“I've seen many places, and the north is my favorite territory to visit. I was actually born in the north. My mother traveled through the area, visiting various packs, when she became enthralled with observing an Indian tribe. They even inspired the nickname she uses for me. She decided to stay and be near the Indian tribe until I was born and able to travel back to our home.”
He smiles at me like I've brought up one of his favorite subjects. His eyes have that sparkle back that I adore. He places a hand on my knee and says, “I have an idea... would you like to join me for an adventure?”
I’m a bit surprised by his forward touch, but I also enjoy his hand’s weight on my knee. “I would love that. What kind of adventure do you have in mind?” The first sparks of excitement are building in me since arriving. My mind races with possibilities.
“Nice try, Darling, but that will be a surprise. I'll have to make some arrangements before I can pull it off though…” He trails off, probably thinking about his plans. In his silence, we both shift to gaze forward again instead of toward each other. He leaves his hand on my knee, though, which I’m happy about. I’ve almost become addicted to the soft buzz under my skin that occurs each time we touch. I hardly recognize it’s there until his touch is missing.
“You asked me what it’s like to be a Princess, and I gave you a very truthful answer, but I don’t want to give the impression I don’t appreciate the role I’ve been born into. There are a lot of heartwarming aspects my position allows me.” I say, breaking the silence. His head snaps over to study me with my comment, and I detect the slightest squeeze on my knee. The reaction he shows seems a bit off, but I carry on with what I want to say.
“If I weren’t a Princess, I wouldn’t be able to help our people in the same way as I do now. I think that’s my favorite part of who I was born to be, being able to help others in so many ways…” My words trail off when I see how intently he’s staring at me. I almost wonder if he’s even hearing what I’m saying. He seems distracted.
With my pause in talking, Marcellus asks a question, “And how exactly do you think you’re able to help your people by being a Royal Heir?” I must be imagining the scorn in his voice because aside from his tight hold on my knee, he doesn’t show behavior that would match.
“There are countless ways, and I could spend days telling you all of them, but I guess the shortest answer is magic. Mostly moments of teaching. It’s not always easy for everyone to fuse with their magic, so we oftentimes help with that. Sometimes there are cases where someone has abused their magic and it’s on the cusp of leaving them. When the user catches their mistake and truly repents, we’re able to help guide them into fully fusing again. Ummm, what are some of the others…”
I tap my lip with a finger while thinking, and notice his grip on my knee has lost its squeeze. His hand is just resting there now. “Oh! We also teach magical properties of different herbs, barks, fungi, and such, and how to use them in spells or to aid in using your inner magic. We also pass on any spells they want to know about. It’s always a good practice to help spread the knowledge.”
I've been focusing my gaze on the garden for the most part while I talk and think through my responses. I take a moment now to scan his face again. He appears to be struggling to believe what I’m saying, like he wants to… but something is stopping him. I don’t understand why he’s having difficulty with this. I’m about to ask him, but he opens his mouth and asks me another question before I can.
“You try to help people who had their magic taken away?” There’s a strain in his voice. At least I think it sounds like it. I can’t be completely positive since I haven’t known him long. He squeezes my leg again, trying to prompt me to answer when I don’t start talking right away.
“Well, their magic isn’t taken away... Remember when you were a pup and your parents started teaching you how to recognize the magic inside of you? Taught you it works based on a partnership? You need to learn to trust your magic will never hurt you, and that it will be there when you need it. Trust it will provide you guidance and assist in situations when you don’t know what to do. You need to show your magic that you will never abuse the gift it represents. You need to show it you won’t use it to harm others or with any other nefarious intent.
“Sorry, this is turning out to be a long explanation. But when someone uses their magic to... for example, kill someone, then the link to their magic will be extinguished and they won’t be able to reconnect. There can be mild cases where someone realizes what they are doing and cuts it off, or it’s a child who has a tantrum and tries to keep their friend from winning a race. In those cases, their magic pulls back to see if the moment of malintent was a single incident or who the person truly is. If it’s a one-time transgression, we’re able to help them reconnect with their magic… Was I able to explain that well enough?” I pause to take in his reaction.
He seems to be absorbing every word I say, it’s almost as if this is the first time he’s hearing all of this. Watching all the emotions playing across his face throughout our interactions today... it seems like his moods change rapidly. His eyes look like they go out of focus and he whispers, “That isn’t how I was taught. Silas told me I would never be able to use magic because it was taken from me. I had to figure out everything on my own.” I’m not even sure if he’s saying this to me, or just saying it to the universe.
