“Does myfearbring you joy,sadist?” I snarled.
His smile dropped as he stared at me through thick lashes. “Actually, I was enjoying the sight of Galen getting his ass handed to him. It doesn’t happen nearly enough, in my opinion.”
Galen was about to lunge, but I turned towards him next. “I’ll sit. Just please… don’tgrowlagain. I’m still recovering from the last one.”
Rafael and Louis both laughed, while Galen helped me into a seat. Veins bulged in his arms and neck as he silently seethed.
“So… I have magic in my blood?” I asked while gazing at the blue and purple lines that ran along my wrists.
“Yes, you’re human, but you’re likely also Fae,” Galen replied. “In fact, I’m confident that you are. Some faeriescanuse magic without drinking blood, because they’re also part-human. We refer to them as hybrids. They aren’t common; faeries and humans don’t usually interbreed.”
I laughed.cackled. I was beginning to disassociate. “You can’t be serious. I can’t use magic. Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m just a simple, boringhuman. What did your mother call me…a pet?”
“My mother is a piece of work. And I’m perfectly serious. Last night… when we kissed… I couldfeelyour power,” he whispered.
A surge of heat rushed through me and I dropped my gaze. “Oh,” I squeaked.
Louis laughed and opened his mouth to speak, but Galen shot him a look that shut him up.
With a thick voice, I asked, “Who cursed you? Why?”
Rafael answered as he stared out towards the mountains. “We don’t know. The accepted theory is that a human got hold of a spell book—one that doesn’t require magic to wield. Whether they meant to or not, they shifted the flow of magic. Energy can’t be created—only transferred. Giving magic to humanstookmagic from faeries. There were attempts to break the curse—whispers of spells and prophecies. But none of that mattered once we became trapped here.”
“A world walker tricked you.” I looked to Galen. “You told me that yesterday.”
He nodded. “Both humans and faeries wanted to find a solution to the blood shed between our people. Years of war had decimated all of us. Our father, Randall, was the newly crowned King of Aurelius. He was told that the curse was contained to Erador—that if we left, it would be lifted. A fresh start in a new world. Faeries gathered in Aurelius to prepare for the journey. We brought food, livestock—anything that would help us colonize a new world. Some humans chose to come as well. We’d been mingling for nearly a century by then. Some had bonded to faeries for various reasons, despite the war, while others wanted the opportunity to begin again in a new world.”
“And some were forced against their will,” Raf quipped.
Galen side-eyed him. “It was a time of many wrongs on both sides. Today, we pay humans for their blood. Relations between faeries and humans have evolved in Nymera, out of necessity.”
Rafael snorted in response.
“As I was saying,” Galen said with a sigh. “We migrated over by the thousands. As the last few faeries crossed through the portal, the world walker betrayed her own people. She sealed us in—closing the portal beforeanyone had time to react. Our curse hadnotbeen lifted. We had a world to call our own, but our source of magic had been cut off. We were handicapped—left only with the group of humans that crossed over with the faeries. With our magic so limited, we’re a mockery of what Fae are meant to be.”
If he was looking for sympathy, he was barking up the wrong tree. I liked my blood right where it was.
“Are you going to try and drink my blood?” I sneered at him.
Louis choked on his coffee, coughing as he recovered. He looked up at Galen to gage his reaction.
“No,” Galen said defensively. “I wouldn’t force myself on you. We’re civilized about the exchange. Blood-lust does exist, but I’m more than capable of rising above it.”
I met his fiery gaze and gave it right back.
Louis cut in. “It’s important you understand that we don’twantto drink blood. We’ve been forced to due to this twisted curse. Many Fae are vegetarians. We do our best to treat all living beings with respect and dignity.”
“You shouldn’t have to worry about anyone wanting your blood while you’re living at the castle,” Raf said to me while glaring at Galen. “It’s well stocked.”
“Exactly how much does one have to drink to restore their magic?”
“It depends on several factors,” Galen replied. “Age of a faerie, how powerful they are, the quality of magic. Typically, we just need a…sip, now and then, to satiate us. The magic stays in our system until we wield it, and then we have to replenish it.”
“H-how do you get it?” I choked out.
Galen smiled at me, flashing his fangs. “We have sharp teeth. We’ve also discovered a method to safely extract blood using needles and syringes, though its not nearly as fun.”
I was going to be sick.
