Page 28 of Calling of the Crown

Rune considered my question a moment. “Water Fae powers changed over the centuries, kinda like evolution. As Water Fae made huge changes in their behavior and the way they lived, their abilities altered as a consequence. To regain them, well, that would take a long time, and I can’t say for sure that it could even happen.”

“You don’t think Water Fae could relearn those things?”

“I don’t think breathing under water is something you can relearn. That’s either an ability you have or don’t.”

My shoulders slumped slightly at the discouraging truth of that. I wanted to help Water Fae get back in touch with the core of who we were and get all our abilities back—abilities of which I myself hadn’t even begun to scratch the surface.

Refusing to give up completely, I looked at him with hopeful eyes. “Do you think some things can be retaught? Some abilities you might have to be born with, but other things can surely be learned. Like the ability to become water.”

Rune didn’t look sure, but he said, “We’ll see. You haven’t even learned those things yourself, Bria. Let’s start there first, okay?”

Pouting, I leaned back against him again, letting the back of my head rest on his shoulder. “You’re right.”

That seemed to satisfy him, and we once again sat in the warm water, letting the silence blanket us with a sense of calm. Instead of my mind emptying, though, I dwelled on Rune’s words.

It was true. I didn’t know even a sliver of all I could do as Water Fae, but the one power that intrigued me the most right now was the ability that made me feel connected to my mom. It was the one we supposedly shared. The ability to become water.

According to Jesiah, I’d already used this power at some point, which was why the tips of my hair were turning blue, but I didn’t remember ever turning into water. Could it be something easier than what it seemed, so I’d done it without even realizing it?

Glancing at the water wading around Rune and me, I nibbled on my lip as I stared at my hand beneath the water. I concentrated on the peachy flesh, the five fingers there, and each groove visible from above the water. I studied my hand with my painter’s eyes, and as I did, I also tuned in to the warmth surrounding the entirety of it. I passed my hand slowly through the water, focusing on the way it felt to have pressure push against my palm as I swiped right then against the back of my hand as I moved it to the left. I continued to pass it back and forth, and I focused on a new thought—my hand slowly turning less peachy and more transparent, and my fingers smoothing over as the flesh and bone was replaced with water.

My hand started to tingle, and I instantly held my breath with excitement as I kept watch of my hand. A firm warmth began to grip my hand like a mold slowly stitching itself together along my skin until a new kind of feeling settled over my extremity.

“What are you doing?” Rune asked slowly.

“I think I did it! I think I—” I excitedly pulled my hand out from beneath the water, but as soon as I saw it, my stomach sank. Frowning, I groaned, “No.”

Instead of water for a new hand, I simply wore a second skin of water like a glove. Frustrated, I shook my hand, trying to get the water off, but it remained where it was.

“Are you practicing your abilities while bathing naked with me, dear? Is this what our relationship has come to?” Rune asked, and when I heard the smile in his voice, I wanted to wipe it away with my stupid water glove.

“I wasn’t trying to do this,” I moaned, and I wiped at my hand with my other one in a futile effort to scrape the water off.

“Uh-huh,” Rune said. He grabbed my encased hand and turned it this way and that to examine it. “What were you trying to do?”

“I was trying to become water. You know, like my mom. But my hand isn’t water. It’s just wearing it. And now I can’t get the stupid stuff off.”

Rune chuckled. “That’s what happens when you try to teach yourself things without proper guidance or understanding of what you’re doing. Especially something like this. Jesiah and everyone else will work on your abilities with you, Bria. You don’t have to figure it all out right now by yourself, especially not when you’re supposed to be relaxing. For now, I’d say to get that off, just walk back through what you did to get it on and essentially do it again but backward.”

Trying to set aside my bitter frustration to give Rune’s suggestion a shot, I focused on the water encasing my hand and pictured it melting away to reveal my hand beneath. Without too much effort, the water began to drip back down to the bath until my hand was glove free.

I wiggled my free fingers and let out a defeated sigh. “I don’t get why that didn’t work.”

“Because you’re messing with an extremely powerful ability that none of your kind understands anymore. Becoming water is going to take more than you waving your hand in a pool for a couple minutes. Hell, who knows what that kind of power takes to perform it. All the more reason you shouldn’t be trying to mess with it without proper help and understanding of what you’re doing.

“Please, Bria. I don’t want something to go wrong and you hurt yourself—or worse. Just wait and practice after you’ve learned what to do.”

The sudden urgency and seriousness of Rune’s voice had me turning to look at him. All of my frustration melted away when I saw the way his amber eyes pleaded with mine to listen. He was right. I was messing with ancient powers that were beyond me. There was no need to put myself in harm’s way to try to learn them on my own.

“You’re right,” I said, spinning around to face him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and gave him a reassuring smile. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’ll wait for Jesiah or someone to help me with these things.”

He placed his hands on my hips, which now braced either side of his thighs. “Good. Thank you.”

There was no missing the feel of his hard cock poking against my middle. I nibbled on my lip as I fingered the white hair around his shoulders. “I haven’t done a very good job of relaxing like I was supposed to.”

“So I noticed,” Rune smirked.

Wiggling my hips just enough to show him that I was aware of his erection, I purred, “You know, there is another Water Fae ability that I have that I’ve been wanting to explore.”

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