Bleeding Ink

Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Dessa couldn't help but grin as she rushed forward into Kalla's outstretched arms, both of them laughing as soon as they wrapped each other in a hug.

Though she'd caused quite a lot of chaos for Dalcaine before, Kalla had practically become family after all she'd done for Dessa's family, Dalcaine, and Escarral. Like Gideon and Cleo, Kalla was always teaching her how to do everything that made her parents' have heart attacks. She loved to tease Jai about it, too. Dessa's father would act annoyed, but Kalla was one of his closest friends and ended up rolling his eyes before giving her a crushing hug.

"Am I becoming blind and deaf in my old age, or did the five of you just appear out of nowhere?" Kalla asked her then, squeezing her tight before kissing the side of her head.

"You, old?" Dessa laughed. She looked pointedly at the small tattoo along her left cheekbone, the one in an ancient Fae language that Dessa had always been able to read. It was spelled with magic that gave her immortality. "Never. But yes to the latter."

"Then your mother's letter a few weeks ago about you finally getting your magic..."

She lifted a hand between them and her shadowflame immediately flickered to life. Kalla's eyes widened as she marveled at her show of magic, at the dark flames with sprinkles of glittering silver.

"Lyv wasn't wrong about that, was she, kid?"

"Nope."

Even as Dessa closed her hand, smothering the shadowflame, Kalla couldn't stop looking at her. Something flickered in her ice blue eyes. Something like...realization...as she slowly lifted her hands to Dessa's face to cradle it between them. She didn't say a word even as she looked behind her at Elys. A silent question was asked, to which he nodded his head just as Dessa shifted to glance back at him.

"Well," Kalla smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Do you want to get settled in your rooms before we head out? And Des...I want to talk to you, too. Learn more about what's been going on from you and not just Lyv's letters."

"Same rooms as always?" Archer asked, hiking his bag over his shoulder once more as he started following Milena and Eamon out.

"You got it, kid."

Leaving her, Dessa, and Elys alone.

When Dessa turned back to her, gone was the fun and mischievous Kalla Dessa knew all too well and in her place was a female who was filled with worry. Without her even having to say it, she knew why there was a sudden change in her. She'd seen Cleo struggle with gaining control over her magic when she was little, went through the fear and prejudice of others who saw her as a threat. She was worried about Dessa facing those same challenges, even though she was a princess of Dalcaine and had so many people surrounding her to help and guide her along the way.

Dessa's smile waivered as she reached up and covered Kalla's hands with her own. "I'm all right, Aunt Kalla," she told her quietly. "I promise."

"Are you sure?" she whispered back. "Gods, we all knew this day would come, but still. Seeing you with your magic and knowing it's both light and dark..."

"I'm sure. And if you need some reassurance, just ask that one behind me."

Kalla looked over her shoulder at Elys again.

"She really is all right, Kalla. And she's doing a phenomenal job with learning her magic."

She nodded, looking at Dessa again. "Tell me everything."