Page 116 of A Sanctuary from Shadow
There could be no such thing as far as I was concerned.
“You ken what I told you of power? That everything you do creates some form of it—on the prismatum? It’s the same for Earth. Actions there generate residual magic that we in the fae world use to enhance our powers. Many fae rely solely on those residuals to work magic, their only gifts the capacity to reap what’s given to them. And soulmates—they generate the purest form of crystal magic ever reaped.”
I almost clutched my heart like a doof reading a sappy scene in a romance novel.
“Love itself is a potent magic.” Olea reached over and took Ox’s disfigured hand. “A soulmate’s love—that’s the elixir of life.”
“And that love—it spreads like wildfire,” Sedge said. “I’ve only ever encountered one mated pair in my life—the original pair—Adam and Eve.”
My jaw dropped to my bowl.
“Before they found the Isle, I happened upon them on the road. Their love was a thriving thing. Their passion as well.” He made these points like a mathematics professor, lacking any wistfulness. “Both were unparalleled in intensity. Within moments of being in their presence, they unbalanced me—disarmed my dark magic for days.”
I shrugged. “Couldn’t you just use the crystal magic instead?”
Sedge shook his head. “You can’t wield crystal magic that potent, lady—renders you little more than a besotted oaf, your mind adrift in the joy of it. Which is why crystal fae must stay balanced. One can lose themselves to crystal just as easily as the void.”
Pete grunted at that. “Point is, a mated pair’s love affects those around them, as well as the cluster of reapable magic. And when Danu first sent the crystal fae to mate the humans, they mated them in droves. Any spiritually bonded couple became eternally bonded.”
I didn’t break into song at those beautiful words, but I wanted to.
“But besides their bond,” Pete continued, “soulmates are also gifted magic—evidence of Danu’s greatness and love, which should amass hordes of worshippers. The humans’ faith in Danu is what tips the scales toward crystal magic.”
“Their children do much the same.” Tansy smirked at Pete. “Or they once did, before humans vilified magic.”
I glanced at Pete, questioning, “Is her look suggesting you’re a child of soulmates?”
“Aye, I believe it is, but I tell you again, Tansy, my parents were no such thing. Their love wasn’t a divine thing.”
Tansy’s dark eyes twinkled. “Then you must’ve had a pair of mated ancestors.”
“Perhaps,” he admitted, turning to me. “Many believe magical humans, such as myself, unless touched by a crystal fae, could’ve only gained their magic through the bloodline of soulmates.”
“It’s not as simple as just being born of the line,” Olea interjected. “A descendant of soulmates must then be presented to Danu for the bearing of gifts—a baptism.”
Pete took another sip of his stew, ruminating. “I know my granny still believed inTheAuld Ones.” He shrugged. “Perhaps she performed Danu’s baptism on me when I was a babe in Ulster.”
“But isn’t your principal power dark?” I remarked. “I thought soulmates only had light magic.”
Pete shook his head. “No, soulmatesproducecrystal magic. The powers Danu allots them—they could be any color she deems fit for them.”
I exhaled. “Wow. This is—complicated.”
“Aye,” Pete agreed. “Magic’s a science, ken? And what science isn’t complicated?”
That reminded me of the C- I’d gotten in Chemistry last year. How I hadn’t gotten lower still boggled me.
“Anyhow, the crucial bit is: all that crystal magic produced by Danu’s worshippers threw off the balance of power, strengthening lighter magics, and the dark and void fae felt slighted, being ill-equipped to use it.”
“They said it was unfair,” Tansy said. “That the collective magic from earth should be doled out evenly and balanced accordingly.”
Magical communism, huh?
Pete licked stew from the corner of his mouth. “So, the reigning king created the Divine Cadre to appease the dark fae leaders. Matings became rare, worshippers on earth dwindled, crystal magic decreased, and now less crystal magic fae are being born.”
“But void magic is certainly surging,” Ox said. “You don’t hear them complaining of that.”
“Certainly not,” Sedge said. “Not with Gentian being the most powerful void fae of them all.”
