Page 43 of Dragon King's Cursed Mate

She hung her head and a dam broke inside of her. Sobbing into her hands, she rolled into a tight ball on her cot. If she stayed, she’d hurt Dain. If she left, she’d hurt Dain. Eventually, she cried herself out and fell asleep.

Birds chirping and the sounds of busy people in the courtyard woke Seraphina early in the afternoon. Her eyes felt heavy, and she was thirsty from crying.

Sometimes, a girl just needs a good cry, I guess.

She reached for the water bottle and thought about what she’d seen in Dain’s dream. The entity that had pushed her away was ancient and very powerful. It wasn’t anything she’d ever encountered before.

It wasn’t evil. That’s the strange thing. It wasn’t there to hurt Dain, I don’t think.She paused and scratched her head.I wonder if this is why Dain has to search inside of himself. He has to connect with whatever being this is.

Rubbing her face, she groaned in the back of her throat. Elaris had never prepared her for this. She stood up, walked in a circle a few times, and then dropped back onto her cot.

Seraphina picked up her fire crystal and held it in her hands, thinking about invoking another blaze.

It’s just going to tell me the same thing. Dain has to figure out what is going on and everything will make sense after the storm.She heaved a heavy sigh of absolute frustration.Are we even going to survive until this storm comes?

She wandered outside. The children were laughing and playing a very boisterous game of freeze tag. “Can I play?”

A couple of the girls immediately ran over and pulled her into the game. She ran around, chasing the kids and letting them chase her. Seraphina let herself be tagged often, as the kids thought that it was a lot of fun freezing the oracle. She had a sneaking suspicion that was the new game: “Freeze the Oracle.”

After about an hour, she dropped to the ground. “I had tons of fun, but I’m whooped.”

A little girl, named Mara, who was about seven, sat in her lap. Seraphina was surprised but pleased.

“What does an oracle do?”

Her question got the attention of all the other kids. She’d already answered this question before, but it seemed to be an interesting subject.

“A lot of things. Oracles communicate with nature, with the fates, and with the gods. Sometimes, we’re given prophecies that we share with people, and we help guide people.”

“Can you do magic?” a five-year-old boy, named Jerek, asked.

“Honey, everyone can do magic. It’s about using the energy around you and focusing your intent. If you want to help someone, or find someone, you sit still and focus on what’s going on around you. Listen to every sound. Even the insects have a message. The breeze can talk to you, and so can trees, water, stones, and the ground.”

She picked up a handful of dirt and let it sprinkle back to the ground through her fingers.

“Look around you and notice everything you see. Smell all there is. Feel the breeze around you. Then, focus on your request.”

“That sounds positive,” a twelve-year-old, named Liora, said. “How can people do dark magic?”

Seraphina hesitated for a minute before answering. She didn’t want to be the one to teach the children how to create dark spells.

“Some people have evil souls. They use that to turn the positive elements around them into negative ones. They focus on bad requests.” She paused. “I know that none of you are evil.”

“Can you send messages with your mind?” Jasper asked. “I’m a fox shifter and it’s hard for me.”

“Just like magic, everyone can. The first rule is that you don’t ever intrude on another person’s thoughts without their permission. Do you all promise me?”

All the kids held up their pinkies.

“The easiest way to learn is to focus on someone you care about. Picture them in your mind. Look for the thread, like a spider web, that connects you to that person.” She smiled at them. “Close your eyes.”

Everyone did, although a couple of the younger ones peeked. Seraphina focused on sending all of them pictures of a dragonfly fluttering around them. A few of them held up their hands for it to land on.

“I saw it,” Mara said.

“Me, too,” Liora exclaimed excitedly.

Seraphina smiled. “Very good. Now, picture someone you care about. Feel what they feel. Don’t push your way into their minds and if they block you, back away. Picture yourself as a breeze.”

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