Fairy Magic (11 page)

“What did that Dragon Guard fairy do to me?” Naomi asked Gran. “And why?”

“The Dragon Guard fairies have very special magic. One of those powers is the ability to reveal a person’s true magic. It was once used to identify the Dragon Born mages they would protect. Later, the magic was corrupted to aid those who turned against the Dragon Born, those who used that magic to hunt them down and kill them.” Gran’s voice was ripe with sorrow.

“You don’t like what happened to the Dragon Born,” Naomi commented.

“Of course not. I am a magical historian. I’ve read books banned by the Council, books that describe what really happened all those hundreds of years ago. The Dragon Born were victims in a power play. Fear drove people to turn against them, just like fear is driving humans against all supernaturals now.”

“Defending the Dragon Born is treason,” said Marek.

Gran braided her fingers together. “Planning on turning me in, young man?”

He opened his mouth to speak, then must have thought better of it. His gaze shifted to Eva, whose lips were pressed into a hard line. “No,” he said. “I’m not.”

Gran nodded. “I only speak the truth. Facts. History has this troublesome habit of repeating itself, much to the detriment of our society. It’s on a never-ending loop, and no matter how much historians such as myself hop up and down and wave our hands at the big warning signs, it never does a bit of good.” She expelled a heavy sigh, then poured more tea for herself.

After a few sips, she took a deep breath and looked at Naomi. “But we were talking about you, Naomi, not the end of the world. The Dragon Guard fairy you met used his power to expose your true magic.”

“What true magic?”

“There is a fairy magic that runs in our family, Naomi,” said Gran. “This magic is very rare, but every so often, it touches one of us. The last one to possess this power was Solaris.”

“My father?” Naomi gasped.

“Yes, he had this power. And so do you, Naomi. There has never been another half-fairy with this kind of magic, not until you. Now you just need to unlock it.”

“How do you know I have this magic?”

Gran pointed to the magic symbols slowly fading from her skin. “That spell wouldn’t have worked if you didn’t have this magic, the magic of the Spirit Warriors, fairies with spirit magic.”

“Like a necromancer?” Naomi asked.

“There are similarities between them. Spirit Warriors possess the power to navigate between earth and the spirit realms. Necromancers draw their power from the realm of spirits, but their magic is very different. Necromancers summon and control the dead. They don’t travel through the spirit realm.” Gran pulled a few more books off her shelves and stacked them before Naomi. She flipped through one of them, indicating pages of pictures. “These are artifacts linked to the dead and the spirit realm. Some of these objects can be used in more than one way, depending on who is wielding them.”

“A necromancer and a Spirit Warrior can work different magic with the same artifacts?” Naomi asked.

“Yes.”

“So you’re saying that a Dragon Guard fairy who shouldn’t exist used magic that hasn’t been seen in centuries to reveal a magic I never knew I had?”

“That’s right.”

At least Naomi couldn’t complain her life was dull. “Why am I having visions of the spirit realm, Gran?”

“A Spirit Warrior’s magic comes from the spirit realm. It’s the source of your power, the place you draw from.”

“That’s why my magic was more powerful in the spirit realm?” Naomi asked.

“Yes. There you were at the source of spirit magic. Of your magic.”

“But why do I keep seeing Makani? I always appear close to him. Each time I return there, I pop up closer to him,” Naomi said. “Something is drawing me to him. I could be a romantic and say it’s destiny, but I have a feeling it has something to do with what that fairy did to me.”

“For whatever reason, the dark fairy linked you to this prince,” Gran told her.

“Linked me?”

“It’s another Dragon Guard ability. They linked themselves to the people they swore to protect. They’re essentially bodyguards, so being able to sense the person they had sworn to protect was a useful skill. They can also link other people together. Even groups of people.”

“And they can link to someone in the spirit realm?” asked Naomi.

Gran tapped her fingers against her teacup. “I didn’t think so. The spirit realm is different. It’s magic is different. As you undoubtably noticed, it consumes foreign magic until there’s nothing left. Mages and fairies have earth-based magic. Our source of power is from this earth, this realm. Vampires are the same, except the demon-powered ones. Their source of magic is a lesser demon. Not really a real demon in the sense of the word. Kind of a mix between earth and spirit magic. It takes hell longer to drain the magic of demon-powered vampires, but it eventually does drain them.”

