Page 25 of Faeheart
“Like I got hit by a magical freight train,” Wild replied with his usual irreverence, though he didn’t release my hand. “But I’ll live.”
Professor Blackwood’s gaze lingered on our joined hands for a moment before she pulled up a chair. “We need to discuss what happened in the courtyard. The magic you three wielded... it shouldn’t have been possible.”
“You’re telling us,” I muttered. “I still don’t understand how we did it.”
“The resonance stones were designed to amplify wild magic, but what you accomplished went far beyond that,” Professor Blackwood continued, her piercing gaze moving between Wild and me. “You accessed something that predates modern magical theory entirely. Something that hasn’t been seen for over three centuries.”
Wild shifted against his pillows, wincing. “Three centuries? That’s oddly specific.”
“Because that’s when the last recorded instance of a triune bond occurred,” she said, pulling out a leather-bound notebook. “A magical connection between three individuals that creates a power exponentially greater than the sum of its parts.”
I felt my stomach drop. “Are you saying we’re permanently bound? All three of us?”
“I’m saying that what happened last night suggests the possibility.” Professor Blackwood opened her notebook, revealing pages of hastily scrawled notes and diagrams. “The way your magic synchronized, the ease with which you channeled ancient power... it’s consistent with historical accounts of triune bonds.”
Through our connection, I felt Wild’s mind racing, a mixture of fascination and alarm flooding through him. “And what happened to the last people who formed one of these bonds?”
Professor Blackwood’s expression darkened. “They were hunted down and killed by those who feared their power.”
The silence that followed was deafening. I could hear my own heartbeat, feel Wild’s pulse through our joined hands, sense the weight of what she was telling us settling over the room like a shroud.
“By who?” I asked, though I suspected I already knew the answer.
“The Purity Front’s predecessors,” she confirmed grimly. “They’ve existed in various forms for centuries, always working to prevent what they see as ‘unnatural’ magical combinations. Last night’s attack wasn’t random, Mr. Thorne. They came specifically to prevent you from fully awakening whatever power lies dormant in your bloodline.”
Wild’s grip on my hand tightened. “But they failed.”
“Did they?” Professor Blackwood asked pointedly. “Or did they accomplish something else entirely?”
I stared at her, confusion swirling through me. “What do you mean?”
“Think about it. You’ve now openly defied your father’s organization. You’ve formed connections with exactly the type of magical beings they oppose. And you’ve demonstrated power that will make you a target for the rest of your life.” She leaned forward. “They may not have killed you, but they’ve certainly destroyed any chance you had of living a normal life.”
The truth of her words hit me like ice water. My carefully ordered world, my family’s expectations, my future as the Thorne heir... it was all gone now. Burned away in a courtyard full of wild magic and impossible connections.
Professor Blackwood was quiet for a long moment, studying us both. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. “And I’m sorry to say, this entire situation is my fault.” She looked up, tears threatening at the corners of her eyes. “Ichose the three of you for this independent study… but I never imagined something like this would happen… I… I’m so sorry.”
I’d never seen Professor Blackwood so emotional before and considering the look on Wild’s face, neither had he. We both sat there silently for a long moment. I wondered what I should do. Should I console her? She was the professor, so shouldn’t she be consoling me? It wasn’t her head on the chopping block, but mine.
“Professor,” I said, clearing my throat. “I actually want to thank you.”
“Thank me?!” she scoffed, brushing away a tear. “Whatever for?”
“Well, if you hadn’t pulled me into all this insanity… I might’ve been coerced into joining my parent’s disgusting scheme.” I glanced over at Wild as his disbelief surged through our bond. “I wouldn’t have gone willingly, but my parents… they know how to control me. They have for years. I have no doubt they would’ve found a way through magic or some other means. But they’re not gonna use me anymore.” I turned my attention back to Professor Blackwood. “What can you tell me about my grandmother?”
“Lydia Thorne?” she asked, her tears replaced with brows furrowed in thought. “I don’t know much about her, just that she was exceptionally powerful, and that she didn’t give birth to your father until much later in life.”
I glanced back at Wild, taking a deep breath. “Can you find out?”
“I’m sure I can, but why?”
“Well… there’s a chance she was involved with someone at Briar Hall. I’m not sure in what capacity. Possibly a bond.”
“Do you think you’re like Mr. Cromwell?” she asked, her curiosity piqued as she looked me over. “That you might be part fae?”
“There’s no chance of that,” I replied, thankful that Wild and I weren’t somehow strangely related. “My parents had me tested as a baby to make sure I was of pure blood, and our family has no ties to the fae realm.”
“What about you, Mr. Briar Hall?” the professor asked, turning to Wild. “Any chance you are the lovechild of a forbidden bond?”
