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“And people or their weapons.”

“So, if someone strikes you with a sword—”

“If I see it coming, I could change, and it would go straight through me. I got the idea from you actually, when I saw you turn completely into a shadowy mist. That time in the tower a few months back wasn’t your first attempt to kill me, you know.”

That’s how we found out we were mates, wasn’t it?She thought.

He smirked.Yes. But neither of us knew it at the time.

She hadn’t meant to let him hear that. A flush worked its way up her neck, spilling into her cheeks. Luckily her mask covered half her face, and the low light wouldn’t make it so noticeable. She thought about her dream and the words she read: The perfect match created by the All Mother.

His soft voice entered her mind, Ah there’s that lovely blush again. It makes me notice things I shouldn’t, like the curve of your collarbone, and what the low neckline of that gown would do to me if I was still in love with you.

Layala cleared her throat. “Back to your magic, couldn’t you make yourself impenetrable to weapons?”

“My, aren’t you full of questions. I could and I did. But magic like that I must consciously think about or activate, so I pick and choose based on the situation.”

“Interesting. Who was more powerful, you or Valeen?”

He tilted his head slightly. “You mean, me or you? And that’s a tough one. I don’t know.”

“How did you find out you needed runes in the first place? Did you simply draw a symbol one day and found it magical?”

“No. As a child my magic was untamed. Random things happened often, like me suddenly turning invisible and unsure how to turn back or setting fire to the dining room tablecloth. Once, when War and I were sparring with no weapons, we must have only been thirteen, I thought about how it would be nice to have a sword and as I swung a fist at him, my arm turned into a sword. He dodged at the last moment, and I drove it straight into a wall and got stuck. My Uncle Synick backhanded me so hard for losing control of my powers that I flew at least twenty feet and hit the other wall and cracked it. Back then our bodies were nearly impenetrable, but it still hurt. After that my grandmother, the goddess of wisdom, found a way for me to harness my magic in runes on my body. A way to trap them so they didn’t come out unbidden.”

“Your grandmother is the goddess in the stone?”

“Yes.”

She didn’t see that one coming. That meant she was Thane’s grandmother as well. “I’m a little confused how that all works. The primordials were created but not born.”

“Yes, and they are the strongest of us all. Most of them had children with each other, and the Maker and All Mother also created a second generation of gods to procreate and soon there were thousands.”

“I don’t,” she stammered, “I mean, we don’t have any…”

“Children? No.”

Layala sighed in relief. “When did you discover you could grant magic to others with them?”

“It wasn’t too long after I started using runes. I tested it on War of course. He wanted wings like the dragons but it’s different with others. It comes with a cost if I’m to give to them. For me, it’s only my own energy, strength.”

“He doesn’t have wings now.”

“No, the magic I gave him didn’t transfer over with this life.”

“What was the cost?”

“It was an experiment. I couldn’t figure out why when I put the symbol on him nothing happened. So, I wrote down what I wanted to happen and offered a life, a rabbit. It wasn’t enough. So, I got two, and wrote the symbol in their blood and set it aflame. It burned the symbol into his skin and worked.” He suddenly smiled, slyly. “I think someone is getting jealous.”

Layala found Thane watching them intently from near the drink table. How long had she been dancing with Hel? The worried expression on Thane’s face made her stomach turn. Then Varlett leaned close to him and said something, and he turned with a glare. They started quietly arguing.

“We’re done.” Layala pulled her hand from his and stepped back. “Was this all just to piss him off? Like the dress and bringingherhere?”

He frowned but didn’t say anything. Layala shook her head and stepped around the dancing couples, murmuring apologies for getting in their way. Once she broke free of the crowd, Hel caught up to her side.

“Certainly, it was to make him jealous, but I also wanted to talk to you. I like talking with you.”

“Stay away from me. I can find my memories on my own.” His hand brushed hers and she jerked away. “I’m going to Thane because I lovehim. I’vealwaysloved him. And I will always choose him.”