Page 58 of City of Promise and Light (Mates of Gods and Fae #1)

Sybil

I blinked at the space where Samian once stood, picking at the edges of my shirt. It was stiff from dried blood— my dried blood. Nausea rose, but I swallowed it back. I was safe for the moment. Safe in this room.

I wasn’t sure how much time had passed since I was taken to the dungeon, but I was relieved I didn’t have to see the damage Ambrose and Arianna had done to my body.

Just the thought of them, their laughs, their eyes bright from excitement, made my body lock up.

A shiver ran through me, goosebumps pebbling my skin.

Pushing the memories away, I looked up, finding Aster watching me.

Her face was blank, not giving away what she was thinking or feeling.

I gave her a small awkward smile and looked back to the screens, unable to stand the way she watched me, like she could see things in me that I would rather hide away.

“I know what it’s like,” Aster murmured, breaking the silence, her voice sounding far away, “to be on the receiving end of his amusement.”

My eyes met with those familiar cold gray eyes, though they seemed to warm from a touch of empathy.

Guilt twisted my stomach knowing I should be glad that Aster escaped him, that she now had Samian to protect her, and I was, but envy crawled up my throat like acid.

I couldn’t help but wonder, though, why they acted so distant while Ambrose was in the room.

“So,” I hesitated, not wanting to pry any further. “Can you tell me how my blood is different?”

Hesitating, Aster looked to the small, exposed window. She stood, locked the door, replaced the bookcase to cover the window, and finally pulled a chair up to the bed.

“Isn’t that suspicious?” I asked quietly. “Moving the bookcase back and forth, I mean.”

“My staff knows that I like my privacy,” Aster replied, glancing back to the now hidden door, lingering as if she was ready for someone to bust through.

“I’ve been doing this for a while, and they understand my tics.

” The sadness that reflected on her face, somber understanding coiled inside of me.

“Now, about your blood,” Aster breathed, her brows furrowing with apprehension.

“It’s changing, morphing into something new.

We also found some unusual cells that we’ve never seen before. ”

“What does that mean? How is it changing?”

“Your fae blood cells are slowly taking over your human ones, which means you’re becoming less human. It looks like it only just started, probably when the binds on your magic were broken.”

Awareness slowly prickled through me. I had been noticing I felt stronger, that my eyes looked greener, and my hair darkened recently.

But I shook it off, blaming the lighting of my room.

“How much has it grown?” I asked, glancing back to the computers, as though they had the answer written across the bright screens.

“The official record says you’re only ten percent fae, though I don’t know how much that has changed.

Samian and I thought it was best for no one else to know.

I altered the numbers on the records that were sent to Ambrose.

Samian kept the results with the correct information, but I destroyed your bloodwork so no one else could test it again. ”

“So, the results, could they be wrong?”

“Outdated,” Aster corrected. “But yes. With what I saw, your percentage has probably doubled by now.”

“Was it difficult to get rid of my bloodwork before?” I asked warily, finally looking at Aster.

She raised her eyebrow, her eyes slightly narrowing on me. “No, it wasn’t.”

“Right. I guess we should retest it before Samian comes back?” I said, holding out my arm.

Aster smirked, leaving her chair to gather supplies.

Placing them on a cart, she rolled it to me.

She wrapped a cloth tightly around my arm, just above my elbow.

I grimaced when she pulled out a needle and looked away.

Aster chuckled, muttering something about humans and needles under her breath, like it was something she dealt with often.

The needle went in with a pinch, but Aster made quick work of filling the vials. My shoulders relaxed once she removed the needle and I let out a breath. She sent her healing magic into my skin, stopping the bleeding, then took the cart back to a workstation to begin analyzing my blood.

I looked back to the door.

I know what it ’ s like to be on the receiving end of his amusement .

The air felt heavy with her words, charged by the emotions she kept hidden behind them.

