Page 54 of Threaded

Everyone except Andrian, that is. She outright refused to give that subject, withhim, any space in her thoughts. She preferred to keep him on the outside, and she was perfectly content for him to remain there willingly.

There was enough for her to concern herself with.

Like the silver magic writhing in her soul.

Sebastian and Quentin jogged over to her, their sweat still gleaming on their skin. While the days were starting to shift into the cold bite of early winter, the sun was still strong enough to leave them all warm and drenched by the end of training. They watched her expectantly as she stood, glancing once behind them at the rest of her Armature. She watched them cast curious glances their way before filing out of the training clearing and into the darkness of the trees. No more than a few seconds later, she was alone with her two bonded Armature.

Taking another deep breath, she turned to face those two men, meeting their curious gazes of hazel and bottle green.

“There are some things we need to discuss. About …” She inhaled, steading herself. “About my magic.”

* * *

“So, you’re telling us that not only do you carry Qhohena’s magic, but you somehow have …othermagic? Something in addition to the gift of the Queen?” Quentin’s voice was incredulous, and, truthfully, Mariah couldn’t blame him.

“Mariah,” Sebastian said, his own voice hesitant, processing what she’d told them. “It’s not that I don’t believe you, but … how is thatpossible? Only unmarried, magic-less women are invited to the Choosing, and even then Qhohena’s magic doesn’t—hasnever—chosen someone who already bears another gift.” He paused. “Qhohena is generous, but she’s also not a goddess who gives away pieces of herself twice.”

Mariah exhaled through her nose, trying to keep her patience. She needed their help, needed to make them understand. She turned to Quentin first.

“Yes, Quentin. That’sexactlywhat I’m telling you.” She moved her attention to Sebastian. “And Sebastian—trust me, I’ve asked myself those same questions repeatedly over the past two weeks. And my answer isI don’t know.I don’t know what this is, or why it’s in me … I don’t even know if it’s a gift from Qhohena.” She paused as she let that sink in, their confused stares as they gazed back at her only aiding her exasperation. “All I know is that on my twenty-first birthday, I not only received this letter, but this …othernessawoke in me, and I’ve been grappling with this secret ever since. And now I’m telling the two of you.”

The guarded looks they both wore had her gnashing her teeth in frustration.

Men.

“Look, Quentin, you should know what I’m talking about and that I’m telling you the truth. Don’t tell me last night you didn’t notice that my hand, my magic, was glowingsilver, not gold. And, by the way, that very magic is inyounow.”

That finally jostled him awake. Quentin blanched, glancing down at her hand, at the cut on her palm that was just barely clotted. He swallowed heavily, swaying lightly on his feet, before composing himself with all the frustrating swagger he could conjure.

“Honestly, I was too distracted by the fact that you were naked—your tits arefantastic, by the way—to notice exactly what color your hand was glowing before you sliced my chest open and built a mind-bridge with me.”

Mariah breathed a heavy sigh, squeezing her eyes shut as she clenched the bridge of her nose.

Goddess, give me patience.

Her prayer must’ve been heard, because Sebastian thankfully spoke up. “Quentin, keep your dick in your pants. Now is not the time.” He then spoke to Mariah, “Mariah, I hear what you’re saying, but … it just all sounds so impossible. Are yousurethat’s what happened? How are you able to distinguish them? You just told us that they feel nearly identical.”

Mariah huffed. “Fine. I’ll just show you.” She opened her eyes just as she reached inward, plucked a single strand of golden magic, and willed it into her right hand, her skin instantly igniting as the light danced in the air.

“What color does that look like to you?”

Sebastian’s answer was calm. “It doesn’t really have a color. It just looks like light.”

“No, I need you toreallylook. And I need you to tell me: if you were to give it a color, what would it be?”

They both were quiet as they studied her hand. “I mean … if I had to guess, it looks gold to me.” Quentin’s voice was confused and reluctant.

“Great. That’s right. And now …” She dipped back inside her, calling forth a thread of silver, pushing it into her left hand. To her, the color difference between her two hands as the light thrummed in the air was so stark, so distinguishable, she was shocked that no others had noticed it yet. “What do you see?”

When she looked back at Sebastian and Quentin, she knew her demonstration had the effect she sought.Fucking finally. The color nearly drained out of Sebastian’s face, but Quentin … her red-haired Armature only grinned wickedly at her left hand before locking that bottle green stare on her.

“Looks like I got the freaky, new, potentially blasphemous magic, baby. Only for you.”

Mariah rolled her eyeshard,a scoff in her throat as she prepared a retort to him about calling her “baby” when a dark presence suddenly prickled at her back, burning through her awareness, setting all her senses ablaze. She froze, her magic vanishing back under her skin, as she slowly turned, already knowing exactly what—or, rather,who—she would find. Her eyes clashed with those of blazing tanzanite, the same eyes that haunted the darkest recesses of her mind.

Andrian leaned against a tree at the edge of the clearing, still partly wreathed in shadow, as he smiled at her wickedly.

“Keeping secrets, are we?”

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