I seize the opportunity to see if I can get any helpful info out of him. “Mistress who?”
The man focuses on me even though it looks like he can’t see anything. “Just Mistress.”
He turns to walk away, but I grab his arm. He looks down at the offending hand, and I wisely remove it. He might not be a magic user, but that doesn’t mean he can’t rip my arm out of its socket.
“What happened to the other guard?” I ask.
“Errand.” He clomps back to the door. “We are watching you.”
Then he’s gone. I exhale with relief and glance back in time to see Atlas reappear.
“That dude was creepy,” Atlas says.
“To say the least. I think we’re running out of time. I only had a flutter of magic and they felt it. We have to make this happen and hope that it works and I get all my power back.”
Atlas nods. “Okay.”
I climb back onto his lap, ready to get him naked, but the niggle of guilt in the back of my mind is killing the vibe. I better come clean.
“One last thing.”
“Mm-hmm,” he murmurs, kissing the edge of my jaw.
“I’ll have to borrow some of your energy.”
He stops kissing me. “What does that mean?”
“That’s how it works. Energy transfer. It’s temporary, but you might feel a little… weak while I harness my power.”
“Weak?”
“Tired, heavy, things like that.”
He nods. “If I’m depleted, I’ll turn to stone, and I might not have enough energy to shift back.”
Shit. I scrunch my nose. “If that happens, what can I do to help you?”
He rubs his forehead, his brows pulled in and mouth pressed into a tight line. “There are spells, but I’m not a magic user, I don’t know them.”
“Okay, so we just have to be careful and not drain you too much. Is that right?”
“Yes. I can usually tell when it’s going to happen.”
“Make sure you communicate, then.”
“I will.”
With my hands planted on his shoulders, I hold his gaze and smile. “Are you ready for this, Atlas?”
“Are you? This could change our lives.”
I nod as determination spreads through me. I really don’t see what choice we have.
“I’m ready.”
SEVENTEEN
ATLAS
