Chapter 154: WHAT MAKES YOU SO SPECIAL?

NARRATOR

Kiara sat Ágata down in a chair right away, and the witch started fussing at her while Kiara moved around the kitchen.

“Careful with that cabinet door! Oh, Goddess, girl, you’re going to kill me with a heart attack before my time...”

“No, don’t get up! I’ll do it...”

Ágata huffed, watching her, not sure if she should worry more about the girl or her dishes.

And yet, surprisingly, Kiara was shaking a little, but she drew a long breath and managed to steady herself, then made a delicious tea.

She was good at household work. She had to be. She’d grown up alone with a mother who worked herself to the bone to keep them both afloat.

The truth was, life in the pack wasn’t easy for them. They were barely tolerated, almost out of charity. Neither of them was truly wanted.

Kiara for being a hybrid. Her mother for rejecting males of her kind and getting tangled up with a mage.

“Thank you,” Ágata murmured, taking the steaming cup, chamomile rising soft and sweet.

“Now sit and tell me... how exactly did you land right on my sciatica?”

That was the first meeting between the powerful old woman and the innocent Omega with magic in her blood.

And the more Ágata watched her and felt that chaotic, buried power inside her, the more she became sure of two things...

This girl’s power had been sealed by someone very powerful... obviously, someone was hiding something. And more importantly...

Ágata acted like she was listening, but her mind drifted, dragging her back to that special magical bloodline.

The one the Arcane Kings feared because it could rip the throne right out from under them.

The face of the last heir to that magic formed in her head.

Dark hair and green eyes... like this innocent Omega sitting in front of her...

“Ah!” Kiara flinched. “The fireplace... it just lit up by itself...” She stared at the flames as they suddenly crackled and spit.

Everything about this was weird. Her mother always warned her not to trust strangers, but by the Goddess, she had literally fallen on top of this poor old woman.

“Don’t worry about that. It’s a greedy magical cabin, and it likes your magic, that’s all...”

“My... my magic? Why would it like something broken?” Kiara lowered her head, heavy with shame and sadness.

She wasn’t strong like wolves, and she didn’t have a power she could lean on like Isabella did.

She was just the worst of both worlds.

“Don’t be stupid. Broken, my ass. Nobody ever taught you how to even boil water without a match.” Ágata stood and leaned toward the fireplace, peering inside.

She didn’t believe in destiny for the hell of it, but old Elbraham... he seemed bored lately, throwing everything weighing on her conscience straight into her lap.

“Am I gonna die soon?” Ágata thought, with that trademark dark sarcasm of hers. Then she turned to Kiara, who was stealing a sideways look at the house.

“I’m going to teach you, at the very least, not to fall out of the sky on top of people.”

Ágata made one of the most impulsive decisions of her life.

And she’d sworn she’d never help a stranger again.

But right here, with her mother’s magic as witness, staring into Kiara’s eyes, she knew she wasn’t wrong this time.

“Teach me magic?” Kiara shot up so fast the stool slammed to the floor.

Her heart was pounding, excited, but she was wary too... and besides, her mother would never approve.

“Why? I... we don’t even know each other... I shouldn’t be here...”

“Because I like you. That’s it. I don’t need an excuse. Think about it and come see me when you’re ready. And now out. I need to sleep and grind my spices.”

Before Kiara could open her mouth again, she was practically swept out of the house.

She turned back at the bottom of the porch steps, confused, still dazed. She didn’t even know where she was.

She looked up at the sky. Obviously, the trick of teleporting didn’t work when she wanted it to. It only sometimes happened... when she was really nervous.

With hesitant steps, she headed into the woods, trying to orient herself.

Her little Omega instincts weren’t very developed. She could barely even shift. Everything about her, somehow, felt... defective.

Still, she kept going, careful.

From the cabin window, Ágata watched her back, still thinking.

“We’ll see if my suspicions are right, and that man not only survived, but had descendants... and more importantly... out there, the sorcerer prince is still roaming.”

Ágata popped an almond into her mouth. Truth was, she’d lived more excitement in these last months than she had in years, and the story wasn’t done yet.

“The Arcane throne... and the threat to the Arcane throne.” Her sharp eyes flashed with the cunning buried inside her.

“I have to see this. And most important... this time, I’m not going to stand around doing nothing.”

Kiara felt a burst of happiness when she realized she could make it back to the academy on her own, not knowing her fate was about to flip on its head.

But then, out of nowhere, her little midnight-colored Omega lifted her snout and sniffed, confused.

“I smell... danger. Really intense magic, and it’s not like that old woman’s. It’s... run, Kiara!”

Before Minna could even pin down the scent that confused her and pulled at her at the same time, the owner of that smell was already on them.

Kiara’s small body was slammed against a tree. She lifted her head, horrified, staring straight into eyes sharp as a hawk’s.

Gold flashed there, matched by hair that fell to his shoulders.

“Y-your Majes-ty...” Kiara nearly had a nervous collapse with the huge male so close, holding her cheeks like two muffins.

“You’re going to tell me right now how you managed to get the former Royal Councilor to let you into her house. Are you her friend? Speak, hybrid. My patience is short!” His irritated bark made Kiara jump, her back sweating against the tree trunk.

“Can you even find the spellbound entrance to her house?” The Arcane Prince’s deep eyes really looked at her for the first time, and Kiara had to fight not to get lost in that hypnotic gold.

“I’m not her friend, but she... she wants to take me as her apprentice.” She didn’t even know why she said it. She was terrible under pressure!

She thought he’d laugh at the idea of that old woman wanting to teach her anything. Wait... she’d said, former Royal Councilor?!

But Kiara never imagined the prince’s hand would drop like all the energy had drained out of him.

His face was full of contradiction. Full of disappointment.

“Why?” His voice came out rough, clipped. “Why you and not me? What makes you so special?”