Page 63 of The Discovered
I leaned back in my chair, trying to glean any semblance of coherence from Daelon’s words. Things were a lot less complicated on Earth; the laws of witches weren’t exactly accessible. From what I gathered, it seemed like this was because on the scale of magickal malleability, Earth was at the bottom—thus more rooted in the physical—and then came Aradia, and at the top was the astrals. This hierarchy made my mothers’ escape to Earth a smart move and explained why they stuck me in the least natural place in the human realm: New York City. My ties to magick were literally at their lowest point, just as they wanted for me until I was ready to return.
“I know it’s hard to understand,” Daelon said. “Even the most seasoned witches struggle to explain how exactly the astrals work. Or magick for that matter.”
“Or me?”
Daelon chuckled. “You would definitely fall into the category of the Universe’s greatest mysteries.”
“Great,” I muttered, my brow still creased in concentration. I took a moment to try to relax, massaging my temples.
Daelon inhaled, his eyes softening. “We’re going to figure it out. I promise.”
I nodded, stealing one last glance at the beach painting. I had an undeniable feeling that our trip there would help me to do just that.
At some point in the night my mind stirred while my body stayed in sleep paralysis, and I was overcome by the familiar energetic vibrations of my astral body detaching from the physical.
I’m tired. Just let me sleep,I groaned telepathically to whatever mysterious forces were afoot. Popping noises erupted in my ears right on cue, and my arms began to float upward.
Seriously. I’m not in the mood for cryptic astral road trips to creepy castles and forests.
I began to float up toward the ceiling, and as soon as I realized my energetic field had been breached somehow, it was too late to block the intruder from my mind.
Not even for me?a familiar voice answered.
In a panic, I opened my eyes, and I realized I was no longer in Daelon’s bedroom. I was lying in the same field as my previous encounters with Lucius, tall golden grass blowing in the wind all around me. The sky above was overcast and darkening.
I pushed myself to stand, looking all around for any sign of my enemy. I quickly grounded myself, building up my defensive barrier and decisively shoving him out of my head.
“What do you want now?” I asked, annoyed as ever that he’d summoned me from my sleep for more cruel games.
In a burst of thick, black smoke, a man appeared. He appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties, with jet black hair that had a loose curl to it, striking, light blue eyes, and fair skin with angular cheekbones. He was dressed in a dramatic black jacket and pants with golden accents, blending the modern and archaic. He also wore an intricate, golden crown.
“Always with the theatrics,” I muttered under my breath. So, this was really what Lucius looked like. He was finally done concealing himself.
His energy was undeniably dark, thick, and deadly, and I instantly recoiled, taking a step back. I breathed in deeply, blocking it from my perception.
“Now what’s this about my castle?” he asked, his voice no longer distorted. It was deep, clear, and surprisingly humored. “Not to your taste?”
I faltered.Hiscastle?
I narrowed my eyes, trying to erase what I could only imagine was dumbfounded shock from my face. “No longer hiding, I see.”
When he took a step forward, I took one back, determined to keep a good twelve feet of distance between us.
“And no posse. Feeling brave?” I feigned warmth in my smile. I refused to give him the satisfaction of thinking his intimidation tactics had worked.
He laughed, again surprising me. We mirrored each other’s demeanors and movements, like some sort of strange, ritualized dance.
“I have no need to conceal myself any longer,” he sneered. “You’ll be seeing me in the flesh soon enough.”
I tried not to let the dread seep into my disposition, even if his words brought every ounce of it into my body. I chose to ignore the comment, pretending it didn’t faze me. “See yourself as a king, do you?” I nodded to the silly golden crown perched on his head.
He glared. “Your king, foolish girl,” he spat. “The king of every witch.”
I racked my brain for any mention of him in my mothers’ stories but came up blank. They never spoke of any monarchy, or any ruling hierarchy for that matter. Daelon had never mentioned any kings or castles either, which was even more strange. As usual, I was fighting a war wearing a blindfold, and it was increasingly frustrating.
“You just have no idea,” Lucius chuckled, his anger quick to dissipate. “Aboutanything. It’s adorable, really.”
I clenched my fist at my side. Yes, I was well aware that after over a month in Aradia, I still had no idea what the hell was going on.
