The Aspect of Essence (The Aelfyn Archives, #1)

by Samantha Amstutz

Like a shark scenting blood, Vesryn lunged, propelled by eliciting a reaction. “Did you get a new tattoo?” He swiped at Jassyn’s curls, peering at his forehead, before Jassyn could react and swat his hand away. If he had any choice in the matter, Jassyn would have refused to wear the inked sigils of his four contract holders like he was some prized cattle. And, of course, “Lady” Farine felt the need to brand his head for the world to see. No wonder she produced an offspring as detestable as General Elashor. “Ah, Lady Farine finally laid a claim on you.” Vesryn swept his eyes over Jassyn with an exaggerated appraising look. “Word has it the general’s mother has even more insatiable appetites than he does. She’s been after one of those spots on your contracts for, what? Sixty years now?” Vesryn cackled wildly. “I’ll be dying to know your experience fucking both Elashor’s daughter and mother.” “You’re revolting.” Jassyn admonished his cousin with a scowl but shrank back from the humiliation flooding his veins. Jassyn’s thoughts flashed back. Even weeks later, his first compulsory visit at Farine Vallende’s estate had him retching when he woke in the middle of the night. The crisp air winding around the courtyard did nothing to prevent his body from springing with anxious sweat at the reminder. Jassyn sucked in a ragged breath. The memories of those three nights he was contractually obligated to service Farine had panic threatening to claw out of his lungs. As one of the initi...

Jassyn’s own conniving pure-bred mother had secured a prestigious coupling with a human king with the intention of binding her offspring’s “services” to the realm in exchange for a seat on the High Council. Jassyn’s half sister occupied that position now, while the elves forced him into servitude to apparently pay that debt indefinitely through access to his bloodline. All the while, the council reaped yearly payments and favors from those who’d purchased one of those four coveted spots on his contracts.

Like tutoring is why I was hand-selected. “My research will stall without Essence in the human realms,” Jassyn pointed out. He knew the objection against the general’s self-serving desires was useless, but some small part of him wasn’t prepared to surrender so easily. “As you know, the humans and half-breeds living outside our realm are unaware of our magic.” Elashor’s greedy eyes dallied on the nobles as he spoke. “Have patience. Everything will change soon.” Jassyn didn’t have time to wonder about what the general meant.

It shocked Jassyn when the general didn’t puff up like a rooster, proud of crowing about such blatant manipulation. Instead, his gut twisted into an icy knot, knowing Elashor’s obsession with extending his line was the actual reason for his assignment. Jassyn knew he could slip into the role of tutor, but decided his theatrics would end there. He wasn’t bound by decreed obligations beyond teaching Serenna. If Elashor believed he could pressure him into impregnating his daughter, he would be disappointed. Jassyn banished the thought, appalled by the general’s intentions. “I don’t see how another descendant will make any difference to your line,” Jassyn argued, regaining his composure. There was no doubt Elashor had more elven-blooded children and descendant offspring than any other elf. It appeared the general’s aspirations were to couple with as many elven-blooded as possible for reasons Jassyn couldn’t fathom. The thought disgusted him—Elashor using the mixed-race elves as if they were his personal breeding stock. He suspected there was more to the situation than he was aware of. “This is my only line in the human realms,” Elashor said with a pointed look as sharp as the sword at his side. “You might not be informed, as this is your first visit, but humans aren’t as accepting of our ways. Queen Arianna is unaware of my offspring in Alari.” The general’s eyes narrowed. “I plan on keeping it that way.”

“Power has been shifting in the courts of late, Jassyn,” Elashor said. “I’d hate for you to be on the wrong side of it.” The general strode ahead to the edge of the Portal Platform.

“Do you mean his coercion?” Jassyn fired back, his mouth working before his mind. He wiped the beading sweat from his brow, straining to reel in his agitated nerves. It wasn’t like him to react so rashly. “The king requires those spending time among humans to be compelled by his will,” Elashor chided. “We can’t allow elven secrets to reach human ears. We’ve kept them sheltered for centuries for good reason.” Jassyn had been unaware King Galaeryn was capable of such telepathic power. The king’s coercion was presumably a type of magic only he could manipulate due to the magnitude of Essence required to influence another being. No other elf came close to possessing the same strength in power. It’s unnatural, but that’s why he’s the king. Even in the searing heat, Jassyn suppressed a shiver skating up his spine, unnerved by the monarch wielding so much control over another. While forming a telepathic link and channeling Essence, the king constrained Jassyn completely to his will. This binding rendered Jassyn unable to divulge information. King Galaeryn’s limitations pertained to the secrets the elves concealed from the humans. Most notably, knowledge of their magic. Jassyn’s knees locked midstride as he remembered the eerie power winding around his mind like a noose. Can the king bend others to his will beyond forcing their silence?

