Magic Unleashed (Hall of Blood and Mercy, #3)

by K.M. Shea

The Paragon used his beard to wipe his face off—after all of this I wasn’t just suspicious that the Paragon wasn’t as old as he looked, but completely certain he was way younger than he chose to appear.

Paragon: The Paragon used his beard to wipe his face off—after all of this I wasn’t just suspicious that the Paragon wasn’t as old as he looked, but completely certain he was way younger than he chose to appear.

the Paragon’s study—which was settled in his private pocket realm in the fae realm. The study was stuffed with gorgeous wooden bookshelves, almost to the point of feeling overcrowded, but it was such a unique blend of old magic and human tech toys that it was always fun to visit. A statue of a unicorn carved out of a crystal was settled on a shelf with a sleek video gaming system. His desk—made out of a living tree—held stacks of books older than America, and what looked like one of the first iPod models. Vials filled with curious liquids were lined up neatly on spice racks, and beneath them was an empty carton of Chinese takeout. As always, the most noticeable thing about the study was the enormous velvet pet bed. It had changed locations from a bookshelf to the open mouth of a dragon head statue that was about the size of a pony. Lounging on that bed was a gloriously hairless sphinx cat. Today she was rolled up like a giant, pink egg, her head tucked almost invisibly under her body. “Hello, Aphrodite,” I said. She unearthed her head, revealing ears so big they were bat-like. She gave me a friendly “Mmert”, and stretched, jiggling the tiny gold bell on her collar—which appeared to be embroidered with real gold. “Aphrodite!” The Paragon scratched her chin and cooed over her. “Help me pick out a tea for my guests!” He scooped up the hairless cat and carried her across the study to a locked cabinet.

Paragon/Aphrodite: the Paragon’s study—which was settled in his private pocket realm in the fae realm. The study was stuffed with gorgeous wooden bookshelves, almost to the point of feeling overcrowded, but it was such a unique blend of old magic and human tech toys that it was always fun to visit. A statue of a unicorn carved out of a crystal was settled on a shelf with a sleek video gaming system. His desk—made out of a living tree—held stacks of books older than America, and what looked like one of the first iPod models. Vials filled with curious liquids were lined up neatly on spice racks, and beneath them was an empty carton of Chinese takeout. As always, the most noticeable thing about the study was the enormous velvet pet bed. It had changed locations from a bookshelf to the open mouth of a dragon head statue that was about the size of a pony. Lounging on that bed was a gloriously hairless sphinx cat. Today she was rolled up like a giant, pink egg, her head tucked almost invisibly under her body. “Hello, Aphrodite,” I said. She unearthed her head, revealing ears so big they were bat-like. She gave me a friendly “Mmert”, and stretched, jiggling the tiny gold bell on her collar—which appeared to be embroidered with real gold. “Aphrodite!” The Paragon scratched her chin and cooed over her. “Help me pick out a tea for my guests!” He scooped up the hairless cat and carried her across the study to a locked cabinet.

The Paragon set Aphrodite down inside the cabinet. “There you go my angel, find the best one for them,” he said. Aphrodite glanced back at us. “Mert?” “Yes,” the Paragon said. “For the both of them.” The cat twitched her long, bony tail, then started sniffing tea canisters. What is going on? Before I could ask, the Paragon beamed at us. “Not only am I bestowing this treasured drink upon you, but Aphrodite herself is picking out the flavor and mix! Such an honor is not often bestowed!” Killian looked pained. “Your cat is picking out the tea?” “Indeed!” the Paragon cackled. “She has superior taste, and it is always such fun to drink and discover what she has selected for the day.” I’d been watching the cat brush her pink nose on a few canisters as she prowled the shelf. “You mean you don’t know what she chooses?”

Paragon/Aphrodite: The Paragon set Aphrodite down inside the cabinet. “There you go my angel, find the best one for them,” he said. Aphrodite glanced back at us. “Mert?” “Yes,” the Paragon said. “For the both of them.” The cat twitched her long, bony tail, then started sniffing tea canisters. What is going on? Before I could ask, the Paragon beamed at us. “Not only am I bestowing this treasured drink upon you, but Aphrodite herself is picking out the flavor and mix! Such an honor is not often bestowed!” Killian looked pained. “Your cat is picking out the tea?” “Indeed!” the Paragon cackled. “She has superior taste, and it is always such fun to drink and discover what she has selected for the day.” I’d been watching the cat brush her pink nose on a few canisters as she prowled the shelf. “You mean you don’t know what she chooses?”

