Page 105 of King of Knights

I stare ahead for a moment, lost in thought. Then I turn to Dagger. “No. Let him fulfill his purpose. He is my son. He will return to me when he has succeeded in his task. I’ll be waiting.”

“Did you feel that?” Rock says, spinning in a circle.

“Feel what?” Dagger asks.

“Nothing, I need to lay off the high chicks for a while,” Rock grumbles and shakes his head.

“I want you two to come with me to see the gargoyles. We will go the evening after tomorrow. I have that counsel meeting tomorrow.”

“I’m wherever you need me, brother. You feel me?” Dagger says, placing a fist over his chest to bow.

“We’ll be there, brother. Get some rest. You’re looking worn out,” Rock says and makes the same gesture before turning and heading in the other direction toward the main hall.

* * *

Ray

“Aw, look, she’s turning over,”Blossom coos as Avionne flips over and looks as if she’s about to take off crawling.

She’s growing so fast. I can’t help the smile that comes to my face. The smile drops as her neck comes into view. I quickly grab her into my arms to get a closer look at her skin.

Brushing her hair out of the way, I squint and lean in. There’s a mark on her skin that almost looks as if she was tattooed and branded. I look to Blossom with a scowl on my face.

“What is this, and where did it come from?” I seethe.

Blossom comes closer to get a look. She and Ember gave Avionne her bath tonight. This mark wasn’t there before that. The skin around it looks irritated, as if it’s fresh.

Kendrick walks into the room right as Blossom wrings her hands and knits her brows in confusion. “I don’t know how that got there,” she says.

“What’s going on?” Kendrick asks.

“Look at this, I say and turn the baby for him to see.

His brows shoot into his hairline. He sits down on the bed and takes Avionne from me. Brushing her curls out of the way, he takes a closer look.

“Do you remember when I was thinking out loud about how to conceal her powers?” he asks.

“Yeah, what about it?”

“Well, this is the ancient way of doing so. However, this was done when marriages were arranged. They would seal the betrothed’s magic and only her intended could unlock it once they came of age. It was once a very common practice among the fairies.”

“What? You’re not making any sense. We haven’t arranged a marriage for her, and I wouldn’t allow someone to seal her magic away like this. Kendrick, what’s going on?”

“I don’t know, love. I don’t know.”

“Let me take her to the nursery. I will keep watch over her tonight,” Blossom says.

“No, I will take her and sit with her,” I nearly sob.

“She will be safe with Blossom. You need your rest. This solves an immediate problem. We will figure out how to unlock it soon enough. You have my word.”

“Marks have been removed. I’ve heard stories. We don’t use the practice much anymore, but I’ve heard of them being reversed,” Blossom says.

I look at her and purse my lips. I want to know how it got there in the first place. Rolling my eyes, I keep my thoughts to myself because my words aren’t going to be too nice at the moment.

“Now that’s some foolishness. The child couldn’t mark herself,”Venus grumbles.

“Right? Exactly.”

---