Page 71 of A Dusk Of Stars

“Okay,” I murmur, feeling more confused than before.

Serra leans to explain. “The Aurora is pure magic — vampire, shifter and fae, whose role in the universe is to keep it in balance.”

I let out a scoff. “But there’s no such thing as a being who’s all three in one.”

“There hasn’t been, for at least eleven centuries, “the fae-blooded woman says, “long enough for the legend to be forgotten, to survive only as a few muddled fragments in stories that tend to have nothing to do with the original.”

“Until now, that is,” Serra adds.

Are they saying what I think they’re saying? “Are you kidding me?” I demand, raising my voice without meaning to. “I’m not even a shifter, not properly at least.” And I motion at Bane. “Go ahead, ask him.”

When I turn to look at him, I find him narrowing his eyes at me, as ifI’mthe one who’s being suspicious here.

The fae-blooded woman clears her throat. “We’ve been analyzing your behavior, Miss Novak—”

I turn to Serra again. “Have you been talking to these people about me?” I demand.

She stays silent for a second. “Lorcan and I,” she finally starts hesitantly, “we’ve had our doubts ever since we found out you were a shifter.”

Lorcan clears his throat. He sounds as if he’s forcing himself to speak when he says, “It’s not something that normally happens, Miss Novak — a human turning out to be an Original. It goes against the laws of nature.”

I lean back in my chair and fold my arms. “I want to talk to the Pied Piper.”

“The Pied Piper doesn’t believe in this,” Serra replies with a shake of her head.

“Then why shouldI?”

“Miss Novak,” that fucking fae-blooded woman starts again, sounding as if she’s talking to a half-wit, “only hours ago, hundreds of students saw you destroy Academy property using a type of magic no living Original is capable of wielding.”

“How do you explainthat?” Lorcan cuts in.

I frown, my mind starting to buzz uncontrollably. “I’ve been feeling strange, sure—”

Lorcan barks out a laugh. “Feeling strange, she says.”

“The magic you used wasn’t the magic of an ordinary shifter, or an ordinary vampire, or even an ordinary fae, including those who have experience in Divine Magic,” Serra explains patiently. She takes a book out of her robe, opens it and hands it to me across the table. “It was the magic of the Aurora, as depicted in this book right here.”

I look down at the illustration. It’s the same drawing Alaric showed me, just in a different book.

“In normal circumstances,” I hear the fae-blooded woman’s voice, “you would be someone who’s already awokenallof her powers, the powers of all three bloodlines. But since itistrue, what you say about your skills being… lacking… and since, right now, you only seem to be able to wield the Aurora powersaccidentally, not intentionally, we will need you to immediately start the preparations to complete your training.”

When she finishes, I find myself gripping the book tight, staring at the illustrations in absolute silence. Then I let go of it and look up at Serra. “What if I say no?”

“Miss Novak,” the fae-blooded woman starts in a harsh tone, “there are no laws regarding the Aurora and our intention isnotto do you any harm. No one canforceyou to do this. But according to the last bit of the prophecy that turned out to be true so long ago, Baldur only needs to have his remaining three pieces awoken to lift the curse that was placed on him, and when he does…”

“Let’s just say we won’t be able to defeat him all over again,” Serra says as she takes another book out and slides it across the table to me.

I look at the old carving on the page she’s opened the book to. It’s one of those majestic depictions of a bloody battle in full swing, but in this one,everyone— humans and Originals alike — seems to be at complete mercy of a tall, black figure wielding an entire army of what I can only interpret as shadow soldiers. “Those are Baldur’s nightmares. It’s the most powerful Shadow Magic you can imagine and there is nothing he can’t do with it, ergo the Old Norse tribes deeming him a god.”

It’s when I look up at her that she adds, “Without the Aurora, we don’t really stand a chance. And we’ll need you to at least masteroneof your three bloodline powers.”

They don’t give me time to react. “You have until the winter break is over,” the fae-blooded woman concludes as she getsup, making everyone else but Bane and me follow suit. “We’ll be leaving now, but we ask that you take the following month to think about our proposition and come for a meeting with MacArthur and Naehorn on the first day of the second term. We’re looking forward to hearing your decision.”

I don’t say anything. My mind is buzzing too much for my mouth to observe niceties. I just watch them all leave the room, everyone but Bane, Serra and Lorcan.

I can tell they’re about to launch into a discussion with me, so I beat them to it. “Sorry,” I say as I get up and start making my way to the bathroom, “I’ll be right back.”

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