Though it wasn’t the choice of words that I would have used, it made me feel strangely closer to her, even angry for what she had to endure by him .

I shuddered at the thought of Ambrose, how close he had come to finding me healed and awake.

What torture would he give me if he knew, if that warm glow Aster wrapped around me hadn’t been there?

Both Aster and Samian’s voices sounded tight and closed off in Ambrose’s presence. It was like they were keeping their closeness a secret from him. As though Ambrose would see their attachment as an affront to him, as something to destroy.

Unable to stop myself, I bristled. I was supposed to be wary of Samian, to not allow him to get close, to push away the ease I feel when he is near.

But I couldn’t help the way my heart clenched when I saw Samian and Aster together.

Even when we first met, when Samian chided her about the weather, my heart felt heavy, almost green with envy.

I shoved that memory deep down, wishing it would smother.

“What was that light around me when Ambrose was here?” I asked, trying to keep Samian off my mind.

“Hmm?” Aster hummed, distracted. She was still bent over her workstation, but before I could ask again, she said, “It was my healing magic, but it acted as a shield to block Ambrose from sensing your emotions. We needed him to think you were still asleep.”

“So, it’s true then?” I murmured, silently cursing myself for not paying closer attention. “Ambrose can sense emotions and manipulate them.” It was more a statement than a question.

“Yes,” she sighed heavily. “It’s a power that he usually keeps to himself, even though he uses it pretty often. I’m surprised more haven’t caught on to his tricks. ”

“Is that something I can do? To shield, I mean.”

Aster straightened, turning from her work to look at me.

She studied me for a moment and shrugged.

“I don’t see why not. It might take some practice but learning to shield yourself could protect you from unwanted emotions, amongst other things.

Samian should have taught you that first. I’m not sure why he didn’t. ”

I frowned, remembering that he mentioned it during our first lesson. We were interrupted and then the rest of the days became a whirlwind, leaving nothing but chaos in its wake.

I stared down at my hands, searching for my magic, but all I could feel was emptiness. It was like my magic had been extinguished, knowing that if it surfaced, agony would follow.

Aster walked over to me, taking my hand in hers. Closing her eyes, I felt her magic flow through me, its calming warmth felt like mine.

Her mouth twitched and she opened her eyes a moment later. “Did he give you a command regarding your magic?”

I nodded, looking down to where our hands were linked. She exhaled, pulling her hand away from mine. The sudden withdrawal of her magic sent a shiver down my spine. “Did Samian explain how to feel for your magic?”

“He did, on my first day here.”

“Good. While I finish up the lab work, try to feel for your magic. Don’t get upset if it takes time. Just keep searching, understood?”

Her tone was stern. She had a severe look that reminded me of a mother scolding a child about to do something stupid. I didn’t know if I should laugh or bristle under her steely stare, but I fought against it, knowing that she probably wouldn’t find it amusing if I did either.

“Okay.” I nodded, not wanting to get on her bad side .

She lifted her nose at me, narrowing her eyes to study me. I gave her a weak smile and she huffed, returning to her work. I watched her hover over her microscope while I settled onto the bed, closing my eyes.

I took a calming breath, letting my body relax.

Searching, I looked for the warmth I had found during my first lesson with Samian.

That chain around my heart tightened, ready to snap tight at the first sign of magic stirring.

I wavered, my stomach churning from the memory of that ache, how it felt like I was being ripped to shreds, but I pushed through.

I took another deep breath, pushing further inside past the barrier that locked my magic away, until I found myself in a small black windowless room.

I frowned and put a hand on the blackened wall, wincing. The feel of it was so cold, so glacial, that it burned against my hand. Stepping back, I rubbed at the ache in my chest. The room felt foreign, like it wasn’t a part of me. Like it was there to separate me from myself and all that I was.

I breathed in, recalling the warmth that had surrounded me the first time I reached for it, how it coated my skin, seeping into my very core. I pulled that memory closer, letting it grow and take shape.

