Chapter 25 Shielding 101
My power was no longer a depthless pool trapped within me. No, whatever Kaelun did had somehow opened the spark’s cage so completely that it flooded my system with a buzzing fervor that bordered a fine line between pleasure and pain.
Not confident in manifesting the raw powers now woven into every fiber of my being, I willed a single ember to emerge like I’d done a million times before—only this time it was different, like it was charged.
The tiny fragment of magic tingled as it traveled from my core to my waiting fingertip, then pounced.
“Fuck.” Artton snapped his hand back, pain etched in his features. He took in a few steadying breaths before shaking his hand like he was trying to fling something off of it. Then he lifted it up to inspect it.
“Shit,” Sidrick said with wide eyes as he looked over Artton’s shoulder. I stared at the black veins marring his skin—eerily similar to the ones I’d given Thaddeus and Tarrin the first time I’d wielded.
Kaelun whistled long and loud. “That looks like it hurts.”
“No shit,” Artton clipped.
I watched with morbid curiosity as his fae body slowly healed away the evidence of my powers.
Caius turned his focus to Kaelun. “Is it different from what Endymion experienced?”
“Nah. It wouldn’t be.” He shrugged as if this was the most normal conversation. “Same power, but now she can sense it better. If anything”—he cocked his head to the side—"she would’ve hit him with a lot—and I mean a lot—more." He pulled his hands out like he did before to indicate an explosion.
“Wasn’t he tapped?” Sidrick asked.
Caius nodded, and I could’ve sworn that information made his third uneasy.
“Whoa, really? That’s badass,” Kaelun said, hero worship practically dripping of him.
“Or idiotic,” Artton jabbed.
“But there wasn’t a mark on him,” Sidrick countered, that disconcerted look still etched into his features. “How is that possible?”
“Sorry,” I interjected their next tangent as I was done with being ignored, “can someone explain who this kid is and how in Lumnara he knows so much about my powers?”
A smile lit Sidrick’s features, whipping away all other emotion as he stepped up to Kaelun and slung an arm over his shoulder. “This is my kid brother,” he said, chest out with pride.
“Your… brother,” I repeated blinking up at them.
Shit, the kid felt familiar—reminding me of Eithan—but damn if I hadn’t missed him being the spitting image of his older brother.
Same richly tanned skin, blond hair, and elegantly sharp curves to their ears.
The only difference outside of age was their eye color.
Sidrick’s were the deepest brown, like rich, fertile soil that lacked the green pulling Kaelun’s into a lighter hazel.
My eyes darted to Artton. Or I supposed, Uncle Artton. The longer I tried to reconcile their family ties, the more I’d say the surly fae’s features were closer to Endymion’s than these two.
“You’re all related?” I asked, giving them another once-over.
“Nah.” Kaelun chuckled, pushing his older brother away. “I’ve just known Uncle Artton my whole life, but Uncle Caius is Ma’s brother.”
“Meaning you’re not actually related to Myron and Fiora.”
“Nope. But I’ve always called them aunt and uncle.”
“Our parents are close with them,” Sidrick offered.
I took a moment to wrap my head around this new family tree and how things were infinitely more connected than I’d assumed. Replaying everything that just transpired, my focus shifted back to Artton. “So, it was nepotism, not a fetus for a fetus?”
“Seriously, where is this fetus thing coming from?” Kaelun sulked, but no one answered him.
“Neither,” Artton said. “Even though Kaelun isn’t of age, his unara makes him invaluable as your personal guard—as you’ve already witnessed.”
“Unara?” I repeated, thinking I’d misheard.
“Why don’t we take this conversation inside?” Caius said, reopening the door to the guest suite.
“What about the human?” Artton countered.
“Myron already put a sound barrier up. Probably why he didn’t come out himself to see what all the commotion was, we were in the living room.”
I bristled at the way he’d said human, but I let it go in favor of getting answers. That, and I wanted to check in on Tarrin. Besides, Artton and I already had enough to fight about without bringing bigotry into it.
Entering the suite, I ignored the familiar sitting area that the others filtered into and made for Tarrin’s room, instantly feeling the sound barrier tug at my senses as I stepped through the door—the feeling eerily similar to the border.
“Good morning,” Myron said with a bright smile. “I was just finishing a session.”
I opened my mouth to respond in kind, but words abandoned me as I took Tarrin in, his gray pallor like a beacon for Father Death.
