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  I walked forward, following the trail of charred earth. I stopped to hover over the man as he writhed around on the ground, his skin badly burned. A lump grew in my throat, and I recoiled from the smell of burning flesh.

  He stared at me in both terror and rabid rage. “He won’t allow you to live,” he spat.

  I heard Daelon approach. He reached for the base of my neck again, his grasp firm.

  “You’ll get what’s coming to you, you crazy bitch,” the burned man screeched. “He will eat you alive.”

  “That’s enough of that,” Daelon said, revealing the cursed dagger that had been hurled at my face. In one swift movement he brought it down into the man’s chest, where it sunk down into him and glowed black. The skin around it festered and turned gray.

  I looked away. I felt like I was going to be sick. The power was still teeming in my periphery, waiting on my next direction. I sent it away, and a wave of exhaustion followed.

  Daelon caught me as I swayed. “I need you for just one more minute, little witch. We have to get back.”

  I steadied myself wordlessly, letting him intertwine his fingers through mine.

  In one last flow of magick the world around us melted away and transformed into familiar scenery.

  Chapter 14

  I was suddenly cold and empty, having lost the euphoria and sense of purpose my power had given me in battle. The sky was back to its normal appearance; the sun had freshly disappeared below the horizon. I was dizzy and disoriented, glancing around at the clearing as my head pounded.

  Daelon studied me, concern etching his features. He reached a hand to my face. I flinched at the movement unconsciously, still hyperalert. He frowned, dropping his hand to his side. “Are you okay? Talk to me.”

  “I’m overwhelmed,” I said, and my voice felt detached from myself. I was reacclimating to normal existence—coming back down to earth after a trip to the cosmos. “It’s as if I became someone else for a moment. Or a different version of myself. I don’t know—it’s hard to put into words. It was like I became one with what I channeled, not separate.”

  Tears welled up in my eyes. I could still smell the rot of burning flesh.

  “I can’t begin to understand how you’re feeling,” Daelon said, his features finally softening. “You’re incredible, Áine. Watching you was like nothing I’d ever seen before.”

  “Who am I, Daelon? Why do I feel everything all at once?” I looked away, willing myself not to cry. “I’m not alone in this magick. I feel the guidance of so many others…” I trailed off, shaking my head.

  “I wish I had more answers for you,” he murmured. “The truth is I only know vaguely about why you were born. I don’t know why you feel the way you do. Or how exactly all of your power works. I can only speculate.”

  I clenched my fists in frustration. Part of me thought Daelon would eventually make everything clear—that he would one day answer all of my questions, and I could finally carry out whatever purpose I was designed for.

  “It has something to do with him,” I ventured, watching Daelon’s features closely. Lucius. “And righting a wrong.” I furrowed my brows, quickly reaching my emotional and mental limits. I was so drained.

  “Yes. You’re right,” he said, but his face was far more impassive than I would’ve liked. “I’m going to help you find all the answers, Áine, I promise you. You did amazing today.”

  My mind quickly flashed back to the fight with the energy vampires, the images of bodies flying through the air and a man nearly burnt to a crisp still vivid. I looked away, shivering in the cold night air. “I can’t believe you did that,” I said. He started to speak but I cut him off. “Why? Why would you force me into that situation without any warning?”

  Daelon faltered, seeming to weigh his words carefully. “I can’t lose you Áine. I needed to make sure you could defend yourself without me, and that required realistic practice.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest, my breath billowing out in a white cloud in front of me. “That’s not an apology.”

  He hesitated, which was enough to earn my narrowed gaze. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you out of the decision. I just thought you might…”

  “Refuse?” I finished. “That’s kind of the whole point of giving someone a choice.”

  He nodded. “Come. Let’s get you inside.”

