“Don’t be afraid, Aurora.” His tone was kind. “I only want to test the intensity of your powers so we know what we are dealing with. The presence of that amulet around your neck tells me that you are indeed telling the truth.”
I hesitated, but I removed the amulet and put it down on the table in front of me. I glanced down at my hands. They had started tingling, and slowly a strange light started seeping out of my palms. A pressure grew in my chest as if something within was just starting to stir, a power so vast that my body started to shake with the force of its awakening. It was as if I were lighting up from the inside. Soon my whole right hand had started glowing with an iridescent blue-white light. I stared at my shining hand and tried to control what was happening to me, but the pressure kept building and my vision started to blur.
The duke’s sharp voice cut through the haze. “The amulet, Aurora. Please, put it back on.” His voice held a trace of panic. “Now, Aurora! That is more than enough.”
I slipped the chain around my neck. The amulet rested heavy against my chest, and the pressure ebbed and disappeared, the light that had infused my body gone.
The duke let out a breath that seemed to be more a sigh of relief. “Like I said before, there have been instances when a child has taken on both powers. It is very rare—you are the only fae-mage to have been born in over a thousand years.”
“A thousand years! Are you serious?” I blurted out.
The duke’s lips turned up in an amused smile. “Yes, I am very serious, Aurora. Your powers are probably unsurpassable, from what I gathered in the brief moment when I experienced your magic, but you will have to learn how to use them, or it could lead to disaster. A fae-mage who cannot control both her mage and fae powers is a threat to herself and to the world around her. For now, tell no one what we have discovered here, except our immediate family and a few others we can trust. I will let you get settled in, and then we will begin lessons to help you learn to wield your magic.”
He suddenly got up from his chair and came over with his arms outstretched. I stood up awkwardly as the duke enveloped me in a big bear hug. Unexpected happy tears pooled in my eyes as I hugged him back.
The duke stepped back, held onto both my arms, and looked at me as if he were seeing me for the first time. “Welcome back, Aurora.”
“Thank you, um . . . Duke,” I said, a little embarrassed at the sudden affection. Ever since my adoptive parents had died, I had forgotten what it was like to have someone actually care about me.
The duke laughed, a happy, deep rumble. “Call me Uncle Gabriel from now on, Aurora—after all, we are family.”
Silverthorne Castle
Golden sunlight streamed in through the large windows, warming the plush, embroidered rugs and rich mahogany furniture. It had been a long journey getting here, but it seemed like I was finally home.
My granduncle put his hand on my shoulder. “It’s been quite an ordeal for you, and I am sure you will be glad to have a decent bed to sleep in. Tomorrow, my daughter, Serena, and my grandson, Erien, will visit for a while. It is fortuitous, as now you can meet the rest of your family.” He summoned a small, plump maid who was to show me to my room. “Now you must rest. Herring, here, can help you with whatever you may need.”
I thanked my granduncle and followed Herring down a veritable maze of corridors. Some were small and drafty with dark stone walls and slits for windows, while others were brighter and wider with high ceilings, where large, open arches lined the passages and the walls were covered from ceiling to floor with beautiful tapestries. I took in my surroundings as we crossed small, enclosed courtyards blooming with tall stems of fragrant snapdragons, and long, open walkways covered by an intricate white marble trellis bursting with lavender cascades of flowering wisteria.
My sense of direction was good, but this castle was massive and confusing as Herring led me through huge echoing halls, empty but ornamented with gigantic carved pillars that stood like silent sentinels guarding the castle. A great marble staircase swept upward to the landing and the second floor of the east wing.
I tried to remember how I got there. I was sure I would get lost before I could manage to figure out this castle’s passages.
I was too tired to take in the rest of my surroundings. When I reached my room, I wobbled over to the bed and fell asleep almost immediately without changing my clothes.
When I woke up, I was disoriented. I had no idea what the time was, and for a moment I couldn’t even remember where I was. This was the first time I had slept so soundly. The dream had not returned, and I hoped it never would again.
I looked over to see the same young maid bustling about the huge room quietly, doing some chores. Then I remembered the mages, the fae, the dungeon, and Silverthorne Castle. It hadn’t been a dream. I really was in a strange magical land where nothing made sense, and now was the time to face reality. I racked my sleepy brain for the girl’s name.
I sat up in my massive four-poster bed. “What time is it, Herring?”
Herring came over to the bed. “Oh, you’re up, my lady. It is now evening and time for supper.” The burnt orange
