Page 127 of The Storm of the Empire

“What do you mean?”

“You said it felt good in the tunnels when you used it like you wanted. Why aren’t you practicing like that?”

“I shouldn’t be practicing with Hazel?” I asked, a little stunned.

“I’m not saying that can’t help. But power flows down the path of least resistance. Magic, as much as we think we can control it, cannot be tamed. It has a mind of its own. Yours even more so. It speaks to you in a way no other magic has the ability. Why aren’t you following what feels good? None of this ruined orgasm stuff.”

Faolan’s words sounded like freedom, and I shouldn’t have wanted them as much as I did.

It took a few days,but I started tapping into my magic when I was alone. Any time I had a minute to myself, I tried to reconnect with it. I didn’t feel anything major, but I took turns when I felt like it and stopped at odd places, any time my chest twinged at all, I followed it. My life and duties didn’t change much, but I felt more like myself.

This made me late for meetings and practices, though. Hazel suspected something was up, but I just would tell her what I’d been doing and move on. I wasn’t going to lie to her. I made her take me out flying, and I missed more meetings I’d probably hear about later, but for now, Jaxus was inundated with his own work, and Nyx was too distracted to notice my absence.

The King had stagnated the military until we had more information, which no one knew how to get, and without Kol waking up, there wasn’t really any way to get more. I still didn’t think they believed us about the base, so it was a mystery where Kol had even come from.

“We’re late. Will you hurry up?” Hazel pulled on her boot, hopping across the floor to stay balanced.

“Do not blame me for this. You didn’t have to sit on my face that second time.”

“You invited me, and it would have been rude to say no!” Her cheeks pinked.

“Don’t look at me like that.” I held up my hand to playfully shield her from my view.

“Why not?” she asked coyly.

“Because we will miss this meeting if you do!”

We got out of our suite with minutes until the meeting, but about halfway there, I stopped.

“Can I meet you there?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Why?”

“My throat is dry. I’m just going to nip into the kitchens for a drink.”

She nodded and went on her way. I turned towards the kitchen but was pulled off course by a door left ajar. It was one of the side exits to the library. These doors were never left open.

I slipped inside and glanced around. There was no one to be seen. Sometimes, it felt like Kiera was the only one who even used this library as it was mostly ancient dribble no one had a use for anymore. No one had the heart to throw away so much knowledge, either.

I strolled down the rows of shelves, looking for the fae who’d left the door open. I found none, so I walked back, needing that drink more as the tickle in my throat grew worse. I turned to leave, but a thud behind me made me pause. I glanced over my shoulder to find a book had fallen off a shelf. I retrieved it and went to put it back when the bell sounded.

Now I was going to be late. I tucked the book under my arm and jogged there, slipping into my seat to a few glares.

“That’s not a drink,” Hazel said under her breath.

I shrugged. “It fell into my lap, so to speak.”

“What is it?”

“I haven’t even looked. I was late.” I held up the spine for her to see.

“Poisons of the past and future… Do you know what you look like carrying that around?” She shoved at it. “Get it off the table. They’re going to think you’re threatening them.”

I rolled my eyes but put it on my lap. As the meeting got underway, my mind drifted. Hazel might need to hear some of this, but most of it could have been a sent in a note for us to read later.

Why did everything in the palace not only run at a snail’s pace but also feel like a colossal waste of time? I flipped open the book, resting my head in one hand so they couldn’t tell I was anything but bored out of my mind.

I could barely read the book, and what I could, I knew nothing about. Some of the plant sketches I recognized, but the names were foreign to me.

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