you for coming to me, but now I ask you to go. You have served me well.” Seemed like the thing to say.
A loud crash, followed by a huge gush of air made me fall back onto the couch. With the move, my eyes opened to see the rune create a flash of light, then it vanished.
“All right, Álainn?” Kyden said in my mind.
“No,” I shouted aloud. “What the fuck was that?”
Misa, Tyde and Quinney stared at me with something close to awe, which made me sink deeper into the couch. Not again. Their expressions told me I was not going to like the conversation ahead.
After an incredibly long moment of silence, Misa said, “Sooo…you can draw runes.”
“Yeah, I see that.” Idiot! “But why can I do that?”
“Stumped me.” She glanced at Quinney. “Do you know?”
Quinney shook her head in a quick fluid movement. “Runes are a part of Black Magic.” She pointed at me and gave a knowing look. “You don’t use Black Magic.”
“No. I. Do. Not,” I spoke each word clearly to ensure everyone here understood that I wouldn’t go near such magic.
Kyden interjected. “I wonder if it’s from the bond with Magnus. You may have siphoned some of his ability.”
“Could that be true?” I asked.
“It’s only assumption I can come to. Since you shouldn’t be able to do what you just did, it can be the only cause.”
I lifted my chin in defiance. “Well, I won’t be using it.”
Kyden brushed his hand across my cheek and smiled, very gently. “It didn’t look dark to me. The runes I’ve seen are a mirror image of Black Magic. Yours was bright and white. I don’t believe you have anything to worry about.”
Quinney took her seat, her face an image of wonder. “I have to agree. I’ve never seen a rune that was white. Nor have I seen one that’s drawn in the air like that.”
“Really?” I squeaked.
“Normally, as you know, runes are drawn on the earth in black ash.” She examined me closely for a moment, then picked up the book. “I will need to see if there is anything like this in here.” She paused, then looked up again. “There is no need for the two of you to stay for this, it could take hours. I will keep at it until I have the answers we need, then I will come to you with my findings.”
“Thank you for that, Quinney,” Kyden said, as he stood and pulled me with him. The others followed suit, and accompanied us to the door.
I just wanted to get home and away from all this rune talk. Really, another new ability had shown itself. I was really growing tired of new things in my life. I just wanted old, boring Nexi, who had a few gifts, and that’s about it. It was all becoming really quite tiresome and I could feel the weight of it. Can’t the lesson of discovery be over?
At the door, Misa opened it, and a breath of frustration exhaled from my body as a large crowd of warlocks and witches surrounded the home.
My gaze found Kyden’s. “I’m guessing this isn’t the welcoming committee,” I grumbled.
He arched a brow, the irritation showed equally on his face. “Indeed, I think not.”
Chapter Seven
Quinney stepped around me and pushed me behind her to face the awaiting crowd of very unhappy Underworld beings. “What business do you have here?” she demanded.
“We have come to put right our world,” one of the Warlocks answered in a growl. “Our world will not be run by a White Witch. It’s a travesty.”
I sighed heavily as I looked at Kyden. “I guess we should have expected this?”
“Hrmph,” was his only response.
Deep protectiveness ran through me. Kyden puffed up as each second passed. He now saw firsthand the danger I was put in when he wasn’t around. Just let me say, it wasn’t going over well. He was pissed.
“You have no say in the Underworld,” Tyde argued. “You’re not members of the assembly.”
“This is also not the proper place to discuss it.” Quinney added.
“You,” the same Warlock snarled, “are pathetic. You went against our nature and along with a plan to destroy Magnus so that this horrendous leader could rise to power. You should all be crushed along with her.”
Misa growled. “You wish to declare a challenge against our Lady?”
A Witch stepped forward, glared a deadly threat toward me. “We’re not issuing a formal challenge. We seek to destroy her now.” With little warning, she blasted out a