My eyes closed as I breathed deeply, the smell of books being virtually the same there as it was on earth.
“Kanedraven, Your Highness. What brings you to my humble bookshop?” A man’s voice drew closer to us.
“Alret. It is good to see you.” He clasped the man’s hand, giving it a firm shake.
Alret fanned his arm out, motioning to the shop’s counter, his voice jovial and deep. “I have your latest request in. It arrived just this morning. My crew is working to authenticate it as we speak. It should be delivered within a day or two unless they find something that requires more research.”
“That is fantastic. However, I am not here for that. I was actually just showing my guest around Everwinter. She is a lover of the written word.” Kane moved to allow me to step up next to him. “Auriena, this is Alret. He owns this small establishment. Alret, this is Auriena Raulson.”
Alret’s gaze fell on me, a smile reaching up to his eyes. “Welcome. If you are a guest of our king, then you are welcome to all we have on display. Just ask, and it is yours.”
Kane chuckled. “He makes that distinction because Alret here specializes in hard to find tomes and books of magic.” He leaned in and whispered. “Those are not on display.”
“Yes.” Alret tipped his chin with a grin. “He is correct.”
“Well, we will have to become acquainted so maybe I can be privy to those as well one day.” I took the room in, letting my fingers dance over the cover of a nearby book.
“I am sure we shall.” He stepped back around the counter.
Kane led me around a series of bookcases. “I find it curious that you are not more drawn to and fascinated by magic. Even people of my world are, at the very least, curious,” he observed.
“That has not been a side of me I’ve wanted to delve into much, as I’ve explained. Therefore, if I get curious about it around me, then I not only give it power, but I also bring my own attentions to my own powers.” I flipped a book over and looked at the back cover before setting it down.
"You told me of your history… of your parents. And how you come from two magic borne bloodlines. I believe you called them Gypsy and Druid? So, you have your own magic? A unique blend of your own?" he asked.
I hadn’t really thought of it like that, but yeah. I supposed, in a way, I did. I’d never met anyone like me, especially not with the combination of gifts I had. “Yes. It stems from both my mother’s Gypsy magic and my father’s Druid side. It makes for an interesting combination I guess.”
"So, what all can you do? Show off for me." For the first time, he showed an interest in my powers.
“Show off?” I scoffed and wandered off to the shelves against the wall, letting the tip of my finger graze a long row of book spines. I was nervous being put on the spot, but my abilities had never failed me nor faltered. And they’d only seemed to have grown since I arrived on Naelyra. “The book thing? It is more instant here, but either way, you know how that works. You’ve seen it. I also feel emotions or see someone’s past but I see it like a scene in my mind. Often, I see someone’s emotions as if I’m seeing a vision of what they want to have happen. But I have to choose to see it. It is not a constant flow of information, just like when I send my own thoughts, history, feelings out to someone. I can...”
I stopped, letting my finger rest on a book a moment before continuing. “I have a lot of natural powers. My energies sometimes rely on drawing from the earth… well nature. But I can draw from another being as well. The more powerful they are, the stronger it makes me. The only cost is what it can do to the being I draw from. But like I said, I’ve not nurtured that side of me. Oh. And as you saw, I can borrow someone’s powers. It’s as if my mind sees the pattern of how to do the magic through them and learns it. Sometimes it’s permanent. Sometimes it’s only when they’re around. And before you ask, I don’t know why.”
He followed me like a bloodhound on my scent as we weaved through the shelves. "How are you going to tease me that you have these talents, but not use them?"
My eyebrows pull in as I spun around to face him. My hand came up to his cheek, resting gently. “You mean like...”
His eyes rolled back into his head flicking back and forth almost violently. "Fuck me."
He fell to his kneels holding my hand that was touching his cheek as he absorbed all that I was pouring into him. I had only intended on showing him a snippet of what I wanted him to know, but things came out of my so fast, and I couldn’t stop it. My heart raced as I struggled to get myself back in check.
Locked in that pose for a long moment, only releasing after the flood of information stopped. He fought to catch his breath as he blinked and looked up at me, growling, "That was a bit much."
I pulled away, never having seen that reaction before, my hand clamping down on my mouth. "I'm so sorry. I didn't think that would affect you like that. I'm so, so sorry! I mean, you wanted to see, but I didn't know that would happen!"
He shook his head, trying to get his bearings back, his face contorted. "That's some strong