His gaze comes back into focus and he looks into my eyes, trying to hold me in place so he can watch for the truth along with my words when he asks his next question. “So then how do you have so much more magic?” He has an intensity about him, making me think this question is one of the most important ones he’s asked me.
I place my hand on his. “What makes you think I have more magic than anyone else? I may have a higher understanding of how our magic works, its limitations, and being able to manipulate it in different ways. But I don’t havemorethan anyone else. To some extent magic is an art. The more you practice at it, the better you get. Just like you working at swordplay, the more you put into it, the stronger and more fluid you get. I spend huge chunks of my day, every day, dedicated to practicing magic.” I keep my eyes focused on his, making sure I don’t glance away for a second. He seems to need the connection to make sure my explanation holds no deceit.
He seems to come to a decision that he doesn’t voice and just gives a nod of his head showing me he accepts what I've told him. “Speaking of swordplay, I need to get to training. I’m afraid I’m already very late, they’ll probably send out a search party if I don’t show up soon. Let me escort you back to your chambers.”
He stands and offers me his hand, but I’m just not ready to head back inside to the darkness awaiting me there. “I think I would prefer to spend more time under the sun. Don’t worry about me, I can find my way back.”
Marcellus takes my hand and kisses it before sighing deeply. “I’m extremely grateful I asked you to come on a walk with me. Thank you for agreeing. I’ll see you soon, Darling.” He winks and then walks through the garden and around the castle to reach the training yard. I watch him leave while I sit here soaking in the sun, and think over our morning together. His rapidly changing moods are concerning. I wish my mother’s words could help me now.
Chapter 10
Marcus
Present
When we arrived last night, Klaus passed out almost right away and was followed by the other two guys as soon as they took their clothes off and shifted. I couldn’t be happier with these arrangements; I’m laying next to my mate and keeping watch. I haven’t fallen asleep for even a minute, and I can barely bring myself to blink. I’m hungry, sleep-deprived, physically exhausted, and oddly drained, but the training I’ve received makes this seem like nothing, having withstood far worse. But waiting for her to wake up so I can see her eyes gaze upon me… this is the worst kind of torture I've ever encountered. And on top of everything, I now feel... off. This must be what the guys call “a bad mood,” whatever that means. I’m definitely not used to experiencing emotions, I need to learn how to control them better.
I knew the Fates were at work back in that park. It just never occurred to me they were leading me to my mate. I've spent most of my life believing she died before I ever found her. But the moment I saw Derrick pulling her out of that hole in the ground, it was like the sight of the beautiful goddess reawakened my soul. It felt like my whole life I'd been pushing my way through sludge, and now I’ve been washed clean by the purest stream of lost fairy water.
That lovely stream of fairy water turned into a raging river of emotions that swept my legs out from under me, hurtling me over a waterfall. The waterfall had no regard for its effect on me. It just flowed right down on top of my heart and beat its powerful stream into me with no end in sight. Alex would call me a robot at times, and now I’m beginning to understand why.
I don't know why my emotions were turned off as if my mate had died. It's possible I always thought she was dead, but perhaps she just hadn’t been born yet. I ponder the possibility while I endlessly wait for her to wake. My mate hasn’t so much as twitched, and I would know if she did. From the moment I laid out beside her, I've had my eyes on her. Watching her sleep has brought me more joy than I've ever experienced. I used to make fun of people in movies who would do that… watch someone sleep.
But I get it now.
I was enjoying the peace and serenity of the quiet when I was sucked into a vision. I mean… I've never had a vision, but that has to be what this is. There’s been enough craziness going on in the last twenty-four hours. Shit, not even that long—more like twelve hours. I scan my surroundings and realize I’m on a beach. The waves crash on the shore, creating a peaceful soundtrack. I try to move my legs to walk, but realize my body isn’t here. I’m just a spectator in this vision, with no control at all.
That’s just perfect.
I have some control over my eyes as I evaluate my surroundings. I spot Klaus a few feet away and watch as he sets up a couple of beach chairs. We’re at one of the hidden beaches he frequents. He’s brought us here several times. There are a couple of surfboards wedged into the sand, standing off to the side. He has a cooler, and I watch as he grabs a drink and hands it… to my mate? What the… Oh, shit… I don’t think this is a vision… this is a dream. Klaus’ dream! I don't understand. How is this even happening?
