Page 21 of Written In Flesh

“Come on, S. I know you’ve read a shifter romance. And you watched that vampire show. Mate bonds exist, although they are rarer for beings outside of shifters.”

“Ugh.” My hands run down my face. “This is too much. So what happens now?”

His massive shoulders shrug. “I have no idea yet. My superiors believe the Nexa returned in that blast. Some believe the Nexa never left but is continuously here. What no one knows is that right before that blast, your magic also crashed into you.”

“So maybe my magic was the blast and not the Nexa?” I asked, feeling even more confused now.

“That’s what I’m working to figure out. It’s being investigated, though. Your father’s family is investigating, some of my superiors are as well, and different factions of other paranormal beings,” he explains. My spine straightens, and my shoulders go stiff when he mentions my dad.

“Hey,” he says gently and gives me a side hug. “Don’t worry right now. We have no idea yet, but Loreli and I both thought you should be prepared. Your aunt and I don’t agree on much, but this is one thing we do agree on. We also agreed to keep you aware of all possibilities so that you aren’t blindsided. This way, we can prepare or defend if necessary. If the Nexa is back, let’s hope she finds a new husk. Maybe it will never even touch you. Or maybe there is no husk, and the spontaneity of your magic returning caused that blast.”

“Let’s hope so,” I mutter, suddenly feeling exhausted again. Reading me easily, Azriel shakes his head with a small laugh.

“Okay, S. Get some sleep.” He pushes me toward my bed.

“Will you stay for a little while?” I ask, catching his hand in mine. I can’t explain why, but I feel the need to keep him close tonight. His familiarity and knowing he’s my best friend make facing sleep easier for some reason.

“Of course.” He smiles gently and pulls my desk chair closer to my bed.

Once I’m under the covers, and Azriel turns the lights off, he starts to glow, a pale, warm light just enough to keep the shadows at bay. “Night, Az.”

“Night, S.” His voice is low, and my eyelids are already closing, ready for sleep to take me under.

Sunlight flicks under my curtains, and for one second, I’m suspended between sleep and consciousness. Something woke me, but what? Peeling my eyes open, I notice my desk chair is exactly where it was when Ariel was here. He stayed until I was asleep, because I don’t remember him leaving. My aunt’s voice rises again, and it registers; that’s why I woke up. Loreli is yelling at someone. I jump out of bed and grab my robe from my closet door, tying it quickly over my cami and shorts. My feet hit the stairs, and there’s some more hushed yelling, but I’m already walking into the kitchen.

Loreli is standing at the island, her hands braced on the top, fingers clutching the edges. Her favorite coffee mug is in front of her, but it doesn’t even look like it’s been drunk yet. Her face is flushed, and her eyes are sparkling with anger. My head twists, and my eyes widen when I see none other than my best friend sitting on a chair at the kitchen table across from her. Unlike my aunt, he looks relaxed and calm in another pair of his board shorts and a loud, long-sleeved t-shirt. His face is blank except for the slight lift to his lips.

“What’s happening?” I glance between the two of them.

“Nothing.”

“We should talk.”

They speak at the same time, and my brow rises. I clearly missed out on something while I was sleeping. “Do I need coffee for this?”

Azriel grunts and moves to grab me a mug, filling it nearly to the brim before dumping just enough of my favorite creamer in there.

“Thank you.” I smile at him and take the mug. He meets my grin with one of his own before his eyes slide to my aunt.

“Anything for family.”

I sputter at the same time Loreli’s eyes narrow, and she swears under her breath. “I’m sorry, what just happened? Family?”

Azriel nods his head, but his eyes are lit up, those violet orbs almost glowing. “We should talk.”

“What he means to say is that he stole your blood and brought it to a priestess who was able to discern the types of magic you have and where they hail from,” my aunt jumps in, her face flushed, her brow almost hitting her hairline.

Guilt makes my stomach sink. I forgot that I’d given Azriel my blood willingly, despite my aunt not wanting me to, when my magic returned. It was over a year ago, and there had been no answers until now. I forgot about it, just as I thought Az had.

“Lore—”

“Did you give it to him? Even after I told you both it could be unsafe.”

My throat feels tight, knowing I went against her. Safety didn’t even cross my mind at the time. All I wanted was answers, and I trusted Azriel to have my best interests in mind. “I’m sorry.”

She huffs and pushes herself back from the island counter. Her arms wrap around her waist. She won’t look at me. “So neither of you even thought about what could happen if those results got into the wrong hands? You lost your memories, Skallan. We still don’t know how exactly the accident happened.”

I grimace at her use of my full name. “That’s why I was okay with doing it. We needed answers, and I thought if we knew more about my blood, my magic, or who I’m related to, it might answer questions about what happened. I didn’t just lose my magic, Aunt Lore, I was disconnected from it.”