Chapter 15

With Xander knowing I was a magic wielder, he had encouraged me to practice magic again. He assured me it would be safe in his quarters, and I believed him, but I was still wary of Leo. The boy had always known this world—this hatred against Unnaturals. I didn’t know what he would do if he saw me performing a spell.

Still, I engagingly accepted Xander’s encouragement and trained regularly by doing spells. I always did so when I knew I was alone.

I was a little rusty, so I asked Xander if he had any books on spells or casting techniques in the estate. He had looked everywhere after I made the request, but the answer to my question had been “no,” and I received an unfortunate look from Xander, who knew this was important to me.

It didn’t surprise me that there weren’t any books on that subject anymore. After Osprey came to power, anything regarding magic was destroyed. Priceless knowledge simply vanished at the beginning of his reign.

It broke my heart.

I almost regretted my laziness when I had Otis, my old magic teacher, coaching me on that subject—what seemed like a lifetime ago.

I closed the book I was reading and slid it to the top of the enormous oak desk in the library. This had been my preferred spot to read lately. I could sprawl several books on its surface and still have space to take notes. I had been researching through charted maps and my memory of places I might look for information on magic.

However, it was becoming pointless. If I didn’t find books on magic or if the Faiths allowed—a teacher, then I wouldn’t be able to do anything more than just perfect what I already knew.

Trying to create something you didn’t know how to produce was extremely dangerous. Magic wielders dealt with raw, powerful energy that came from within. If a magic wielder tried to achieve something and lost control, it could kill them. This was why Otis was adamant about perfecting what I could control and then moving to more complex spells.

I sighed. I could always try the black market near the docks. It was shady, but since Seagull’s Bay was buzzing with trade, something was bound to land there that would interest many collectors, and I knew wealthy individuals flocked to get their hands on banned artifacts.

I would have to ask Xander to take me out to the city to look for this.

I didn’t know how he would feel about this, though. The black market wasn’t somewhere quickly found, and we would have to make inquiries before going there. It might be better to send someone in our stead if it was too risky to go there in person. I didn’t want Xander to jeopardize his status because of me.

Leaving the estate and seeing the city would be great, even if we didn’t go to the black market. Since my indenture at High Hill Estate, I had never once stepped outside its grounds.

I had been to Seagull’s Bay only once as a young girl. The royal family had visited the district and renewed the oath of fealty from the previous lord that served this city. Unfortunately, I never really left the confines of our carriage or living quarters.

The evening darkness settled in the sky, making the library's inside turn dark blue.

I flicked my hand and created a light orb. It had my natural blue hue, illuminating the shelves of books.

I didn’t understand why my magic energy had this colour. My old magic teacher had a yellowish tint, whereas my father’s magic was red. Otis had never explained why we each had a natural predisposition to a particular colour, but I was sure it meant something. It had to.

What other secrets were there to discover, I thought while gazing into the pale blue light. There was so much I didn’t comprehend about magic.

A creak on the floorboards near the library entrance pulled me out of my thoughts, and I rapidly extinguished the orb, plunging the library into darkness once more. A stream of light cut through it when one door opened.

I sat quietly at the desk, not wanting to be found since I was unsure who it was. Xander had mentioned that he would be later than usual, and I knew that Leo had been given the evening off. This person who was now entering the library had not been announced.

 It was a slender person with what seemed like dark brown hair pulled high in a regal bun.

“Ida dear, are you in here?”

I relaxed as I realized it was Lady Lucia. She rarely came to her son’s quarters. I wondered what she was doing here.

“Here, milady.” I scratched a match to light the oil lamp on my desk and stood up, respecting her status.

“Oh, my dear girl, I am so happy to see you!” She merrily said as she made her way to meet me.

I had been nervous about meeting Xander’s mother since we had officially “mated.” I knew she knew, but I didn’t know precisely what Xander had told her. I had to tread carefully because of that, and I hated being blindsided.

 “If you are looking for Lord Alexander, I am afraid he will be available later tonight. You are welcome to stay and wait for him! Shall I fetch some tea for you, milady?” I asked out of habit.