“And me?”

“The exception in all this are the Spirit Warriors,” Gran said. “Your source of magic is from the spirit realm. That’s why you’ve felt weak your whole life, Naomi. Your magic is in the wrong realm. The Dragon Guard’s magic does not penetrate the spirit realm. They cannot link themselves to someone in the spirit realm because their magic dies out before it reaches the spirit realm. But not yours. Yours only gets stronger. That’s how he could link you to someone in the spirit realm. He obviously wants you to save this person.”

“Yes. I feel the need to save him.”

“Some of that is the fairy’s spell. The link is pushing you toward this prince. But the other part is you, Naomi.” She smiled. “You have a habit of throwing yourself into danger to save other people.”

“My mom says I’m crazy.”

Gran laughed. “Maybe so, but you are also brave and caring. When you see people suffering, you feel compelled to help them. You have a big heart.”

“She does,” Eva agreed, smiling at Naomi. “You risked yourself to save me. Just as you did tonight with the kidnapped victims in the palace.”

“I couldn’t save them,” she sighed.

“They were already dead. But you saved Cyrus. And you saved a lot of other people from being drained of life and magic. You did a great job.”

“Sometimes I wonder if I’m making any difference at all. The world is so full of hate. So full of madness. And I feel like I’m standing in front of this huge tidal wave, trying to stop it with a tiny bucket and a shovel.”

“But you fight on,” said Eva.

“I can’t stop trying. I can’t give up, no matter how hopeless it is. Even standing there with just my pitiful shovel and bucket, I am at least taking a stand. I am—”

“Taking control of some small piece in a world of madness,” Gran said.

“Yes, that,” Naomi agreed. “Exactly that. If I don’t try, I’m just letting myself be swept downstream. So fighting the tide just might get me killed, but if I don’t fight, I’m dead for sure. And I’d rather fight and feel hope than succumb to hopelessness.”

A warm smile, bursting with fairy magic, spread across Gran’s lips. “Your father would be proud of you.” She brushed her hand across Naomi’s cheek.

Naomi squeezed her hand. “Thanks, Gran.”

Eva stretched her arms up into the air, yawning. “So how about we fight hell’s tide tomorrow? I’m exhausted.”

“You’re welcome to stay the night here,” Gran told them. “The guest rooms are just down the hall.”

“Thanks Gran,” Eva said, taking Marek’s hand as she rose to her feet.

“Yes, dears, you’ve just survived a horrible ordeal. Go celebrate living.” She smirked, her eyes sharp and smart. Nothing got past Gran.

“Ah, Gran,” Eva said.

She pretended to look sheepish, but Naomi knew she wasn’t embarrassed. Naomi and Eva talked about boys with Gran more than they did with their own mothers. Gran was just so much cooler. And she’d had nearly a century of tips on how to make a man beg for mercy. She was without a doubt the world’s best grandmother.

“But,” Gran added sternly, her gaze falling on Marek. “I expect my house to still be standing in the morning. No fireworks, young man. And absolutely no dragons.”

Marek didn’t look embarrassed either. Naomi didn’t think he knew how to be. He simply bowed smoothly. “As you wish,” he said, kissing Gran’s hand.

Laughing, Gran waved them away. “Off with you two. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.”

A trail of chuckles trailed Eva as she and Marek walked down the hall. The list of things Gran wouldn’t do could fit on one hand. She stirred her tea in perfect silence until she heard the soft click of the bedroom door closing. Then she turned to Naomi.

“I didn’t want to bring this up in front of Marek,” she said in a hushed whisper. “He is a nice young man, but he belongs to a very proper magic dynasty.”

In other words, he was a stickler for the rules.

Gran continued, “Even with your spirit magic, Naomi, there is only one way the Dragon Guard could have linked you to someone so far removed from the earth.”

“If that someone was a Dragon Born mage,” Naomi said.

“Yes.” Gran opened a new tin of cookies. “Your prince is Dragon Born.”

Naomi reached into the tin and grabbed a cookie. “I know. He has tattoos just like the picture in your book.”

“Smart girl. And does knowing this change anything for you?”

