Page 72 of Fates Fulfilled
Apparently, that was when the real fighting began. Because Em started hopping all over the cave, jumping off walls, levitating for brief moments, and deflecting Amund’s quick swordsmanship.
“Umm…should we worry?” Lex said.
Garrin had resumed his mapmaking. “She can handle him.”
“I’m talking about Amund. Em lookspissed.”
Em made another impressive leap, kicking off the wall and the ceiling before doing a backflip and landing on the ground.
Lex’s jaw went slack. “Since when can you levitate?” she said to Em.
Em was crouched, waiting for Amund’s counterattack. Her face scrunched. “I can only do it for a second or two, the same as my other ability.”
“Does everyone from Dark Kingdom have multiple powers?”
“Many do.” This from Keen, who stood across the cave observing Garrin’s meticulous mapmaking, commenting on strategy from time to time. He lifted his chin in Zirel’s direction. “Healer and partial empath.” Then across to Jas. “Glamourist and illusionist.”
Jas snickered. “I made you plain-looking on Earth, but even then, you attracted attention. I created illusions of you tripping and knocking into people to put others off.”
Lex held up her hand. “Are you telling me the reason girls in college hated me is because you made them see things they weren’t actually seeing?”
Jas sipped a jug ofbrunesomeone had smuggled in. “Precisely. The men were less deterred, so I got more creative with them.”
Lex’s jaw dropped. “I hate you. No wonder I had no friends… Wait, what did you show men?”
Jas looked up as though sifting through his metal Rolodex. “One particularly ardent male started trailing you incessantly, so I showed him you picking your no—”
“You did not! What the hell, Jasper?”
“You have my respect,” Garrin said to Jas.
Lex’s gaze darted between the two men. “I have PTSD from students ostracizing me, and you’re happy he kept men away?”
“Certainly,” Garrin said without looking up.
She smacked him in the arm, and he grinned.
Lex turned to her mother. “Did you have anything to do with this?”
Isle stared at the fire. “It was necessary.”
Jas frowned at some move Garrin had made on the map. “You may not like my methods, but it was how I kept you hidden on Earth.”
Lex wrapped her arms around her knees. Necessary or not, she was going to be scarred for the rest of her life thanks to her loving family. “Did you take away my powers too?”
Jas looked up. “I’m good, but I’m not that good. Your mother enlisted alchemists for that part.”
Isle straightened her back, her chin squared. “Someone at the castle owed me a favor.”
Garrin set down his map markers. “You didn’t think it would put your daughter’s life at risk asking for help from a castle alchemist?”
Isle glared. “No, prince, I did not. The alchemist was in love with Camille. At the time, he was also extremely angry at your father and would have done anything for her and her friends.”
Lex sensed anger boiling off Garrin. Interesting though the conversation was, tempers were rising. “What about your power, Keen?” She’d ask her mother more about that alchemist thing later.
Keen grinned. “I have the power of telepathy.”
“You can hear our thoughts?”