The receiving hall was modest but elegant, decorated with sheer curtains undulating in the breeze curling through the open windows. Sunlight streamed in, accenting the monarch’s bronze features. Alone in the chamber, Queen Arianna sat poised on her throne, ready to receive them. With her red silk dress and straight-backed posture, the queen exuded a regal presence. Appearing of equal age with him, similar to humans in their late twenties, Jassyn assumed she was also decades older. Of course, every piece of her jewelry was solid gold. The elves had conditioned the elven-blooded outside Alari to wear the metal to tether their magic well before they would have manifested any abilities. Even their infants wore golden studs pierced into their ears. What would happen if these elven-blooded discovered their powers?

Upon hearing the rumors gathered by Velinya a few weeks prior, Serenna could think of nothing else. And he’s choosing a half-breed consort to ensure the Falkyn line endures. I’m a princess, surely I would be an ideal candidate. Perhaps I’ll make Prince Vesryn’s acquaintance soon since Father is taking me to the capital.

Serenna glanced at her notes. “You were speaking about the Aelfyns’ arrival?” “Yes,” Jassyn clipped, striding back to the writing board. He clasped his hands behind his lanky form. His foot tapped expectantly. “And?” After spending the previous six months in private lessons, she knew all too well that Jassyn would require an answer. “The Aelfyn arrived on our shores over a thousand years ago,” Serenna recited, already slouching back into her seat with boredom. “The humans welcomed and worshiped their race. In turn, the Aelfyn shared their wisdom and knowledge with the mortals of the past.” Sunlight streaming in through the open windows illuminated Jassyn’s ebony curls to a midnight blue, his hair reflecting the ocean outside. His office contained traces of his elven heritage. Various tomes, scrolls, vials of potions, tapestries, and—of course—plants decorated the meticulously organized space. He was nothing if not a perfectionist. “What happened in the centuries following the Aelfyns’ arrival?” Jassyn asked, his spine as straight as an arrow. Nearly two heads taller than her, he had to duck through most of the castle’s doorways. Serenna twirled a feather-plumed quill in her fingers. “The Aelfyn guided the primitive human race toward civilization and established the four mortal realms that exist today.” It was common knowledge humans owed more to the ancient Aelfyn than could ever be repaid. All humans proudly paid homage to the elven realm, Alari. Without the elves, the hu...

Sometimes, Serenna sensed a silent melancholy shadowing him. With how reserved he was, she suspected there was something more to him than he allowed everyone to see. Maybe he’s just homesick and feels out of place around us. “As we know it, the Aelfyns’ homeland is across the Cerulean Sea,” Jassyn said. “A fleet of their ships wrecked off of Halaema’s coast, stranding a portion of their population on this side of the world permanently.” Jassyn returned to his desk and fiddled with the leaves on one of the many plants arranged in his office. “We call their living descendants ‘elves,’ as the passage of time has simplified the term. We have no information as to what happened to the rest of the Aelfyn separated from us by the ocean.”

The wraiths?

Jassyn frowned. “That doesn’t mean you’ll have common ground with someone centuries older than you, no matter if they appear your age.” “We seem to get along just fine,” Serenna said, crossing her arms stubbornly. She thought her relationship with Jassyn was slowly evolving beyond this whole mentor-student division he was determined to keep them partitioned in. Over the previous six months, she’d worn him down with the persistence of water eroding stone with her questions about his life in the elven realm. Jassyn finally began to relent and converse with her beyond the content of their lessons. If anyone asked, Serenna would deny having any interest in him. Her stomach twisted with embarrassment that he didn’t return the same feelings. Jassyn was always polite, but warded off her advances. Multiple times.

He had proper mannerisms, as if he was raised in court, and it was difficult not to be drawn in by his gentle personality. With his soft raven curls and kind amber eyes, Serenna wasn’t the only person in the castle who thought he was definitely the most handsome half-breed to grace their halls. Serenna supposed her infatuation stemmed from Jassyn’s foreignness, inspired by her longing to gain a deeper connection to her elven heritage. She knew her tutor wouldn’t always be there to instruct her when her father relocated her to Kyansari, but she at least wanted to develop a friendship with him, even if he desired nothing romantic.

