Total pages in book: 194
Estimated words: 187021 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 935(@200wpm)___ 748(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 187021 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 935(@200wpm)___ 748(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
“No!” he gasped at once. He ran a hand over his dark curls. “I did tell Lorcan about your memories, but I had no idea what he would think about it until afterward. When I found out what was happening, I left.”
“He came and got me,” Graves said. “I was already on my way when I heard you call out.”
Their eyes met. “You heard me?”
“I have no idea how, but yes, I heard you.”
“I thought I was all alone.”
Gen clasped her hand. “You’re not alone. We’re here. We love you.”
Graves nodded. “We’re taking you home where you belong.”
“Good,” she whispered.
The spear rested across Graves’s lap, his hand holding it possessively as if he was afraid to let it out of his grasp. She could practically hear the things it was whispering in his ear.
“I should take that.”
Graves hesitated. As if he wasn’t sure that in her current condition it would be in her best interest. But the spear belonged to her. She’d stolen it. It had…claimed her. And anyway, they were far enough away from Lorcan now that she wasn’t going to turn around and kill him. Maybe.
Finally, Graves passed it to her.
“Hello, old friend,” it seemed to purr.
The second it was in her hands, the force of its own anger hit her. She closed her eyes against the rush. If she’d had this back in the Oak Throne, Lorcan would be dead. And she wouldn’t have regretted it, even if it had killed her.
When she opened her eyes, everyone was looking at her as if she were a bomb about to go off. There was no way to dissuade them of that opinion. She felt prepared to detonate at any moment.
“I know…you won’t ever forgive me,” Ethan continued slowly as if uncertain if now was the time. “I wouldn’t forgive me.”
She looked at him. “You did the right thing in the end.”
“I…did,” he agreed. “But I know it doesn’t make up for how I’ve been treating you.”
“Forget it,” Kierse said. “You’re here now.”
Gen grasped Ethan’s hand and squeezed it. “You’re one of us.”
Ethan squeezed back, though he looked like he wanted to say more. As if he had more atoning to do to fix what he’d broken. Once an altar boy, always an altar boy.
Kierse couldn’t deal with that right now. Anyone else’s guilt would have to wait until she could decide how to feel about what she’d just gone through. She was connected to Lorcan, bound by ritual magic, and could no longer access her magic.
When Lorcan had said that after the ceremony she’d be safe, she hadn’t thought to ask what that meant. Now she realized he meant that he would control her powers so Graves couldn’t get in. Lorcan would be in her head instead of Graves. He would be in control. Just how he wanted.
And she hated him for it. Even if she could admire the absolute gall to pull it off. Bastard.
Her eyes flicked up to Graves. She could see questions swirling in his tempest eyes. The fear he kept carefully locked away behind his anger. If he was barely masking it, then she must look as bad as she felt.
They crossed over the Williamsburg Bridge, and Kierse waited for the moment when the connection with Lorcan faded and folded away, as it always had since she’d returned to New York. Except there was no dampening of the connection. She could still feel Lorcan just as strongly as if he were standing directly in front of her.
She tried to seal it away and close herself off to the flood, but it was like having a live current in her chest. She had no way of flattening the electricity as it poured into her. There was nothing she could do.
As she clawed at that space in her chest to no avail, she broke down into tears once more.
Chapter Seventy-One
The bond was still present when they made it back to the brownstone. When they deposited the spear into the vault. When she took the elevator upstairs. Ever present. All consuming. Physically nauseating.
“We could try a triskel,” Ethan said as they ascended the stairs.
“Can’t,” Kierse said.
“Are you sure?” Gen asked.
“Yes,” she said at once. “I can’t touch my magic. We couldn’t link.”
“Maybe we could link with you.”
Kierse shook her head. “Even if you could, you’d be linking with him.”
“We’re not doing that,” Graves said at once. He slid his hands into his pockets. The tension was bleeding off of him. Gen and Ethan looked up warily.
“All right,” Gen whispered. “I don’t want him to have any more power, either.”
“But we’ll think of something,” Ethan said at once.
“Genesis, would you mind showing Ethan to a spare bedroom?” Graves asked. “Kierse needs to rest.”
“Sure,” Gen said. She squeezed Kierse’s arm. “Find me if you need me, okay?”
Kierse nodded hopelessly.
“Bed,” Graves suggested, gesturing to his room. When she didn’t move, he dropped his arm. “Or do you require…space tonight?”