The Opal Witch: Prophecy (Book Two)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Lux

When Declan explained what happened in the bedroom, Lux considered turning herself invisible. Anything to hide as mortification gnawed in her gut, but after she excused herself to finish getting dressed, the embarrassment gave way to fear. She fastened the top button of her jeans and pressed her hands against her abdomen to settle the sudden rush of nausea.

There were a lot of things she was afraid of, but knew she could fight if she had too. Bloodborn. Check. Demons. Check. The Fae Queen. Check. Each was terrifying in their own way, but she had her magic, her Circle, and Declan. Together they could do anything—she truly believed it.

But losing herself? That she wasn't sure she was strong enough to handle.

The time after turning seventeen and before she found her channeling stone had been the darkest moments of her life. Not only did she feel weak and out of control, but she was forced to watch her loved ones turn themselves inside out to save her. Even then, when her father came up with the solution to bind her human half, she had refused because it would mean giving up who she was, and if that was gone, what had they actually saved?

None of that compared with now. If Declan was right and someone else was riding shotgun in her body, they were at a far greater risk than they'd been a couple of years ago. Lux's magic had been new and undeveloped, but she'd devoted nearly every free hour to increasing control and gaining knowledge. She was a loaded gun with perfect aim.

Lux paused in front of her mirror. Whoever Declan had seen was dormant at the moment—the only thing in her eyes was worry. Worry that detonated as a thought came to her. Was this what Kitty had seen? The things her old friend said to her never made sense. She couldn't fathom how she crossed the line from a witch dedicated to protecting her Circle and earth to one who'd willingly work with Morgan and unlock the Gateways.

But what if it had never been her to begin with?

"Shit," she cursed, kicking at a pile of laundry.

The clothes toppled over, revealing the sack of books she'd purchased at the mall. In all the chaos surrounding Declan's return and his new friends, she'd forgotten that she wanted to look through them, and while now didn't seem like the best time, the familiar nudging of intuition urged her to pick up the book on Faerie magic. At least this way, she could ignore her revelation.

She flipped through the pages, skimming most of them. It seemed the writer focused on individual species of faeries like sprites, goblins, and nymphs, and it didn't tell her much more than what she already knew from childhood fairytales. Frustrated, she began to close the book, but the last chapter caught her eye.

"Faerie Stones"

Higher Fae like the nine enchantresses of Avalon used crystals to store magic inside of them. Often, it was benevolent magic—perhaps a water stone that might be given to a farmer experiencing a drought, or a stone imbued with life force for the woman trying to conceive. Once these stones were common gifts from the High Fae, but after they returned to Avalon, faerie stones became coveted objects passed down from one generation to the next. A few lucky individuals may stumble upon one of these gems, but be wary. Not all faerie stones are good.

The banished sister and faerie queen, Morgan le Fay, has no love for man, and she has given humans cursed stones. Stones that would steal youth or spread disease. Her cruelty knows no bounds.

Lux stopped and frowned. Who was this person who knew so much? She flipped the book over to read the cover and was shocked to find no author was listed. No publisher, either. Perhaps Calum would know if the Fae used crystals this way, though it wouldn't be surprising that other beings used gemstones and crystals. The stones themselves, while possessing normal magical properties like nearly everything else in this world, were important to the witches because they were conduits and could focus magic. They eased the burden of the angelic portion of their soul. But what this book described sounded far too much like the way Bloodborns used channeling stones—a prison for magic and souls.