I was going to use Galdrlore, the main spell casting system used by the Fae and other beings who couldn’t command the Fray’s power.
It was simple spell casting. I just needed to use a spell to unlock a gate in the Void, then I’d have to try to navigate it. That’s why I’d needed the map.
The plan was to reach the Borderlands as quickly as possible, then buy or barter passage through the Veil. Then I’d get back to Stormfell by horse.
It sounded straightforward, but I knew there were many ways that plan could go wrong. So,somany ways. I might not be able to get as far as the Borderlands nor get someone who was willing to break all the laws between the magical and mortal realm to get me through the Veil, and even if I managed to overcome those, I might get to the mortal lands and find myself unable to secure a horse or passage to Stormfell. It was a little over two days’ ride from the Veil borders to Stormfell. And that was if you encountered a smooth travel—at least that’s what Father used to say.
Traveling through the Borderlands meant passing through mage realms like the Ravenwood, where Mother and Grandmother were from. They were lands I’d always dreamt about visiting. Hopefully, if I ran into any trouble, I’d be able to find some respite or assistance there. I knew I needed all the help I could get. I had three days to make this happen.
Three days before Thayden returned to Stormfell.
If tonight went well, I’d leave in the morning and take it from there.
That wasthe plan.
I sighed heavily. Enough thinking. Back to the beetle.
It had started batting its wings frantically against the glass, tiny legs scrabbling for purchase as it tried to escape its transparent prison.
I lifted the glass carefully, giving the creature its freedom. For a moment, the beetle remained still, as if stunned by its sudden release. Then it righted itself with deliberate movements, antennae twitching as it oriented to its surroundings. Within seconds, it was crawling.
I watched its steady progress and raised my hands again, focusing on the ancient words that had almost worked before. I felt I needed to dig deeper, find that connection again, and hold on to it. Not just connect. Bond.
"Kythara vel'neth, thaelon mi'dar. Seren'dor kalanis, veridian talar."
The moment the words left my lips, warmth pulsed inside my chest and flowed down through my arms. The connection snapped into place with an almost audibleclick.
It was unreal. I could feel it inside and outside of me. Almost like a lock that clicked into place to tether me to my magic.
I held on tightly to that feeling—mind, body, and soul, refusing to let it slip away. The book had stated that time magic wasn't about force but about weaving yourself into the very fabric of moments and convincing them to bend to your will.
Like before, a soft golden glow began to shimmer around the beetle.
The gold was the threads of time taking shape from the spell’s command.
This was where I needed to focus. On those delicate strands of light, on maintaining that warm pulse inside my chest, on keeping the magical connection steady and strong.
I willed everything to hold, and focus I did.
The golden threads brightened, shining lighter than before. Wispy tendrils flickered out like fingers, and then the beetle’s movements slowed dramatically, each step stretching into an eternity. Its antennae moved like they were pushing through thick amber, and its wings barely fluttered once, then stopped against the heavy weight of manipulated time.
“Gods, it’s working,” I muttered, drawing in a breath.
I kept my focus. I wasn’t done yet. This wasn’t quite control.
I pressed deeper into the connection, feeling something more profound shift inside my chest, like a door opening to a room I'd forgotten existed. The magic pulsed stronger within me, and I poured everything I had into those golden threads.
That’s when the beetle stopped completely.
Not the natural pause of a creature choosing to rest but something far more otherworldly. The very air around it seemed frozen, caught in crystalline suspension.
Blessed Mother, even the tiny motes of dust floating in the candlelight had ceased their gentle dance, trapped in the sphere of my influence.
I held my breath and watched, waiting for the beetle to move again. It didn’t.
I smiled to myself. I did it. Gods, I actually did it.
Now to see if I could truly control time with the spell.
