Page 17 of A Kingdom of Magic and Rain

The adviser’s face scrunched up in annoyance. “A hedgehog?! You’re not serious.”

“Tom,” Gray cut him off sternly.

“How can you be so callous?!” The words erupted out of me as if of their own accord. “Does this animal’s suffering not bother you? How can you not care about its pain when the connection to the land runs through your veins?”

Stunned silence filled the kitchen after my outburst, but Killian interrupted it when he returned.

“Finally!” Tom exclaimed, clearly set on ignoring me. “Killian, please tell me the carriage is ready.”

“It is. Here, Your Highness, some beetles and a few caterpillars for the hedgehog.” The butler deposited the glass jar with the insects on the counter.

“His name is Quilliam,” I said, glancing at Gray. I found him watching me with a strange expression.

“What a great name!” Killian smiled at me.

“Yes, yes, a great name, a great hedgehog. We have to go,” Tom muttered, losing his patience. He lingered in the kitchen after Killian had walked out.

“I’ll be right there,” Gray told him.

“But—”

The lord shot him a warning look.

“Ridiculous.” Another mutter under his breath as he stalked out.

“Are you all right?” Gray turned to me.

“I am, just worried about Quilliam.”

He studied me for a moment. “This isn’t just about the hedgehog, is it?”

It was about so much more than that, but I couldn’t disclose the truth.

“It’s one thing seeing the detrimental effects of the worsening weather on plants. Confirming that animals are also affected… It hit me hard.”

“It’s only temporary—the king said so himself. He doesn’t seem concerned.”

Tears gathered in my eyes as I swallowed, preparing to lie. “You’re right. My father has no doubts that we will recover quickly. I pray to the Stars every night for our swift recuperation. Hopefully soon I will be able to do more than pray.”

“You will,” Gray assured me before he left.

November 19th

“I must be missing something.” I cracked open one eye and peeked at Gray.

He looked up from the book he was reading. “Whatever it is, only you can find it.”

I opened both eyes and rolled them. “You are my mentor. Isn’t there anything more you can do to help me?”

Gray closed his book, placing his thumb in between the pages not to lose his place. “I explained to you how our abilities work and shared best practices that helped me and others to unlock them. Once you are able to bring your magic forth, I will help you shape it with intent, but until then, I’m afraid there is nothing else I can do.”

I opened my mouth to counter, but lacking a valid argument, I closed it and focused on the bundle in my arms. Quilliam was doing much better a week after we had found him. Gray had bought a cage for him in Arwyn, and we had made a designated spot for it in the library since I spent most of my time there. Though I was his primary caretaker, it had taken the hedgehog all that time to get used to me. He had finally started showing signs of affection.

“It’s past your bedtime, little one,” I crooned, tickling his soft pink belly. As if he could understand me, Quilliam buried deeper in the blanket he was wrapped in and dozed off.

“He’s recovering well,” Gray said with a small smile. “We should be able to release him back into the wild soon.”

I frowned at his words. “Wouldn’t he end up nearly frozen to death again?”