  He reached for me, but I shrugged him off. Then I turned and headed off toward the house, leaving Daelon to follow behind me. With barely any effort, I cleared the snow away from the path as we went. I tried to focus on this task instead of the horrible, gut-wrenching energy of the vampires and their many victims, or the way I practically reveled in their destruction—up until I sent the fire away. But my efforts were in vain. One thing I couldn’t shake was the realization that no matter how evil the vampires’ auras, they paled in comparison to the suffering and darkness of Lucius’s.

  And that begged the question: What had he done?

  My emotions and exhaustion had overcome me by the time we made it inside. There was too much to analyze, too many secrets and monsters lurking in the dark.

  Daelon sighed, watching me wipe a hot tear from my cheek. “Come here.”

  He pulled me into his arms, and I eventually relaxed into his embrace, clinging to the comfort the solid shield of his aura provided me. I breathed in deeply as I pressed my cheek into his chest. He pulled away, moving his hand down to intertwine with mine. As much as I wanted to resist him, to hold him at arm’s length until I knew all of what he hid, I couldn’t deny the power he had over me. I wanted Daelon to quiet the chaos of my mind. I wanted to let go—to trust in him the way he wanted me to. I wanted to trust him so badly it hurt.

  He wordlessly pulled me down the hall to my room, stopping in front of the bed. “Sit here a moment,” he commanded softly.

  I watched as he disappeared into the bathroom. Soon after, I heard the sound of running water. I stared out the window, barely noticing when Daelon returned.

  “I’m running you a bath,” he murmured, still regarding me with concern.

  I rose from the bed, and after a moment of hesitation, I allowed him to undress me. He removed my red jacket, laying it neatly on the bed. I lifted my arms as he pulled the sweater over my head. We paused to look at each other for a moment, and he fixed strands of my hair that had gone awry. He knelt to the ground to remove my snow boots, pulling them from my feet and placing them off to the side. Next, he lent me his arm as I pulled off my pants and leggings underneath.

  The cold air formed goosebumps along my bare skin. Now in merely a pink bralette and panties, he scanned the length of my body. It was nothing like how he looked at me the previous night, but his eyes still held the same air of possession.

  Tonight, he looked at me as though he cherished me—like I was something to be in awe of. “You’re shivering,” he said softly. He trailed his fingers along my arm until they encircled my wrist, then turned and led me to the bath.

  When he let go, my body felt the absence of his touch. He stooped down to feel the temperature of the water in this grand, white bathtub, and then turned the faucets off. I slipped out of my panties and bra, casting them to the tile floor. When he turned to look at me all I could see in his features were devotion. A lump formed in my throat.

  “You’re so beautiful, Áine,” he said.

  He crossed the bathroom and grabbed a hair tie from the vanity. When he returned, he stood behind me and kissed my neck softly, then carefully swept my hair into a bun high on my head. Grabbing my hand, he steadied me as I stepped into the warm water, which was brimming with bubbles and smelled subtly of perfume.

  Something about the way Daelon was taking care of me in such an intimate way, with that undeniable look of adoration, nearly brought me to tears again. I should’ve felt exposed, as I lay naked before him and he knelt beside the tub fully clothed, but all I felt was security, warmth, and gratitude.

  He brushed a wayward strand of hair behind my e
ar. “Would you like to be alone?”

  “No,” I said quietly, leaning my head back against the tub, tilted to hold his gaze.

  He nodded, stroking the side of my face. He looked like he was mentally working through a puzzle.

  “What is it?”

  “I just—don’t understand you sometimes,” he said. “You say you want to avenge your mothers. You want to stop people from inflicting harm. You heal wounded animals. Yet you stopped. You couldn’t kill that murderer.”

  I inhaled deeply, drawing my brows together. “There is no contradiction. I hate violence. But it seems I must use violence to stop violence.”

  He was silent for a moment. “I see. I’ve also had to do a lot of things in my life that I hated for the greater good. A lot of terrible things.”

  He seemed to retreat to a dark corner of his mind. I reached out a soapy hand to his face to bring him back, and he leaned into my touch. He grabbed it and kissed my knuckles. “I know that I’m here for something greater than myself,” I said. “Even without knowing exactly what it is, I’m terrified that I’ll fail. It feels like people are counting on me—like without me, it all falls apart.”