“No one is commanding you to do anything.” Elashor’s chiseled jaw tightened as Jassyn gathered courage to meet his icy stare. “I have a solution. If you can bring yourself to produce one offspring with Serenna, I’ll see that the council releases you from your other obligations. A complete dissolution of your existing contracts.” Disbelief hollowed out his mind. Jassyn’s eyes widened automatically. He’s serious? Jassyn couldn’t imagine what his life would be like without those demands shadowing him. Could he actually figure out what he wanted to do instead of waiting in perpetual dread for his handlers’ summons? Even his research into discovering more about elven sterility revolved around the situation the realm forced on him—fettered him to. But Jassyn couldn’t determine why the general was so obsessed with him and Serenna producing offspring.

He wanted to tell her, share his knowledge of Essence with her. Instead, he had to drone on about how great the elves were and how the noble Aelfyn ancestors colonized human civilization. He had hoped their lessons would open her eyes to the discrepancies between humans and elves. He wiggled in as much of his disdain as he could, but his efforts were falling on deaf ears. Jassyn senses blared in alarm, recognizing a vibration of power. His attention soared to the general. Essence swirled around Elashor like a gossamer curtain. Even tethered, Jassyn could see the magic circling and shimmering—he just couldn’t access his own. Panic erupted like a flow of magma in his chest when Elashor rose and rounded the desk, approaching him. Completely defenseless, Jassyn dropped his arms and balled his hands into fists at his side, steeling himself, waiting for the general’s move. Elashor smirked and trailed a finger across his forehead’s tattoo. Jassyn inhaled a jagged breath, disoriented like vision blurring under seawater. The binding coercion unraveled, releasing him from the king’s embedded secrecy. Jassyn freed the air locked in his chest as a tightness in his mind relaxed, like threads unwoven from a spool. “Let’s get comfortable,” Elashor said, striding to the adjacent sitting room. “We have much to discuss concerning the changes at Centarya.”

Now, a band of grubby men in earth-stained linens were lamenting over a collapsed mine. The laborers begged for a redistribution of resources and aid for their injured. At least this was the last item for today’s session. Finally. The only interesting detail of a collapsed mine is that it happens to be a gold mine. Serenna’s attention drifted to the rings encircling each of her fingers. Gold wasn’t quite her preferred metal to adorn her body, but the elves placed a high value on the material and outfitted themselves with such accessories. As a noble, it was imperative for the royals to curate appearances to display wealth, so, of course, she wore what they expected.

Serenna blinked, oblivious to the finer details of whatever the petitioners droned on about to the queen. Something about hearing “voices in the rocks” before the collapse. As if anyone would destroy their most valuable mine. Does she actually believe this nonsense? The miner’s wits were most likely addled by a pocket of noxious gas while they tunneled like grubs through the earth. “I trust your wisdom, Queen-Mother.” Serenna dipped her head and hoped a show of deference would excuse her from

But thinking of her newborn nephew spawned a worm of jealousy, burrowing its way through Serenna’s thoughts. Of course, visiting his grandson was the first order of business her father attended to. Is there a reason he hasn’t given me the same priority? “I should thank Saundyl for reproducing,” Serenna said, concealing her disappointment with deflection. “I’ll never understand why he stayed in Vaelyn when Father offered him the opportunity to court nobles in Kyansari.” Velinya brushed wind-blown curls out of her face. “It’s obvious he’s been smitten with your sister-in-law ever since they were children. He had no reason to seek another.”

The women whisked through the hallway, soft slippers padding on the violet rugs carpeting the marbled floors. Serenna loved gazing at the artwork lining the corridor. Oil paintings and woven tapestries depicted the Aelfyns’ arrival. Ethereal beings extended their hands to a starry sky as if touching the galaxies themselves. Or perhaps they’re pleading for a deliverance from the mortal shores. Serenna imagined the stranded Aelfyn experienced the same sense of displacement she did. They could never return to their homeland across the ocean because of the traveling Maelstrom, a stormy anomaly in the Cerulean Sea, that ensnared and destroyed their vessels. As a broken people, they didn’t possess the resources to build new ships or have the knowledge of how to avoid the tempest. At least hope was on her horizon since she was leaving the mortal realms behind.

