“It is, and he’s one of the few in the UK. But in addition to him being harder to influence with magic, his research overlaps with our purposes. He’s studying the effects of fae witch magic over different combinations of human, fae witch, vampire, and shifter, and trying to pinpoint which are the most susceptible and the least. Whilst we have guesses, he wants to document and get a definitive answer.”
“And so he wants to use himself as a guinea pig?” At Nadia’s confused look, she rephrased. “That means he wants to be a test subject. Does that make sense?”
“Ah, yes, I understand now. And yes, he does. He often volunteers to help with magical training, and both sides benefit—our students are less likely to affect him, and he gets more data for his research. Dark Lord Khan is extremely interested in his work as well, as you can imagine.” Nadia rearranged a few books on her lap and took out a small notebook and a pencil. “Since he’s a busy person, could we get started? After he comes into the room, he’ll sit near the fireplace, and you’ll take offyour bracelet. If things get out of control, I’ll put your training bracelet back on.”
And since Nadia had the same main power as Meadow, she would be highly immune to her magic. Not completely, but it would take a lot of power and focus to weave a spell over another fae witch who controlled lust and desire.
Meadow traced the edge of her training bracelet, knowing she needed to do this. And yet, after a few days of not having to worry about her magic and almost feeling normal, she was afraid of what might happen.
Nadia’s voice was softer as she said, “He’s fully aware of your magic, volunteered, and he’s helped me train others before. I won’t allow anything to get out of control, I promise. Even if it’s early days, I need you to try trusting me, Meadow, or we’ll never make any progress.”
She glanced down at her training bracelet. “I know that. And yet, it’s so hard for me. I-I just want to be normal. And I’m deathly afraid I’m not.”
Nadia’s hand covered hers, and Meadow looked up to see the fae witch bending over her. “You are normal, Meadow. Any fae witch that doesn’t receive proper training would face challenges like yours. But I’m here to help, not to mention you also have Dark Lord Khan’s support. So won’t you at least try taking the bracelet off? Because if you’re only ever afraid, you’ll never make progress.”
Maybe it was a little harsh, but Nadia was right. Even if Meadow had received almost no training after her powers had manifested at eighteen, one of the core fae witch tenets was that emotions had a big influence over magic. She’d kind of forgotten that over the years, but after several days of being reunited with her siblings and not having the constant fear of weaving magic over strangers, she’d started to recall some of her lessons. Even the books Nadia had lent her had briefly touched on the topic.
It would take time, of course, to not be constantly afraid of messing up. However, this was a controlled circumstance. If she couldn’t seize this opportunity to learn, she might as well give up now.
No.She might’ve lost hope for a few years—when she’d thought her siblings were dead—but she’d never fully given up. Somewhere, deep inside her, she wanted to prove her father wrong. He’d repeatedly called her a failure, stupid, and a million other insults, and it’d affected her more than she’d thought.
But she would never have to see her father again. Plus, she had her siblings, as well as two vampires who made her feel at least a little attractive. Ones she secretly dreamed would want her past the claiming, and who would find her magic useful, meaning she’d feel less reliant on them or anyone else.
All she had to do was focus, and then maybe she’d become a badass fae witch, one with strong magic she could use on her terms. She just had to take this first step.
After taking a deep breath, Meadow nodded and said, “Okay, I’ll do as you ask. Just please don’t let me cause any chaos or harm.”
Nadia patted her hand and stood upright. “I won’t. Now, before you take off your training bracelet, let me fetch our volunteer.”
Meadow’s heart thundered in her chest as she watched Nadia open the door and a man in his thirties walked in. He was of medium height, with blond hair and brown eyes, and wore the usual suit, tie, and waistcoat of this time period.
Since his hair was short, she could see the faintest points of his ears—far too subtle for any full fae witch, but definitely not round enough to be human.
As she wondered about his backstory, he bowed and spoke in the same British accent everyone else did around here. “Hello, Miss Vale. My name is Giles Dawson—please call me Giles—andthank you for allowing me to volunteer. I assume Mrs. Ahmed told you I’ll be taking notes for my research?” Meadow nodded, and he continued, “Then let me just assure you that I will never use your true name and everything is kept confidential. My only goal is to better understand the intricacies of fae witch magic.”
She blurted, “Did you inherit any?”
It wasn’t common for a half-human to do so, but it wasn’t impossible.
He smiled. “The only thing I can do is light candles, fireplaces, or stoves. I have fire magic, but only a fraction of what full-blooded fae witches can manage.”
Meadow hesitated before asking, “And you know I control lust and desire? And there’s a risk it might affect you?”
“Yes, I’m aware. However, as I’m sure Mrs. Ahmed has explained, very few magical powers actually affect me. And if things get out of control, Mrs. Ahmed will take charge. I’ve worked with her before, so I trust her. Now, shall we get started? I don’t wish to be rude, but I have some other appointments today and I want to make sure you have enough time to try out a few of Mrs. Ahmed’s exercises.”
“Um, okay. We can start.”
With a nod, Giles went over to the fireplace and waited.
Nadia sat next to Meadow on the small sofa and said, “For this exercise, look at me, Meadow.” She met her gaze, and the other female continued, “Before you remove the bracelet, tell me: have you learned any channeling exercises? Ones to help calm your mind and gather your magical power together, to draw on when needed?”
“Yes, when my magic first manifested. However, it’s been a long time since I tried using them. Usually I just tried to contain my powers and only let them out when I was hired for a job. And in that case, I’d just let everything go and hope for the best.”
“Well, let’s start there, then. Imagine channeling and containing magical energy in your chest area, and then keep it there. While the bracelet won’t allow the magic to flow out of you, you can still gather it together. So try that now, and let me know when you’re done.”
After a quick glance at Giles—who nodded in encouragement—Meadow closed her eyes.
In the past, she’d gathered magic as quickly as possible, just wanting to get it over with. However, this time, with the bracelet on to stop it from escaping, she imagined it coming from her fingertips, toes, and head into her body, little by little, as the heat gathered in the center of her chest. Her magic had always glowed a slight red in the past, and so she imagined a ball of red energy swirling round and round. Once she had it contained and stable, she opened her eyes. “I’ve finished.”