  “No. I will make sure that you don’t fail, Áine. I will help you every step of the way.” He sighed. “I’m here for a reason, too. It’s how I found you. I know my purpose is to protect and guide you by any means necessary.”

  I swallowed, suddenly feeling brave. “When will your past no longer be off-limits? When will you tell me everything you know? Everything I need to know, not just what you want to tell me?”

  Daelon’s eyes hardened, jaw tense. “When I’ve done all I could do to prepare you—when we run out of time.”

  I flashed back to the spell Daelon did in the clearing, when he channeled something dark, and my body rejected it. A spell for more time.

  “When will that be?” I asked. My stomach churned. I was terrified that whatever was coming for us would steal Daelon away from me.

  “I don’t want to think about it, Áine,” he pleaded.

  He was scared. I closed my eyes in defeat, relishing the soothing warmth from the water. I breathed in the aromatic floral and fruity notes of the bubble bath. The stress from this long, arduous day began to fade away. I hadn’t even had a chance to think about last night, when Daelon and I had finally given in to our desires.

  I became more aware of how exposed I was as I recalled those moments—the feeling of his hands on me, his hips moving against mine, the way he made me want to obey his every command and submit all of myself to him… I still wasn’t entirely convinced he hadn’t spelled me somehow. What else could explain all that I felt for him? Even as he hid so much.

  “What are you thinking about?”

  I knew my cheeks flushed bright red. I kept my eyes closed, nearly flinching again as his fingers grazed my cheek.

  “Ah. I see,” he said, humor leaking into his voice.

  I opened my eyes to squint at him, unable to stop the smile tugging at my lips. “Shut up,” I muttered, closing them again.

  As I lay submerged in the water, I heard rustling—Daelon’s clothes dropping to the floor. My breath hitched, and I waited silently until I felt the water rise, nearly to my chin.

  This time when I opened my eyes, I was met with the breathtaking sight of a naked Daelon sitting opposite me. His legs touched mine under the water. He cocked his head, motioning with his fingers for me to come to him. I shook my head, challenging him. He lifted a brow, his eyes shifting into something more primal.

  He lurched forward, grabbing me at my torso. I laughed in surprise, water splashing up out of the tub and splattering onto the tile below. I let him spin me around so that my back was to him. His arms snaked around my body in a tight grip.

  “So defiant,” he growled near my ear.

  “But you already knew that,” I said, breathless. “If compliant is what you want, then I’m not the one for you,” I joked, but as soon as it left my mouth, I regretted my phrasing.

  Daelon took a breath. “You’re what I want.”

  The room was too silent for a moment as the energy shifted into something more serious. I swallowed. I wanted a lot of things, and Daelon was definitely one of them. He also felt like something that I needed. He was my protector and guide. I knew that despite it all, he was devoted to me. I wished I could just let go completely, and tell him everything he wanted to hear, but something in my gut held me back.

  I could at least ignore that nagging feeling for now. “I’m scared how much I care for you.” It was the most honest thing I could say.

  “I’m scared, too,” he whispered, tickling my ear.

  I remembered what one of the energy vampires said to us in the clearing. He had asked if I belonged to Daelon.

  “I just can’t let go completely,” I said, quieter now.

  “I know. I wish things were different.” He intertwined his fingers with mine, then raised them to his lips. He kissed my knuckles lightly. “I can wait. Until after you know everything about me.”

  “You think that will change my mind,” I said, more as a statement than a question.

  Daelon stilled. “I don’t know. I don’t know how this will all play out.” He paused. “I just need you to know that whatever happens, I am and always will be on your side. That will never change.”

  I frowned, frustrated at all of the vague foreshadowing. “I know, Daelon. I’ve felt it.” What could I possibly find out that would change that? Energy couldn’t lie.

  He relaxed. “Good.”