Eyes burning, I stepped to his side, unable to stop my imagination from flitting through the horrors he’d faced. “Is he…” I choked, running my fingers through his freshly cleaned hair, the luster absent from his silken strands.
“He’s fighting.” Myron’s low, calm voice indicating it was the best we could ask for.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, eyes scanning Tarrin for any indication that proved as much.
He was clean, and his heartbeat was a little stronger, but the only physical sign of improvement was the state of his lips.
They were still cracked and angry, but the crusted evidence of dehydration was gone, and there was no denying they were fuller than yesterday.
It wasn’t much, but I was so desperate for hope that I’d cling onto anything.
I pulled my focus to Myron, holding his gentle spring-green eyes as I said, “Why help him? You don’t owe me—or him—anything.
In fact, you owe us less than that given how deceitful we were during the solstice even though you only showed kindness.
” My chin wobbled a fraction with shame as I continued to hold his gaze.
“Sweet child,” he said with heartbreaking gentility, “I harbor no resentment toward you. You may have lied with your words, but your soul sings to a melody that could never utter anything but truths, the ones that make you worthy of the spark.”
I swallowed hard, trying to choke down his words. “During the solstice,” I I said, “you believed this court was made for me—did you know then what I was?”
He shook his head. “We’ve discussed you at great length, but the truth is that until yesterday the spark was nothing more than a mythical ideology—not to mention you were human.
In hindsight, I suppose deep down a part of me knew.
The part that’s always tethered to the Mother.
Maybe it’s why my powers kept trying to go deeper when I healed you, either for answers, or to get closer to its own source.
There was something special about you—that much was clear—but I passed it off as an unusual kinship between you and the Mother.
That is until Caius explained everything.
” Myron released a small breath, his smaller frame slumping a fraction with the exhale.
“I felt the fool once all the pieces had been laid out.”
“If it helps, I feel that way every day. Actually, scratch that, it’s hourly.”
“I’m sure you do,” he said, his words honeyed with amusement.
Kaelun popped his head in through the door. “Oh, hey Uncle Myron, good to see ya. Any chance I can steal this one away? The guys have to get going soon.”
“I think you’ll have to ask her, Kaelun,” his uncle said with a raised brow, indicating the kid had been raised with better manners.
“Right, sorry.” My new shadow shook his head. “Mind if we borrow you? I mean, it’s not like he’s going anywhere, right?” He gestured to the bed.
“Kaelun,” Myron chided.
“Sorry, was that rude? I’m not used to someone being bedridden.”
“It’s insensitive at best,” his uncle offered.
“It’s fine,” I said, unable to stop my lips from tipping up when Kaelun winced at the admonishment. “I’ll join in a moment.”
“Right-o,” he said with a mock salute before making to leave.
“Kaelun,” Myron called after him.
He turned, brows raised.
“You make sure to carve out some time for your aunt, you hear me?”
“Yes, sir,” he said, flashing another dazzling smile before leaving.
“Wow, he’s…” I started, not really sure how to describe the new addition.
“A bundle of energy. Been that way since the day he was born.”
“Is he always that… happy?”
“He is,” Myron said with a smile so broad the corners of his eyes creased. “Most genuine soul I’ve ever met, and kind to a fault.”
I mulled that over, not really sure how to respond.
“Go and join them,” he urged. “Tarrin is doing as well as can be expected right now, and although Kaelun lacked tact, he’s right—your friend isn’t going anywhere.”
Sighing, I squeezed Tarrin’s hand before giving my thanks to Myron.
Popping out of the sound barrier I was instantly warmed by unabashed laughter filling the room, all of them unable to contain themselves at something Kaelun said. Not wanting to break the moment, I leaned against the doorframe, taking them in.
It was strange seeing them this way; at ease, not a care in the world.
This was their family, by blood and choice, and without question I knew love bound them more than blood ever could.
An unencumbered love I’d never known. The way they joked and teased one another made me ache for simpler times—for the carefree moments when I tilted by head up and laughed without restraint.
Only Eithan had pulled that out of me. Wait, hadn’t Endymion done it once too?
I rubbed a palm against my chest, the ache intensifying now that my power seemed to flow more freely.
“Hey, come join us,” Kaelun called once he spotted me.
Pushing off the doorjamb, I joined them, taking a seat on the far left that felt the head chair. By the time I settled, so had the moment, a strained timbre filling the space.