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“At the Summer Court, of course,” Prudence replied.
“Oh great,” I muttered. “faery again.”
“What will one last trip through the portal hurt us?” Liam said under his breath.
“That’s not funny,” Marcos added. “But I’d walk through hell again for Sera.”
“We can hear you,” Ms. Lowe said from the front of the line. “And I definitely want to hear that entire story later.”
You Light Up My Life
SERA
The underground chamber was like something out of a dream. Everywhere I looked, the walls glowed with bioluminescent creatures, their soft light filling the space with a gentle warmth. I could feel the energy of the place, and it was at once familiar and alien.
Vedreel motioned for me to come closer to him, and I stepped forward tentatively. He reached out to me and placed his hands on my shoulders and closed his eyes for a moment before speaking in a low voice that seemed to reverberate off the walls.
“This is where it all began for you, Sera.” He opened his eyes and looked into mine. “It’s where your magic was born.”
I stared at him in shock, unable to comprehend what he was saying. Could he be serious? Was he telling me that my magic had its roots here?
Vedreel nodded as if he could read my thoughts. “Yes, it is true,” he breathed. “Your power comes from here.” He gestured around us at the magical chamber and I felt my heart beat faster with anticipation.
“What do you mean?” I asked in awe.
“It’s hard to explain,” Vedreel said with a sigh, “but suffice it to say that your power is connected to this place in ways you can’t begin to imagine.” He smiled slightly as if he had some secret knowledge that he wasn’t divulging just yet.
I felt a thrill of excitement course through me as I wondered at his words. “I don’t understand. How is my magic tied to this underground cave?”
“It’s not the cave itself, girl. The cave magnifies the heart of your power, as if under a giant magnifying lens.”
I shuddered as a sudden chill breeze found the back of my neck. Was I the bug in his metaphor?
“The earth here is the magnifying lens?”
“Yes,” he winked. “But not the earth you’re familiar with. This is the soil of faery. It is a magic made firmament.” Vedreel took a step back, raised his staff, and struck the ground in front of me.
The ground trembled beneath my feet, and I felt the energy from the cave intensify. A brilliant light shot out from the ground and surrounded me, enveloping me in its warmth. I gasped as a voice echoed through my mind, an ancient voice that seemed to come from deep within the earth itself.
“You are one of us,” it said in a low, melodic tone. “Our power runs through you like a river across the land.”
I felt my heart skip a beat as I realized what was happening. What the voice meant and what Vedreel had been hinting at. I was part Fae! No wonder my mage magic had never worked like expected—it was because it had been bound up with my Fae power all along!
The energy in the room grew and grew, and in response, my magic flared into life. My body glowed with power and eerie green flames danced along my fingertips.
Vedreel stepped forward and placed his hand on my shoulder, offering me comfort and strength in that moment. He smiled softly at me before turning to face the cave wall.
“Sera Lowe,” he said in a loud voice, “Welcome home.”
I felt tears prick my eyes as I felt the truth of his words in my bones—in this enchanted place where for once my power didn’t feel overwhelming or out of control.
“Wait a second, if I’m part fae, then my parents aren’t really my parents?”
“Well, one of them certainly isn’t, but now is not the time for that discussion. Now, you face a test you must pass before you may return home.”
Yup. I was definitely the bug.
I gulped, feeling the enormity of the task ahead of me. I did not know what kind of test he was asking me to pass, and the thought of it made my stomach churn. I felt a wave of anxiety wash over me—what if I failed? Would I be stuck in faery, or this cave, forever?
