Page 98 of Royal Lies

'She' was trying to break out. I couldn't let her, myconscioushalf. Or I guess now she was theunconscioushalf seeing as howIam back in control of my body now. But the more unhinged my magic becomes the more likely she would be able to break free from the bonds I'd chained her in. The more magic I was building up would put a strain on my body both physically andmentally as I tried to keep the magic from ripping my body in two.

After the whole walk down memory lane, quite literally might I add. I tied myself up, the one that didn't need to grow up in the Griffin Court, in magical bindings. To keep her from taking back control of this body, or at least until I could effectively kill that side of me without damaging my soul. I hadn't yet told Fletcher what I was going to do with my other side but this was the only way. The memory spell should have joined us back together but I forgot to take into account experiences too.

I had lived through those experiences, I was the one who felt firsthand what it meant to live in the Griffin Court, she wasn’t. She saw what happened, she watched as the scenes of my life unfolded. Watching and living through those experiences were two different things, I had forgotten the difference in my haste to come back.

She lived a life where a mysterious boy rescued her from a mundane life. Where he showed her the adventures of magic and the Fae Realm. Where he had betrayed her and ignored her. She didn't get to experience the games I had played. She only got to watch the gallant balls filled with venomous tongues and poisonous teeth. Shenever livedthrough it all.

Fletcher teleported us out onto an open field. I frowned. Since the King of the Wolf Court had never changed hands the lands didn't deteriorate like other parts of the realm. The gray-tinged black skies and dense leafage of the winter lands were all I saw at first. That was until a chilly breeze brushed along my arms spreading goosebumps all over my body. It was enough to warn me that something was wrong.

There they were, by the dense thicket of trees. Hundreds upon millions of werehound-like things. They were nothing like the monsters Eli and I had first fought in this life. Among them, however, were… shadows? What I saw couldn't be right.Werehounds were untrainable. They were monsters in all sense of the word. No mind of their own, an uncontrollable blood lust. They kill anything and everything they see.

A shiver slid up my spine as I watched the monsters turn their white hollowed eyes on me. Backing up a little I turned over as I watched Fletcher's face grimace. "I came here one day to pick up some herbs. Since they don't grow close to the city. I found a rider while I was out.”

Fletcher said, pointing to one of the shadows that sat atop a giant fifteen-foot-tall werehound.

Was that the “rider” Fletcher was talking about? I gulped.

"I did warn Eli but maybe he was just worried about you. Or the title of king got to him, all he said was that he would deal with it later. He must have thought it was nothing. You know how my brother is. If he can't sense their magic they aren’t a threat. Normally you can sense a werehound but these… they have some way of hiding their energy. I did try explaining this to him but my brother isn’t a very reasonable man. He gets his mind set on one thing and it's bloody hard to get to change it. I've even spoken with Akasuki but it wasodd, when I came here with her they were gone. Evie- there's something... not right with them." Fletcher ended as the confusion and horror gripped my already overfilled cup of magic.

"We need to kill as many as we can, then- then I'll figure something out. But you're right, this is…odd." I started but just as I lunged for the beasts Fletcher halted me. I turned back around glaring at the man I loved, my teeth bared in a growl. Sue me, I was ready for a fight, ready to release the magic piling up in my system. I get that this might be dangerous but it was either get killed by my magic or have a chance at surviving by killing the beast and releasing my magic on them. Didn't he understand that? No, this was Fletcher we were talking about. Of course, he understood the situation. So, what did he want?

Lifting his chin at the fifteen-foot werehound Fletcher shook his head, "They have no weak spots. Everetta this isn't your normal hound. You need to be more careful."

Pausing, I sighed scanning my surroundings again. He was right, as exasperating as it was. I needed to think about this first. Every other werehound seemed normal. They all still had the little red target marks at the center of their foreheads. But as for the shadows that don't, how do I kill them without absorbing their magic? Because any more and I would die for sure.

You can kill them by taking away all the magic that allowed them to remain in that shadow form. Or a fae could use a weapon made with light or enchanted with light but as I had witnessed from my other side's encounter with these new shadows that won't work. But why?

That bastard shouldn't have kept my memories like he did. I would have found a reason why by now if only I wasn't so focused on trying to steal back my memories from him.

With a nod from me to Fletcher he let me go.

