The Crystal Trials

55 Taury

I laid on my stomach in the library in our secret spot before dawn the morning of the spring equinox, or The Giving. Nik explained to me that it meant a day of fertility and giving oneself to another. I was going to sit it out and research shadow magic more. Garren didn't need another reason to try to convince me of some made up feelings I had for him. Crazy housecat. I rolled my eyes at my thoughts and continued reading.

I had read and reread the parts Volar had shown us. But still could not find how to remove the gauntlets. The use of crystals in magic was not a new concept. But strapping them into the gauntlets had only been around for the last few hundred years. I had been looking for anything pertaining to an extended connection to blood and its effects. All that the book explained was seems what happened if the quartz came in contact with blood just the one time. I flipped the pages and kicked my feet in the air in frustration. There was nothing. Ugh. I dropped my head to the floor, my forehead smacking into the book.

I heard footsteps, my Fae hearing picking up the scuffing on the carpet. I tired to think about how to save Emyr and then the rest of us from Rion's intentions. More footsteps. Who could possibly be up this early? I snapped my head up and smelled meat. Garren stood before me with a plate of breakfast meats and a drink. Bringing me food was not going to make me have feelings other than hunger. I eyed him suspiciously.

"Here. We both know you haven't eaten. And probably haven't slept much."

"Fine." Snatched the plate from him and he joined me on the floor as if accepting the food was an invitation.

"No luck so far then?" he questioned leaning back on his hands, feet out in front of him. He grabbed a morsel off my plate and munched. I snatched the plate from him. Mine. He chuckled warmly.

"No. I can't even find if the effects are reversable after just a small bit of blood, how am I going to find something to fix this?" I held up my gauntlet.

"Let me see?"

I handed him the book and scarfed down more food. I was hungrier than I thought which made me realize I couldn't remember the last time I had eaten. It was annoying that Garren somehow knew that. I chewed my food angrily causing him to look up. His damned signature white shirt revealing the chest tattoo I had never seen. Thankfully he didn't catch my observations while he actively read page after page.

He really was a striking Fae. The changes the magic brought to our bodies were a natural order to entice a mate. Fae did not have babies easily, so the more attractive the mate, the more often, and more likely a baby would be made. What the Hells was wrong with me? I shook my head not knowing why I was recalling Uppergrades information.

"Hey. Look at this."

I scooted closer to him, and he laid down next to me. The page was splotchy but legible in some places. It explained that accessing magic required a Fae to delve their well of magic. The contents in the well of magic was a substance called Aether so long as it did not become tainted. If a Fae uses a quartz containing blood, they can perform shadow magic. I read on, needed to skip over blotchy letters. Using the crystal long enough would create an extra element in the magic system, shadow magic.

I paused to think. We weren't using the crystals that tapped our veins. Only the other elemental ones. The quartz only collected blood. Like it was harvesting from us. I reached for the quartz experimentally. Nothing. It was as if it was a blank slate. That was good then. At least Rion wasn't making people use shadow magic without realizing it. Then why harvest the blood?