Page 101 of Taken By the Fae King

I wish I was as confident as her, but I cannot still the worry in my heart. I must speak with Aren—have him send a raven to Corduin, informing them of Grayce’s vision so they can be prepared.

As I think this, my thoughts turn to my conversation with Aren about Grayce asking about Queen Ilyra’s necklace. “Aren said you were researching magical amplifiers with Scholar Norlyn.”

“I am. If we can learn how to harness something like that, it might allow us—Inara, Freyja, and me—to draw the energy needed to power our magic, from nature, like your people do, instead of drawing from ourselves.”

“That is not how it works,” I tell her. “Queen Ilyra used it to draw the energy of her own life force, amplifying the powers she drew on from nature. That is why she was destroyed along with the Wraith. If you were to use an amplifier, it could kill you because it would take even more of your own life force than you already utilize.”

“What if it doesn’t?” she counters. “Norlyn believes that it could have the opposite effect when used by a human.”

I clench my jaw. Norlyn and I need to have a serious talk soon. I tighten my arms around Grayce, nuzzling her temple. “Norlyn can test that theory out on his own human mate, if he ever gets one,” I say, trying to add a teasing note to my voice when I am anything but amused that he is planting these ideas in my A’lyra’s head. “I do not want to risk you getting hurt, Grayce.” Gripping her waist, I turn her to face me, her thighs straddling my hips. “Promise me you will stop pursuing the idea of using an amplifier.”

She lowers her gaze. “I cannot.”

Worry tightens my chest, for I know how stubborn she is. “Why?”

“What if amplifiers are the answer, Kyven? What if they can help us defeat the Wraith and the Mages once and for all?” She sighs. “In the prophecy of the Great Uniters, it says the Sanishon will have powers beyond any seen before. And just as the Orc King suggested, there are many ways to interpret the translations. For instance: the words “great powers” can also be translated as “amplifiers.”

Worry snakes down my spine, constricting my chest. “If you are wrong, it could cost you your life, Grayce.” I cup her cheek and drop my forehead against hers. “Please, do not pursue this. I cannot bear the thought of losing you.”

“You will not lose me, Kyven,” she whispers.

“How do you know?”

She places her hand over mine on her cheek, leaning into my touch. “I dreamed last night of our daughter.”

My heart stutters and stops. “You… what?”

“I saw our future.” A lovely smile curves her mouth. “It was beautiful.”

I press my palm to her lower abdomen, searching for any sign of a life spark in her womb, but detect nothing. Then again, if she were Fae, it would be too early to tell. “You are certain it was a vision?”

She nods. Relief fills me as I hug her to my chest. My A’lyra will be safe.

“I want you,” she whispers, pressing her lips to mine as she rocks her hips against me.

“You are not hurting?”

“Not anymore.”

She reaches between us, gripping my stav and notching me at her entrance. A low growl of pleasure vibrates in my chest as she carefully lowers herself onto me.

After we make love again, I carry her back to the bed. It is well past breakfast, and I am sure she must be hungry, but I decide to let her sleep just a bit longer.

As I study her, a nagging thought keeps circling in my head. The prophecy speaks of a great sacrifice—the ultimate sacrifice, if the Orc’s translation is correct. And yet, Grayce saw our future. If her vision of the Wall crumbling comes to pass, I will insist that she remain here. I will not take a chance with her safety. While the Wraith and the Mages remain a threat to her, I must not let down my guard. Just because she saw a future does not mean we will not have to fight for it.

CHAPTER55

GRAYCE

Ihad three blissful days and nights making love to my husband. We hardly left our bedroom. But our days of indulging in each other could not last forever. We have to figure out how to defeat the Wraith. More importantly, we must determine how they crossed the barriers of both the city and the Great Wall.

Not wanting to be caught unprepared, I’ve started training again with Emryll. This time, however, I’m pacing myself so as not to use too much of my power. Facing my target, I raise my hands and try to focus. I’m trying to control how much energy I use with each casting, but it is not an easy thing to learn.

Emryll told me to form an image in my mind of what I want my magic to do while also controlling how much energy I harness. Closing my eyes, I picture vines springing up from the ground, wrapping around my target. When I open them again, nothing is happening.

Disappointment fills me and I turn to Emryll. “It’s not working.”

“Try again,” she encourages.

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