I truly find that hard to believe

“You do know the elves will expect you to pair with a male and produce heirs in Alari, right?” Serenna knew Velinya found it liberating that the elven race didn’t conform to the same rigid constructs as the humans did for coupling. Her friend always made it a point to distinguish that they had the option to choose partners of any gender—even multiple, if they so desired—if the gossip from Alari was to be believed. “I’ll delay that responsibility for as long as possible,” Serenna said, ignoring the bowing guards stationed outside of her living quarters. “I’d rather enjoy what the elven courts offer and take my time selecting an appropriate match. We’ll have centuries to get to childbearing, won’t we?” “I suppose we’ll find out,” Velinya said, following Serenna into her chambers. “We are among the first few generations of the mixed races. The elves can live for nearly a millennium, so I imagine some portion of that longevity will pass on to us.”

Sweet innocent girl

“A threat?” she asked, stabilizing herself by placing her palms on the table. “What threat?” “We’ve sheltered those living in the human realms from certain aspects of the elven civilization.” Elashor shifted in his seat. His broad frame dwarfed the dining chairs, and the wood creaked in protest. “My people determined some information was better kept concealed in order to safeguard the humans. I’m going to share with you secrets that haven’t left Alari’s borders. You need to understand the dangers that surround us all.” Forgetting her manners, Serenna gripped her fork like a fishing trident while she processed her father’s words. She bristled. I’m not human. I just have the misfortune of living in a human realm.

“Nearly a century ago, we imprisoned a population of dangerous creatures we call the wraith,” Elashor said with a grimace. “They attacked Kyansari in a vicious raid and killed Queen Maraelyn and Prince Aesar.” He cleared his throat. “And also one of my brothers.” Serenna’s fork clattered to the table as her heart launched itself against her chest. Something can kill the elves? “We hoped, and tried, to reach an understanding with those monsters, but they’re mindless beasts. We failed to grasp the extent of their corrupt nature.” Elashor retrieved his wine goblet, swirling the vintage as he turned pensive. “The details evaded us, but the wraith escaped from their imprisonment nearly twenty years later, brutalizing the capital’s citizens while they fled.”

Prince Vesryn has spent nearly every waking moment avenging his twin’s death, hunting those monsters, but his efforts haven’t been enough.” Elashor shook his head. He clicked his tongue before drinking from his glass. “In hindsight, it was a mistake to not trust the humans to lend aid. We kept silent, fearing any intervention would have prompted the wraith to retaliate and target the mortal cities.” Serenna frowned as this new reality crystallized into a nightmare. “But if the wraith escaped over eighty years ago, how does that affect us now?” But she really wanted to ask, What does this have to do with me not going to Kyansari?

“Our deployments will ready the humans to rise to our aid,” Elashor said, nodding his thanks. “We were discussing the logistics when you arrived,” the queen said. As if Serenna’s presence had interrupted something important. “So, I’m needed here, then?” Serenna asked, glancing between them. Her heart felt as heavy and hollow as the chalice she placed back on the table. “To help prepare the humans to address this conflict?” Elashor shook his head. “We need you, but not in Vaelyn.” Serenna settled back into her seat as he continued. “We found it prudent to establish an academy for the half-breeds born in Alari. Around the same time the wraith escaped their prison, we completed the construction of Centarya in a place that is wholly impossible for anyone to breach.” “Jassyn has told me about Centarya,” Serenna said, eager to show she’d heard about the prestigious research facility. “But what does the academy have to do with the wraith?” “Centarya’s…priorities have shifted beyond education.” Elashor drummed his fingers on the table. “The wraith have backed us into a corner. We are out of options. The High Council decreed we must assemble all mature half-breeds from the human realms.” Elashor paused while the shutters rattled from the wind howling outdoors, announcing the storm’s imminent arrival. “In efforts to preserve our pure-blooded population, we need to utilize any advantages over the wraith. This begins with including your generation in our academy’s training.” “Training...

“If that’s true, then why don’t I have any abilities?” Serenna had yet to experience any whispers of power. Maybe her father was mistaken, and she didn’t have their magic. “Gold,” Elashor replied with a shrug. “We conditioned half-breeds in the human realms to wear it from birth. It tethers your abilities, stifling them. If the metal touches your skin, you cannot access or even perceive your powers. The elves wear the ornaments around humans to prevent any lapses in judgment of revealing our power.” Serenna jumped at a crack of thunder. Something about the cacophonous noise ignited a blast of resentment in her veins. Her skin crawled under the golden jewelry, the reminder that everyone saw it fitting to control her life. She couldn’t understand why the elves didn’t permit at least the elven-blooded to know such things.

