control, but I have never lied to her and refuse to start now. “That makes three,” I say looking at the floor and eating my humble pie.
“Kenna, you need to call Nakoa.” My eyes fly to hers, but at my look of outrage she cuts me off, “No, not just about the magic, although that is part of it, but about the threat. As your Chosen they are your guards. They need to know about this.”
Frustrated with her logic and seeing no way around it I pull out my phone. It rings only once before Nakoa picks up. His voice full of concern, he asks, “Is everything okay, Kenna?”
“Yeah, totally. Well, maybe?” My voice hesitant. “I know it’s late, but something’s happened, and it’s got me a bit scared. I think someone threatened me.” Admitting my fear to him sucks ass and only makes my heart race faster.
“Callum and I are in the area. We can be at your place in five minutes. Don’t leave your apartment.” The sense of urgency in his voice giving rise to my own growing panic.
“Sure, that’s fine.” We hang up, and I turn to Rya. “Well fuck. Now I’m really scared.” She reaches out and pulls me into a hug. I hesitate at first, scared of hurting her with my magic, but then tightly wrap my arms around her, allowing her steady presence to calm my frantic thoughts.
The short wait for Nakoa and Callum leaves me pacing the floor. The second I hear the knock I dash to the door to let them in. “Hey. Thank you for coming,” I say, my frightened voice empty of my normal sarcasm and snark.
Nakoa’s eyes quickly scan my body to ensure I’m unharmed before his worried eyes meet mine, and he says, “Of course.” Callum gives me a brief nod, and his eyes take the same path down my body before he follows Nakoa through the door. I lead them into the living room and gesture to the couch. Their bodies are tense as they examine the room before taking a seat and turning their attention to me. Akito does a cursory assessment of the guys and deems them safe and once again takes up his protective stance near me.
“This envelope was left on my door mat tonight.” I hand it to Nakoa. “This photo was inside.” I hand that to him as well. “This picture was taken today from inside my office.” At my words Nakoa’s eyes turn hard and flash to Callum in question. Callum shakes his head slightly. Not knowing what to make of their silent exchange I move on, “What do they mean who and what I am?” I shake out my hands after feeling the now familiar tingle of my magic across my fingers. I watch as they read the words carefully and flip between the photo and words a few times. They almost seem to have an unspoken conversation, and the silence is unnerving.
Nakoa finally speaks, “I think this is absolutely a threat, and I’m glad you called. I also think they are likely aware that you are both royalty and a caster, but the question is do they just know you are royal, or do they know more, like which royal? I am not sure what they mean by being a danger to those around you though.”
“It may mean that you put those you love in danger simply because of your lineage, or they could be referring to your untrained magic. It is difficult to tell given the ambiguous nature of the words.” Callum’s matter of fact tone does nothing to settle my frazzled nerves.
“Why would I be a danger to
people because of my magic?”
“It seems the writer may know more about the situation than we do. There’s a chance they know something about your magic that we don’t.” Nakoa’s voice lacks the surety with which he usually speaks.
“What magic could I possibly possess that could be so dangerous someone would threaten me over it?” Incredulity colors my voice as I throw my hands up.
“Your magic was bound, and we do not know the reason. It is possible someone bound it because it was dangerous without proper training.” Callum’s normally stoic face looks as confused as I feel, which doesn’t help me to feel any better.
“Well, how do we find out why someone would hide my magic from me, or what my magic is for that matter?” Knowing I feel frustrated by the lack of answers, Rya squeezes my hand in silent support, and Akito presses his weight against my leg. The room is quiet for a few moments, and I pace in front of the couch, feeling uneasy.
Callum breaks the tense silence, “Once we learned of your unique circumstances I began to ask around about a Fae I had heard only rumors of. The Fae is ancient and is one of the last of her kind. She can detect not only magic type but also lineage. If we truly want the answer to who you are we need to find her.”
Nakoa turns to Callum and asks, “What can we expect from this Fae?”
