Page 59 of The Sacred and the Tormented

Cara helped Sive rise to her feet and the Fae male took her other arm. Sive smiled at her partner and patted his arm. “I’m all right.” Arianna wondered how many times she had to assure him on a daily basis. Arianna smiled. A lot, judging from concern on his face.

Rion took Arianna’s arm and bent to pick her up, but Sive interrupted them. “You,” Arianna turned her attention back to the woman, thinking she was addressing her. But Sive’s gaze was locked on Talon. “Who was your mother?”

Sive stepped forward and Talon involuntarily stepped back. “I—” He glanced to Arianna, then back to Sive. “Morgana of Levea.”

“She’s Fae?” Talon nodded. “And your father? Is he also Fae?”

“Yes?” Talon answered uncertainly.

“May I touch you?”

Everyone bristled at that, including Sive’s partner. The male whispered her name in warning.

“I’ll do nothing to harm you, I promise.”

Talon exchanged a look with Sive’s partner, who looked ready to carry the woman off and hide her from the world. His gaze dropped to her swollen stomach next, then he reluctantly nodded.

She approached slowly and placed two fingers on his brow. Arianna wasn’t sure she’d ever seen Talon so uncomfortable.

Nothing happened for several long moments, then Sive’s fingers began glowing with a faint blue light. “I knew it.”

She lowered her hand and Talon stepped back. Arianna didn’t miss the way Raevina’s hand rested on a dagger in her belt.

“Pardon?” Talon said, just as bewildered as the rest of them.

“You have Weaver blood in your veins.”

He blinked at her. “I’m sorry?”

Sive smiled. “You’re young, aren’t you? By Fae standards, I mean?” No one replied, but she continued as if their silence were confirmation. “It explains so much. Haven’t you ever wondered why your abilities are so advanced?” He exchanged a look with Rion. “Don’t think we haven’t all heard the stories about a male who stood toe to toe with our King. Not just once, but several times.”

Conall cleared his throat. “Sive has been adamant about recruiting you to our cause. When we learned you were also close with The Divine, it just seemed like fate.”

“But I’m not a half-breed,” Talon said. He shot an apologetic look to Zylah, clearly not intending to offend the female.

Sive only smiled and tilted her head. “No, you’re not. I’d say less than a quarter. Either a parent or a grandparent. But I wonder if it was from your mother’s or father’s bloodline. Did either of them have extraordinary abilities?”

“My father died in a skirmish at one of the boarders. My mother never fought.”

“But her gifts are extraordinary?”

He opened his mouth and closed it. Arianna had never really seen his mother’s magic. Not beyond how they played as children when she’d entertained them.

“The generals often tried to recruit her, but she wouldn’t leave me.”

“I wonder if she knows. Perhaps they kept it a secret.” Sive almost seemed to be speaking to herself.

“Wouldn’t that mean he has human blood in his genes?” Saoirse asked.

Sive’s intense gaze lifted to Saoirse. “You think we’re human?” Saoirse opened her mouth and closed it again. “We don’t live as long as the Fae, but it takes five thousand years before we begin the aging process and given that there aren’t many Fae who have reached that age, I’d venture to say we’re more immortal than your lot.”

Arianna’s eyes went wide. She’d previously wondered if the Fae male would have to bid the Weaver farewell due to her short life span, but if they lived that long—

Sive continued, “There’s a legend about a Weaver who claimed to be over thirty thousand years old, but we’ve never encountered them to confirm. If they’re still alive, I imagine they live far, far away from the chaos of our current world.”

“So—Talon’s magic is different?” Arianna hedged. Her friend seemed to have lost the ability to speak.

Sive smiled at him. “A bit. He’ll be the most apt at using runes once we begin teaching you.”

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