The Consumption of Magic (Tales From Verania 3)

“What? They were the ones getting their voyeurism kink on!”

“Is he always like this?” Pat asked.

“Mostly,” Randall muttered.

“Only sometimes,” I corrected. “But you gotta admit that’s… not something I was expecting. It felt real.”

“It was real,” Pat said, glowing eyes blinking rapidly. “For all intents and purposes, you were corporeal. Your body and soul were split between two planes. If one had entered your room, they would have found you asleep on your bed, body warm, breathing slowed. But your spirit was elsewhere. And the spirit is just as real as the body that stands before me.”

“Always so serious,” Leslie said fondly. “Dear, must you make it sound so ominous?”

“I am stressing the point,” Pat said.

“Consider it stressed,” Leslie said, pressing her snout against Pat’s neck.

“But it wasn’t like….” I paused, considering.

Both dragons looked at me again. “Wasn’t like what?” Pat asked.

“Vadoma,” I said slowly. “My—my grandmother. She… the edges always felt… blurred. When she showed me what she did. Like I was lost in the dream. With you, I knew I was dreaming, but it was… I could feel the forest around me. Ryan against me. It—why was it different?”

“Because a dragon’s magic is different than that of a human,” Pat said. “This… Vadoma should not be dabbling in dreamwalking. A human soul cannot control what is shown to another.”

“So she could be mistaken?” I breathed.

I felt Randall’s gaze upon me, but I didn’t dare to turn around and look at him.

Leslie pulled away, but only just, remaining at eye level with me. And I didn’t know how, I didn’t know why, but right then, it was clear that she knew.

I almost took a step back. Somehow I stayed where I was.

I was proven right only a moment later.

I see what is in your heart, she said, eyes gleaming.

I know what you are capable of

I know your thoughts, your desires

But you cannot give in to the desire

If one has a power, it is not a given right that it should be used

There is temptation

There will always be temptation

Sometimes the true power is not to give in to it

Her gaze flickered between Ryan and me before she pulled away completely.

“All right?” Ryan asked me, squeezing my hand.

I smiled faintly at him, mind reeling. “All right.” I sounded gut-punched. I hoped everyone would chalk it up to the show of the dragon’s power rather than anything else. I needed to think about this. It was more information than I expected to get.

“We need to get your arm seen to,” he said. “The rest of this can wait until tomorrow.”

I winced. “That’s going to suck.”