“Good, that’s what you need to do. Close your eyes and return to the place of your magic. Focus on what you see in that place and search, not just for his commands, but search for the bargain itself.”
Nodding, I closed my eyes, focusing on the core of my magic, breathing into the power that whirled beneath my skin. Taking adeep breath, I pushed into that feeling, my mind falling into that sensation until I found myself in the middle of the vast field. The sun beamed down on me, gently warming my soul as the wind made the tall grass and wildflowers dance playfully.
All I wanted was to fall back, to lie in the grass and let the peacefulness settle over me. Yet, Solaris’s words kept me going. I needed to find the place where my bargain rested. I walked mindlessly through the field, letting my heart guide me to where I needed to go. As I walked, the grass grew taller and thicker, coming just over my head. I panted as I pushed through, my heart thumping wildly in my chest from wariness. It was a struggle to squeeze through the dense hedges.
Forcing myself through the last of the thick bush, I stumbled into a wooded area, my heart stopping. Black and diseased, the trees and plants sagged as dark vines smothered everything around them, reaching out, crawling to cause more destruction.
Sucking in a sharp breath, I lurched forward, grabbing the closest vine to rip it off the trees. As soon as my skin met the stem, pain laced through my hand, and I screamed, jolting me out of my trance.
My hands shook when I glanced at Solaris, horror washing over me. “What the hell was that?”
“Thatwas the bargain,” she said sadly. “Eventually, it will destroy everything it touches. However, you will know it's time to break it once you can withstand the touch of it.”
Chapter 34
Kieran
The time passed slowly while we waited for Sybil to finish her talk with Solaris. After dropping Sybil off, Edris returned and took us to the royal library to wait. Samian and Viv happily began browsing the shelves of books while Daelan slumped in a chair, his head tipping back as he lifted the front two legs of the seat in the air. As a male who lived for adventure, being stuck in a library was his worst nightmare.
I, however, could not busy myself like Samian and Viv, nor could I sit still. So instead, I paced the damn library, my thoughts solely on my mate. I didn’t like her being here without one of us by her side. There were too many things that could go wrong—too many what-ifs and no plan of action if any of them did.
My heart stopped at that thought, my mind betraying me, playing a scene where the piece of shit Xandros found Sybil, harming her before Solaris could stop him. My breathing felt sharp in my chest, my hands shaking from not knowing where she was.
“Kieran, sit and drink some tea,” Viv murmured, watching me carefully. “You’re making everyone here nervous. The poorarchivists don’t know whether they should save themselves or the books because of you.”
Scowling, I grunted, moving to the seat across from Daelan. I sat down, but my body couldn’t relax. Crossing my arms, my leg bounced restlessly as I forced myself to breathe.She’s okay, I repeated silently to myself.She must be okay.
“Relax, brother,” Daelan said smoothly, his eyes still on the domed ceiling. “I’m sure that shadow creature of hers would probably murder anyone who gets too close with the wrong intentions.”
My gaze zeroed in on Daelan. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?” I growled.
“I would think so, yes,” Daelan sighed, bringing the chair back down to give me an exasperated look.
“If anything, that just makes it worse. If the creature does attack someone, that will mean another god will get involved, putting Sybil in evenmoredanger,” I snapped back. My skin felt itchy as I ran through that scenario in my mind. I didn’t even think about that damned cat.
“Solaris is capable of keeping Sybil?—”
“Kieran,” Sybil’s voice excitedly shouted through the library, cutting Daelan off. “Samian!”
I shot up from the chair and rushed toward her, Samian right beside me. Sybil bound toward us, only stopping when she crashed into our arms. Breathless, Sybil smiled up at us, her grin stretching wide across her face.
“I know how to break the bargain!” Tears lined her eyes as Sybil choked out a laugh. “I can really break it!”
Heat spread through my body, an exhilaration and hope unlike any I had ever felt, bursting inside. I let out a small, weak laugh, my mind still failing to wrap around what she just said. Samian pulled her from me, wrapping his arms aroundher waist, spinning her in a circle. Their joyous laughs echoed through the library.
Wiggling out of Samian’s arms, Sybil came up to me, her hands grabbing onto my shirt. “Did you hear me, Kieran? I can free myself from the bargain, which means I can stop what Queen Cassia warned me of!”
My eyes burned as I wrapped my arms tightly around her, pulling her in close. I rested my head on top of hers, deeply breathing her in. She’s okay. She will be okay. She will break this bargain, and I won’t have to lose my mate.
Taking a shaky breath, I pressed a light kiss on the top of her head. “Let’s go home.”
After Viv returned us to the council room, I left Sybil and Samian to check in with Orin. He casually stood at the back of the crowd, watching Aster and Bryony mix herbs. The two females worked in harmony, their faces bright with contentment.
“They seem to work well together,” I said, coming beside Orin.
“They had an awkward start,” Orin chuckled. “They both have their own ways of doing things, but they found their groove, I believe. How did it go in the Seelie Court?”
“It went better than expected,” I sighed with relief. “We came back as soon as Sybil finished, but she said that Solaris showed her how to break the bargain.”
