Callum grins, jutting his chin, urging me to scoot over on thebed so he can lie beside me. The pillow he rests his head on is wet from my hair, but he doesn’t seem to mind.
“Hazel has extremely powerful magic.”
“Seems like that’s the case for everyone around here.”
“No one is like Hazel.” He turns his face to me. “Many think she’s a banisher because that’s the closest known magic that compares to hers, but what she possesses is far beyond that of any other banisher in the written text.”
“They nullify magic, don’t they? Like obsidian.”
“Yes. But Hazel doesn’t just nullify it; her touch consumes it. If she hadn’t let go, she could have absorbed every last drop until even your human heart wouldn’t be able to survive. Many think the difference between the humans and the Fae is their magic, but it isn’t. Even a human heart has a flicker of the gods within it. We were all crafted by them. The only difference is that the Fae are able to access what resides within ours because it’s more potent—by our land and lineage. If Hazel hadn’t let go, she could have drained more than your magic or your life, Elorie. She could have stolen your soul.”
My throat tightens. “I’ve never heard of magic like that.”
“Before her, no one had.” Callum rests his hand over mine, and my heart starts to race. “It’s why the king is so protective of her. Although, I think she scares him too, whether he’d admit it or not.”
“It’s hard to imagine the king being scared of anything.”
“He’s smart enough to be wary of his sister. The more powerful the magic, the harder it is to control. When Hazel was a child, she accidentally killed an entire wing of Fae while sleeping. She had a nightmare, and her magic spilled out. After that, King Erdem changed the floors and walls in her room to obsidian so her magic couldn’t unintentionally escape when she was asleep.”
“Obsidian works on her then?”
“Yes and no.” Callum shrugs. “Her magic is a void, so there’snothing to nullify, but obsidian creates a barrier her magic doesn’t pass through.”
“I can see why the king keeps her close.” And why I don’t want to be anywhere near her.
“She’s his greatest weapon if it comes down to it,” Callum agrees. “Her touch could snuff out an entire battlefield. He could use her to win this war if he so chooses.”
“So why doesn’t he?”
Callum looks up at the ceiling. “Preservation, most likely. He can’t use her without draining what’s already running scarce.”
“Magic,” I whisper, and Callum nods.
While Hazel is his weapon of destruction, I’m a beacon of rebirth. Two sides to King Malachi’s plan, both being used as tools in this war.
I shiver. “Thank you for stopping her earlier.”
“It wouldn’t have done any good without Isolde’s help in restoring what was taken.” He frowns.
“What was in the tonics she used in the bath? One was blue. Like the color of morning glories.”
“That’s what it was. Morning glory essence. They once grew all over Lyrichia and Vaelier, amplifying magic. They were the first to die after the Collision.”
“That’s why the king was surprised they grew on Alyssium. Because there’s no magic there.”
Callum nods. “The second tonic was rose water mixed with Fae blood.”
“Blood?” Just the thought makes my stomach churn.
“Our blood is where our magic blooms. While there is magic in everything around us, it is most potent within a life source. Blood is the simplest way to extract magic in a meaningful way. To be transferred or even—” He shakes his head, brushing his hair back.
“What were you going to say?” I push myself up on my elbows.
“It’s not important.”
“Don’t shut me out, Callum.” I sit up, frowning. “That’s how this whole mess started.”
He sighs, pushing to sit himself, and it sinks in that this is the first time we’ve shared a bed, although this is completely platonic. His leg brushes mine, and it would take so little for him to just lean over and kiss me. But he doesn’t.
