Page 138 of Enchanted Heir
I wiped at a tear. “I don’t know that there are good Enchanted and bad Enchanted, Mother. There are just Enchanted and those of us who are not. And the good and evil resides in each of us, all of us, trying to fight for control. In the king that evil is definitely in control. And with his magic, in a position to tyrannize.”
Owen’s eyebrows arched upward.
I continued, “But in all the times I imagined coming face-to-face with Father’s murderer, not one of those times did I consider that he might actually show genuineremorse.”
She ran a hand across her forehead.
“And his remorse didn’t calm my rage, Mother, I think it actually made it worse instead, quite honestly. Because I wanted to be able to hurt him like he hurt me and then not feel bad about it,” I admitted.
My mother squeezed my hand. “Oh honey, I’m sorry. I’m sorry you knew him. I am more than happy to live my life never knowing and never seeing this man. But just because you showed mercy doesn’t mean he will not pay for what he did. He will likely pay for it every day for the rest of his sorry life.” She paused. “We do not show mercy to another to allow the other person to go free, rather we show mercy to make sure that we remain true to ourselves and do not end up becoming the very thing we hate. We do it for our own freedom, not for theirs. To rid ourselves of the emotional shackles that tie ourselves to them.”
I took a breath which threatened to tear me in half. She was right. I hadn’t really saved Easton because I didn’t want him to pay. I still wanted him to pay, I just didn’t want to be responsible for his death. “And I wish Father was here. Because for the longest time I just thought Krew was my path to freedom. And now I am beginning to see that Krew was always just my path. My path is not a level in our kingdom, it’s him.”
My mother’s breath caught.
“I love him. I’ve found someone I can’t bear the thought of leaving or living without.” I paused. “And he’s Enchanted. The very type of people who killed father.”
“Yes, buthedidn’t kill your father,” she said gently.
I gave my head a shake. “But he easily could have. He’s killed before. And with the way the king gives orders, it definitely could have happened.”
“But it didn’t,” she urged.
A tear rolled down my cheek. “I’ve fallen in love with the enemy, Mother.”
She reached over to brush my hair back. “Honey, your father didn’t hate all the Enchanted. He feared them like we all do, but he talked to me often of an Enchanted man that snuck them all brandy to drink whenever the weather turned cold.” She paused. “I can’t tell you for certain what he would have told you. Of course he would’ve worried about you at the castle. But he also would have wanted you happy, Jorah. He would have wanted you to find a love like ours whether it took you up the mountain or across the seas.”
“And if—” I gasped for air and looked at the ceiling, “and if I were to become one?”
Her eyes bugged out, “Enchanted? Bonded?”
I gave her a nod and noticed that Owen went deathly still.
She looked at me confused. “I don’t understand. You would still be my daughter, Jorah. Just bonded to Krew, with a drop of magic. I’ve known that was a possibility since the day you left for the castle.”
“But would I still be your daughter?” I got out around my tears. “I want Krew. I want a life with Krew. But I don’t want the bonding to change me. I don’t want the magic to turn me into some power-hungry fool like the rest of them.” I paused and added, “No offense intended, Owen.”
He held up a hand. “None taken. But can I interject with something?”
“Of course.”
He walked from his usual position at the window and sat down next to me. “First of all, I’m pissed you didn’t tell me this was bothering you. I understand why you didn’t tell Krew. If he knew you were considering it at all, you’d likely already be bonded because I know how badly he wants you safe. But you can come to me with any and all concerns and I will give you the truth, Jorah. Secondly, remember what I told you about magic when you first watched Krew and Keir train?”
My tears slowed down, thankfully, so I could better think and try to remember what he’d said.
“Our magic is an extension of us,” Owen offered. “Our magic doesn’t take us over, it’s an extension of who we are.” He nudged me with his elbow. “You are kind and thoughtful. You feed wolves that are starving and are trying to fix the forest the rest of us have long-since given up on. Man or woman, Enchanted or not, you are one of the best people I know. Your magic would be an extension of that. Not greed. Not hurt. Not pain.”
I hadn’t ever considered it that way. “So it doesn’t have to make me a monster?”
He cocked his head. “Honey, you could never be a monster. Magic or not. If you aren’t a monster now, you won’t be with magic. It all comes back to will, Jorah. The king wishes the world to bow to him and to be powerful, so his magic is an extension of that. You wish to heal things, not harm them.”
I gasped. “What would happen to my blood and tears and the forest?”
“Tears?” Mother asked.
Owen looked to her, “She made some blooms in the forest where she cried out her grief about her father.”
My mother’s eyebrows went up. “We’ve had a busy week, I see.”
