“If youplayed aroundwith your textbooks a little more than with your friends, we wouldn’t be considering putting you on academic probation, now would we?” Hemlock responded in a clipped tone.
Callista scoffed and rolled her eyes. The bubbles all popped at once.
Hemlock paid her no attention and said, “Right. Onto true names. As this is a class studying bonds that fae make, this topic is extremely important to touch upon. Every supernatural has a true name, no matter what magical race they belong to. It is the name your spirit has, the name you carry with you into the Great Hunting Grounds when you die, and the name that remains with you no matter how many reincarnations you have on this Earth. You were given it by the gods when your spirit was created, and you will always carry it throughout eternity. There are various ceremonies throughout supernatural culture that beings use to discover their true name. For example, the Elementai tribe has a special naming ceremony they partake in when individuals come of age. They are drawn into a trance, and told their true name by their ancestors. Each supernatural race has a different way of discovering their true name. Likewise, a fae can only be told their true name by contacting their chosen god or goddess.”
Hemlock weaved her hands, and smoke illusions of the Seven Gods appeared around the room. People oohed in appreciation as the spectral beings roamed around the room like shadows, observing us like ghostly patrons of another world. I watched as the specter of Milonna took Tomir’s hand and began waltzing around the room, turning in place. Radek, Vesna, and Neva gathered in a circle, appearing to converse. Luka leaned against the wall with crossed arms, surveying the area. He reminded me so much of Ethan.
The specter of Droga stood in a corner of a room and seemed to watch me. He had a hood over his face, so I could not see his features. It made me shiver. I tried not to look at him and paid attention to Hemlock.
“If a fae knows their true name, they will grow even more powerful,” Hemlock spoke. “Fae who have learned their true names will have a stronger connection to the gods, and to Edinmyre, thus making their magic stronger. But one has to be very careful with their true name. If an enemy knows it, they can use it against the individual, cursing them or even binding them with a spell that will cause the person to fall fully under the caster’s control. This is why it is vital to only give your true name to people you trust with your life, or to not tell it at all.”
Hemlock raised her hands, and the ghostly figures fell away. I was glad. Droga was really starting to creep me out.
“To find your true name, you must partake in a ceremony, and go deep into a meditation to contact your god,” Hemlock said. “Give offerings that you know your god will appreciate, and light incense. Wait for your god to appear until they are ready, and be open to receiving any messages they are willing to give. Be warned, this may take several attempts. The gods are wild, and do not appear at our command. They come to us from their own free will. Many of us are very lucky to receive one encounter from our gods in our lifetime, and they will not give us our true name until we are ready for it. Now, this ceremony can have certain variables.”
Hemlock nodded to Arthur and I. “Twins and other multiples are very unique in Arcanean culture,” Hemlock lectured. “They are the only ones who have a soul bond with someone other than their mate. Twins in our culture do not share a soul, as they do in Miriamic lore, but they do have a special soul connection that is just as powerful as the bond between a shifter and his Marked. Like mates, twins can perform special magic together that other fae cannot achieve. Likewise, any true name ceremonies that twins have should be done together.”
I was astonished. I was not only connected to Ethan, but to Arthur as well. As Hemlock turned toward her desk, Arthur leaned in.
“We should investigate our twin bond further. See what magic we can do,” Arthur whispered to me.
I nodded. “Maybe we can figure out our true names together.”
Our conversation was cut short then, because Hemlock announced we’d be taking a test for the rest of the class period. It was long, so I didn’t finish it until the hour was up.
When people started leaving class, I heard harsh, hushed voices at the head of the classroom. Callista and Hemlock were arguing again. Hemlock’s face was red as she spoke to her daughter in a harsh whisper.
“Nightshade? What were youthinking?” Hemlock hissed. “I better not catch it on you again, Callista.”
“It wasone time, Mom! I just wanted to have a little fun!” Callista shot back.
I didn’t know much about nightshade, but I knew it was a magical drug you didn’t want to mess with. Callista needed to be careful.
“Do you realize how dangerous nightshade is?” Hemlock added. “You’re playing with fire.”
“You act like I’m an addict! I can’tbelieveyou. It’s like you don’t even know me,” Callista snapped.
Arthur glanced at me when Callista mentioned the nightshade. I didn’t want to interfere in any Hemlock family arguments. I gathered my things, and Arthur and I left the classroom.
“When should we perform the ceremony to discover our true names?” Arthur asked.
“Probably when I get back from European Nationals,” I told him. “It’s next week, and I don’t want to be distracted. The gods will want my full attention if we’re going to connect with them.”
Arthur nodded. “April it is, then.”
“We should ask Bapa and Babcia if they know anything about twin magic. Maybe there’s an Unseelie spell we can work on together,” I suggested.
“I bet anything there is,” Arthur replied. “Though Hemlock hinted it was difficult. They might not think we’re ready for it.”
“We’ll prove to them we are,” I said. I was giddy with excitement. There always seemed to be more possibilities in the fae world, more things to try and learn. I wassoready to get out there and start testing our limits.
Arthur departed for another class. Kiara found me later on, while I was studying in the library.
“Emma, my parents are back from South Africa,” Kiara said brightly. “Would you like to go with me to see them? They’re at Siona’s, at the griffin village.”
I hadn’t yet seen the griffin village, and I was curious how it looked. “Definitely. Shall we go now?”
“Of course.”
