Chapter 143: Breaking Through
Following my revelation, Slivera sat back, her gaze blank and vacant. As the silence dragged on, my tail began to twitch, and I stroked my horn anxiously. I’d never shared the full extent of my powers with any outside our party. I hadn’t even told Fyren about the full cusp of the Eyes of Fate. At long last, Slivera released a long sigh. "I can understand why the church is so desperate to contain you. If someone of your abilities were to fall into the wrong hands, it would spell catastrophe on a level every bit as great as the Demon Invasion. Were it not for your Divine Curse and slave crest, they likely would have executed you right away. And if one of those ceases to become a factor... well, if you’ve come this far, I assume you’re no idiot."
I nodded, hands clenched tightly in my lap. "What do you plan to do?"
"A good question. The correct thing would be to obey the church and take you to shard, and then likely immediately to the Divine Throne."
A heavy weight settled in my stomach, but I couldn’t miss the hesitant note in her voice. "But...?"
She smiled wryly and stretched out her hand, resting it on the book. "Unfortunately, I only came by this information after promising to teach you for a month. When you live as long as I do, certain things become more important. Personal honor and integrity, for instance. So while a verbal promise is far from a binding agreement, I don’t really feel like breaking my word."
"Thank you," I breathed, my shoulders sagging in relief.
"Now," she said, waggling a finger, "don’t think that lets you off the hook. I’m no more on your side than I am there. One month, and we visit the shard. Until then, I’ll do my best to tutor you."
"I understand. But thank you for giving me a chance."
"A chance?" She murmured. "Yes, I suppose so."
From that moment on, I spent every waking moment pouring over spellbooks and tomes. Learning a seventh-circle spell was so much more than memorizing a set of chants and runes. Using his cheat-like ability, Soltair made it look easy, yet I found doing it the proper way required a comprehensive elevation of my knowledge and abilities. Without Slivera to guide my growth, I could see myself struggling in the dark for months, perhaps even years, as most mages did.