“Nonsense!” She scoffed. “You don’t work for us anymore; you are our guest!” Lady Lucia smiled sweetly at me.

I followed her out of the library.

“I have asked to bring up some food and drinks and wanted your company for a late dinner. What do you say?” The lady’s gray eyes twinkled with the light from the oil lamp. Xander got his beautiful gray stare from his mother then. Hers was bluer, though.

“It would be my pleasure, milady.”

“Oh please,” she shook her hand in the air and scrunched her nose. “No need for formalities anymore, Ida. Call me Lucia!” She finished as she hugged me and linked her arm around mine to lead us to the main parlour, where dishes sat with tasty finger foods and a hot teapot. 

We ate while exchanging pleasantries. I was surprised by how easy it was to talk to Lucia as her equal. She was charming and had a maternal aura that made me feel relatively peaceful. She made me think of my mother and how I enjoyed doing precisely what I was doing with her.

We sat looking at each other in silence. It was not an awkward silence, but one that came from being content and well. It was nice to talk to someone. Leo wasn’t kidding when he said he spent most of his days alone.

I found the boy very busy of late, and now I was the one left to linger in this place on my own.

“You know, when I met Markus, it was somewhat like you and Alexander. It was a chance meeting,” she spoke softly and longingly. I knew exactly who she was referring to; it was Xander’s real father. “My father was against it, of course. I was promised to a very up-and-coming young viscount who would open a new business partnership most profitable to my father.”

She looked at her teacup distantly, like she was no longer in this room but back when her true love was still with her.

“And Markus, well, he did not come from the same background as I,” she said while clearing her throat.

She slowly unbuttoned the collar of her dress and stretched the material to show me a blood-red scar on her shoulder. Aside from the colour, the two half-crescent moons were similar to mine.

“This happened when he was killed. It was once pale white like yours most likely is. It happened shortly after my wedding to Kestrel. I woke up to a searing pain in the middle of the night. It was as though I was dying myself. When I looked at Markus’s mark, it was bleeding red, and I knew something bad had happened. I could no longer feel him with me, and the colour never returned to white,” she sighed as she redid the buttons.

Her hands were folded on her lap neatly, and I noticed her eyes were getting misty.

“When you have a fated mate, Ida, you can only have children with that person. Your mate becomes an extension of you, and I was a walking bloody open wound when I lost Markus. I didn’t know where I belonged when I lost my mate. Alexander is the only thing I have left of Markus. He takes more after me in looks, mind you. And I thank the Faiths every day for it, or else my husband would have been suspicious, but he has the same black midnight hair and the identical courage and spirit I loved in his father.”

Lucia forced a smile onto her sorrowful face. My heart ached for her. I wanted to say something comforting, but what could I say to ease her pain and suffering?

“I think you are wrong about one thing. I cannot imagine the pain you have endured since that awful night, but you soldiered on and are still here, taking care of the one you treasure most. The courage and strength I see in Xander come from you.”

Lucia let out a tiny chuckle. She had recomposed herself and gazed at me with loving eyes.

“I am pleased to have had this wonderful talk with you, my dear Ida. And I will do whatever is in my power to ensure your happiness. I don’t know anyone more deserving than you to have my son’s love—literally, since you both are fated to be together.”

She returned to her quarters and left me to ponder everything she had shared.

I touched Xander’s mark automatically, feeling the thickness of the skin where his teeth had pierced. If something happened to him, would the scar on my skin turn red like Lucia’s?

I stayed in the parlour, looking deeply at the embers that were twinkling in the fireplace.

The oil lamps had long since been extinguished, so only the burning red and yellow embers slightly lit the room.

If we were lucky enough, our fates would hopefully not be identical. But I still sensed that my future was uncertain. I could hide who I was, but eventually, people picked up on those things and started to dig. Especially now. I doubted they would shortly thrust me into the public’s eye once the city learned that the heir to High Hill was no longer eligible.

I just hoped to hold on to my secret identity long enough for everything to roll over.