Mom blinked at me. She slowly extended her right hand. With her left, she made a swirling motion above her skin. As if she was removing makeup, a smudge of tan liquid, nearly paint-like, rose into the air and dissolved. There on her palm was an identical wolf print, just like mine. She’d used magic for years to hide it from me.
“A simple illusion,” Mom confessed quietly. “But one that did the trick.”
I was speechless. Lady Magdalina added, “And, just in case that doesn’t convince you…”
She waved her hand carelessly, and I gasped as the living room disappeared around us. Gone was the TV, the rug, the coffee table. Instead, giant tropical trees rose around us, and I heard the chatter of monkeys as the air became thick and humid. The temperature rose, and sweat beaded on my brow. I saw toucans sitting in the trees, and an anaconda wrapped around a tree. Macaws chatted by sloths. I swear I saw a jaguar slinking through the heavy vegetation next to colorful butterflies.
Instead of couches and chairs, Mom, Lady Magdalina and I sat on large rocks next to a rushing stream, where droplets sprang out of the water and splashed against my legs. We were in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. I reached down and ran my hand through the cold water. When I brought it back up, it was completely wet.
Then Lady Magdalina snapped her fingers, and the rainforest vanished. We were back in my living room. I was struggling to catch my breath.
“How’s that for an illusion, Miss Emmaline?” Lady Magdalina asked, proud of herself.
“Show-off,” Mom muttered under her breath. Lady Magdalina had a grin like a cat who ate the canary.
My whole body shook with anticipation and want. That’d been one of the coolest things that had ever happened to me. It’d been incredible. I wanted to be able to do that— to use magic.
Then something replaced the wonder as I caught Mom’s eye. Absolute rage.
“Why wouldn’t you tell me?” I asked Mom. I was beyond pissed. “I never belonged here. America isn’t anywhere close to Malovia! Why would you take me away from a place where I belonged, and never tell me about it?”
Mom sighed. “Emma, there are things you don’t understand.”
“Yes, Evonna. I myself would like to know the truth of what happened all those years ago,” Lady Magdalina said, and she crossed her arms as she raised her eyebrow.
“It doesn’t matter. It wasn’t important,” Mom deflected quickly.
Lady Magdalina let out a haughty huff before taking another sip of her tea. “Surely.”
Mom remained tight-lipped. It was obvious that whatever Mom was hidingwasimportant, but she wasn’t going to tell Lady Magdalina… at least, not with me around.
More freaking secrets. Why hadn’t she told me anything? Was I that untrustworthy?
I opened my mouth to say something else, but Mom cut me off and said, “I had my reasons, Emma. Please, don’t ask anymore about it.”
My blood boiled underneath my skin, but there was nothing I could do to change her mind. She obviously didn’t trust me with whatever she was hiding.
I ignored Mom and turned to face Lady Magdalina. Now that I knew this was real, my brain was starting to piece this thing together. “So… the mark on my hand shows I belong to the wolf Faction?”
“Yes.” Lady Magdalina nodded. “It shows that one day, you are destined to mate with one of the wolven kind, and become their bride.”
“Ew. Gross.” I wrinkled my nose. I didn’t want to be engaged to some slobbering dog-man— though it might be better than a slimy reptile.
“It is notgross.” Lady Magdalina sniffed at my improper language. “The bond between a Marked and her Companion is the most powerful connection the Arcanea have. It is something true and sacred.”
Something horrible hit me. “There was someone here a month ago. A man that could change into a wolf. He tried to attack me. Was he my mate?” Were all Arcanea like this, taking their chosen mates by force?
“Oh, by the Seven Gods, no,” Lady Magdalina seemed deeply bothered, and shuddered. “Mating doesn’t work like that. That was a rogue.”
“A rogue? Here?” Mom seemed concerned. She didn’t appear bothered that I’d said I’d been attacked by a wolf. I bet she already knew.
Lady Magdalina’s face darkened. “The Arcanea do have enemies, Emma, some within our own kind. The Black Claw is a fanatic group that seeks to gain power within Malovia and overturn the monarchy, our governing body. Killing Marked makes Companions weak, as they’ll never bond, and a Companion is significantly less powerful without a mate by their side. Most likely, they discovered you were here and sent an assassin to take your life.”
“No.” Mom’s tone was full of denial. “They couldn’t have found us. I’ve hidden us too well.
“My dear, I managed to find you after all these years,” Lady Magdalina reminded her patiently. “If you slipped up even once, and the Black Claw found out, they’d be after Emma to prevent her from bonding with someone who wasn’t in their group— especially if they had a speculation about who she may bond with.”
“Do you?” I asked her. “A headmistress coming all this way for one student is a bit suspicious. You could’ve sent someone less important. You didn’t have to come all this way yourself… unless you had a theory about my…” It made me sick to say the word.
