Secrets of Magic (Soul of Magic Book 3)

SEVEN

As soon as Kyra entered into her room to see Lucian waiting for her with a displeased frown on his face and his arms akimbo, she knew that the impending conversation wasn't going to be a pleasant one.

"Now that you’ve gotten all the pleasantries out of the way, perhaps you can explain to me why the Void I'm just learning the truth about your origins today," said the blonde-haired warrior, his voice rising at the tail end of the statement to signify the anger he barely had contained within him.

"Lucian, you have to understand that it wasn't my intention to keep it a secret from you," Kyra replied, hoping desperately that would be enough to pacify his anger. "It’s just that we’ve never had the time to discuss it."

"Oh, so you just happened to be unable to find the “time” in two years to tell me that you're actually the daughter of a Duke, and of Everon for that matter!" he returned at her and she sighed; she realized the weakness in her excuse too.

But truth be told, Kyra hadn’t kept her origins a secret from Lucian intentionally; at least not intentionally to be malicious. It just had happened that the first time they met, she hadn’t thought she could trust him with it; he didn’t exactly tell her his whole life story three seconds after they met either. And when she discovered that she wasn’t even the Duke and Duchess’ actual relative and therefore, not really their foster daughter, she concluded there and then that the information was irrelevant.

But it was relevant to Lucian and Kyra was starting to realize just how much. To the blonde-haired warrior, the Soul of magic's origin was a very vital part of he existence and she electing not to tell him anything about it meant that didn’t trust him with the things that were most important to her; and the issue of the Bloodstone which still hung over their heads like a floating mountain only fortified that point.

Suddenly feeling as if the weight of the whole realm was bearing down to crush them, Kyra walked to her bed and fell unceremoniously on it; Lucian doing the same on a chair. For a while, neither of them said anything, letting only the sound of their breathing fill the tortuous space that was the bedroom.

"How do I fix this, Lucian?" Kyra asked all of a sudden, her voice coming out so low that it was almost a whisper. "How do I take us back to where we were?"

"I don't think that's possible, Kyra," replied the blonde-haired warrior, the anger burning inside him suddenly replaced by a profound sadness at the state of things. "But if we’re ever going to have even the slightest chance of moving forward together, all the secrets must come to light, including the one we're keeping from everyone presently."

The Soul of magic sighed deeply; she knew exactly what Lucian was driving at and why it was important she considered it. "Alright," she said. "Let's reveal all the secrets."

***

Karl, Commander of the soldiers of Everon and present Regent of the independent land, was never a man to get worried; in fact, he was renowned for it. His calm and clear-headed nature had always been what the people respected about him.It made him force which they could trust, who could quiet their anxieties even when things weren't looking their way. And combined with his combat skills so deadly in battle that no assailant had ever had the chance to come up against him and win, it was no wonder really that the late Lord Byron had felt the town with him in charge.

But calm and clear-headed as the commander was, he couldn't help but feel worry bubbling up inside of him when he received the news that the returned Duchess-to-be wanted to see him as a matter of great urgency. In truth, Karl already had his suspicions that her mysterious return wasn't all a matter of joy; her departure two years ago was abrupt and in spite how much he pressed her late uncle and adopted father to tell him why the young lady had left, he never gave the commander any response tangible enough to satisfy his curiousity.

But all that aside, Karl loved and respected Kyra, just like he would his own daughter if he had been fortunate enough to have one; and that was why he wasn't giving in to the warning bells still ringing in his head and decided to let the truth come to him naturally.

Stepping into the study to see her and her friend, Lucian, engaged in a deep conversation that was abruptly cut off when they noticed his presence, the commander’s brows creased more in worry. But he put his best manner forward nevertheless. "My lady," he said, bowing. "You asked to see me."

"Yes, Commander. Thank you for coming," she replied. "I know that you're busy but it's just that there's something I need to tell you, something I should have said a long time before now."

Just as Kyra was about to delve into her explanation, Jurgen suddenly burst into the study, sweating and panting as if he'd been running non-stop. "We have a problem," he announced.

"What is it, Jurgen?" asked Karl, his voice calm but it held a bit of a worried undertone; Kyra's stalled confession and Jurgen's abrupt entrance was getting to be a lot more than the commander's mind could handle.

"About a hundred men are headed for the town," Jurgen replied. "And they look ready for battle, sire."

A look passed between Kyra and Lucian and Karl immediately spotted it. "Okay, do either of you mind explaining to me what in the Creator's name is going on here?" The commander's look immediately turned and the duo knew they had been caught.

Kyra took a deep breath, her expression suddenly turning a bit scared and unsure. "Karl," she began. "The truth is that my arrival and that of these men of yours isn't a coincidence. The men Jurgen spotted, they’re actually here to kill me.”

“What! Why?” The commander was now more worried; he hadn’t imagined that Kyra’s life was in danger.

“Because the real truth is that I’m a witch,” she replied. “And not just any kind." Kyra stood up and went to stand in front of Karl so that he saw her eyes and the truth in them when she spoke her next words. "I’m the Soul of magic."