There was only one man I wanted to see.
My eyes found Mav. Stumbling, I ran. I crashed into him, sobbing, arms locked around his neck. He held me as if he intended to never let go, one arm at my waist, the other cradling my head.
I pulled back and cupped his face with trembling hands. “You are alive,” I choked. “Mav, I thought—I thought?—”
“I know,” he said softly. His hands came up to cover mine, steadying them against his face. “I’m sorry.”
A sob caught in my throat as tears blurred the edges of his beloved features. “You came for me,” I whispered, the confession breaking apart on my tongue.
His smile broadened. “Of course I did. I’ll always come back for you.”
And then his mouth was on mine. My tears mingled with thetaste of him. His hands slid to my waist, pulling me against him as I clutched his shoulders.
Edric howled, shattering the moment. “How dare you! I will see you hanged for what you’ve done here today!”
“Hold that thought,” Mav murmured, reluctant, his thumb stroking once along my jaw before he turned. His voice hardened to iron as he pivoted toward Edric. “We need to deal with this asshole first.”
48
MAV
We shoved the bastard into the receiving room where this nightmare began. Edric stumbled over the hem of his formal robes, nearly sprawling across the desk before righting himself.
“Sit,” I growled.
He sank into the chair near the desk. “You going to kill me?” he sneered, though his eyes flicked between the sword at my hip and the dagger in my hand.
“Depends.” I stalked forward, blade angled low. “On whether or not you break Quinn’s curse.”
“I won’t help you.”
He stared past me, jaw tight. The same entitled, glassy stare he gave his guests when he wanted to look noble. I wasn’t in the mood for pageantry. I raised my fist, prepared to punch the smugness off his face.
“I CAN’T!” Edric blurted, lifting both hands.
“I swear on the Saints, if you lieto me?—”
“I’m not lying!”
A heavy cold slithered through my gut. “What do you mean? You broke the tether between Quinn and me.”
“No,” he shook his head hard enough to send his crown crashing to the floor. “Lord Zachariah did.”
Quinn’s voice sounded over my shoulder. “He speaks truth.”
My brows knit together. “But you said if Quinn married you, it would break the spell—which is Tether and Time…so if you’re not a Tether, then you’d have to be a Time.”
“Except…” Vesper began. “Then wouldn’t he have been able to end his own curse by now? The obnoxiously immortal one?”
Edric pressed his lips together, sweat beading at his brow.
“You haven’t summoned any power in front of us,” Thistle pressed.“
“I’ve never come across anything in my readings about your gift.” Branrir tapped his chin.“Which is odd considering your ancestors spoke incessantly about theirs.”
Edric’s face flushed. My stomach sank. This wasn’t the pompous king we’d suffered with the past few days. This was a man filled with dread.
“Holy shit…” I breathed. “You’re ungifted.”
