Tangled

39 Ava: Her Identity

39 Ava: Her Identity

You have the potential, Selene says, her voice a cautious whisper in my mind. The arcane flows through your veins. But…

My breath escapes me in a giddy rush. Magic. Real magic. Human magic. It’s something out of a fairy tale, not something that should exist in my life. Then again, supernaturals exist–and we’re pretty nonstandard,

ourselves.

It’s not that simple, Selene continues, her tone growing more serious. Magic is not a toy, little one. It’s a force of nature, raw and untamed. To wield it requires knowledge, discipline, and control.

I swallow hard, feeling the warning in her words. “But how do I learn? I don’t even know where to start.”

You would need a teacher, Selene explains, her voice tinged with hesitation. Someone well–versed in the arcane arts, who could guide you, show you how to harness and control your power. But magic is a lost art. Magicians were lost to the curse and became shifters.

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39 Ava: Her Identity

Talk about a letdown.

O

“So, I won’t be able to do magic.” Is that how you say it? Do magic? Cast magic? Spell magic? Cast spells? It all feels weird in my mouth.

It is unlikely, Selene says, but she still has that cautious

sound to her voice.

“If I tried, what’s the worst that could happen?”

Death.

A simple word, bluntly given, with all the truth in the world behind it. I shudder at the matter–of–fact tone.

were lost to the recklessness of their magical talent. Until magicians began to teach each other, too many lives were lost

to regain some of the warmth that fled my body as

down the odd sense of loss. Magic would have been amazing to learn, of course. But–if Selene says it’s too dangerous, I believe

Her

volatile.

a question that’s been bothering me from the

Of course.

me? No shifter has

thoughtful sound that echoes through my mind. You were born bonded with the ancient magic, she explains in that non–explaining way, where nothing is really answered. We are both separate and one at the same time.

again. All shifters are bonded with ancient magic, and they don’t have any ‘separate‘, only ‘one‘. Why am I

sighs, and I can almost picture her shaking her head. It’s the nature of

professor now? And what are we, exactly? Are you a Lycan

Ava: Her Identity

filled with a quiet pride. I came to be with you of my own choice.

if that somehow makes my brain work better. “How is that possible? Doesn’t

who is matched?”

brisk. For now, it’s more important

mention of the alpha sends a shiver down my spine, and I can feel

like yesterday. But I can’t let this conversation go just yet. I’m finally getting

mean, we’re separate and one at the same time? I don’t understand any

Selene says, her voice softening. There is much you don’t understand yet. But trust me when I say that everything will be revealed in time. For

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demand answers, but the heat is building faster now, and I can feel my skin starting to prickle with sweat.

is enough.

and tossing it on the ground as I go. Niceties are foregone; I just want to get control of my

as I can.

how far they are, but

my nose.

of them. One’s a little weaker, but he’ll do

Ava!

me feel better for

minutes, huddled

617

Her Identity

keep my mind clear to an

extent.

heat even a thing? This is ridiculous. I’m losing my mind because I want some dick? Who