The Mesmer || Gavriel

ONE

"I should not be here," I whispered to myself as I stood, cloaked and armed, beside a door to an abandoned warehouse.

Clouds shrouded the otherwise moonlit sky and aided in my stealth as I slipped around the cracks and crevices of Rifthold in the dead of night. It helped that I wasn't alone in my adventure down into the slums. I had the drunks and courtesans to thank for that. Though it still wasn't wise to sit out here for much longer than a few minutes. I absolutely should not be here.

I took a deep breath and tried the handle on the door, it turned easily and the whole thing opened with a devastating whine. I groaned as I stepped past the threshold and shut the door behind me. Taking a deep breath, I took one step to turn and face the open area. That was my mistake.

Cold steel pressed against my carotid and a heavily muscled arm wrapped around my own, "What are you doing here?"

If I moved, I would certainly cause my own death. There was no way out of this without getting injured. "It seems I've stumbled into the wrong abandoned warehouse, my apologies."

"Wait..." a far off voice started, far off but familiar, "turn her this way."

The man pivoted the two of us toward the center of the room and my eyes found my two cousins within seconds.

"Raelynn?" Aedion's face dropped and his arms slackened at his sides.

"Oh my Gods," Aelin whispered, "I thought you were dead."

I laughed lightly, "No, at least not yet, considering my current situation," I tried and failed not to make an incredulous face.

"Rowan, she's fine, you can let her go," Aelin said to the man still trapping my extremities.

His arms pulled back and he stepped away from me before returning to what I'm assuming was his original guard post by the door. I pulled back the hood of my cloak and stepped forward toward my only two living family members.

"Raelynn, how are you here?" Aedion questioned, his face soft but his hand still rested on the pommel of his sword.

I continued to pull my cloak free and draped it over a nearby crate as I walked forward. Rowan sucked in a sharp breath, "Mesmer."

"What?" Aelin arched a brow as she looked between the two of us.

"She's- you're a Mesmer," he uttered, his face paled ever so slightly.

"Ugh. Yes, I'm a Mesmer. Not like it matters with the stupid silencer on all magic on this rutting continent," an all too angry sigh blew through my lips.

"I'm sorry, what's that?" Aelin questioned as she pressed her open hands against a makeshift map table.

"She can make other people do whatever she desires," Rowan responded, tensing as he crossed his arms.

"Well, that's not entirely accurate," I smirked, "I have to be touching them to make that initial connection. Even then, the tether is extremely weak at best. Party tricks, mostly."

"Not party tricks," Rowan shook his head, "A well trained Mesmer could control their own army."

I scoffed, "Well, I'm not well trained, and my kind is outlawed, so," I shrugged before turning back to Aelin.

"Why even risk removing your cloak?" He asked.

"It's hot as shit in here and Aelin and Aedion are family, they knew about the magic before everyone's got muted."

Aedion shifted in his spot, "Well, you're right about it being hotter than Hell in here. And I was entirely unaware that your magic was that of a Mesmer's. Is that why your mother died when you were so young?"

"Gods, Aedion," Aelin's brows narrowed before she pressed her fingertips to the bridge of her nose, "way to be morbid."

"It is," I nodded, "and my sister and father, too."

Aelin came up to me and wrapped her arms around my shoulders, she stood at least half a foot taller than myself with those boots on. "Welcome back, Raelynn."

I relaxed into her embrace and returned the gesture, "Thank you. I missed you. Though I do apologize for having interrupted your meeting. I suppose I could have chosen a more opportune time."

"Oh, hush. We had just finished anyway. Come, let's go upstairs, I have so many questions to ask."

"Absolutely," I smiled as I stepped back from the embrace and retrieved my cloak. "Do I need to check my weapons at the door? Like old times?"

Aedion let out a howling laughter, "I do hope we can all behave slightly more civilized than when we were children."

"Keep them," Aelin smirked at me before leading the way up the nearby stairs and into a spacious apartment.

I located a coat rack to hang my cloak before taking a seat offered to me at a table in the kitchen. I looked around as Aelin, Aedion, and Rowan all took their seats. Aelin tore the cork out of a wine bottle with a dagger and took a swig before passing it to Rowan who sat to her right. He repeated her action before handing me the bottle. I glanced down at it before subtly scenting the liquid inside.

"I suppose if you're going to kill me it likely won't be with a bottle of poison... hopefully," I shrugged before taking a swig of the liquid.

Oh, that wasn't wine. That was mead. Blessed, honey wine with an added citrus flavor. I fought my eyes attempting to roll back in my head as I passed the bottle to Aedion. This began a train of sip and pass.

"Raelynn, we're not going to poison you. Every single one of us is a wanted person. So suck it up and join the club," Aedion winked.

I remained slightly tense as I glanced at the massive tattoo on my right forearm, the mark of a Mesmer. "Sorry, y'know, the whole hunted-for-eternity thing doesn't wash away easily."

"No need to apologize, trust me, we get it," Aelin cracked a smile. "Now, where in the hell have you been these past ten years?"