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Iwalked to the place where I’d met Autumn before. The store was located in a quiet little street so narrow that it felt almost like a back alley. It wasn’t too far from my apartment, so I went on foot.
While I walked, I felt like I was being followed. Every time I looked over my shoulder, there was nothing, but the moment I turned my face forward and walked on, I felt the dreaded twist in my gut that something wasn’t right.
When I turned the corner, movement in the shadows caught my eye, and I spun around.
Nothing.
Damn it, I was paranoid now after what Jameson had told me. Were they following me? They wouldn’t find me—the spell I’d put on myself and the amulet, the one that Autumn had enforced, was still in place.
At least, I hoped it was. It had cracked before, and I didn’t know how it had happened. It could happen again, which was why I needed to see the fae so badly. She had to help me. This had turned from a matter of revenge to a matter of life and death.
When the door jingled above the door, Autumn looked up from behind the till in the corner. She wore layered robes, and her long silver hair was twisted into a giant bun on top of her head, making her look exotic and elegant.
“You’re back.” Her expression was tough to read.
“Yeah,” I said. “I need your help.”
“I’m not destroying it for you,” she said. “The magic is—”
“Stolen, I know. I think I know a bit more about what that means.”
Autumn frowned, and I told her what Jameson had told me, about how his sister had died when someone with dark magic had stolen hers… and her life.
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Autumn finally said. “Fae wouldn’t do that.”
“Wouldn’t, or can’t?” I asked.
She studied me for a moment before she answered.
“Won’t. Our magic isn’t without its limitations, but it’s not impossible for us to do something like that. It’s just wrong.”
“I thought it meant dark magic was used.”
Autumn scratched her head. “Fae can use dark magic if they do it right.”
“I thought only demons had dark magic, and vampires, since they’re created from demons,” I said.
Autumn slowly nodded, and her expression turned sad. “There’s a fine line between good magic and bad. You see, since demons created vampires with their dark magic, that’s the only magic they possess. Archangels created angels with their light magic, and in turn, the angels created shifters, who live in a world that’s riddled with blessings and curses alike.”
I knew all about that. How many times in my life had I wished I was just human so that all the drama and bullshit around the fact that I was a fox would just go away? Sharing a body with a beast came with the perks of healing quickly, heightened senses, and power we could use to fend for ourselves, but the downside was that sometimes the beast fought for control.
I waited for Autumn to keep talking.
“Fae are born with their own kind of magic. It wasn’t given to us in any way by others, so our magic can be…adjusted.It’s not quite the right word, but I think it’s close to what I mean. We have power, but we still have to decide to use our power for good or for bad, and whichever route we choose, our magic adapts, changes, and evolves until it reflects who we chose to be.”
What she said made a lot of sense. I’d known how we’d all come into existence and how the different enchanted beings’ magic worked, but I’d never heard of the fae having a choice between good and bad.
“You have to help me destroy it,” I said.
Autumn pouted her lips. “I’m not going over this with you again.”
“I’m serious. My dad’s people are back in town, looking for me and for the amulet. If they find me, they’ll kill me, and my dad will just have his power source back. Nothing will have changed.”
“Honey, I don’t want to be mean, but that’s not my problem. I can’t get involved with this kind of magic. My magic shifts and changes with the choices I make, and if it goes against my moral code, then it will affect what my magic can and can’t do.”
“It’s just one time!” I protested. “Do you mean to tell me that helping me goes against your moral code?”
The more she refused to help me, the more I panicked. I needed help to destroy that thing. I needed help against my dad. This was spiraling out of control, and I desperately needed a way out.
