He shook his head. “You asked about cursebreaking. This is… a little more complex, and only something someone of great power and concentration can do.”
“Like Wren did? She restored Lena’s Greywolf power and then tried to break her reincarnation curse,” I added.
Artemis raised one eyebrow. “And failed miserably, making an absolute mess of both of your memories.”
I squirmed, jotting down his warning.
Breaking curses is no small feat and Wren rushed it while injured. Don’t do that.
“What if she haddissolvedit?” I used the right wording this time and Artemis smiled.
“Then I think your memories would be intact,” he confirmed.
Something dawned on me suddenly. “Leah and I both have the same birthday because we died on the same night, but we didn’t find Brayden the last lifetime because he hasn’t seen us in almost forty years… Do you think that’s because for an entire lifetime we just couldn’t remember him?”
He seemed to seriously consider my crazy question, which I admired. “That or you went into the Void for two decades before it spit you out.”
I gulped. “The Void?”
He waved me off with one long-fingered hand. “Never mind that. You want Lora to be killed, you need to help me dissolve the rebound death curse on her so that you won’t die in return.”
I nodded. Right. Focus, Averly. “So how can I do that?”
“You can’t yet,” he said flatly. “You need training on your fae magic first.”
I growled and tossed my pen down. “Is this your idea of a lesson? Because you’re a shitty teacher!”
“Do you always yell at your professors?” he asked coolly.
I sighed, feeling emotionally fragile, and heavy with the need for more sleep. It was a bad combo for me.
“I’m sorry, but I feel like we need a faster solution.” Novus was gunning for us and Lora would be pissed about Silas’ and Mace’s death. I didn’t have time to train. “We don’t have a week or a month or whatever you have planned.”
Artemis nodded. “Give me a few days. It will give you enough of a base to work with and keep you from hurting yourself or anyone else when you use your fae magic. I’m surprised it hasn’t come out sooner in anger or desperation. I really thought you might have displayed power in your year of captivity with Silas.”
My face fell, because in that moment I realized how much Silas had broken me. Sure, I got mad and desperate the first few weeks, but it was easier to just comply and slowly simmer with secret rage than to lash out at him. Had I known this entire time I had some badass Elder Fae power I could have called on, I would have used it.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
I waved him off. “No, I’m fine. So, how about you teach me how to use this fae magic.” I rubbed my hands together excitedly.
“Eager,” he observed.
Whatever would take me one step closer to killing Lora made me very eager.
“Alright, close your eyes.”
Okay, I thought I’d be grabbing a sword or something cool, but I could roll with this. I sat on my chair before him and closed my eyes, resting my hands on the notebook in my lap.
“For nearly twenty years you have not accessed your fae power, so the first time might be a shock to your system. Don’t be frightened.” His voice was calm but his words had my eyes snapping open.
“Shock to my system, how?”
He sighed. “Close your eyes, get into a relaxed state.”
“Shock to my system,how?” I repeated.
He shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. I’ve never trained a novice that was so old.”