“My delegation has spent the past month traveling to the human realms and meeting with individuals containing any traces of elven blood.” Elashor drained another goblet of wine. “We’ve relocated those of age to Centarya so they can join Alari’s half-breeds in their military training. The human population outnumbers our own tenfold, making them ideal as our foot soldiers. The half-breeds will be their commanders, wielding Essence against the wraith.” Serenna fumed that he appeared so relaxed while her world crashed down around her.

“Do you have this power as well?” The queen lifted her chin before she answered. “Yes, but this isn’t my path, nor your brother’s. Those few remaining in the human lands will stay tethered for everyone’s safety. I have decided Saundyl and his family will remain by my side in court. I am dispatching every half-breed adult to Centarya if they have no dependents or if they are not vital to the daily functioning of the realm. Including you. This is not negotiable,” her mother finished, leaving no room for objection. Shock careened through her. Serenna’s sheer disbelief threatened to capsize her composure. In a matter of moments, she went from being a princess to…what? Someone who wasn’t essential? Someone disposable? Her fiercest desire was to live among the elves. But not like this. Not at some academy. “I don’t understand,” Serenna said, dismissing her mother and focusing her attention back on her father. “Am I to study at Centarya to learn about magic? Do I need an elven education before I’m allowed to court suitors?” That’s not terrible, I suppose. It would make sense if prominent families want me to have a proper education. “Unfortunately, we have to put your courtships on hold until we eradicate the wraith,” Elashor said with a frown. “But that doesn’t mean there won’t be opportunities to meet others of your kind at Centarya.” My kind. Like she was separate from the elves. Because I’m lesser? Serenna swallowed back a rising bitterness that scraped her throat. Jassyn was ...

Releasing more than her hopes and dreams, Serenna’s fingers went limp. The chain tumbled to the sand. She wasn’t a princess anymore. Her family had turned against her, relegating her to another life. Like a falling tide, her tears and unsettled emotions slowly receded. A green burst of light flickered on the edge of her vision. Jassyn pivoted in the direction of the flare. A violet wall slammed in front of them as a radiant sphere ignited in his palm to illuminate the beach. Serenna tensed, not expecting to see magic. “What is it?” she asked, startled by his alarm. Her body tingled with a static buzz as she experienced an overwhelming sensation that something unseen lingered nearby. “I thought…” Jassyn squinted down the shore. “I thought I saw a portal opening.” “A portal?” “Let’s get you back inside.” Jassyn’s magic dissipated as he steered her toward the castle and nodded to her guards. “It’s probably just light from the storm.” Serenna’s limbs went numb from both the shock and the chill. The rain had thoroughly soaked through to her skin. She dragged her feet toward the keep, reluctant to accept her new life.

Alone in the wraith’s war room, Lykor reviewed the day’s reports. He made a mental note to inform his captain the northern realm’s spring apples would be ripe for harvest. Lykor let his second-in-command handle the inconsequential details of the raid so he wouldn’t have to fuck around with it himself. For whatever reason, Kal jumped at the opportunity to rotate warriors through the rosters. AND FENN IS EVEN WORSE, Lykor thought. STARS, HOW DID KAL MANAGE TO RAISE A SON MORE EAGER THAN— Lykor seized. An unpleasant jolt, like talons slicing into his chest, shredded through the fibers of his being. He thrashed, buckling in his chair, feeling as if a wave of lightning electrified his body. With a grating screech, his clawed gauntlet dug furrows into the table as he flailed against the current searing him from the inside out. A barrage of emotions blasted through his defenseless mind. Anger. Fear. Sorrow. But they weren’t his own. Not this time. His instincts took over. Before realizing what he was doing, Lykor scanned for the foreign presence that so suddenly sprang into his awareness. AFTER ALL THESE YEARS…COULD IT BE HIM? DO BROKEN BONDS EVEN REFORGE? IF SO, I’LL FUCKING KILL HIM. Perhaps he’d finally be free from the wretched magic compelling his mind. After several minutes of searching, sensing, and casting out his awareness, he finally determined the location of the connection. Anticipation had his chest heaving, senses firing like sparks igniting from flint striking stee...

Rending shadows whipped from the sand, surrounding him in a black fog. But he wavered, clutching onto a sliver of awareness, hovering on the precipice of lashing out. His crimson eyes darted over the figures on the shore, recognizing that neither of them was the one he had been compelled to kill—the one the magic demanded annihilation of.

