“She’s overloaded. This is the safest it will be to attempt a removal. If the Dampener finds herself unable to control the magic, then she will only take the excess before we are able to intervene,” Deliya offered. Her melodic voice was serene in the wake of Bellamy’s anger—understanding and gentle.
“I want to try it,” Vesper said, looking at Bellamy with a beseeching expression. Besides, even if Cypress did lose a bit of control, well, Vesper was already crawling out of her skin with Energy.
Bellamy bit the inside of her cheek, taking a slow, deep breath. She pursed her lips, and her gaze darted all over Vesper, finally landing on the bubble and the sparks it refused to extinguish.
“Fine,” Bellamy sighed, sagging back into her chair, finally loosening her grip on Vesper’s wrist.
Mazz shot up before Bellamy could change her mind and dragged her chair back across the room to where she’d found it, motioning for Deliya to leave with her.
“We’ll be back with Cypress,” Mazz said quickly. But onceDeliya was out of the room, she paused at the open door, a slight smirk playing at the edge of her lips. “Behave,” she said sternly, looking between Vesper and Bellamy.
Vesper tried not to laugh as Mazz left without another word. There was no need to worry about a repeat incident—not if the way Bellamy was glaring at her was any indication.
“Bel?”
“What if she’s wrong?” Bellamy bit out. Anger and fear laced her words. “The reader.”
“I trust that Cypress can do it. She didn’t kill us when she woke us up the first time. Come on, Bel. You know killing me was an accident. The assassin was coming for her. Her magic reacted. She didn’t mean to get me.”
“That’s the problem!” Bellamy shrieked, her fists tightening in her lap and she took a slow, steadying breath before she continued. “She can’t control it. You know she can’t, and you’re already weak.”
“I’m already overloaded too,” Vesper pointed out. Using Delia’s argument probably wasn’t her best strategy, but honestly, the reader had a good point. “If Cypress loses control, Mazz will be near. She’ll handle it. We’d get out with minimal damage.” It also wouldn’t be the worst if she took out some of this excess. It fucking hurt.
“You trust Mazz more than me to deal with her?” Bellamy yelled. The anger she’d sort of controlled came back full force as she flew out of her chair and towered over Vesper. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
Vesper flinched back, eyeing Bel’s closed fists. “You shouldn’t be in the room while she’s doing this, Bel.”
“Because you like Mazz more? Is that it? You don’t think I can help?”
“Bellamy!” Vesper cried exasperated. “It is safer foryou!” Bellamy frowned and opened her mouth to argue, but Vesper cut her off. “No, Bel. It is. Because if Cypress losescontrol, she could kill you. She wouldn’t get that far with me because she’ll only be able to take out the excess before Mazz incapacitates her. Please.”
Bellamy scrutinized Vesper for a long time. Vesper gently took her hand, prying it away from her arm until Bellamy relented and sat back in her chair.
“Bel,” Vesper swallowed. “You know I love you, right? I can’t lose you. Please, just… stay outside for this. I’ll be okay. I promise.”
Bellamy sniffed, her eyes shining when she looked back at Vesper and whispered, “Fine.”
Vesper raised an eyebrow, and Bellamy rolled her eyes, leaning up to give her a soft kiss.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO
Bellamy
They’d been in there for fucking ever. When Mazz finally came back with an incredibly guilt ridden, yet still excitable, Cypress in tow, Bellamy had thought it would only be a few minutes. Now it had been—she glanced at the clock on the wall beside her. Okay, fine. Maybe they hadn’t been in there as long as she thought. But really, how much could five minutes drag on?
Not being allowed in the room, stuck watching through that fake window… It was torture. They hadn’t even done anything yet. Just fucking talking. Cypress shifted from foot to foot, refusing to look at anyone as she, no doubt, apologized for the millionth time. The reader just stood there with that disconcerting eerie look in her color-changing eyes, watching Vesper’s arm.
Bellamy heaved a sigh. This fucking sucked. She looked back at the clock. Not even a minute had passed. Bellamy pressed up against the window, leaning on the sill and studying them until Cypress finally moved toward Ves.
Mazz had released her hold but was following closely. She had a syringe in her hand with a pinkish-green liquid. Presumably, that would incapacitate Cypress if anything went wrong.
Bellamy’s heart pounded in her chest, and she held her breathwith each step closer. She’d never properly gotten to see Dampening magic being wielded before.
Cypress hesitated, raising her hands until they hovered over the bubble. Black raindrops congealed on the back of her hands, staying there like globs of glue attached to her skin. Slowly, the bubble started to jerk away from Vesper and back toward Cypress. It undulated as it was pulled into her orbit. The sparks along the conductive string that they hadn’t been able to remove were eaten by the bubble as it returned to its origin.
All in all, the process was much more cautious and controlled than Bellamy had imagined. It was over in barely a minute, but it left Vesper’s skin stained. Black patches melded into dark blue, staggering up her arm in a strange pattern. The only hint of her proper skin was where the string had been attached. It peeked through in twisting barbed-wire patterns over her fingers, along her wrist, up her forearm—remnants of the sparks left behind.
It was actually beautiful. But why the fuck was it there?
