Page 22 of A Vow of Wrath and Ruin

She spread her long, spindled fingers wide over my abdomen.

A subtle heat radiated through me. I gripped Tharan’s hand tighter.

Elrida’s cracked face twisted with concern.

“Something is stuck, here, in her chest.”

My eyes flicked to Tharan’s.

“What does that mean?” he asked, trying to keep his voice steady for my sake.

The heat between my breasts increased as she tried to unravel the knot. Tongue between her teeth, she radiated more magic upon me.

“This is ancient magic, my King. I have no doubt there is power within her.” Elrida strained her words as she focused her magic. “But it is more complex than I’ve ever seen before. This is no ordinary binding spell. This is something so intricate it could only have been done by one of the Zylrith.”

Tharan arched a brow.

“Who?”

“The Zylrith Weavers. Legendary Magus with the power to shape raw magic. I wouldn’t expect you to know who they are. Their name has long since disappeared from the continent, but there are some of us who came before the Trinity, who still remember.”

“What happened to them?” I asked.

Elrida shrugged. “What happened to anyone who did not bend to the Trinity’s will? They were wiped out.” Her mouth flattened into a straight line. “But this… this is spell-work I have not seen for an age.”

“Could one of them have survived?” Tharan asked.

“Perhaps. Stranger things have happened,” Elrida said.

“What can we do?” My chest tightened. What was inside of me? Had it been there my whole life and I never noticed? Was it something I was born with or had someone put it there?

My eyes flitted between Tharan and Elrida who exchanged worried looks.

She clicked her tongue.

“There is nothing to do. I cannot undo this spell, and part of me wonders if I want to. Whoever locked your magic away did so because it would be too great for you to handle, making me wonder if we should attempt to undo it.”

I swallowed the dread creeping up my throat. Just what I needed, another thing to worry about. I thought Gideon had turned me into a monster, but perhaps I was a monster all along.

“But her father was mortal,” Tharan said, rubbing his jaw while he searched for answers in his mind.

“The father sheknewwas mortal. It does not mean he was her real father.”

“What are you saying?” I asked, a heaviness expanding from my core. My eyes locked on Elrida’s.

“I’m saying whatever you are, it’s certainly not human. Perhaps both your parents were hiding something.”

“There’s no way—I…” I paused, and the world went dark.

“Aelia?” Tharan said. Panic filled his voice.

“It’s the knot containing her magic.” Elrida’s ancient voice echoed through the room. “It doesn’t want to be undone. It will protect itself at all costs.”

The world spun around me, and acid lapped at the back of my throat. I didn’t want to think about my father or whoever myrealfather was. I didn’t want to unravel the power within me. I wanted to marry Tharan and start a new life with him. I wanted my sister to get her memories back. I wanted to never break another mind again.

“Take me home,” I commanded Tharan. It was rude to leave so suddenly, but I didn’t care. The hut suffocated me. I needed to get out of there. I needed fresh air and time to process what I’d just been told.

Tharan swooped me up in his powerful arms and carried me back to the Alder Palace. Elrida followed close behind.

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