Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 171450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 857(@200wpm)___ 686(@250wpm)___ 572(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 857(@200wpm)___ 686(@250wpm)___ 572(@300wpm)
“Release me.”
Lorcan winced. “I cannot. I’m currently holding you back from the brink.”
She could sense that now that her mind was slowly returning to her. She was drained to the very bottom of her powers. The only connection still there…was the bond. And if she had not had it…
“What happened?” she croaked.
“Why don’t you tell me?”
Kierse stalled for time. “Amberdash wants to make me an attendant.”
Lorcan’s eyes widened. “You’d never agree.”
“He’s the head of the Men of Valor. I don’t know that he’d care if I said no.”
He looked contemplative. “And how did you escape him?”
There was no use lying. By the expression on his face, he knew exactly what had happened.
“I portaled.”
“Yes,” he said with a raised eyebrow. “Want to explain how you can do that?”
“Not really,” she said around a cough.
All of that work to keep herself free of Lorcan, the mental work she’d done to keep the bond at bay, all came down to pieces when she was here. If she let her guard down for a second, it was all too easy. Which was why she had never let herself get to this moment. Why she had pushed so hard.
And now…
“I think I can…” She trailed off, fighting for control. “I think you can let me go.”
“I won’t risk it. You used up your magic and most of mine pulling that stunt. If we don’t get out of here or destroy that amulet, you’re going to be in a much worse position than you are currently.”
“What’s worse than this?”
“Dead,” he said flatly.
She blinked as she realized in that moment how close she was to the abyss. Her bottom was as far as it could go. Lorcan was the tether holding her alive.
Alive.
She closed her eyes and wished that Graves were here. That he was the one in Lorcan’s place. Even as the bond wound itself around and around and around her.
“Don’t move and we should try to power share gently this time.”
But Graves wasn’t here.
And if she wanted to leave this room, she would have to work with Lorcan.
“How…do I do that?” she finally asked.
“Well, you don’t yank my magic like you’re playing tug-of-war. Would really recommend not trying that again.”
She huffed and immediately coughed again. “It’s not my fault that I don’t know how to do any of these fancy bond tricks.”
“I can train you.” He sighed. “I want us to work together. I want to guarantee you walk out of this office, okay?”
“Fine,” she whispered. “What do I do to fix this?”
“You could kiss me again,” he teased.
She glared at him. So much for trying to work with him. “Never mind,” she said, trying to sit up and collapsing backward onto the couch again with a grunt.
“Sorry. Sorry,” he said at once. “I know that kiss…wasn’t what I hoped it was.”
“You forgot I’m a thief.”
“I never forget,” he said, “I just…” He shook his head. “Anyway, let’s forget what happened in the spell. I only meant that our connection is stronger with physical touch, and it always will be.”
Her glare only deepened as she said flatly, “Yeah, well, don’t expect me to ask you to fuck me into feeling better.”
Lorcan snorted that time. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
God, she hated this part. She hated that she had to work with him. But she couldn’t even sit up. Without more magic, without the power sharing, Graves may never find her.
She pushed aside her pride and asked, “So what do I have to do?”
“You’re at the bare minimum. I tried to push magic to you, but it was only enough to keep you alive. We’re both that drained. I’m going to need you to take from me.”
“But won’t that drain you?” she asked. “Won’t you be incapacitated?”
“I’m so glad to hear you care.” She shot him a dirty look, but he just laughed. “I’ll be fine. I’m the Oak King, remember? I have magic that you couldn’t possibly comprehend.”
“I remember it trying to kill me. I also remember that this isn’t your season.” Lorcan lost to Graves at the summer solstice, and they were officially into fall, which was the full turning point into Graves’s Holly King magic. Lorcan was coming up on his weakest time of the year.
“I’ll survive. I literally cannot die by anyone else’s hand,” he grumbled as if he’d tested it.
“That’s enlightening.”
“Forget about it. What’s important is you, right now. Remember when you were power sharing with the triskel? It’s like that. Touch the bond.”
She reached for it clumsily, her body responding a touch too late.
“Gently!” he grunted. “A little less.”
“Sorry,” she muttered as she let up some on that bond between them. She had actively been avoiding it for so long that she’d forgotten how…comfortable it felt. She didn’t want it to, but it did. “Is that better?”
Lorcan’s eyes fluttered closed as he said slowly, “Yes. That’s perfect.”