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“Denied? Ock.” Nish whipped his palm back to hisside and scowled at the contraption. “What kind of useless magic is this?”
“Perhaps I need to do it since it initially said my name.” I laid my hand on the screen, and magic heated my palm.
“Welcome, Prince Norivun Deema Melustral Achul and guests. Please proceed to the identification processing room.” The red outlined door before us shimmered, and then the entire interior of it turned opaque, as if a pearly soup.
“I suppose we step through it?” Ilara said.
I trailed a finger across it, and my hand disappeared into the strange door. Nothing but air greeted me on the other side. I pushed a pulse of my elemental affinity out of my fingers, sensing the other side with my air magic.
Nothing but solid floor, walls, and ceiling responded to my phantom fingers. “I think you’re correct. It appears to open into a hall, and no other fae or supernatural creatures are present.”
“Shall we enter?” Ilara glanced up at me with eager eyes, not even an ounce of hesitation coming from her on the bond. “Perhaps there are directions once we pass that tell us how to get to the identification processing room.”
I sighed. “Yes, but I’m going first. I doubt anything nefarious is in there, but I won’t risk any of you.” When my guards grumbled, I added, “That’s an order.”
I had to duck since my wings were too high for the door, and for the briefest moment, the opaque airsurrounded me, and then I stepped right through it into the hallway that I’d sensed.
The long hallway was lined with gray walls and a strange smooth flooring that appeared like stone but was entirely without divots or crevices. At the end of the hall, another walkway appeared that ran perpendicular to this one. No signs lay anywhere.
“How odd,” I muttered. I stepped back through the opaque door and nodded toward it. “It’s safe. Let’s all proceed.”
When all six of us were inside the strange building, we began walking along the long hallway, searching for directions of which way we should go. But before we reached the end, Bavar Fieldstone careened around the corner as a delighted smile streaked across his face.
“Ah, you’ve arrived. Welcome!” His dagger, looped through his belt, glimmered in the bright lights overhead. He was as tall as I remembered him, and he wore some kind of otherworldly uniform that was entirely black and covered him head to toe.
Bright orange hair was artfully arranged on his head, and his lips lifted in a smile when he reached us. Bowing, he said with gusto, “I would have been in the field to greet you, but I wasn’t entirely sure where the portal key would drop you. I’m so pleased that you managed to make the journey here without peril, and?—”
His jaw dropped when he saw Ilara. His gaze traveled over her wings. “What in all the realm? You’re an angel? I thought you were a Solis fairy?” He leanedcloser, studying her violet eyes that always manifested when her angel affinity was activated.
“I am Solis,” she replied a tad defensively as the SF commander continued his inspection, even circling around her. “But I have an angel affinity.”
I inhaled, detecting disbelief in the commander’s scent. His reaction was similar to how Sven had been when he’d first seen Ilara with her affinity manifested. Apparently, other supernatural creatures found angels fascinating.
Bavar faced all of us again, his eyes still on Ilara. He clapped once. “How magnificent. You’re telling me that your Solis affinity has given you angel powers?”
Ilara frowned. “Yes, it gave me wings, if that’s what you mean.”
Bavar’s mouth dropped. “Oh my, you don’t know?”
We all shared a look, and Ilara’s trepidation tumbled toward me on the bond. A low growl threatened to work up my chest. I stepped closer to her, then laid a hand on her lower back, right beneath her folded wings.
“Know what?” she asked with a flare of hesitation in her tone.
“Of an angel’s true ability, the ability to heal any ailment?”
Her eyes widened as her shock billowed toward me. “Are you saying my angel affinity has given me more than just wings?”
Bavar inclined his head. “Truth be told, I don’t know. You Solis have strange magic, but yourwings and violet eye color are those of an angel, a divine creature, and angels haveextraordinaryhealing capabilities. The likes of which most in this world have never seen.”
Ilara peered up at me, disbelief and intrigue strumming out of her. “Do you think Matron Olsander would be able to teach me how to access that part of my affinity if I’m able to train with her again? Assuming what Sir Fieldstone says is true?”
“Major Fieldstone,” Bavar corrected. “I’m only referred to as Sir Fieldstone when I’m home in the fae lands.” He rolled his eyes. “Royal formalities and all, but I prefer Major Fieldstone.”
I canted my head as Ilara offered a smile of apology before I said to her, “Matron Olsander was able to teach me how to control my dragon affinity even though it was a divine gift and rare among our kind, so I would assume she would also be able to instruct you on the depths of your angel affinity if such a healing gift is a part of it.”
Bavar’s mouth dropped. “Dragon affinity? Did you saydragon affinity? Does that mean you can shift into adragon?”
I growled low in my throat. While I had no issue with Bavar, I didn’t reveal my dragon form to many, preferring the ability be kept guarded in the event that I needed to shift and use it strategically, as I had when Sven’s blaze-bands had restrained us, or how I had with the warlock when he’d nearly murdered Daiseeum.
