Page 38 of Omen of ice
There’s a phantom breeze, and something inside my head whispers… “Druid magic.”
I force my gaze away from the walls and look to the slab in the center. On it is a pearlescent flask—the one Liani uses to store the magic I donate. The glimmering liquid churns, the glass nearly empty despite the fact that I made a donation not long ago. It seems odd to me that there’s so little left.
Beside my flask is something considerably smaller. An oddly shaped vial no larger than a grape. It’s nearly translucent with the smallest tint of blue. I bend closer to get a better look and realize that it’s shaped like a teardrop…
“No…”
I reach for it, pausing when my hand gets close. The liquid inside swirls, glowing for a second before going dormant again. Stepping back, I take in a deep breath. Determined, I reach out again, this time picking it up and slowly, carefully, pulling out the cork. Tipping it just a hair, I spill some of the liquid onto my index finger. It pools for a moment before dissolving into my skin. A moment later, a jolt of energy courses through my body, and I know…
I know exactly what this is. Replacing the cork, I set the tear-shaped vial down and stumble away, as though at any moment, the thing might lash out and punish me for touching it. In doing so, I accidentally knock the other vial—the one containing my magic—off the slab. The glass doesn’t break, but the contents spill out onto the floor. “This cannot be,” I whisper to myself.
“Valen?”
I whirl.
Liani comes inside and closes the door behind her. “How—” She looks at the door, then peers down the hall. “How did you get in here?”
“I…” What am I supposed to say? That the tunnels led me here? That the estate itself showed me the way? Liani is the one person in this world who loves me. But, despite that, I’ve never told her about my strange relationship with this place. “I’m not sure.”
She looks skeptical but nods. Pointing to the slab, she says, “I am so sorry that you had to see this.”
“Tell me that I’m wrong.” My fists tighten, and I stalk to where she stands. I point a finger violently toward the slab. “Insist that isn’t what it looks like.”
“My dear child, I will never, ever lie to you…” A single tear slips down her cheek. “I cannot.”
The air rushes from my lungs, fast and brutal, as though she’s landed a mortal blow. We would never hurt the druids this way, but the evidence is right in front of me.
“We stole the druids’ magic,” I say. “The tear was never destroyed. We betrayed them.”
“Servis betrayed them.” She shakes her head. “Wehad nothing to do with it.”
“How is it still full?” I lean closer to the strange tear. The power emanating from it makes me dizzy. “After all these centuries, how has it not dissipated, like mine does?”
“Druid magic is different than Fae. Ours can be spent; it can be diminished. The Great Drain sapped our power, but there was never any doubt it would one day return. It was just a matter of time. Druid power can’t be depleted. It’s part of them, tethered to their souls. It’s why we honor them. The gift Aphelian and the druids gave us was boundless.”
“And we betrayed them. How loyal of us.” I feel sick. “Why haven’t we given it back?”
She pulls me close and wraps her arms tight around me. “Without it, you would die. The frequency of your Fae magic donations needed to sustain us would increase, and I don’t believe you would survive.”
“But—”
“I will not risk losing you over some foolish moral dilemma. I regret that it has to be this way, but you are far more important to me than any human.”
Her embrace, normally a comfort, feels lifeless and cold. She knew. All this time, she knew the tear was down here and she never said a word.
“How did it even get here? My flask is here, as well, which means you’ve been here before. How did you find this room?”
She pulls away and cups the sides of my face. “The magic that spells these walls took pity on me long ago. It considers me…an old friend. If it allowed you to find this room, then I imagine it sees you in a similar manner.” She brushes a stray lock of hair from my face.
“I can’t keep this from the Aphelian.”
Her expression darkens. “What do you think she’ll say if you tell her? Do you think she’ll be happy you’ve been hoarding her people’s magic all this time?”
“Ihaven’t been hoarding anything.”
Liani’s expression softens. “I’m sorry. You’re right. You’re not to blame for this mess. If anyone is, it’s me.”
“Servis betrayed the druids, not you.”
