Page 49 of Their Chosen

No one said anything, my eyes watering as my words hung in the air, and I waited for his answer, my breath tight in my chest. My anxiety rose the longer no one said anything. Finally, his eyes furrowed as he gave me a sad smile, and I closed my eyes, fighting back tears, knowing his answer wasn't what I had been hoping for. “I'm sorry, dear.” He patted my hand again. “Once you've been Chosen, there's no way to escape the trials. You'll have to complete them all should you wish to be released from the land's call.”

“I understand,” I said, my voice catching slightly.

“Take heart, though, in the fact that only the worthy or those who have traits that are needed in a queen are selected. It calls for more than power to be successful and the land has seen both in you. As have I,” he said, trying to cheer me up.

“You don't even know me. How can you say that?” I asked, almost rudely and in disbelief.

He laughed at me then, making me angry. “Nonsense. I know that you care more for those people back on Earth than you do for yourself since they're the ones you’re trying to get back to. I know that you have enough strength to push back at the prince who is used to everyone else backing down. I know that you have been smart enough to survive, basically on your own on Earth, without your people or magic, two things that are like breathing to the Fae.

“So, yes, Rhowyn, I do know all that I need to know, and it will be my pleasure to help you learn about us and the magic we know.” His words left me speechless, his veracity unfamiliar to me. No one had ever believed in me like this. Again, my eyes watered, touched by his honesty.

As if sensing my need for a change in subject, he said, “So, about this glamor. What do we know? Any new developments?” He kept his eyes on me even though his question was directed at the guys.

“Rhowyn and I were working this morning to see if we could get in touch with her magic. We were hoping that if she could wield it, she would be able to remove the glamor herself. However, she said her magic was in some sort of cage made of shadows, and she couldn’t wield it,” Arryn said, his voice turning to a question at the last statement. He turned to me as if wanting me to confirm.

“I don't know what it was exactly, but every time I tried to bring my consciousness closer to it, the shadows grew defensive and withdrew from me,” I stated, adding to Arryn's recount of what we had discovered.

“We believe it has something to do with her glamor and keeping her magic contained while on Earth for such an extended time.” Arryn finished.

We both waited for Jude to enlighten us. He sat there, studying me vacantly, obviously deep in thought. He raised his hands after a few minutes, his palms hovering close to my body. “May I?”

I nodded, and he placed his hands on both of my shoulders. “Relax. Breathe in and out. Once you are ready, please try to find your magic again. I'm going to tag along to see what you do.”

“Okay,” I said as I closed my eyes, inhaling and exhaling deeply, relaxing as much as I could with so many people watching me. Once I was ready, I found my core of magic much faster and more easily than this morning.

“Good,” Jude said, “Now, get as close as you can to it.”

I dove deeper, imagining I had fingers, and I reached toward the small flashes of light I could see through the writhing shadows that surrounded my magic.

“Imagine you can grab hold of one of the shadows and unravel it like a thread,” he instructed me.

I took another steadying breath and extended my fingers in my mind's eye, grabbing randomly at the shadows, only to have them repeatedly slip away. My frustration started to grow as I continued to be unsuccessful, and my concentration began to slip.

“Relax, Rhowyn, try to let the shadows come to you. They are a part of you after all,” Jude said calmly.

I clenched my jaw and took a deep breath in, holding it until I was ready to let my anger go, exhaling the emotion with the air I expelled from my lungs. Once I was recentered, I tried again. This time I drew close and then held my hands out, watching the shadows dance in front of me. There was an ethereal beauty to them. As I watched, becoming transfixed, I started to hear a melody. It was ancient and felt like it lived deep within me. It was me. As I waited with my hand outstretched, the shadows began to dance toward me.

I didn't try to grab them this time, waiting for them to come to me, like the shadows were wild animals. They began to dance around my hand, weaving in between my fingers and wrapping around my wrist.

“Good. Now, slowly close your hand and pull on them as if unraveling a tapestry. Don't force it, but rather will them to do as you tell them.”

I did as Jude said, slowly closing my fingers into a fist. I felt the moment I gained control of them, and I heard whispers as if in protest, intensifying as I held them firmly but gently. I couldn't exactly make out words, but the whispers somehow felt familiar, making their unhappiness known to me. I didn't falter, slowly pushing my will on them and picturing what I wanted them to do. At first, I felt their resistance, their desire to continue protecting me from discovery and those who would harm me.

“It's okay,” I whispered to them in my mind. “I can handle it from here. Thank you for keeping me safe.” I sent them my gratitude, willing them to see how thankful I really was for their protection through the years, only just now realizing the depth of it.

A shadow rose, caressing my cheek lovingly before releasing me and my magic, dispersing as I had asked them to do. As they pulled away, I saw my magic begin to really glow for what felt like the first time, blinding me slowly as the last wisps of smoke slipped away.

I closed my mind's eye, drew back to reality, and felt a tear slip from my eye at the beauty and magnitude of what had just happened. For the first time since arriving here, I was able to experience exactly what they’d been going on and on about and began to finally see why this was all such a big deal.

“Good job, child.” I opened my eyes with his words, my vision blurring through the tears in my eyes. He beamed at me, his pride evident in every line of his face.

Everyone was silent for a few moments, allowing me the chance to adjust. I felt a gentle buzz running through my body, coursing through my nerve endings and invigorating me in a way that felt like I'd had too many cups of coffee, but better and without the nervous jitters. I felt more alive and alert than I had ever been before.

“Now, child, I want you to focus on that core of magic and see if you can pull your glamor away. Do you know how to do that?” he asked while studying me patiently.

“I remember what the guys told me the other day.” I nodded and glanced first at Arryn and then Baer. After meeting their encouraging gazes, I closed my eyes so I could focus again. With a deep inhalation and exhalation, I felt for the magic that seemed to rest up against my skin. I could feel it so much more clearly now. As I tried to grasp it, it pulled away but remained adhered to my skin. After a few more attempts, I opened my eyes with a huff of frustration. “It's not moving. I can feel it, but it's not going anywhere,” I complained.

Jude patted my knee gently. “That's okay, dear. Your magic may just need to strengthen before you can manage this. It's like a muscle. Magic must be used to gain strength and fluidity. As you train, you'll find yourself able to do more and more with increasing ease. Now, normally, I would allow you the time to manage this on your own, but the Queen has asked me to ensure its removal. Do you mind if I try?”

---