in the Earth realm. That was I nothing more than abandoned trash who would have died, and that I should be grateful to be in the Underworld and have the honor of serving as Kymaris’ vessel. I understand he told me this to save me the pain of wondering about a better life, but still…”
Her words trail off, a clear indication she’s not sure how this makes her feel. I imagine the barrage of emotions that come when she thinks about it must be suffocating.
I decide it’s time to stop this talk. Zora probably has hundreds of horror stories she could tell me, and I want to hear them all. I need to help her bear her pain.
But it’s enough for right now.
On my hit list, right beside Kymaris, I add Amell’s name. I want to make sure Carrick and the crew understand that when the final battle comes, he’s mine to deal with. I don’t know if I can kill him because I’m not sure if Zora would let me, but I do want to cause him pain in some way.
With a clap of my hands, I brighten my voice. “Enough serious talk. Let’s discuss all the things you still have to see and experience. We need to make a bucket list of items to do. We can probably knock a few things off before the ritual, what with Kymaris lying super low until the new moon.”
Smiling, Zora settles back into her chaise. Eyes closing once again, she says, “Do you think we can fly in an actual plane soon?”
CHAPTER 16
Finley
We don’t go back to the Academy this morning to work on Zora’s magical powers, but rather set up in Titus and Priya’s front yard where we first stepped foot from Seattle. The weather is glorious, there’s plenty of room, and the scenery is unparalleled.
Caiden isn’t joining us, so we’ve decided Carrick will be the one to help Zora tap into her powers. Titus, Priya, and I are taking a backseat.
Rather, we are sitting on the steps of their front porch while Carrick takes a moment to explain a few things to Zora out in the middle of the yard.
“We don’t know what you have inside of you,” Carrick says, pointing out our biggest hurdle. “We know it’s born of light magic, and then turned dark. We know Amell taught you how to hold some back, but we don’t know exactly what you have and how much. It’s entirely possible you’ve been able to segregate out some of the light before it got twisted, but it’s just as likely you only have dark magic.”
“Which is a liability,” Zora says with disappointment.
“Not necessarily,” Carrick replies with a shake of his head. “You have a choice in how to wield that magic. For example, you’ve chosen wings and the ability to fly. That doesn’t seem all that dark to me.”
“So you’re saying intention has something to do with it?” Zora asks with a frown.
“Intention is part of it,” he says carefully. “But so is your inherent nature. You were raised in an environment stripped of humanity. You’re human, but you didn’t live in a human society.”
“So I’m evil?” Zora asks with a frown.
I wince, because that’s not what he’s saying, but I hate that’s where her head went.
Carrick smiles gently. “On the contrary, I think you’re as human as Finley with an identical conscience to hers. All I’m saying is that dark magic can inflame passions or anger. When Finley somehow drew on it in Faere, had she not been stopped, I’m fairly sure she would have tried to kill Deandra. So that is an example of how good you can be, but how dark magic can overtake your sensibilities. That is where you need to be strong.”
Zora takes in a deep breath before letting it out with a firm nod of her head. “I understand.”
Carrick looks my way, and I give him a quick thumbs-up. He’s handling her beautifully.
When his attention is back on my sister, he says, “You learned how to use your magic to give yourself wings. How did you do that the first time?”
“First, I envisioned it. It was really the only thing I longed for in the Underworld. To be able to fly, which was the only way to be free.”
“That longing for it,” Carrick says, urging her to focus. “Did you use it to pull forth your power?”
Zora’s eyebrows knit in thought and she even closes her eyes, as if she’s thinking back to that