A crack sounded, echoing through my mind.

Looking to my left, a tiny fracture formed along the wall.

A small light shone through, though it felt distant.

I reached out, running my hand over the crack, feeling the air slipping through.

I swallowed, hesitating as the ache from the chain around my heart began to throb.

Bracing myself, I reached out again, pushing against that fracture.

The crack grew, the sound echoing through the room.

I staggered back a step, my eyes widening as it splintered up the wall and across the ceiling.

The breaking stopped, leaving nothing but silence behind.

My heart thundered. Then, one final pop sounded, and the room shattered like broken glass.

The walls of the room fell around me, evaporating before the pieces ever hit the ground.

Bright light stung my eyes, and I squinted, moving my hand up to shield myself from the sunlight. My eyes adjusted and I froze, taking in the field of tall grass and wildflowers. The colors were so vivid against the deep blue sky above me. I grinned, feeling the balmy wind circling around me.

My body relaxed and my magic came surging back, leaving me breathless. I stayed there, my eyes closed, my head tilted back, letting that warmth seep into my very bones until I felt ready to leave, to return to Aster and to Samian.

My eyes fluttered open and I yelped, finding Samian leaning close to my face.

I jerked back, my hand gripping my chest. My heart felt like it was about to beat out of my chest. I cursed, and Samian laughed, retreating to the foot of the bed.

I tried to fight it, but my face burned.

My soul seemed to purr at his presence, wanting nothing more than to draw him closer.

“How long have you been here?” I breathed, not wanting to dwell too long on that thought. We’re skeptical of him, I told myself. Skeptical and wary, nothing more.

“Not too long,” Samian grinned as Aster rolled her eyes.

“It’s been two hours,” Aster answered for him. “I forced him not to disturb you, but when we felt your magic, he couldn’t help himself.”

“So,” Samian pressed, “were you able to find it?”

“If you felt my magic, why ask?” I scowled, crossing my arms, but Samian only stared until I groaned.

“Fine. Yes, I was able to find it. It was like I was trapped in this black room, but I recalled the memory of when I first felt my magic. I pictured the field of wildflowers, the sun, how warm it all felt, and then the room fell away. It felt like my magic had come rushing in after that. It was exhilarating.”

Aster and Samian’s gaze met briefly before returning to me, but before I could ask, Aster stood, handing me a pile of papers. “These are the results of your blood work. It’s just as I told you earlier. As of now, you are forty-eight percent fae, though it is steadily increasing.”

I stared down at the papers, stunned by the numbers glaring back at me. “Has this ever happened before?” I asked, unease trickling down my spine.

“Yes,” Samian answered sheepishly, balking when Aster’s lips thinned and her gray eyes turned to molten steel. “But that’s something we will need to discuss after we get Ezra out of the dungeons and away from prying ears.”

I scoffed, still fighting with myself on if I should give him my trust or not, though the latter was becoming easier with his we ’ ll discuss this later business.

“I agree with Samian,” Aster said. Her anger remained written on her face as she eyed him, but her voice softened. “We need to make a plan. Once Ezra is out of the palace, once we are out of the palace, we can talk. It will be safer that way.”

Samian cringed, but he sent a look of gratitude her way.

Aster’s face remained blank, wholly unimpressed with him and his secrets.

Not that I could blame her—I wanted to throttle him for it too.

Their heads turned my way, waiting for some type of response.

Breathing out a quick fine , Samian smiled, bright and wide, making my heart flutter.

Skeptical and wary, I repeated to myself. Skeptical and wary.

Crawling off the bed, I stood, just as Samian disappeared into a puff of smoke. I blinked, looking to Aster, but she stared blankly, her face the picture of boredom, until Samian returned, reappearing the same way he left.

He went straight to the table, unfurling large blueprints of…

I peered closer, narrowing my eyes. It was similar to the palace, but not.

“What, exactly, is this?”