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Noah ran a hand on the back of his neck. “But drinking from humans is a crutch. It was discovered and is now used without anyone even bothering to see if anything else can work. The quick solution has become a way of life. One I want to be rid of. I just have to find other ways that are convincing enough to do.”
“I’d imagine that little blip of magic isn’t going to be enough, then.”
Shaking his head, he responded, “No, that wouldn’t have been. But for months now something has been growing inside of me. A strange new energy almost. I’m not sure how to explain it, but as I’ve continued drawing from the earth, things have”—he paused and flashed a toothy grin,—“changed.”
He put his hand back over a spot of grass closer to me than the last. He leaned forward, his head coming close to mine.
“Watch now,” he whispered.
Noah met my gaze only briefly before he focused back on the grassy earth in front of him. As he held his palm over the ground, the same small glow that had emanated moments ago started again. Only this time as a small smile crept over Noah’s face, the light grew brighter, engulfing his entire hand and shining more brightly than before.
I could feel the awe on my face as my eyes widened, watching the sight before me. Instead of just a white light, there were hues of greens and blues along the edges of the shining ball of magic, almost creating a sort of small light show.
Noah moved his palm back and forth over the grass, and as he took his hand away, the grassy patch almost appeared more lush than it had been before.
Noah whispered to me as if he thought that the magic he just created would disappear if his voice was too loud. “Keep watching, Cora.”
He moved his hand next to the soil patch once more, calling on his magic as a radiating light filled the space. The same greens and blues danced from his palm, but this time, as he waved his hand up and down, a small green vine grew from the dirt beneath. Leaves appeared as the vine snaked upward, and Noah pulled his hand back immediately
I blinked, not quite sure what I had just witnessed. As amazing as watching Noah heal me had been, seeing him create something from nothing in this world where powerful beings had to exist without all their magic was incredible.
“Noah.” I exhaled.
He nodded. “I know. I’ve never had anything more than the ability to heal. Most my age haven’t had even that. Not since the wars started have our people been able to fully utilize the gifts of our ancestors.”
“What do you think is causing the return of magic now?” I asked.
Noah shrugged, running his fingers over the sprouted plant he’d created. “I’m not sure,” he said. “Maybe mine is sparking because I have been using it for so long. What I do know is that somehow, it’s coming back for me, and growing. If I can figure out why it’s doing this for me, maybe I could duplicate it for others and give the Unseelie an edge in this war.”
I touched Noah’s arm as his gaze grew slightly hazy, like he was somewhere else for a moment. His father had only just left and I could imagine what the discovery of his new magic would mean as far as hope for both his father’s safe return and the safety of his people.
Our people.
“Do you think you could convince Gabe or someone close to you to try not to feed and hone their magic? You could see if maybe the more you use it, the more you gain,” I said.
Noah leaned forward, hands on his knees, but shook his head. “I have been doing this for years, Cora. I haven’t fed since I was a teenager. I don’t know if doing it for a few short weeks would have the same effect. Keeping one of our most valuable warriors from feeding for a few weeks could cost them their life. I’m not sure that’s a trade I’m willing to make.”
I squeezed his arm once. “We can figure this out together. Regardless of what we try, you have magic and I’m sure we’ll be able to figure out a way to use it to help everyone.”
Noah watched me speak like he believed in everything I said. A smile danced over his lips as he brought his hand up to my cheek and his thumb caressed my lips. “You always have such faith in me even when I haven’t deserved it.”
Chuckling, I leaned back, looking up at the stars. I closed my eyes and let the peace of the night and the warmth from Noah’s presence wash over me. “You gave me a home for the first time in my life. A real home. You, Noah Driscoll, have my faith always.”
It was the first time I said what I had been feeling so bluntly. It was true though, and I wanted him to know what it meant to me. “For the first time in my life I feel like there is something worth fighting for. Like I have something worth living for. And that’s one thing I never thought someone like me could have.”
I was confident enough to look down from the sky and meet his gaze. “And I will fight for this life no matter what,” I said.
Noah shifted forward as the tension crackled between us. He snaked his hand around my neck, pulling me gently toward him. The minute his lips meant mine, the gentleness was replaced with a hunger.
His tongue slipped inside my mouth and I moaned softly into his kiss.
Noah crawled over me, laying me down on the ground gently, never breaking from the kisses he was taking from me.
I met his tongue, arching into him as we settled into the ground. His body was solid, strong from years of training, and I ran my hands down his chest as his movements grew more needy.
Our breathing hitched in unison, increasing as we made out under the stars. My fingers toyed with the collar of his shirt, wanting him to lose it altogether.
I slipped my hand around the back of his neck as I slid the other up his shirt.