“Honestly I do not know. I know of her but not any specifics. I know she is ancient and does not engage with society much anymore. My sources say she is legitimate, and she will not turn us away if we come.”
Nakoa turns to me and asks, “What do you want to do?
What Callum says seems too good to be true. I have spent my entire life wondering who I am. Hating that I can’t remember my past. Wondering if my parents tossed me away, or if we were forced apart. When I look at Rya her eyes beg me to try, and I know the guys are waiting for my answer. But all I can see are the many ways going to see this Fae could be a disaster, and all the ways I could have my heart broken. What if after seeing her I’m still just a nobody with no family? What if she takes one look at me and tells me it was all a mistake? That the magic isn’t really mine. I’m so scared of what we could find out.
Then I remember what Reg said when I first started sparring,and kept freezing up. He told me that the fear of the pain is worse than the pain itself. Once I finally stepped into the ring and fought my first sparring partner I found that Reg was right. Getting hit hurt like a bitch, but the experience of winning my first match was worth any pain I felt. The pain I felt eventually faded, but if I had not forced myself into the ring my fear would never have faded. I try to hold onto that truth as I find my spine of steel and look up from my lap to say, “I’m in.”
“That settles it then. We’ll go see the Fae. Callum, how far is this place?”
“It is about a four hour drive,” Callum explains.
Nakoa turns from Callum and faces me, his voice once again sure as we make a plan, “Can you take a few sick days?”
“Yeah, I have some leave stored up. When would we leave?” Having a plan helps me feel more in control too.
“If you can swing it, tomorrow would probably be best.” I tell him I’ll make it work. “Good, I’ll send two of my men to watch the apartment while we are gone, but the threat is against you, and I don’t see anyone involving Rya at this point.” He tells me he wants to place a couple of the guys outside the door for the evening. I don’t argue, thankful for the peace of mind it brings. I thank them both and walk them to the door.
When I walk back into the living room I look at Rya, my eyes wide and say, “Holy shit.” My words breathed out in a whoosh.
Rya gives me a silly grin and hooks her arm through mine. “Come on Sparkles, let’s go pack you a bag for your appointment with destiny.” I bump my hip against hers and roll my eyes with a smile, thankful the gods sent Rya to me.
Thirteen
Kenna
How in the heck am I supposed to be in the car with four lust inducing men, who I also happen to be bonded to thank you very much, and not catch fire from the flames they fan by simply breathing? Because holy fuck. I need to distract myself before I do something embarrassing, like start panting. “So what exactly does this Fae do to get all the information?”
I’m anxious about what she will do and trying desperately not to think about the what-ifs that have gone round and round in my head. I’m not sure I could survive it if she tells me this was all some fluke, and I have somehow hi-jacked the magic from someone else. I can’t admit, even to myself, how much I want this. How strong the yearning is to know who I am and where I came from. I have not let myself think about these questions in years. It was easier to shut them down than to feel the pain, so the questions have lived in a dark box that I keep locked up deep inside.
“You’ll have to defeat a troll,” Luka deadpans, but at my terrified expression he laughs and continues, “We aren’t sure actually. There are a lot of secrets surrounding the process, so we’ll know when you know I guess,” Luka shrugs next to me as he responds.
Okay, so that didn’t help, time for distraction tactic number two. Question time. I have lived or worked with various magical races my entire life, and most of the time I couldn’t care less about who or what they were, so I never bothered asking. Now I find myself beyond curious about the guys’ magic. None of them show their magic overtly, like Rya, so I couldn’t even begin to make guesses. Obviously I know Teo is a shifter, but I don’t know what kind. If I had to make a guess though I would say a predator shifter because there is a lethal gracefulness in the way he moves. Having never asked before I have no idea if the question is taboo, and I try out different ways to phrase it in my head, looking for one that sounds the least offensive.