Lykor drew in sharp breath from the agony of the command, but he maintained control of his fragmented mind. This time. The other entity in his head stirred awake as if summoned by Lykor’s pestilent thoughts skittering around him. DRACOVAE’S TITS, Lykor swore upon rousing the other presence, peaking the other being’s meddling interest. Gasping, he spasmed like a drowned man, twitching in the throes of death, when the opposing entity confronted him. Lykor doubled over as they grappled for control of their body. Concealed in shadows, Lykor furiously wrestled the intervening presence back into the dark recesses of their mind. They’d perceived each other decades ago, and had both discovered there could be no harmony between them. With a crack of his spine, Lykor straightened and rolled his shoulders, reasserting control over their body. His body. The elves had disappeared by the time he’d asserted his dominance and shoved the other entity into a corner of his awareness.

The black night and downpour obscured his vision on this foreign shore. Lightning cracked like a whip across the sky, allowing him to discern a stone castle next to the sea. He’d never ventured this far south in the human realms before. Perhaps he’d soared these skies on Trella, but that was a lifetime ago. Rejecting the other being’s past, Lykor had renounced those memories. They weren’t his anyway. The presence of elves outside of their realm made little sense. Lykor knew they would never lower themselves to live among the mortals. Unless… DID THEY MIX WITH THE HUMANS? That was the only explanation; merging their races for the elves’ survival was discussed a century prior. The other entity was aware of that. Lykor had only discovered the elves’ true intentions for melding the races while imprisoned in their dungeons. THESE TWO MUST BE OFFSPRING FROM THOSE UNIONS. Steel creaked as the plated joints in Lykor’s clawed gauntlet articulated, crushing into a fist. His simmering wrath accelerated to a rapid boil upon realizing what the tugging on his perception meant. THIS STARS-CURSED CONNECTION HAS TO BE WITH ONE OF THEM. He nearly obliterated the castle out of spite, but he knew the other entity would only stop him. I CAN’T AFFORD TO PUT THE WRAITH AT RISK WITH THIS FUCKING BOND. Lykor extended a hand and twisted a portal, ripping a rift through the realms to transfer him back to the wraith’s war room. He needed to think of a way to eliminate the hovering link of magic strai...

“Can you start the fire with magic?” “Not with this.” Jassyn summoned a sunny orb like her father had at dinner. “Illumination is only a pretty light. Though it is useful for replenishing someone else’s drained Essence.” Studying the light, Serenna tilted her head, not understanding half of his words. “So, what can our magic do?” “Our magical abilities originate from the stars, where the elves believe their powers came from.” Jassyn’s light morphed and swirled around his fingers like an aurora waving across the sky. “We have no control over the elements of the physical earth: fire, water, wind, lightning, and the like.” His eyes glowed with the reflection from the gleaming stream that wrapped around his hands. “Those were perhaps abilities belonging to the human shamans of the past.”

“There are eight categories that comprise our magic: force, telepathy, illusion, mending, rending, shielding, illumination, and portaling.”

“Not quite. I only have the abilities of mending, shielding, illumination, telepathy, and illusion.” Jassyn let the radiant ribbon dissipate. An imprint of the light lingered for a few moments in the air between them, like the image of the sun burning behind closed eyes. “The abilities we have are innate—specific talents aren’t something you can learn how to control.”

“No, Essence has limitations. If you exhaust your power, you won’t be able to access any of your abilities until you replenish your Well by regenerating. It’s easiest to restore our magic by meditating under the stars.” Light flooded to fill in the shape, like a tide rising on the shore. “If you don’t utilize your power consistently, your Well also withers from underuse and you won’t have as much magic at your disposal to draw from.”

I’m here, in the elven realm. Serenna couldn’t help but smile back, feeling like she’d been reborn into a better place. Already, their lands contained evidence of the inconceivable. The ground below the floating island shimmered. Serenna’s attention drifted upward to watch water tumbling from the isle, cascading down as waterfalls to be collected by the lake below. “How is this possible?” Velinya asked, gaping alongside the court members, who were staring in disbelief and awe. “Centarya’s creation was a massive project involving scores of elves wielding force abilities,” Jassyn said. “Tearing into the earth, they uprooted the landmass and cast it into the sky. Elves remained on the isle during its ascent to open the first gateways. Tying off their magic, the architects used the ground as an anchor to ensure the island would remain a permanent buoying structure. Every few years, the magus reestablish the magical moorings to stabilize the connection.” Jassyn pointed at the water. “The crater left behind is a lake, the Cyan Mere.”