I'll take out the werehounds that seem normal first as I try and figure out how to kill the altered ones. Casting a dagger in my hands I used my magic to quicken my pace, to strengthen my muscles. Lunging six feet into the air I slammed my dagger down into their weak spots, just as the monsters began charging at us. Fletcher must have been using some sort of concealing spell to hide us from them in the meantime as we observed them before. It was odd how they weren't attacking us even when we had been so close.

Dodging against a clawed paw I pierced up with my magically enchanted dagger. This enhancement would allow for it to cut deeper than it would normally. Slicing the werehound in half I tried to figure out a way to wipe out the shadows.

Wait, the answer was so simple. Why didn't I think of this sooner? Magics, maybe Fletcher was right. We fae are too reliant on magic. I was no better than Eli.

It was simple if I couldn't kill them using light magic I could just kill them the old-fashioned way. I could cover myself in shadow magic so I could touch them and then kill them by twisting their necks off, or with my dagger cloaked in dark magic.

Maybe the fae were too reliant on using their magic to kill. We often only think about using spells and things like ice pillars and twisting their guts inside out. We don't often think of thehumanway to kill things. This way, I could also hit them back instead of just taking the beatings and dodging. Because if you can't cloak yourself in shadow you essentially couldn't hit back against a shadow. It was just logic after all. You can't punch a shadow if you're not a shadow. The shadows would be the only ones able to land a hit. They have the ability to go corporeal and incorporeal?. ?

How was I able to use dark magic when I have light magic you ask? Well, that's simple. My ability is creation ?so I could create a spell using my light magic that would allow me to use dark magic. By combining spells such as a timer spell, to ensure that my shadow magic isn't permanent. Then a conversion spell. For example, one that you would use to say turn an apple into an orange. Finally, a sort of containment spell to hold my light magic. Then a couple more spells to tie it all together and make it possible. Don't get me wrong, a normal fae can't simply use a conversion spell to grant them dark magic. Because one you must already have some dark fae lineage in your system else the magic would corrupt you. Dark magic isn't necessarily evil but it does convert fae who don't use dark magic to become evil. At least I’ve never seen a shadow begood. Then again is anyone in the Fae Realm really good?

Two, conversion spells can't be done by most fae. Only fae with light or dark magic can use it. Most fae with elemental magic like Eli or Lucarious can only cast simple basic spells within the limitations of their gifts. For example, Eli's ability to withhold my memories was a combination of him using his gift to freeze my memories in a way. As for Lucarious, the use of his gift of flame combined with his ability to sweet talk he could essentially "stoke the fires" of any emotions you might have. He mostly uses it to charm people into sleeping with him.

As for me, well creativity works with pretty much any gift. I really won the lottery there. Light and dark magic have the widest frame of spells you could cast, whereas elemental magic, like water, fire, earth, and wind is more limiting. However, once you master your gifts and the loopholes of this realm you can extend your magic usages by a lot. That and there are certain trinkets you could buy in the market to help you navigate your magic in a certain way.

Casting a large ball of light just enough to fit my palm, I wouldn't want to burn away the entire forest after all, I kicked my foot into the gut of the shadow creeping behind me. Again might I reiterate Ididhave billions of sun?-cycles in my past life to master how to use dark and light magic at the same time. Which is why I also included a containment spell there. Like I said loopholes. Containment spells aren't only used to hold something permanently they can also be used to hold stuff temporarily.

Pressing the ball of light into the skin of the shadow before me I watched as the ball of light did nothing.Well, damn.

Shrugging the failed attempt off, I launched it through the shadow creature just as he lunged for me. Not even fazed by my magic. Grunting, I staggered back staring down at the claw mark cutting through my flesh, right across my ribs. Blood gushed down my right side. Glaring back at the shadow who cut me Iused my magic to heal myself while lunging with my own clawed hands to rip out the shadow's throat. The black mist of the shadow's blood spurted out. It splattered against my face like liquid tar as the shadow dissipated. Before it dropped I spotted a hint of… skin? Suddenly, bright brown eyes stared back at me.

"Help me." It gasped but it was more like a dying croak than anything else. Despite the screeching sound of monsters and beasts all around me, I blinked in horror, speechless at the sight before me. I was only able to stand mortified at the dying shadow, thing, fae in front of me before a sword pierced my spine. Slipping right past all my guts and ribs as I blinked staring down at the protruding thing.

"Everetta!" I heard Fletcher bellow from a safe distance. I have no doubt he just witnessed my epic fail.

The shadows constantly slashing at me.

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