My policy is ‘honesty always,’ so I decide to take a risk and ask the awkward question, “So I’m not sure if this is taboo or not because I have never cared enough to ask other magical people in my life, but what are you guys? I know Teo is a shifter, and Callum is an Air Fae, but besides that I don’t know.” My words come out in a whoosh, despite trying to sound casual I begin to blush furiously at my question.
I look at the floor of the SUV, allowing my curls to fall and create a curtain, shielding me from view while I work to contain my embarrassment. What is it about these guys? I have blushed more in the past few weeks than I think I ever have.
Luka chuckles at my rambling, shakes his head, and mumbles something about being adorable. My cheeks pink even more, but I look up when Luka turns to me in his red t-shirt and dark jeans. He takes a big breath, as though steeling himself, adjusts his glasses and offers up the information, “I’m a dhampir. My father is a vampire, and my mother was human.” He pauses, eyes intense as he studies my face, as if waiting for me to react, but I wait quietly. Is he waiting for me to react to the news that he is an underworlder? Because I don’t care at all, so I keep quiet. When I make no response he tilts his head, as though confused. I give him a small smile, suddenly nervous under his intense gaze. With my smile he seems to shake himself out of it and continues, “Teo is a wolf shifter, and Nakoa is a sentinel.”
To break away from the intensity in Luka’s gaze I look around the SUV. “Right on,” I say awkwardly. I swing my eyes up to Nakoa and ask, “So, what’s a sentinel? I’ve never heard the term before.”
“We are one of the two magical beings who have a direct affinity with the Aether.”
“Okay, so I have heard the phrase, the Aether, countless times, but I don’t actually know what it means. I have a vague idea but not really.” Nakoa chuckles at my rambling sentence.
However, instead of Nakoa answering, Luka, the walking encyclopedia, pipes up, “The Aether is the source of all magic. Each affinity can ultimately be traced back to it. It is the purest and most powerful magic that exists. For Koa to be able to access the Aether directly means that he is also very powerful.”
“Don’t stroke his ego. He already thinks he’s the shit.” I throw a wink at Nakoa who only shakes his head at
me, trying to hide his smile. I turn back to Luka and say, “So the Aether is like a tree, and the branches are the different types of magic.” While not posed as a question it comes out sounding like one.
Luka smiles wide. “Yeah, that’s a pretty good analogy. Although, one might change it to say the earth is the Aether, and all magic stems from that power.”
“That’s mind-blowing to think of. That all magic shares a common source.” I feel a deep gratitude to be a part of something so beautifully vast. “Sorry, that was a tangent. Nakoa, you were telling me about sentinels.”
He laughs and catches my eye in the review mirror sending me a smile. “Sentinels, by definition, are protectors. Our job is to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Most sentinels are born into sentinel families but some are born of other magical lines. My father was a sentinel, and I was lucky to grow up with my family, knowing what it meant to be a sentinel.” His thoughts seem far away for a moment before he continues, “The runes you see on my arms are also on my thighs, chest, and back. When a sentinel receives his or her runes speed, strength, and senses are all heightened. We are most often guards because of these enhanced abilities but also because of our strong connection to the Aether. We can create new weapons with a thought and call old ones to us in a time of need.”
He just shared so much cool information, but all I can think about is the other locations he has runes that I haven’t seen yet, and I start to salivate at the idea. “So you aren’t born with the runes?”
“No. We go through a ceremony to receive them. It is our rite of passage and an honor.”
Now I definitely can’t stop thinking about the runes on Nakoa’s body and how much I want to see each and every one of them. “That’s awesome. Where did you say the runes are again?” I try to sound nonchalant, but my mind is full of dirty dirty fantasies. Teo lets out a small groan and shifts slightly in his seat. Guess the fantasies didn’t go unnoticed. Nakoa’s nostrils flair, and when he meets my eyes in the mirror I see heat in his, but in a blink it’s gone. I feel the blush working its way up my neck. Can’t a girl get lost in her fantasies? I guess not when she’s around a bunch of supes.