Page 81 of Dragon Fires Everywhere
“IknowI’ve had a past life because IknowI’ve been her.” I point to the cover of the fairy-tale book that I set on the coffee table. The one that currently showsa dream the princess is having. “If that’s not a sign to do a past life regression, I don’t know what is.”
Emerson picks up the book and studies it, looking like shewantsto agree with me.
Which isn’t the same thing as actually agreeing.
“The past life regression outlined in this book is for a fabulae,” Ellowyn says, not looking at me, as if this is a betrayal.And I certainly feel it like a betrayal, so she’s not wrong there. “Not a witch. And we’re just now learning about fabulae.Magical creatures. We don’t know that they’ll react to magic the same way we do, which means this is risky until we do sometests or research or something.”
She looks at Frost, as if hoping he’ll know how to test what needs to be done.
Somewhere in my rational brain, I know that my friends are being cautious because they care about me, because they don’t wantme hurt. But it’s hard to absorb that right now when Iknowthis is the next step.
Frost is standing by the fireplace, looking at the crackling flames as if they are revealing the mysteries of the universeto him. “Unless...”
I stare at his back, holding my breath. I can’t convince all of them, but if the first, original Praeceptor is on my side...
“The archives showed Georgie this book about past lives,” hesays. “And this fairy-tale cover changes, as if sending her messages. This is a true fact, yes?”
Everyone nods in agreement, but no one does it more emphatically than I do.
“Let’s say this fairy tale is true. Or could have been true or has some truths in it.” He looks up from the fire. “We knowit does, because Ellowyn is, in fact, a Revelare.”
We all look at Ellowyn and her gemstone eyes that mark her a new—or rather, old but Joywood-obscured—designation. The bookled us to that revelation. The book and some ghostly help.
Frost is looking over toward Emerson and the book from the archives that she’s still holding. “In this fairy tale, we havea dragon and a princess with magic having a romantic relationship.” I am about to jump on that, but Frost’s cool gaze slidesto me, and I bite back my words. “What if that means they could have had children together?”
That sends a kind of shiver round the room, or maybe only through me. I think about that night that started in the archivesand catapulted us into the stars—
But Frost is still talking. “If that’s possible, why wouldn’t other witches and magical creatures have done the same? Andif they did, that would make some of their descendants part witch and part fabulae.”
We all stare at each other. This is something we were all explicitly led to believe was not possible, even while also beingencouraged not to believe magical creatures could exist. It’s hard to take in even if you haven’t been cavorting about witha dragon.
“That seems far-fetched,” Zander says with a frown after a minute. He looks at Ellowyn and her enormously pregnant belly.“Wouldn’t we know if we were part magical creature?”
“We didn’t know magical creatures existed, much less were cursed and murdered in the Joywood’s time,” I point out. “How wouldwe know if we’ve got fabulae in us?”
“It could be just another thing we’ve lost,” Frost says, frowning. “Not really any more far-fetched than your resident half witch, half human having a three-quarter-witch child.”
“Blood.”
Everyone looks at Jacob, who is not prone to justblurting out words. He looks up at all of us as if he didn’t mean to say that out loud, a thoughtful expression on his face.
“It’s in the blood,” he clarifies. “Just like humans, witches have blood types. Healers have lots of theories about how andwhy these blood types developed, and there’s not necessarily an ancestral link between people with the same types. Zanderand I have the same type. Frost’s and Ellowyn’s witch side are also the same. But Emerson and Rebekah and Georgie all havethe same blood type, and we know there’s a genetic link between them now. It could mean nothing, but theirs is more uncommonthan the rest.”
“What are you saying?” Emerson demands.
He holds her gaze steadily. “If Frost is right, if Georgie is right, then... there might be evidence of fabulae blood inthe Wilde line, in the blood type you three share. We’d have to do a much deeper study, but it’s possible.”
“Wouldn’t the family tree you found tell you that, Georgie?” Ellowyn asks.
“If I researched it, I could confirm it if it’s true, but the tree is just names and dates—not designations or any other information.”I look around at my coven, thinking about blood and friends, family and magic. But my gaze lands on Ellowyn. “We have to setup the past life regression. If I have fabulae blood, that makes sense. It’swhyI had these previous lives with him.”
“It could still be dangerous, Georgie,” Emerson says, putting the book back down on the table. “Think of all the spells thatnearly took Ellowyn out.AndZander.”
“They were thwarted by the Joywood using her blood against her.”
“Who’s to say the Joywood might not use yours against you? They know we know about fabulae. Maybe they know about this. It’s too risky.” She tries to smile encouragingly at me. “I know you’re upset that Azrael is imprisoned, buthe’sokay with it. Let’s take our time. Let’s breathe and think.”
Emerson and I don’t fight. We don’t argue. Even when we were girls and all our other friends were having all those typicalgirl gossips and backstabbings and dramas, that was neverus.
