I want to correct him, to explain that’s not how this is going to go in terms of who’s keeping who safe, but perhaps those are thoughts best kept to myself.
I find Ayo down in the basement, staring intently at a small black tourmaline stone on the worktop. The moonstone around his neck glows faintly through his shirt, and a thread of vibrant blue magic winds its way from him into the tourmaline. He smiles when he notices me and beckons me over.
Kit fixed my phone and Raj shared the pack’s phone numbers with me, so I reply to the message Ayo sent a couple of minutes ago, asking me if I had time to work on something with him.
How can I help?
Ayo
Thanks for coming down, bro. I’m trying to create a personal shield charm that will protect against attacks from a whole range of stuff. Physical, magical, earth-based, fae-based. The problem is, I’ve never done this before and I’ve not had much exposure to fae magic. I was wondering if you can see enough to know if what I’ve put together will work.
He holds the tourmaline out to me so I take it, studying the spell he’s added so far.
The good news is, the shield spell you’ve added has taken. The charm will work when you’re not close by.
That was my conclusion as well. What’s the bad news?
This will protect against physical and earth-based magical attacks, but nothing fae-based.
Ah, crap. That’s exactly what I was worried about. Any ideas on what I can do differently? Fae magic just feels weird and foreign, like something intangible I can’t grasp. I don’t know how to shield against it.
It’s entirely elemental in nature. Fire fae can affect temperature and wield fire, for example. Air fae can only manipulate air, although they can do a terrifying amount with that. There are water fae and earth fae as well. Within those four elements, each fae might have a different specialism, so an earth fae might have an affinity for trees and things that grow, while another might be more in tune with rocks and stone.
What about their glamours? Do only air fae create those for the others?
In a sense, yes, and the same with wards, but once created other fae can make changes. In the case of people, the glamour is usually anchored to a charm worn as an earring. That gives the wearer the ability to control their own glamour or erect their own wards at will. For example, Lance has wards on his office that mix the air magic that creates the ward with his own earth magic, which strengthens it to the hardness of quartz.
I’m so out of my depth it’s not even funny. If one of my ancestors wrote down how to create a shield charm against fae magic, I haven’t been able to find the page.
He rubs his forehead, his eyes pinched and his posture stiff. The golden glow of his mate bond is strong in the centre of his chest, and there’s so much magical power packed into his small frame it’s amazing it doesn’t just spill out of him at random.
Maybe, but you’re not alone. How about we try layering on spells protecting against each element one at a time, then see what we can do about combined magic?
He nods, wide-eyed.
You’re willing to help me? This could take hours. Or days. Weeks, even.
Of course.
His shoulders drop and he fakes wiping the back of his hand across his forehead, making my lips twitch.
You won’t go all crazy dragon on me down here, will you? I haven’t reinforced the foundations yet.
I eye the smirk playing on his lips and the more relaxed way he’s now sitting. Even though it’s a valid question, I get the impression he’s teasing me.
I’m sorry again about the window. I’ll pay for it to be replaced as soon as I can afford to.
Nah, don’t worry about that bro. Helping me with this is payment enough.
You sure?
Trust me, your magical sight is far more valuable than the cost of a window, even one that big.
I’ll make sure to bill Ethan for the hours then.
Maybe wait and see what else you break first.
He grins at me, eyes twinkling. He’s taking me being a liability far better than most people would, and I’d help him with this even if I hadn’t broken his window. A protection charm that can shield the wearer against fae magic would be an amazing accomplishment, and may ultimately result in Raj being safer during this investigation—if we can get it to work.