“Why should it?” Naomi said. “He needs my help. And I have a feeling I need his. Like you said, the Dragon Born aren’t monsters. They were just caught at the wrong end of a power struggle. Well, it’s about time we changed things.”

Gran nodded. “You are a good girl, Naomi. I’ve met very few people in my many years who can truly think with their head as well as their heart, and I’m proud to name you as one of those rare few.” Gran hugged her, then stood. “I’m going to bed now. I might not look my age, but I am nearly one hundred years old and need my beauty sleep.”

“I’m going to stay up a bit longer and read through some of your books if that’s all right,” said Naomi.

“Worried those two love birds will keep you up?”

Naomi laughed. “Nah, I just want to learn some more about what I am. More about the spirit realm and spirit magic. Maybe something I find will help me stop Darksire’s plans and also help Makani.”

“If you have any questions, let me know.”

“Thanks.”

Gran walked to her room. Before she entered, she called out, “Try not to eat all the sweets.”

Naomi grabbed another cookie. “I make no promises.”

Laughing, Gran stepped into her room, closing the door after her.

Fueled by cookies and curiosity, Naomi read late into the night, falling asleep as dawn broke the horizon.

CHAPTER NINE

The Dragon Prince

NAOMI WALKED THROUGH the woods. She could feel Makani not too far ahead, his magic drawing her in. She always popped up into the spirit realm where he was, like a rubber band was pulling her back to him.

The woods here were different than those around his camp. The magic here was older. The leaves seemed to whisper dark spells. Light streamed through the trees, breaking the night’s shadows. It looked like a scene straight out of a Gothic fairytale forest—with all the beauty and death that came with it.

She stopped at the edge of the trees, peering down on a forest that seemed to go on forever. In the middle of it all, shining in the dawn’s early light, stood a fortress. No, a castle. Make that Sleeping Beauty’s castle. Guards stood on the fairytale turrets and atop the front gate.

“Where’s Sleeping Beauty?” Naomi asked.

Makani looked up from the sword he was sharpening. “I missed that witty tongue.” He nodded to Emma, Bruce, and Troy. “I need you three to go check out Valin’s defenses. Be subtle. Be discreet. Don’t be discovered.”

It was funny to hear a dragon talk about being subtle and discreet. That wasn’t exactly their forte.

“Now go,” he finished.

Bruce and Troy began to walk off immediately, but Emma lingered behind for a moment. She gave Naomi a look that promised pain and death if anything happened to Makani while they were away. Then she dipped her head to her prince and followed after the others.

“A bit overprotective, isn’t she?” Naomi commented.

“She’s my head of security. It’s her job.”

“Plus she has the hots for you.”

“I do not think of her in that way.”

Naomi smiled.

“I have given her no indication that I’m interested in her in that way,” he said.

“How about running around everywhere without your shirt on?”

“It’s hot in hell,” he stated.

She couldn’t argue with that. She’d only been here for a couple of minutes and she was already sweating through her clothes.

“Does that make you uncomfortable?” A smirk tugged at his lips.

“No,” she lied. “I go around half-naked all the time.”

“Oh? Then don’t let me stop you.” He cast a leisurely look down the length of her body. “I can tell you’re hot.”

Uh, yeah, so maybe she hadn’t completely thought this through.

He quirked an eyebrow at her. “What’s wrong, my lady?”

“Nothing. I just don’t think this is the right time for this.” Yeah, that sounded convincing.

“It’s the perfect time.” He set his sword down on the ground. “My team won’t be back for another ten minutes. I’m sure we could figure out some way to fill the time.” The look on his face was pure sin. It was a good thing she was already in hell.

“Maybe next time, honey,” she said, trying to keep her cool.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” he told her with a wicked grin.

She could continue to dance around this hot bed of coals with a half-naked dragon prince, hoping he didn’t bite, or she could admit defeat and change the subject. The thing was, she was pretty sure he won either way. Whenever she entered into a conversation with him, she was basically doomed from the start. How did he do that? Seven hundred years of practice—that’s how.

“So,” Naomi said, choosing the lesser of two defeats. “You’re planning on storming a castle?”

“It is Valin’s fortress.”

“Warlord of the demon Bael?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re attacking during the day,” she asked, looking up at the sky. It was growing lighter with every passing moment.