“Aphrodite chose this tea for you two specifically,” the Paragon said. “I can’t go trampling her careful choice and imbibing it myself. Now please, sit down.”

Aphrodite: “Aphrodite chose this tea for you two specifically,” the Paragon said. “I can’t go trampling her careful choice and imbibing it myself. Now please, sit down.”

“Oh, it appears to have worked! What a wonderful choice, Aphrodite! As usual, you know just what tea to pick.” “…Huh?” I said. “What?” Killian said, murderous. “Aphrodite.” The Paragon motioned to his cat—sitting in her pet bed positioned in the dragon statue’s mouth—and plopped down in the empty seat at the table. “She picked out my ‘lovers’ summer’ tea for the two of you.” Killian straightened. “I thought you said you didn’t check the label?” “For me.” The Paragon took off his spectacles and tossed them on the table. “Of course I was going to read what she picked out for the two of you! I need to know what she thinks you’re lacking.” He took a swig of his drink. “Ahhh, that’s good stuff. Anyway, in this case, she must believe you need to rekindle your romance.” When our gazes swung to the sphinx cat, she yawned, displaying a mouthful of white teeth. “You’re joking,” Killian said. “Not at all. Aphrodite is very intuitive. She knows just what people need! Just last week she picked out a very appropriate tea for the Day King when he dropped by to complain. I call it ‘calm the heck down.’ A few swigs and he was sleeping like a baby!” “Wait.” I narrowed my eyes as a few facts came into sharp focus. “Then Killian is right. Your tea is laced—with magic!” The Paragon gave me a huge smile. “No wonder it tasted flowery! That was fae magic—I thought something was off. Fae mental magics are harder for us wizards to resist, so that would explain it.” I groaned and massaged my head, u...

Paragon/Aphrodite/Tea: “Oh, it appears to have worked! What a wonderful choice, Aphrodite! As usual, you know just what tea to pick.” “…Huh?” I said. “What?” Killian said, murderous. “Aphrodite.” The Paragon motioned to his cat—sitting in her pet bed positioned in the dragon statue’s mouth—and plopped down in the empty seat at the table. “She picked out my ‘lovers’ summer’ tea for the two of you.” Killian straightened. “I thought you said you didn’t check the label?” “For me.” The Paragon took off his spectacles and tossed them on the table. “Of course I was going to read what she picked out for the two of you! I need to know what she thinks you’re lacking.” He took a swig of his drink. “Ahhh, that’s good stuff. Anyway, in this case, she must believe you need to rekindle your romance.” When our gazes swung to the sphinx cat, she yawned, displaying a mouthful of white teeth. “You’re joking,” Killian said. “Not at all. Aphrodite is very intuitive. She knows just what people need! Just last week she picked out a very appropriate tea for the Day King when he dropped by to complain. I call it ‘calm the heck down.’ A few swigs and he was sleeping like a baby!” “Wait.” I narrowed my eyes as a few facts came into sharp focus. “Then Killian is right. Your tea is laced—with magic!” The Paragon gave me a huge smile. “No wonder it tasted flowery! That was fae magic—I thought something was off. Fae mental magics are harder for us wizards to resist, so that would explain it.” I groaned and massaged my head, until my mind caught up with me. “Wait, you laced our drinks!” I leaped out of the chair and launched myself at the Paragon, who gave a high-pitched squeal of fright. Killian caught me midair. “What was in the tea?” he said between clenched teeth. “Barely anything at all.” The Paragon retreated to the far side of his study, cowering by Aphrodite’s dragon statue. “Just a hint of magic—barely enough to make you two relax and speak your minds. But the magic is only there for the first two or three sips. And the effects are very short lived—only a minute or two!” Killian set me down, but left an arm resting on my shoulders, and together we stared the Paragon down. He rolled his eyes. “It’s such trace amounts it’s not even illegal! Just being around Mr. Studly here is more likely to juice you up given the pheromones vampires ooze. I just wanted to give you two an opportunity to talk.” When he glanced back at us, the light in his eyes was tired and ancient, matching his sham of an appearance. “What you two have is rare. It pained me to see you at odds when friendship between supernaturals is so unheard of.” Killian narrowed his eyes. “How easy is it for the fae Courts to find the next Paragon?” The Paragon squeaked.

