Page 135 of Last Gift: Supernatural Battle

Crap, he’d been resting. Sorry, go back to sleep. Probably nothing.

I cut Ty a glance. “Have you heard anything?”

“Just foolish rumors, High Esteemed,” he answered after a beat, lowering his voice. “I would be sorry to repeat them.”

Like many of my other friends, Ty didn’t want to put more on my shoulders. I smiled at him. “I know you would be. And I thank you for that. Even still, I do need to know if something is affecting the coven.”

“We know who’s affecting the coven,” he answered.

Frond. I waited.

Ty sighed. “There are rumors that your blood is black. That was the start. Then rumors of black smoke started to circulate. There was a fight with Corentin a while back? I’m unsure of the details, but the ceiling was smeared with soot after. Recently, someone said they saw the same black on the battle center roof and Esteemed Advisor Astar was cleaning it up. Another close to the center earlier on is telling of words shouted in another language, and of roaring. The coven assumed you spoke the demon language because of your upbringing outside the coven. Now there’s a resurgence of the dark magic rumors and there are some questioning your runes again, despite what is clear to the vast majority of us.”

I peered around. The vast majority in here appeared to be giving some room to the rumors. Divination affinities weren’t my biggest fans, if I had to generalize an entire affinity. They didn’t like that I was doing things our ancestors never did. They wanted to exist as we always had, and I valued that part within them that sought to uphold traditions. In part. “I do not practice dark magic.”

“No, High Esteemed. Like I said, I’m sorry to repeat such foolish rumors.”

Misguided rumor, but not foolish. They’d returned to the secret that could be the end of my leadership. They’d just labelled it wrong.

The label they needed was demon magic.

“Shall we focus on something productive?” the divination mentor asked, gesturing to the staves.

I nodded. “Let’s do that. Where do we go from here?”

“We practice interpreting a reading of the staves.”

Finally the exciting part, though… “I’m scared of what they may say.”

He didn’t laugh off my worry. “Readings should be undertaken with great respect of the knowledge they may impart. You should know that the future isn’t set, however. Some choose to look at a reading that way—as a fate that may be cheated if they should wish.”

“How easy is that?”

Ty gathered up the staves. “Not impossible.”

I took that to mean nearly impossible. “I can direct the staves, right? I could ask them what I’m having for dinner.”

“You could, though the staves are better applied to a collision of nature and person.”

Of course. “So asking a question about the coven would be better?”

“It is the perfect tool to ask questions of a magus, as we are a species closely linked to nature. Luthers would give strong readings with their connection to nature as well.”

I racked my brain. “Why don’t we ask the staves about my seat and whether I’ll accept it?”

“If you wish to know the answer,” he said.

I did, actually. I felt I already knew the answer. “Yes, let’s do that.”

Ty passed over the pouch containing the carved staves. I took them, and he said, “Open your affinity.”

Divination magic poured through me in a wave that I’d never experienced. The flood stole my breath, and I was left staring at Ty in the wake. “That’s new.”

“Since the mating?”

“Must be.” That was the first time the affinity had even responded with the same enthusiasm as my other affinities. “It’s happier.” I soaked in the sensation for a while longer, then straightened on the beanbag. “Okay, what’s next?”

“Focus on your intent—the question you wish to answer. Direct your intent and magic into the staves.”

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