Page 75 of Lady of Darkness

“No. I have no idea what your High Force does actually,” Cassius answered, going to the sofa and sitting. He leaned back into the cushions, spreading an arm across the back.

“He had me start drinking a tonic, and it’s like—” he paused, clearly unsure how to explain it. “The tonic gives me some sort of power? He gave me these books to study. They’re similar to spells or something. He told me to figure out how to protect the kingdom from outside forces.

“I studied the books for months, and while I did, he’d give me little things to master. The day I finally figured out the wards, Lord Tyndell was ecstatic, but it took a toll on me. I could hardly get out of bed for months.He tried giving me a stronger tonic, but it would make me pass out for days.”

“Like Scarlett does with her stronger tonic?” Sorin inquired.

“Similar in a way, I suppose,” Cassius replied. Extended silence hung between them, before Cassius added, “I didn’t understand what the wards were for, why he thought they worked. I would get this feeling, an alert of sorts, constantly, so I thought theydidn’twork. Not until the day you told me you were Fae did I realize they worked.”

“Who were your parents?” Sorin asked.

“I don’t know,” Cassius answered. “I was an orphan on the streets as far back as I can remember.”

“There is no tonic or elixir that cangiveyou powers,” Sorin said thoughtfully. “If there were, rulers would be creating them everywhere. That is one gift that was never granted to anyone. It would upset the balance. Magic is always a give and take.”

Cassius was quiet for a long moment, then said, “You think I am not human?”

“If you possess the raw power to create wards, I know you are not mortal,” Sorin replied.

“Do you think I am Fae?”

“It is possible, I suppose, that you may have some Fae blood, but I cannot say for sure without seeing your powers. Wards are spellwork. That is not specific to any Court or a gift granted just to the Fae.”

“If it’s not possible to give a person powers with a tonic, then why does Lord Tyndell give me one?” Cassius asked. He was still casually seated on the couch, no panic or worry lined his face.

“You do not seem fazed by this news,” Sorin commented, studying the man on the sofa. He couldn’t be Fae, not full-blooded anyway. Wards were powerful magic. It hadn’t surprised him in the slightest that Cassius said he had been so drained after completing them. Scarlett had mentioned she hadn’t seen Cassius much in the last year, likely for that very reason.

“I have always known I was different. We all have. We have helped each other search for answers. The things the girls encountered on their assignments had us all believing there was something else out there.That magic had to exist here in some shape or form. So no, I am not surprised by the news that I am likely not human. Nor were Scarlett and I particularly shocked at your own revelation,” Cassius said with a shrug of his shoulders.

That explained a lot, Sorin supposed.

“How did Scarlett come to live with you at the manor?” Sorin asked. He had taken a seat in one of the dining chairs. He hadn’t slept at all, and he should really be reporting to the castle soon.

“Ah,” Cassius said, his eyes seeming to darken. “That is a tale for Scarlett to tell, not me.” When Sorin didn’t say anything, Cassius said, “I should go see if her fever broke.”

“I told you it is not a fever,” Sorin said, his eyes going to the bedroom. They’d left the door open so they could hear her if she made any noise.

Cassius threw him a doubtful glance. “Then what, pray tell, is it?”

When it came to Scarlett, Sorin noted, that’s when he became protective. That’s when Cassius appeared worried or anxiety entered his eyes. The little regard he had shown for his own unknown heritage was made up for by the way he cared for Scarlett.‘When it comes to her, I outrank everyone,’he had snarled to him on the beach.

“It is part of her gifts,” Sorin answered. “One of her Fae gifts is flames. I think the tonic she takes somehow suppresses her magic. When she does not have her usual nightly one, her magic starts to come to the surface. Because she has never been taught how to control it, it is like it explodes from her. The stronger tonic she takes drugs her and instantly quiets the magic again, but at a cost. It is the give and take I told you about. She goes into such a deep sleep because her magic is still coursing through her veins. It wants out, but she is asleep so she cannot wield it. With fire magic, her body is holding in the flames and heat. It is her magic flaring until it dies out.”

“Fire magic like yours?” Cassius asked, his eyes fixed on the bedroom.

“Yes, but I am pretty sure her gifts exceed my own.”

“How can you know for sure?” When Sorin didn’t answer right away, Cassius turned to look at him. “I need to take her to my home, where her magic can manifest as it is meant to.”

“To your home? As in leave Baylorin? Leave Windonelle?”

“As in leave the mortal lands,” Sorin answered. He stood and gestured for Cassius to come over to the table. He unfurled a map, spreading it out along the table. Cassius helped him lay books on the corners to keep it in place.

“This,” Sorin said, pointing to Windonelle, “is where we are now. Here,” he moved his hand directly north, “is the Fire Court, part of the Fae lands where I am from.”

“How long does it take to get there?” Cassius asked.

“Traveling swiftly on horseback without stopping, I can get to the border in a day’s time,” Sorin replied. “Once I cross the borders, I can portal.”

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