Four #3
I had fallen in love with Gideon shortly after my magic had awakened, and the rest was history.
The spark in my chest had started to dim.
My mother had tried working with me, but developing my magic was challenging, and being with Gideon was easy.
I had ignored the constant hum of magic in my chest, drowning it out more and more each day until eventually my powers had become a dormant part of me.
The spark was still there; I could feel it if I concentrated hard enough, but the ember was small and barely glowing.
I had never done anything with it, and my parents hadn’t pushed the issue, either.
Since I was a woman of the royal bloodline, not much had been expected of me. Until now.
“Are you ready?” Gray’s voice broke me from my reverie.
“Yes.” I nodded, wiping the flaky crumbs off my fingers.
I took one last sip of my coffee and dabbed the napkin to my lips before rising from my chair.
“You don’t have much time this morning before your first meeting,” Tom pointed out as Gray and I stepped away from the table.
“I’m aware,” the lord said before leading me out of the dining room.
We headed for his study, and a sense of excitement set in about seeing the space as I hoped to gain more insight into his personality.
“After you.” The lord gestured for me to walk in after he had opened the study door.
I eagerly stepped inside and glanced around, quickly taking in my surroundings.
A stately mahogany desk to my right was the room’s focal point, with a high-back leather chair behind it and two smaller chairs in front of it.
Directly ahead of me, a map of Emeraldia adorned the wall above a medium-sized fireplace flanked by two large windows.
Two bookcases, a settee, and a bar cart lined the wall to my left.
The decor was masculine and sophisticated, but didn’t shed any light on the lord’s hobbies or likes.
“Where do we begin?” I asked, ignoring the feeling of disappointment.
“Please, have a seat.” Gray gestured to the chairs before the desk.
I perched on one of them and scanned the desk for any personal items but found none.
Meanwhile, Gray sat down in the chair behind the desk, facing me. The sense of authority he naturally seemed to exude intensified as he looked prominent and very in his element.
“What does your magic feel like to you?” he asked as he steepled his slender fingers in front of his face.
I blinked at him, reminded of my dream where he had asked me the same question.
“What did you say?” I tilted my head to the side.
He arched a brow and repeated the question.
I shook my head at the strange coincidence before responding, “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” he asked incredulously.
I instantly felt like defending myself. “My magic has been dormant for a long time. I don’t know what it feels like.”
Taken by surprise by my own petulant tone toward the lord, I struggled to regain control over my emotions. I was not angry with him, but rather with myself for not attempting to harness my magic sooner.
“This is going to be harder than I thought,” Gray said under his breath, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and pointer finger. When he looked at me again, disappointment settled into his features. “Your first task is to figure out what your magic feels like.”
Tom rapped his knuckles on the study door and announced that it was time for them to prepare for the meeting.
I couldn’t bring myself to say anything to the lord as I rose from my chair.
Fighting back sudden tears, I left the study, feeling dejected.
I halted in the foyer for a moment before deciding to head to the library.
Have I made a huge mistake by staying here?
I closed the library door behind me and sagged against it.
What was I thinking? Did I really think I was up to the task of strengthening the wards?
I couldn’t even do basic magic. I was the last person in this kingdom who could make any real difference when it came to helping with agriculture or stopping the barrier from failing.
But then, why did I feel this urge to help? This calling I wanted to answer?
A soft knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. “Emelin? Are you all right?” came Thea’s voice from the other side.
I wasn’t all right as my vision blurred with tears, but I had a decision to make.
I could return to the capital and let my father and my brother carry the burden of the waning magic and weakening wards by themselves, or I could stay here and prove to Gray and myself that I was not a lost cause.
The first option was very appealing, but I couldn’t give up that easily and turn my back on my kingdom.
Taking a deep breath, I reined in my tears and opened the door to let Thea in.
“What happened?” she asked, her jade-green eyes searching my face. “I saw you leaving Gray’s study, looking rather upset.”
“I am upset,” I admitted, quickly wiping the tear that had escaped. “But I will get over it. Let’s go shopping.”
I lifted my chin and strode out of the library, refusing to let my interaction with the lord ruin my entire day.