I dare say Aphrodite would make a better Paragon than you’d expect. She has more sense than half the fae.” That didn’t strike me as a very Paragon-esque thing to say about your own people, but the Paragon hardly looked at all like a fae as he slurped his drink and itched his nose.

The Paragon hesitated and hugged Aphrodite close. “And because…Hazel…there is a possibility your parents’ deaths were not an accident.” My heart sputtered. “What do you mean?” I asked in a shaky voice. “They died in a car crash.” “And within three weeks you had a coup on your hands?” The Paragon shook his head. “Mason was too well prepared for it to be a coincidence.” My spit tasted metallic and bitter. “You think they were murdered…to kick off Mason’s coup?” “It is a possibility.” The Paragon cowered a little, then hesitantly offered me his hairless cat. I wanted to burst into sobs and scream—I’d thought it wasn’t fair my parents were taken from me when I was so young, but even just thinking that it might not have been an accident after all made their deaths that much crueler and more terrible. “Mmert,” Aphrodite said. I reached out and took her with shaking hands. I wasn’t expecting to really feel comforted by her—even if she was a sweet cat, the hairless thing kinda freaked me out to be honest. But Aphrodite climbed up my lap, planted her front paws on my chest, and leaned in, settling just over my heart. She purred, flooding me with warmth and assurance. A moment later, Killian slid a hand across my shoulders. “I’m sorry,” he murmured in my ear. It was hard to swallow, but I made myself do it. Aphrodite’s warmth gave me the courage to look up at the Paragon and meet his sad eyes. “Are

Aphrodite: The Paragon hesitated and hugged Aphrodite close. “And because…Hazel…there is a possibility your parents’ deaths were not an accident.” My heart sputtered. “What do you mean?” I asked in a shaky voice. “They died in a car crash.” “And within three weeks you had a coup on your hands?” The Paragon shook his head. “Mason was too well prepared for it to be a coincidence.” My spit tasted metallic and bitter. “You think they were murdered…to kick off Mason’s coup?” “It is a possibility.” The Paragon cowered a little, then hesitantly offered me his hairless cat. I wanted to burst into sobs and scream—I’d thought it wasn’t fair my parents were taken from me when I was so young, but even just thinking that it might not have been an accident after all made their deaths that much crueler and more terrible. “Mmert,” Aphrodite said. I reached out and took her with shaking hands. I wasn’t expecting to really feel comforted by her—even if she was a sweet cat, the hairless thing kinda freaked me out to be honest. But Aphrodite climbed up my lap, planted her front paws on my chest, and leaned in, settling just over my heart. She purred, flooding me with warmth and assurance. A moment later, Killian slid a hand across my shoulders. “I’m sorry,” he murmured in my ear. It was hard to swallow, but I made myself do it. Aphrodite’s warmth gave me the courage to look up at the Paragon and meet his sad eyes.

Surprisingly, it was Killian who broke it. “What are you doing with a love tea, anyway?” He frowned at the Paragon. “I can’t imagine anyone wanted to date you with this crusty appearance.” “I beg your pardon!” The Paragon puffed up his chest. “I’ll have you know I am quite popular! Or—that is to say—I was very popular in my youth!” He laughed sheepishly.

Paragon: Surprisingly, it was Killian who broke it. “What are you doing with a love tea, anyway?” He frowned at the Paragon. “I can’t imagine anyone wanted to date you with this crusty appearance.” “I beg your pardon!” The Paragon puffed up his chest. “I’ll have you know I am quite popular! Or—that is to say—I was very popular in my youth!” He laughed sheepishly.

The Paragon was the only fae I’d ever met who was straightforward and blunt. I wonder if that was why he took on the appearance of an ancient man. He has the mannerisms of someone much younger and I suspect he probably is younger than he appears, but his front lets him avoid the typical fae mean-streak because most people brush his honesty off as old age.

Paragon: The Paragon was the only fae I’d ever met who was straightforward and blunt. I wonder if that was why he took on the appearance of an ancient man. He has the mannerisms of someone much younger and I suspect he probably is younger than he appears, but his front lets him avoid the typical fae mean-streak because most people brush his honesty off as old age.

And there was a weird shadowy presence behind the Paragon—almost a black hole, except I could feel how it radiated magic, the same old and ancient flavor I’d come across a few times since Mason’s attempted coup.

Paragon: And there was a weird shadowy presence behind the Paragon—almost a black hole, except I could feel how it radiated magic, the same old and ancient flavor I’d come across a few times since Mason’s attempted coup.