“You could play with the other draheim young.”
He shook his large head and then settled it down on the ground in front of his feet before blowing a puff of wispy smoke from his nostrils. “I’d rather sit here and see if Peri does anything crazy.”
“I can’t fault you there.” Serapha had noticed since Galan’s return, he didn’t spend time with the other draheim his age. Being taken by Ludcarab had left a wound inside of him, and she didn’t know how to help him heal. “Can I watch with you?”
“Sure, Mother. But I will tell Peri you sat here watching her rant and rave. She may not be happy.” His voice held laughter.
“Please do. I’m sure Peri will have many interesting words to say about that, and I can’t wait to hear them.” She grinned to herself as she watched Peri shift in her seat. She was holding Nissa’s hand.
“What are they doing?”
“Searching for memories.”
“Will they find them?”
“What do you think?”
Galan sighed. “Only when it’s time.”
Serapha nudged his head with hers. “Yes. Only when it’s time,” she agreed softly. Then she settled in to wait for a signal to let the trio into her realm.
Peri clenched her eyes shut tightly and sifted through Nissa’s memories. It wasn’t something that fae typically allowed, especially those with memories as vast as these two high fae. They’d seen and done much in their long lives, some of it things neither were proud of. Peri tried to avoid anything too personal. She could tell she was approaching something sensitive when she felt the intensity of Nissa’s emotions increase. When that happened, she’d move past the memory quickly and onto the next. Peri pushed further, going farther back into Nissa’s past. Seeing the world through her long-time comrade’s eyes was interesting. They’d both watched so much in the past thousands of years. They’d seen humans grow and evolve, impressed by their remarkable ingenuity. But they’d also seen the worst of humanity. At times, Peri had wondered if her kind should just wipe the earth clean of them. But that wasn’t their choice. They had their own Creator, who was responsible for His creation just as the Great Luna was responsible for hers.
As she watched Nissa’s memories of the many battles they’d fought over the ages, she wondered how many times the same thought had crossed the Great Luna’s mind. Had the goddess, too, thought she might be better off wiping the slate clean? They were flawed, as well. Though most supernaturals might not like to compare themselves to humans, they were similar in this respect: all the races were susceptible to succumbing to evil at times.
She felt Nissa in her mind and also Lucian, who seemed to be irritated at sharing her mind with someone else. Possessive wolf. Peri attempted to keep walls down for Nissa. Peri had so much shame in her most recent memories. She couldn’t remember a time in her existence that she felt so much abhorrence for her own behavior.
“Give yourself grace, beloved.” Lucian’s voice flowed through her thoughts.
“Quit distracting me,” she grumbled and continued to work her way through Nissa’s history. After what seemed like hours, Peri finally hit a wall. It was as if her consciousness slammed into an invisible barrier that wouldn’t let her pass. Apparently, Nissa felt it, too.
Peri’s eyes shot open. “What the hell was that?”
Nissa’s eyes went wide. “Strange. I never knew that was there.”
Peri shook her head. “How could that be?” Suddenly, anxiety washed over Peri. What the hell had been done to her? And how had she let it happen without her knowledge? She couldn’t protect herself from something like this happening again if she didn’t know how it happened in the first place.
Lucian looked at Peri. “Even though you two are powerful, you do have limitations.” She started to argue, but he pressed on. “As much as you hate to admit it.”
Peri made a sound halfway between a hiss and a growl. “I know that, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. Apparently, someone created blocks in our minds, using a kind of magic we couldn’t, and still can’t, perceive. That shouldn’t have been possible.”
Nissa swiveled in her seat so she was no longer facing Peri and relaxed back into it. “I guess we should just accept that anything is possible in this supernatural world of ours. It has been changing for a few years now.”
Lucian furrowed his brow. “Do you think there is a purpose behind these changes?”
Nissa nodded. “There is always a purpose with change. The biggest change we’ve experienced is the cooperation of different supernatural races. We remained separate for so long. Some of the races have suffered because of it.” She looked at Peri. “The warlocks were losing their magic. Did you notice that once Lilly and Cypher mated, his power grew stronger? And his people were stronger.”
Peri hadn’t even taken the time to think about it. But then, Nissa tended to be a better observer than she was. Probably because she didn’t talk nearly as much as Peri. Maybe I should talk less. No way. That would be like Jen never making a dirty joke again. It just wouldn’t be right.
“Stopping to have a bit of self-reflection?” Lucian asked, humor lacing his voice.
Peri narrowed her eyes at him. “I’m glad you find me amusing. Maybe you should stay focused on the issue at hand. It’s kind of serious.”
“We always have a serious issue to deal with,” he pointed out. “If we never take time to play, even if it’s just verbal sparring, then what’s the point of saving the world?”
Peri huffed. “I hate it when you’re all rational and crap.”
“Imagine what kind of stuff you two would stir up if you were both irrational,” Nissa said with a sly smile. Then she sobered and sat up. “We need to identify what type of magic is holding those blocks in place.” She tapped her head. “If we know what kind of magic it is, then we can go to the source and have them remove it. That is, if they’re still alive. If they’re not, then we’ll have to figure something else out.”
