Exos paused on the path, his arm stretching toward a translucent tendril of smoke. He gave it a tug, pulling a darker aura toward us.
This leads to the Midnight Fae, the ones you call vampires. They have wards in place to identify a breach from our lands, which I could circumvent with a lot of concentration. But there’s no point in altering their lives, as they are so different from our own.
He released the dark string and reached for another, lighter one, the color a pristine white.
Fortune Fae, he mused. They foresee the future and don’t require any runes at all. Because they would see me coming before I even tried.
Exos selected a handful of others, naming the different types and associating them with their colors before releasing their strands. They all seemed to wave around us, humming near the vibrant core, waiting to be manipulated.
But it was the elemental ones that seemed to writhe around him as he stroked his fingers through the air.
Their souls recognize our power, he mused. Unlike the others, there’s nothing foreign about our touch and they almost welcome our interference, our source of vitality. He caught one that hummed close to my side, the yarn appearing almost frayed at the edges. His brow furrowed as he studied the patterns, his gaze flickering to Cyrus. A powerful Spirit Fae did this.
Yes, Cyrus agreed.
Did what? I asked, gently stroking the cord and recognizing the earth energy vibrating protectively within the threads.
Do you recognize it? Exos countered, releasing the soul to my hands and smiling as the essence twined around my arm like a loving vine, sliding upward to rest near my heart.
A tear caught in my eye as the name breathed into my spirit. Sol.
Mmm, Exos hummed in confirmation as he captured a flash of light in his palm. The ball unwound into the flicker of a flame that he released onto my shoulder.
Titus, I recognized immediately. And the one hovering by your head is Vox.
Yes, it’s like he’s supervising me even from afar, Exos mused, teasing the spirit with a puff of air.
Can they feel us?
He shook his head. They might sense we’re near, but they can’t access this plane.
Their spirits are entirely vulnerable to our influence, Cyrus added, his palm cradling a liquid strand of powerful waves.
Your father, I realized.
Yes. He settled the essence on his shoulder, his gaze watching as Vox floated closer to me. Those of our bloodline gravitate to our presence automatically. And it seems your mates have found you as well.
But they can’t feel us, I said, disturbed. That’s a terrifying concept.
It is, Exos agreed. Which is why entering this plane should only be done with a purpose.
To do otherwise would be an abuse of power, Cyrus added. But this is where one would go to manipulate another being, because access to the soul allows you to control the mind.
This is how Elana questioned Ignis and her friends, Exos added. She went into this plane to access their souls and force the truth to the front.
And also how she made everyone freeze in the gym. I shivered, recalling how everyone bowed and remained that way until she released them. She commanded so many souls.
A show of power. Exos raised his arm, and a swarm of energy latched onto him in an instant, including the souls that had been clinging to me. It takes practice, but calling upon the spirit of others isn’t a difficult task. He released them as quickly as he’d summoned them, his expression radiating a regal brightness that took my breath away.
Perhaps now you understand why so many fear us, Cyrus whispered.
I swallowed, nodding. Yeah. Because that was terrifying. Exos hadn’t even needed to think to call all those lives to him. It struck me then how easily he could command the fae, manipulate their minds to his will, and take over the entire elemental world. Maybe even more.
Yet he remained poised and in control.
Always.
No wonder you’re so stubborn, I marveled. Both of you.