Page 6 of Birthright

“La graine?”

“The seed,” Bevin said. “It is the bringing of life to your power as a Witch.”

I thought on that for a moment, not sure how sex could manage to awaken my power. Yet I had no choice but to believe.

“Can I have Manus as a consort?” I looked at him, then Bevin. His face brightened and those green eyes shone as he smiled.

“No, Keena,” Manus said with a soft lilt. “I am honored deeply that you would consider me for a consort, especially as la graine, but I have sworn my life to you as your guardian. I pledged an oath to you and your mother. I will not go back on that oath no matter what may come.”

I had a hard time imagining having that kind of relationship with him anyway. He was my friend, my strength…my cat. And he’d seen me wax. “Never mind.” As it all settled into my brain, I put my hand on Bevin’s arm, suddenly panicked about my lack of magical skills and the subtle threat from Feldema.

“How long do I have to find a consort? When is this battle with the wicked half-sister? She mentioned something about ‘mere months’!”

They all smiled at me—the Shifter, the Gnome, and the Witch.

I had daydreamed of a life where I was fuller, more complete. And now I had it. I was given attendants, clothing fit for royalty, magic, and a huge suite in a castle. I was getting used to it, but they had neglected to tell me I had to fight for it all. What if I didn’t have the power to beat Feldema?

“You may not believe this, Keena, but you are stronger than I ever imagined you would be, my child.” Bevin’s wrinkled face was soft, but a shadow of concern shifted across her eyes. “But the sooner the better. We have no idea how strong your powers will be. Feldema’s magic…her powers are great. You need all the practice you can get before you have to face her.” She handed me another amulet. I groaned as I eased it over my head. Manus had stopped pulling punches in our sparring, and I hurt all over.

Bevin continued, “Doran is back this evening, and we will be heading home tomorrow. There will be more men to choose from there. Don’t worry, my child, your body will tell you when the time is right if you open yourself to your senses. You still don’t trust yourself, your new magic. It will come when you open up to it and accept it.”

She turned to Hogan, and the bun in her gray hair wobbled. “Something formal this evening, our host will be here as well.” Hogan gave her a little bow.

“Our host? This isn’t home? You people don’t tell me anything,” I said with a pout. This lack of information was getting very irritating, and I had every intention of speaking with Doran when she returned.

Bevin gave me a confused look. I guess she assumed I knew. “This is the home of Lord Tynan, of course. He’s been very generous to house us for this long while we helped you to adjust. But we leave for the homeland tomorrow night. All the Kith will welcome you and you’ll feel more confident. It will feel like home.”

I thought about that last statement. I’d never really felt a sense of home anywhere in my life. I hadn’t realized how much I wanted just that until I was flung into this strange world. I’d grown comfortable with these people, these beings, so easily. I couldn’t explain it, even to myself, except that I felt like this was home already. They were home. I belonged—and had even grown to love them in this small amount of time.

It was Manus, Hogan, and Bevin who made this feel like home, I told myself. Some other place wouldn’t change that.

Manus, Bevin, Hogan, and I sat in a large dining room and made small talk as we ate. The mysterious Lord Tynan and Doran had not made it in time for dinner. We enjoyed a fabulous meal of exotic fish with strong spices that made the candlelit room smell like an incense shop. Imps flitted gracefully about, refilling wineglasses and serving the courses. When I complained that I would gain a hundred pounds eating like this all the time, Hogan told me I wouldn’t easily gain weight anymore. Evidently, my metabolism was different as a Witch.

I stretched back and rubbed my tummy. “Well, with our workouts, Manus, I probably wouldn’t gain weight anyway, Witch or no.”

Manus gave me the once-over. “You’ve not really looked at yourself lately, have you?”

I rolled my eyes. There were only a few mirrors in the castle and even those were small and dingy. With all the training and with Hogan doing all my dressing and attending, I hadn’t really concerned myself with my appearance. I knew my hair had grown and darkened, though.

“Hogan, a proper mirror, please,” Manus said. Hogan motioned to a corner of the dining room, and a full-length, gold-framed mirror shimmered into existence. My magic was so pathetic that I had to stare at the mirror for a moment and wonder if my craft would ever be up to par. I opened myself up to get a feel for Hogan’s energy as it lingered around the looking glass. I felt the glow in my belly as my magic responded to his.

Manus got up and offered his hand. “This way, Priestess,” he said and stopped me beside the mirror to brush a loose bang from my forehead. “Feel your magic. Pull it from within yourself. Experience it.” I closed my eyes and let the feel of it rise, opening to my own sense of being. “May I present to you, the Priestess of the Wild,” he said, turning me to face my reflection.

I took a breath so quickly it was actually a gasp. I heard Bevin give a little chuckle.

I’d seen myself—but not like this. My hair had grown at least six inches and it was a shiny auburn, falling in cascades around my face. A healthy golden glow radiated from my skin, making me look as if I’d just come off the beach. Since I had been in this dark castle for most of the last three weeks, it was startling. I was also several inches taller. My face was thinner, and although I could still see the hint of resemblance to my human mother, the spell my real mother had cast to make me look like my adopted parents had mostly faded.

But my eyes. Still hazel, yet with tones of brown that were glowing as if there was a fire behind them, bringing them to life. It was still me in the looking glass, but from head to toe, I was brighter.

The gown Hogan had created for me this evening was midnight blue and stunning. By now, I had gotten used to his method of dressing me. As he mumbled his spells, a pile of fabric would appear at my feet, and after mumbling again, the garment for the occasion would wrap itself around my body and be right the first time, buttons or zippers done and all perfectly fit. But this particular gown was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. It lifted my breasts so they appeared larger than they were, and it clung tightly around my waist, making me look every inch a woman.

I’d never felt so beautiful in my life.

“Your powers are glowing within you, priestess. You just need to open yourself up to them.” Manus was smiling like a proud father with his hands resting on my shoulders. He leaned in and kissed me tenderly on the head.

A strange feeling filled me as I stood there and looked into my own eyes. I felt wholly myself, looking at the woman I had been born to be. The Imps, Gnomes, and Witches, all of them were my family. I was a Witch, and I had a fire in my soul that belonged there, and it was burning to be freed. I felt tears welling as my abdomen burned with those powers that I suddenly knew were truly my own.

I opened fully to my power for the first time. I could sense it as it reached out and flowed through the room. Hogan and Manus closed their eyes and inhaled to take it in, to let it mingle with their own. Bevin’s voice echoed in my head, Yeeesss, Keena.