Page 49 of Laid Bare

Mates are the pinnacle, the driving force to a female curiomancer’s soul spirit, unless they reach the age of fifty and haven’t found or taken a mate. For those who have multiple mates, the soul spirit takes on a form of an ancient animal from their first mate’s ancestry. It stands true with a singular mate, but those with multiple, it won’t change, no matter if you have two or fifty mates.

And Daughter, I’ll roll over in my grave if you end up with fifty mates. The thought of one is more than enough to give your father a heart attack and send me six feet below earlier than expected.

I chuckle, a tear slipping free. Gods, he seems like he was amazing.

Male curiomancers are born with theirs, though they don’t show until the age of twenty unless they are mated before their coming of age. Like all female curiomancers, I’m sure you’re thinking this unfair, my daughter, but it is the way of the mancer.

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering the whole point of a soul spirit. That’s easy. They’re your sounding board, your conscious, just externally. They’ll point you in the right direction and protect you when you need it.

If you haven't guessed already, this is one of our many closely guarded secrets. We have always kept our soul spirits hidden because the moment they’re weakened, our entire body is until they are healed. Our spirits are just as fragile as our own souls are.

So protect your soul spirit, Daughter.

The book falls into my lap, my mind immediately going to Aero. If my thoughts are right, that’s what he is. He’s my soul spirit. It makes perfect sense, especially given that he’s a Pegasus. From Luka’s realm.

But how the hell do I protect him? Keep him hidden? He is by my side almost twenty-four-seven. I’ve tried leaving him behind while I went to class, but I wasn’t successful. And I definitely don’t recommend walking away from a screeching Pegasus. On top of that, it’s not like he’s small enough to fit in my pocket or hide in my hair.

There’s a familiar huff from the darkness toward the stairs that I don’t even startle at the noise. My gaze finds his pink one, something akin to pride resting in those bubblegum orbs.

Pride? That I finally figured it out?

He huffs again, like he’s privy to my innermost thoughts. It’s not the first time he’s reacted to what goes through my head, so maybe that’s all the answer I truly need.

Aero’s hooves clip across the marble floor, the sound muted like he’s trying to quiet and not wake my sleeping mates upstairs. He comes to a stop in front of me, resting his large head in my lap, the pages of the tome crinkling slightly with weight. He stares back at me, not making a noise, letting me work through the thoughts running through my head.

“So,” I scratch my nails across the pink fur adorning the bridge of his nose, “is that what you are? My soul spirit?”

Instead of noises, there’s a squeeze from somewhere inside, akin to when my magic hugs my heart. But this time, it’s soul deep. A telling feeling really, given the other times I’ve spoken to Aero, I’ve felt the same thing.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” I giggle, loving the feeling for once instead of being confused. “The book says I’m supposed to hide you, but you’re stubborn and won’t stay put. So how do I do that?”

He ignores me this time—typical if I’m honest—and heads to the couch, resuming his familiar position. But instead of nodding off, he watches me expectantly, waiting for something. But it doesn’t take a genius to figure it out.

Gathering the book and blanket, I get up and move over the couch, covering my legs. Aero plops his head in my lap, his snores starting in no time. It amazes me just how quickly he can fall asleep. But he isn’t like me. He’s my soul. The tired part of my soul it seems.

Not wanting to waste time, I crack the tome back open, find my spot, and continue reading.

Now, Bailey. This is where you’re at a disadvantage. There are so many things to learn about your soul spirit: how to communicate with them, how to heal them, and if it’s anything like mine, how to combat its stubbornness. But the most important thing will be how to hide them.

Depending on what form your spirit takes, there’s a chance that you can’t just stick it in a purse and go about your day. My Kodiak bear is a beast, in size and heart. And definitely not something I can carry around and pretend he’s a stuffed animal. Your mom’s suggestion, not mine. So that’s where the next part comes in.

It’s tricky and may take a few tries, but if you’re as smart as your mom, you’ll pick it up easily. See, your soul spirit is basically an extension of you. If you want to do something, you will yourself to do it, right? Same concept here. You focus on your soul spirit and will it pocket-sized.

If you’re worried, rest assured that no matter where you keep your spirit, you yourself won’t hurt it. So a pocket. A bag. Anywhere really as long as it’s close to be there when you need it.

And touching on the stubbornness aspect a moment, I warn you, don’t try to leave it behind. That’s the quickest way to piss off your spirit.

Now, Daughter. Take a minute if you have your soul spirit and try it. If you don’t, you can keep reading. But don’t give up if you don’t get it on the first try.

Well, shit. Okay. I close the book and set it aside, then take a deep breath before focusing on the sleeping Pegasus in my lap. He was right about one thing, Aero is definitely stubborn. But he’s grown on me in the past week, and well, yeah, I love the freaking pink pony now.

So I’ll take his stubborn ass just the way he is.

Before I can even try, there’s a loud thud from above me, followed by what sounds like a herd of elephants racing across the floor.

My name is being yelled on repeat, each one more frantic than the last.

Shit. I did it again. Left without telling someone. But in my defense, I didn’t actually leave the house. Just came downstairs.

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