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She removes her hands and sits back, smiling. “Beautiful.”
I reach up and touch the now elongated points at the tips. They feel strange and foreign. I’m half fae, I shouldn’t be so surprised that I have pointed ears, but I’ve just lived my whole life without them.
I look over to Daimis who sits to my right. He reaches up and runs a finger over the edge of my pointed ear. Goose bumps form on my arm. The corner of his mouth turns up in a grin. “They suit you.”
My cheeks warm, which is ridiculous. He has touched me in much more intimate places than my ear. I shake my head a little. “So, no one here knows your true identity?” I ask him, looking at his glamoured fae ears.
“They know my father was an important figure in Thaaryn, but that’s about the extent of it.”
“More importantly,” my mother says. “The people of Crystal Falls know Daimis was raised by me.” She looks at Daimis. “He’s a son to me and has played an important role here for many years now. He has a home in Crystal Falls, and he’s loved by the fae.”
But that’s because they think he’s one of them. I’ve heard of the fae’s brutality toward humans. After the night of the Blood Moon, every human in fae territory was beheaded and thrown unceremoniously back onto Thaaryn land as retaliation for the magic users lives that were lost. Would they still love Daimis if they knew the truth of who he is? “What if they find out that he’s human? Will the fae accept him as you have?”
My mother and Daimis share a look. “Some will be resistant, but we’ll climb that mountain when we come across it.”
“Is he even safe here?” I ask, feeling protective over Daimis.
“Yes,” Daimis says.
“Of course he is,” my mother says at the same time. “Far safer than he was in Thaaryn.” Even if they both try to reassure me, I can taste their unease in the air. They’re not as confident as they pretend to be of Daimis’s safety if the truth came out. I’ll have to pay attention and figure out who in Crystal Falls is a threat to Daimis on my own.
My mother reaches out and squeezes my hand. “Now, tell me all about your Dragon Touched ceremony.”
When I tell my mother the story about my encounter with the dragon she breaks into laughter. The sound is melodic and contagious. “The dragon must have been so confused as to why you were covered in his dung.” She laughs again. “I bet he’s never had a Dragon Touched ceremony quite like that one before.”
“In my defense,” I say. “I didn’t know about the whole Dragon Touched thing at the time. I was just trying not to be eaten alive while getting that scale.”
“Well, it was resourceful,” she says. “I’ll give you that.”
“Damn right it was,” I say straightening my posture.
“Describe the dragon to me,” my mother says. “I am curious as to which one Dragon Touched my daughter.”
I tell her as many details as I can remember, her expression changes from humor, to confusion, to shock. “That’s Ruukahn,” she breaths. “He’s the alpha, and he hasneverchosen to Dragon Touch any of our kind. He’s feared even by the fae. Most who brave being Dragon Touched, won’t even approach the caves unless Ruukahn is gone hunting.”
“Why?” I ask. I have a hard time imagining fierce fae warriors being afraid of anything.
She waves her hand in the air. “Oh, something about him swatting fae off the cliff with his tail from time to time. And breathing fire on them if they happen to meet his gaze. Honestly, the fae who’ve encountered him would have died had they not had magic.”
That’s interesting. I wonder why he chose to Dragon Touch me.
I remember what the dragon did to Kellan in that cave. “Ruukahn didn’t like Kellan very much,” I muse.
“Well, then it seems to me he’s an excellent judge of character,” my mother says with a dark expression. “Too bad he didn’t kill him back then.”
So…my mother is ruthless. I guess I know where I get that from.
A haunted look crosses Daimis’s face. He’s probably thinking about everything that has happened between he and his former friend. Kellan now has information that could ruin Daimis’s claim to the Thaaryn throne. Thaaryn is a human kingdom, and even though Daimis is still human, the fact that he has magic may be enough to turn favor away from him. The Regent spent his time in rule filling the people with fear of magic users. Those without magic fear the ones with magic, and the ones with magic stay hidden and in fear of being discovered and turned in to the Steel Guard.
The question is, what will Kellan do with the information he has? Out of everyone I met in Stonemount, Kellan was the most loyal to Daimis. He believed that everything he was doing was to ensure Thaaryn was safe and that Daimis would have a better kingdom to rule. But I think about the way Kellan looked at Daimis before he fled. And then there’s the creature that attached itself to Kellan. What kind of influence will that thing have on him? Especially after Kellan witnessed his father’s death on Daimis’s command—while he was using his magic.
If it weren’t for me, no one from Thaaryn would know about Daimis’s magic. He showed them because he was trying to save me. I reach out and hold his hand. His eyes gaze mine. “I’m sorry,” I say. “It’s my fault you let go of the bigger picture. Because you acted on my behalf, you might lose your birthright as King of Thaaryn.”
He squeezes my hand back. His eyes are intense and sure. “I’m not sorry. I’d do it all over again. What kind of king would I be if I did nothing? What kind of a person? I’ll have to reach out to my contact in Stonemount to see what’s happening there.”
“There’s more,” I say. “Something else was there with the Regent. A creature that I’ve never seen before. It attached itself to him. He had long talons that were implanted in the Regent’s head, but it wasn’t fully in our world, and it constantly whispered into his ear. I think that’s how the Regent knew what to do, and I suspect he’s been whispering in his ear for a very long time. I could only see it after my magic was taken.”
My mother leans forward, alert. “What did it look like?”