“What do the wraith look like? Have you fought them?” The only description Serenna had of the creatures was their ability to disappear into shadows. “Wraith are aberrations, a mockery of intelligent life,” Elashor nearly snarled, “sharing nothing of the beauty the elves hold in high regard. The monsters are gaunt, looming over us. They might as well be beasts with their fangs and claws.” He directed a glower toward the horizon. “They’re grotesque with skin like midnight ash, eyes the color of blood, and hair as black as any human’s.” With a jerk of a shoulder, he added, “They don’t have Essence at least—that would be the greatest offense of all.”

Except lykor does. Bc he possessed an elf body most likely?

Elashor’s eyes glittered in the sun while he considered her request. “I don’t see why not. By now, I’m sure you’ve heard King Galaeryn intends to bind the Falkyn line to a half-breed to ensure their reign’s stability.” His mouth twisted into something resembling smug amusement while he entertained the notion. “Perhaps if you can distinguish yourself, you’d be an acceptable contender for the prince’s hand.” With a rush of excitement, Serenna’s heart swelled at the possibilities unfolding for her—she had an introduction to Vesryn now. She brushed off her father’s usage of “half-breed.” The world can’t change overnight. Grasping how crucial it was to succeed at Centarya, determination solidified Serenna’s intention of wielding her hidden power to impress the prince.

Her legs burned from the never-ending stairs. She experienced a peculiar pulling, like a weight dragging on her chest and couldn’t quite put her finger on the sensation. I’m probably just getting lightheaded. “The prince’s quarters are on the top level. The magus at the traveling grounds reported he’s currently on campus—we’ll see if he’s in his office.” Serenna panted her question in between sucking in air to douse the fire burning in her lungs. “Why don’t we portal and save the trip?” “As you’ll learn from your classes, portaling can be dangerous. We have designated locations where portals are permitted in public areas,” Elashor said, straightening one of the steel plates on his shoulder. “It’s mandated that those are the only places we create gateways. Let’s just say if you create a rift and someone is in the way, they may be a few limbs short by the time you finish opening it.” Serenna shuddered the disturbing image out of her thoughts. “I see.”

Why does producing offspring with Serenna matter so much? Jassyn was unable to comprehend why one child was worth the dissolution of his contracts. The council couldn’t pretend the coupling arrangements were about preserving their numbers as a race anymore. The population of elven-blooded already rivaled that of the pure-bloods. So why won’t they release me? Was it simply for the nobles to have unfettered access to his line, the Raellyns? The council received payment or bribes every time his contracts changed hands to a different family. Is everything about accumulating their wealth? He wondered when Elashor would pressure Serenna into whatever couplings he deemed fit. If he could ever work up the courage to have the discussion, Jassyn hoped to open her eyes just a little to what life as an elven-blooded really meant.

Daydreams of joining the rangers defined his adolescence. Jassyn recalled the giddy excitement of being included in one of their scouting missions—before he was sent to the academy. If things had been different between him and Vesryn, it was possible he would have chosen that path instead. But that was a time before the weight of his contracts began strangling his autonomy. He later grasped that entering their ranks meant enduring even more of the prince’s vicious behavior. And besides, if Vesryn hadn’t pushed him off of a flying dracovae during his first flight, Jassyn doubted excessive heights would make him break out in a sweat. Who does that?

Seriously? Jassyn snatched a wine bottle in danger of slipping out of the male’s grip and placed it on a shelf, shoving back what he assumed was a vulpintera’s articulated skeleton to make room. This is worse. Much worse. Jassyn made a mental note to ask Nelya if this current behavior was becoming a trend. For the sake of his mentor, he hoped it wasn’t. Jassyn knew a turbulent history existed between Thalaesyn and King Galaeryn. The discord resulted in the magister’s dismissal from the king’s service around the time the wraith killed Queen Maraelyn and Prince Aesar. The king exiled Thalaesyn from the capital to continue his research on Centarya once the construction was complete. Perhaps the shift of the academy toward a military operation was the cause. Jassyn could think of no other recent changes. Opening his perception, like a blossom unfolding in the sun, Essence surged through Jassyn’s senses. His awareness buzzed with the static charge of his magic. Like a vine coiling around a branch, he hesitantly extended a tendril of unformed power to assess his mentor. Thalaesyn was unsurprisingly drunk, as Jassyn had already deduced from the dredges in the wine bottle and the sour scent of alcohol stirred by snores.

