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Over an hour has passed before I come to a section on the four Courts of Fairy and the magic tied to them. The descriptions of the Courts are brief, not giving me much more than the other books I’ve read on the topic. What’s unique about this book is that there is an additional section on types of magic.
The main magics of the Spring Court include life and death magic, as well as shadow magic.
Shadow magic? Seeing the words on page triggers a memory. Archer hasn’t mentioned anything, but I swear I’ve seen something happening around him a few times recently. As if he’s been able to blend into the shadows or pull darkness to himself. It’s been so subtle that I thought I imagined it. Maybe I didn’t.
Focus.My head is all over the place. I can figure out the shadow magic stuff later. Right now, I need to learn about life and death magic.
The Spring Court is responsible for ushering in growth and renewal of the land after the winter. Those with life magic have abilities that can heal and enhance fertility.
I stop reading at that, blinking down at the page. Well, that’s not what I was expecting. I’m going to have to figure out how to suppress that particular talent. Except, I guess it doesn’t really matter anymore.
Life and death magic are symbiotic, representing the circle of life. Without both, there would be no balance. Because of this, life and death magic are always paired together. When born with only one of these magics, the power is unstable.Death magic allows those who wield it to communicate with those departed from this plane. Those with death magic often have the ability to see the life force or auras of others, because of their connection to the Shadow Realm.
Now I really have to stop and take a break. I have the ability to talk to the dead? Or I will? I’m not exactly sure how this works. Can I do this without officially forming a bond with Archer? Obviously, some of it doesn’t require a bond. Now that I see it written on the page, it occurs to me that I’ve been seeing auras for a while. All the times I blamed exhaustion, tired eyes, my sanity, it’s been these damn auras. While I have no idea what any of the colors mean, I can recognize that’s what I’ve been seeing.
Flipping forward a few pages, I look for more information on the auras. More specifically, I’m searching for the meaning of specific colors, but don’t find anything. I wonder if any of the new age books we’ve got in the library have any truth to them. I make a mental note to check a few out before I leave.
Because of the Spring Court’s ability to cross over into the Shadow Realm, their magic is closely tied to that domain. Those with shadow magic can harness the shadows of this shrouded land and manipulate them. They can pull shadows to cloak or protect, and some are even able to travel by walking through the shadows.
I take a picture of this section of the book and start to send it to Archer. Then I see all of his unread messages glaring at me accusingly. Everything inside me hurts. My stomach, my brain, my heart. I’m doing the right thing. I am. I think.
My finger floats over his name until guilt gets the better of me. I can’t keep this from him. It’s something he should know. I send off the picture but close out of my messages before I can read everything he’s sent.
Later. I’ll read them later. Possibly when I’m drunk and can handle whatever he has to say. Now is not that time.
I leave the library with a bag full of some super weird books on auras. Sick of my cramped office, I decided to take them home and read where I can sprawl out. It’s an overcast day and the gray sky looks like it’s going to open up any minute in a deluge, so I don’t waste any time.
Turning the corner to my street, I nearly run into Serafina. Arms grab me and pull me back before we crack heads.
“Whoa, there, speedy. Someone’s in a big hurry.”
I extract myself from Colton’s arms while Serafina’s bored gaze barely takes me. She dismisses me as if I’m too insignificant to capture her attention. Fine by me. She can keep her ice princess attitude to herself.
“Sorry. I just wanted to get home before the rain.”
Colton tips his head back to look up at the sky and then grins at me. “Yeah, it does look like a storm’s coming.”
Electricity charges the air seconds before lightning tears through the sky. Thunder rumbles a few seconds behind, and Colton’s laughter joins the sound. Serafina rolls her eyes and crosses her arms.
I push my glasses up on my forehead and rub at my eyes to get rid of the faint glow surrounding the two of them. The thought that I was reading for too long flits through my mind, but it’s quickly replaced by my newly acquired information. Serafina and Colton both have a soft, golden glow surrounding them. I only ever see this color around a few people. Anthony, Colton, Serafina, and a few people I saw in town several weeks ago. Not that I have a wealth of experience reading auras, but out of all those I’ve seen, this color is unique. That’s not the only troubling thing. At the edges of the gold is a murky black, seeping into the gold. A darkness crawling into the light. It’s disconcerting enough to have me taking a step back.
“I’ve got to go.” I don’t bother waiting for a response. I don’t give a shit how rude I’m being. There’s something unnatural about the two of them, and I think I might have a theory about what it is.
Shit.
