Page 50 of Tisak

Kasper grinned. “Yes. This proves it, doesn’t it? You can tell it’s not mage magic, yes? It smells too different. Itfeelstoo different.”

I took a moment to close my eyes and really take in my surroundings. Now that I was paying attention, I could feel the magic coming from the amulets.

Mage magic always reminded me of fire, ready to ignite at any moment and burn down the world.

But this… this reminded me of water. It flowed and soothed. It felt cold, like it could put out any fire it came in contact with.

Kasper was right. This wasn’t mage magic. It was fae. And if the fae existed, then that meant the stories I’d heard of a secret kingdom could be true, right?

I took another huge inhale of the magic, and my heart began to pound. This magic, it still smelled like Florin.

My eyes snapped open, and I caught Wey’s gaze. “Florin. He… he must’ve taken Theon to the fae.”

19

Braz

“You okay, big guy?” Florin asked as we headed back to our hut from the training yard.

I nodded but sighed. “Yeah. Just not sure if this place is safe yet.” It had been one week since the disc was taken out of Florin’s hip. The wound had healed so well I couldn’t even see a mark. But the memory of that moment was carved in stone in my mind. I couldn’t stop thinking about it and remembering how helpless I’d felt when I couldn’t get to him, when Theon was stuck in that stupid net, and Florin was bleeding out on the ground.

So far, since that first day, everyone had been pleasant, kind, and welcoming. So welcoming in fact, I was worried it was a trap. Maybe they wanted us to trust them so they could do something horrible to us later on. Maybe they were hiding something. Maybe they were distracting us from the true evil going on in their city.

Or maybe they were genuine and truly wanted to help us. Maybe this was the sanctuary we’d been seeking.

Florin rubbed my arm. “I think we’re okay now. I don’t think they want to hurt us.”

I nodded. He seemed more willing to trust them than either Theon or I, which was ironic considering what they’d done to Florin in the first place, and the fact that he didn’t trust anyone easily—ever. But he felt a connection to these people. His new magic recognized them as kin, which was something he’d never had before. I could understand craving that feeling since I’d only had it with my mother. At least before Nica, Theon, Florin, and even Wey came along and showed me what a real family was.

Shaking off the thoughts, I tuned in to Florin and Theon’s conversation. They were discussing some finer points about magic that I didn’t understand. One good thing about this place was that these fae knew how to handle Theon’s mage magic, and because mage magic was almost like a sibling to fae magic, the fae who were teaching Florin were able to help Theon as well.

So… it seemed we’d be here for a long time while they learned about their magic and how to control it.

Didn’t mean I had to like it here, though.

When we entered the hut, we all changed into dinner clothes—whatever they were—and then met Jedrek outside. He nodded his greeting and headed toward his grandfather’s home outside of the giant tree palace that was apparently more of a central business place than a home or castle. It was where Romulus met with the other elders to help run this city, but no one lived there. At least not that I knew of.

As we walked, I eyed our quiet companion. He was certainly a man of few words when he was around us. Jedrek was almost the complete opposite of Florin. Where my fae was a tiny, lithe little thing, Jedrek was huge and muscular. He was strong enough to go up against me after all. And where Florin was light, Jedrek was dark—hair as dark as midnight, eyes such a dark shade of purple they were almost black.

And yet, if I stared at the shape of his face, the angles of his cheekbones and nose, the twist of his lips when he smirked, I could see the relation to Florin. They were cousins… I had no doubt about that.

We walked into a two-story hut-like home that was built against a tree—or maybe into it? I didn’t know. It was much larger than the hut we’d been given and was decorated in earth tones with paintings on the walls. It was almost elegant, or as elegant as I’d seen in these dirt and bark homes. Still, I’d prefer this to any of the cold and impersonal mage’s Houses in the three kingdoms of Pelas.

“Welcome to my home,” Romulus said, spreading his arms wide like he was welcoming us into a giant castle instead of his small house. “How are you settling in?”

He and Florin had been spending some time together, although I never let Florin out of my sight, which seemed to amuse both him and Romulus. They’d had a few short conversations, and it was clear that Florin wanted to get to know him better.

The spread of dinner foods and desserts was vast, and I couldn’t help but wonder if Romulus was trying to spoil us so we’d stay. It seemed as if he’d been showing us all the perks of living here in the fae city, making sure to show Florin specifically what it was like to be with his people.

I wasn’t sure I liked it.

But I couldn’t deny how delicious the food was, especially after traveling so long on our meager supplies.

Halfway through dinner, Florin said, “I’m sorry, Romulus—Grandfather.” He cleared his throat as if he was unsure about using that title for the man, but the fae smiled widely at him, clearly enjoying it. “I was wondering if you’d mind sharing a little about the fae… about why our people hide from the rest of the world. The world doesn’t even know you’re real. They think you—we—are a myth.”

For one uncertain moment, I was afraid that Romulus would be offended, but the fae simply nodded at Florin, gathering his thoughts for a few seconds. “Long ago, our ancestors lived throughout the world, just as all the other creatures did. War broke out between many creatures—mages, fae, shifters, humans. Everyone fought for power. The mages banded together and used their magic to control shifters and humans. They tried to do the same to the fae, but our ancestors fought back.

“The mages were ruthless, taking over large pieces of land and killing any who opposed them. After decades of war, after losing most of their brethren, our ancestors were afraid we’d go extinct if we kept fighting the mages. So they collected as many survivors as they could and fled for the forest. They traveled far and wide, evading the mages until finally praying to the forest itself for help. Nature answered their call and provided a safe haven here in the trees.

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