1
FAWN
Immortality had been a revoltingcurse dressed up as a gift with a pretty bow ever since it was forced upon me.
That was how I felt about it for the past four centuries, but something about sharing it with these five mages showed me a different side of it. The mages who had come into my guild office with orders from the very empire that had cursed me made me see the possibilities immortality could have.
It had especially thrilled Casper and Jasper to no end that they could spend forever with me. I finally admitted to myself that I loved it too.
Casper's hands were all over me every chance he got. His love language was physical touch, and I enjoyed that immensely. I missed touching more than I realized.
Jasper picked my brain for any information he could, some of what he asked about were things that were only briefly mentioned in my journals. He wanted to know everything about me and my past, and I found myself opening up to him more and more. I wanted to know about them too.
I hadn't known how much I needed that.
Being romantically involved with them was a weird concept for me to wrap my mind around--having others that actually wantmemore than the power I carried. The selfish side of me, the one that longed for this level of affection, reveled in it.
Aimon showed a different side to him since taking on my curse. It was as if being bonded to me brought out more confidence in him. He was still as sweet and caring as ever, but he had been showering me with a new kind of praise. The way he phrased his praises warmed me in a way that made my toes curl. I didn't realize Aimon had such a talent for it. More than that, I didn't know how much I would love it. Not just in an intimate sense, but with everything. I wasn't sure I could live without that level of care again.
Bastian blossomed with his magic at full power. He played around with the cauldron for longer periods of time than any other potion mage I'd ever known. After seeing the scars on his hands, I knew they were still hurting him. The scar tissue on his hands was excessive, and I hated seeing him wince when he worked with them. Even though I didn't have a potion affinity, I made sure to find time to help him crush the ingredients or do anything else he needed help with that involved his hands. It had become a special task we spent time doing together, and I looked forward to it every evening after dinner. He knew so much more about potions since we bonded, thanks to the spirits of Hexarium. He suddenly knew about potions that had been long since forgotten.
Silas was the most excited of them all to have his powers back. Surprisingly, he'd been so much more laid back being linked to me and my curse than he had been with the hex. Bonding his spirit to mine and Hexarium was something I was sure he'd hate me for. Instead, he'd been grateful. Silas was like a completely different mage than the one that had served me the orders from Emperor Lloyd. The weight on his heart from the hex had dissipated, and the new confidence and reliability he oozed was a fresh outlook. I could finally see why the guys included him in their family and let him call most of the shots. It seemed I had just met the wrong him at the wrong time.
The guys had adopted me into their group like it was second nature, and I felt wanted--not just needed.
We'd prepared all we could for our mission that would take place during the meeting at the Revivium Empire. Our goal was to find any incriminating evidence against Emperor and Empress Hayes in the Revivium Empire.
"It's time," Silas stated, bringing me out of my thoughts.
"Everyone get close. Especially you, goddess," Jasper murmured with a smirk, and we gathered around him. "Shrouded in darkness, I call upon the powers of the night. Grant me the gift of shadow jumping, fast and out of sight. Spirit's of Hexarium Bless."
His darkness swallowed us whole.
My gut filled with tension as we crept through the palace of the Revivium Empire.
The guys had been in a similar position before, and that was how they had been hexed. They weren't suspecting the rulers of this empire back then. They had simply been following a very flimsy lead. Thankfully, this time, the lead we had now was far from flimsy. The Revivium Empire had been upfront with their desire to merge the three empires. That fact alone made my gut knot with anxiety.
Our group was shrouded by shadows as Jasper carried the burden of having to shadow jump with all six of us as we moved through the Revivium Empire's extravagant halls. At least it wasn't as much of a burden as it would've been had he not shared my curse, though.
For the first time, I had to admit I could see the positive side of the power boosts the guys had been boasting about before.
The air stayed thick with tension as darkness obscured my vision. Jasper expertly led us through the dark places of the castle without being detected. Wisps of his magic caressed my body gently, keeping me confined to the dark as he did with the rest of the guys.
The meeting should've started by now, which meant we should be able to sneak around undetected.
It felt like everyone in Hexarium was on edge. The people in every one of the empires were aware there was an imperial meeting with all the emperors and empresses, but they were unaware of just how grave the meeting details were.
Ignorance was bliss until it came back to bite you in the ass.
The unknown always did.
The guards of the castle remained vigilant, but Jas was careful not to make a single misstep with his powers. I detested the Revivium Empire as a whole, but this castle was the worst of all.
Its walls glowed with a chilly blue hue that reflected the faint glow of the snowy landscape of the territory; the soft light just barely illuminated the hall.
It would've been pretty had it not been so damned haunting.
Jasper moved us swiftly between walls and corners, his dark wisps blending into every crevice of the massive halls. We often had to pause as guards patrolled around us or lingered in halls ahead of us, but Jasper would guide us quickly and seamlessly into nearby hideaways whenever necessary.
