Page 56 of The Rowan
“It was my understanding that I could bring my family. Is that not correct?” I project my voice, letting everyone hear my words.
“Of course you can bring family,” Santiago states loudly. “Would you introduce us?” He steps out of the crowd, Reyna by his side. Her mouth is bare of the threads that were there the last time I saw her.
“These are my guardians.” I gesture to Solandis and Vargas. “The Princess of the Light Fae and her mate, Vargas Karth, raised me from infancy.” I pull Valerian forward. “This is my mate, Valerian, King of Dragons.”
The crowd moves restlessly at my announcement. Caro frowns.
“And except for Callyx, whom I consider my brother, this is the rest of my family. Lord Theron, Astor, Prince Daire, and Prince Fallon.” I wink at them all.
“They’re not family. Family are those with whom you share blood,” Caro states, then glances at Valerian. “Or your husband, mate, whatever.”
“Unfortunately, I grew up without blood relatives, so I’ve learned to find and adopt my family,” I explain. “Is there a problem? Because we can leave.” I keep my face impassive. The thought of leaving without answers would be a blow, but I won’t deny my family.
Solandis gives Caro her best haughty stare and a warning. “I consider Arden my family, my daughter, blood or not. I recommend you weigh your actions carefully. Offending the light Fae, especially the sister of the queen, is not something to undertake lightly. At the very least, we would need to involve the Supernatural Council.”
Nico Perrone whispers something in Caro’s ear. She exhales loudly. “Fine. They can stay. Let’s get started.” With a glare towards my entourage, she waves a hand at someone in the crowd.
I exhale slowly in relief, and Valerian squeezes my hand.
Bianca comes forward. “Hello, Arden, dear. I’ll be conducting your final two tests.” She motions me to the center of the room, where a simple wooden chair sits.
“Do we have any volunteers?” she calls out to the crowd.
Santiago steps forward. “I’ll volunteer.” He sits down in the chair.
Bianca conjures a knife, then looks to me. “Are you ready?”
I nod.
She slices Santiago’s arm from elbow to wrist. He winces and turns to me.
Thinking about Daire’s instructions, I think about the fact that he’s Reyna’s sole parent, her father, whom she cares for very much. He helped me learn how to transfigure, and he stayed at Amelie’s side when she confessed her mixed heritage.
My hands begin to glow, and I place them over him. The crowd murmurs behind me, but I ignore them. Finally, I bring up the memory of him fighting beside me when the assassins attacked. His skin knits together, and I pull my hands away.
“He’s healed,” Bianca calls out. “Arden is confirmed to have an affinity for five bloodlines.” She motions for Santiago to return to the crowd. “Now, we’ll test for bloodline six. Arden, whenever you’re ready, you’ll need to transform into another creature to prove your affinity to the bloodline.” She moves to the edge of the circle.
I stare at my family, whose faces display zero emotion, but their gazes are intent.
Cassandra, Caro, and Clare look smug standing on the side of the circle. The crowd is quiet, almost holding their breath in anticipation.
Building the picture in my head, I spool spirit from its source and wrap it around the image in my head. Stroking it softly, I will it to life. The intense heat sweeps over me, changing me molecule by molecule, until I’m standing in the same spot, but on foreign legs.
“This is a lie!” shouts Caro. She stands in front of me. “What magic did you use to conjure this…this…dragon?” She marches over to Valerian and sneers. “Did you change her?”
He roars at Caro. “Are you accusing me of tampering with your ceremony? Think carefully, witch. The dragons have not gone to war in a long time, but that can change.” He crosses his arms. “I didn’t change Arden into a dragon. It’s not possible.” He snarls down at Caro. Glancing at me, he continues, “Lass, you’re a beautiful dragon.” His eyes shine with emotion as he stares at me.
In my mind, I change the picture to the unicorn from the other day, then transform again. The crowd shuffles, pointing at me, which makes Caro turn back around. I shake my mane and neigh at her.
“Santiago! Where are you? Step forward,” she commands loudly.
Santiago steps forward. “Yes, Caro?” He raises an eyebrow, clearly irritated with her lack of respect.
“How can Arden have an affinity for bloodline six?” she asks him.
“Apparently, one of my ancestors had a secret affair,” he replies baldly. “Wily old goat, always flaunting the rules. A few hundred years ago, a Martinez had an affair with a Franca Perrone. It resulted in a child, Gia Perrone.” He turns to address the crowd. “If Arden can trace her lineage back to Gia Perrone, then she can claim an affinity to bloodline six.” His eyes cut over to mine, a question in their depths.
Picturing myself in the amber dress, I transform back. Exhaustion rolls over me, and I sway from the effort it took to complete two transformations. “I am a descendant of Gia Perrone.” My voice rings out in confirmation. The noise from the crowd increases as everyone talks. I look over to Solandis and see a glimpse of sadness in her eyes at the mention of my mother.