banning Stardust at the academy since assuming command. Which was a wonder, considering the tales Jassyn heard of the debauched parties the prince had thrown at the palace in his youth. But there had to be something else. Would Stardust cast him into such a downward spiral? The drug was supposed to induce ecstasy, but Jassyn knew little of it beyond sensing it. He tunneled his perception further. His instincts were right. There was a…foreign abnormality on the magister’s brain, like a barnacle latched onto a shell. Jassyn failed to recognize the irregularity. A flicker of unease chilled his blood while he analyzed the snare shrouding Thalaesyn’s mind. The singularity reminded him of an infection, a contagion that didn’t belong. Transforming his power into one of his talents, his mending ability, Jassyn poised a hand over his mentor’s skull. Red light pulsed from his fingertips while he cast magic to prod at the anomaly like the push of a goad. The abnormality appeared as if filaments of Essence tangled together into a thousand intricate knots, covering the magister’s mind in an insurmountable web. Jassyn frowned, realizing it was a coil of telepathy. An eerie awareness prickled over his skin, spiking every hair in alarm. Coercion. It has to be. The magister stirred on the couch with a murmur concerning someone named Mara. Releasing his power, Jassyn left Thalaesyn to his stupor. Thoughts spinning like dust trapped in a whirlwind, Jassyn wandered back to the comfort of his ...

Before realizing what he was doing, he had the parchment shredded into a dozen pieces. Defeated, Jassyn placed his head in his hands, his chest tight as he swallowed back a strangled gasp. A few days. He had a few days before he had to leave and perform his duty to the realm. If he could even pretend what Farine forced him to do at her estate had anything to do with the survival of the elven race with all the males and females she made him service.

“Let’s see…mending, illumination, portaling, shielding, force, and rending.” The lack of emotion in his voice detracted a little from her satisfaction. Surely having six abilities was an achievement, especially since she wasn’t a pure-blood. Well, he is an arch elf, so it makes sense if he’s hard to impress. The talents at her disposal were more than she expected.

“What?” Squinting at the prince, she scoffed at his slur. Vesryn was training her kind at the academy and would be betrothed to a half-breed. She considered throwing the relic at the prince’s head to knock the smug expression off his face. As if provoked by the thought, the Heart flared in Serenna’s hand, shooting a pulse of heat into her arm, straight into her chest. Her spine went taut like a bowstring when a low, guttural voice uncoiled in her mind. Greetings, young draka, hear our plight, New hatchlings from earth and starlight. From distant galaxies did the whelps arrive. They stole our magic and left us deprived. They used five Hearts to bind our power in chains: Earth, Fire, Lightning, Wind, and Rain. The balance of earth, it must be restored. The Hearts must be returned to where they were forged. But the Hearts were hidden by the thieving hands, The cunning ones from otherworldly lands. Bring us the Hearts so we can restore The harmony as we had before the war. Young draka, heed our call, For this balance of nature affects us all.

Taking Nelya’s advice, Serenna and Velinya both attended evening regeneration sessions. On overcast nights, they learned that limited starlight made replenishing magic problematic—not that either of them had a need to restore their power since their Essence hadn’t manifested yet. Joining them one session, Jassyn had mused that perhaps the extinct shamanic powers could push back the clouds, but the elves’ magic didn’t have the same capabilities over the elements.

The red-haired woman pursed her pouty lips. She held the wine bottle out as if expecting someone to take it from her. Which, they did. Unfolding her legs, she stood gracefully, as sinuous as a viper slithering across sand. Serenna was forced to crane her neck to meet her gaze. “I heard one of my sire’s human offspring was in attendance,” she said with a sneer. “I didn’t expect to encounter you so soon. I’m Ayla Vallende of the Kyansari courts. If you’ve spent any time in Alari, you would know that my mother, Ceryn Raellyn, has a seat on the High Council.” A heavy silence suffocated the courtyard. Serenna blinked as shock careened through her thoughts. I have a sister? And she’s related to Jassyn? An unexpected sting sliced through her chest. She glanced at Velinya for support, only to see bewilderment marring her friend’s features as well.

Wouldnt that make her pure elf? Jassyns mother i tthough was pure elf

Out of the things she mentally cataloged, she’d only discovered a few items evoking such excitement from Jassyn. Plants contended for a spot near the top of the list, right beside the most sickeningly sweet desserts, and perfectly dyed book spines—lavender of all shades.

Jassyn’s eyes unfocused on the horizon. “Ayla’s mother, Ceryn, is my half sister. I was already at Centarya by the time Ceryn was born.” He idly ran his fingers along the stars tattooed across his hand. “Anyway,” he said abruptly, squaring his shoulders. “You’re going to find out soon enough, so I might as well be the one to inform you. Vesryn and I are…cousins. Half cousins.”