  We sat there for a while longer, Daelon silently trailing soft touches along my skin and delivering kisses to my hair, my neck, and then my lips. I lost myself in him, pushing aside everything else until all that was left was my body and his.

  After we left the bath, he lifted me into his arms and carried me to his bed. His commands started to feel like gospel, and his touch like worship.

  “Hold still,” he whispered, and I stilled.

  He gazed down at my body, placing his palm on my chest where my heart was. I wanted to reach for his hand, but I kept my arms above my head. Something passed from his palm to me, another feeling that he wanted so desperately for me to know he felt.

  This energy was more complex. There was an underlying darkness that was constantly being resisted and eluded. It seemed to be a glimpse into how much Daelon strained each day to protect me. There was so much torment here, like every breath was an act of resistance. I saw a flash of myself from his eyes as I lay in the bathtub, and I felt Daelon yearn to tell me something but being almost physically unable. It felt torturous.

  I grimaced, gazing into Daelon’s stony, dark eyes. He moved his palm from my chest to my cheek, and a more pleasurable energy enveloped me. I held my breath, searching his eyes. It was a feeling neither of us could say aloud. It was too risky, too vulnerable, too soon…

  As quickly as this flash of energy breached my detection it disappeared, making me wonder if I had even felt it at all. All I knew was that he hopelessly adored me, his feelings genuine and pure, just as mine were for him. What we felt ran deeper than either of us understood, and definitely deeper than what either of us could own up to.

  Daelon balanced just above me, melding his lips with mine. I quelled the urge to reach for him again. I hungrily moved my lips against his, and he tugged on my bottom lip with his teeth. His fingers trailed along my torso as he kissed me, and when they reached between my thighs, I lifted my hips slightly to meet him.

  He swatted my inner thigh, and I gasped at the slight sting.

  Lifting off my lips, he narrowed his eyes. “What did I say about moving?”

  “Not to?” I laughed at the sudden surge of adrenaline.

  “I know you can follow directions, baby,” he whispered, and in a quick movement he slipped his fingers inside of me.

  I moaned against his mouth as pleasure rippled through my whole body. He moved his fingers expertly, rendering me incapable of a single intelligible
thought. Trying not to move was beginning to feel impossible. I looked up at Daelon in a silent beg but was only met with a small smile and eyes that swam with dominance and control.

  “Please,” I begged.

  “Please what?”

  He suddenly upped the intensity, and I nearly cried out. “Daelon,” I breathed.

  He kissed me again, and when he stopped, he said, “You can move now.”

  I tangled my hands through his hair, sighing in relief. As he continued his relentless torment of my body, driving me to the edge of release over and over again, I couldn’t help but feel as though he was showing me just how deeply I already belonged to him, no matter how much I consciously resisted.

  On this deeper, subconscious, physical level, I had already made up my mind. There was no denying it.

  As if he could read my thoughts, Daelon, now inside of me as my legs wrapped around him, moved his hand to the base of my neck. His fingers rested on either side of my throat, not daring to deliver any pressure. The gesture alone was evocative of his possession.

  “You’re mine, Áine,” he said.

  I placed my hand over his. “I know.”

  We could say these things right now, when the world of the physical trumped all logic and reason. This space between reality and fantasy was safe from whatever waited for us beyond this bed. We both knew these unspoken rules. We knew that there existed an undeniable, underlying magnetism between us. It was something that couldn’t quite be put into words. Maybe it was why Daelon could find me and speak to me telepathically when I totaled that taxi, or why he seemed to know my body as well as his own. Despite my tendency for the skeptical, these things were beyond the explainable.

  He felt like home.

  This was the energy that I could feel throughout the room. Like magick, whatever was between Daelon and me was natural and immutable.

  “You’re mine,” he repeated later, this time from behind me as he held my back to his chest.

  We lay on our sides under the duvet. I was curled against him, and his arm reached around me, grasping my hand in his. He nuzzled my neck, and I inhaled in surprise as he bit down lightly into my skin. He moved to grasp my shoulder now, growling low next to my ear.