Page 10 of The Keeper of the Kingdoms

JAXUS

“What do you mean, disappearing?” I said carefully. I couldn’t tell her I knew it was without revealing something about where I had come from.

“It’s leaking or being siphoned off. I don’t know where to, but I’ve been tracking it for some time and it can be measured.” Kiera’s words struck me in the chest.

“How are you measuring it?” I searched her face for some sign she was pulling my leg. I didn’t know her well enough to read her humor. Surely, this had to be some kind of ruse to give me a hard time.

“I’ve set up a few experiments. The longest one I’ve had running is a simple siphoning stone that collects ambient magic from the air. These measurements can be calculated and graphed, which I’ve been doing for the past three years.”

“Here in the palace?” I asked, fascinated by her tenacity.

She nodded.

“Have you repeated the experiment in any other locations?” I wished for some way to write it off.

“Yes, in the First Kingdom and the Third.”

My brows pulled, grasping the map of the kingdoms Nyx had shown me. If I remembered correctly, the Third is the Forest Kingdom.

“And what was the decrease?”

“At least five percent each year, and that is after I’ve ruled out significant variations.”

“What kind of variations.”

“There were some particular readings I gathered where it appeared there were”—a tiny crease formed in her brow—“waves. It’s the only way I can explain it. This was more recently when I’ve gotten better at measuring. There are days it’s like the tide is rolling out, with drastic dips. Some days so low the ambient magic is barely detectible, while others it almost looks like it’s coming back only to be yanked away again.”

“Could this be how the flow of magic has always been?”

She shook her head. “No, even with the more sensitive readings I’m taking now, it’s definitely down five percent, and if we keep losing five percent?—”

I brushed my fingers over the coarse hair around my mouth, knowing I’d have heard about this if it was happening at home. “It means in another two decades, the realm will be depleted. Could it be overuse?” I knew inherently and from my studies that magic wasn’t a finite resource. It grew like blades of grass or trees.

“No, I’ve taken measurements in classes here and during rituals done back home.” She let out a pent-up breath, deflating. “Those uses can be calculated when the stones are placed near, but the amount used is so insignificant even when put into an equation to account for every fae with magic in the Twelve Kingdoms, it’s not even close to what we are losing, and that wouldbe with all the fae in the realm using magic every minute of every day.”

I closed the book I’d been reading. “Have you had flyers carry stones? Could you have missed a use of the magic?” The more she spoke, the more it sounded like a leak. I’d seen the effect before in tide pools and lakes. They rarely dried up because of use, the volume was too high, it was always the water leaking into an underground reservoir. But if there were reservoirs of leaked magic somewhere, wouldn’t we be able to feel them? A good mage could feel the magic all around them.

“No, I hadn’t thought to, but all the classes here have flyers and their riders. It should account for—” Her nostrils flared. Perhaps she didn’t like that I’d thought of something she hadn’t. “I don’t believe flyers are using more magic when they are airborne, but I will test the theory.” She was thorough, and I liked it. She didn’t just dismiss me.

“So what are you looking for?”

“Kiera!” Nyx called, hurdling through the library at such a speed it brought me to my feet, turning to step between him and her.

“What’s going on?” I asked, voice calm but magic gathering in my palms, fearing the worst.

Nyx stopped inches from me. He’d run a long way and gasped for air. “I have one.”

I stayed between him and Kiera. “What do you have?”

“One of the undead.” Nyx straightened to his full height. I mirrored his movement, squaring my shoulders to him, not letting him get closer to Kiera before he explained. “What?”

“Excuse me?” Kiera said from behind.

“We were attacked on patrol.” Nyx’s chest heaved while his voice carried something deeper. Anger.

“Where?” Kiera’s tone barely bit back alarm. “I thought the King forbid returning to the outpost?”

“This was in the First Kingdom this morning. They ambushed our patrol.”