“And what exactly would that mean?” I ask, though I think I know the answer.
The three of them exchange a quick look and smile.
“It means all four of us would feel a strong mutual attraction,” the elf explains, her eyes fixed on mine. “Not just you toward us, or us toward you, possibly all of us toward each other. A complete bond in every sense.”
“Wow! And is that a problem?” I let slip before realizing what I've said.
All three look at me with different degrees of astonishment.
“Uh, not for me,” Althea acknowledges, raising her hands.
“If it's meant to form, it will, whether we want it to or not,” Sylara explains.
“With the risk of becoming exactly what Kaelisar wants,” Sabina adds, who keeps looking at the elf in a strange way, as if she suddenly doesn't like her.
“I'm already tired of Kaelisar controlling our lives,” I respond, slapping the table lightly. “If this is what he wants, we'll find a way to use it against him. And if not...” a silly smile escapes me without being able to help it. “Well, I wouldn't mind being bonded with you guys,” I admit, feeling myself turn red to the tips of my ears.
The four of us exchange a look that says more than a thousand words. Althea smiles, showing those fangs that no longer seem threatening to me. Sylara finally relaxes that rigid posture she always maintains, as if she'd been carrying an invisible weight on her shoulders for centuries. And Sabina... Sabina looks at me as if I'd just given her something precious.
For an instant, everything seems possible. Defeating Kaelisar. Being free. Being happy.
For an instant.
Chapter 22
Nell
Sabina's phone breaks the silence with a sound that seems out of place, too mundane for this moment. She looks at it and her expression changes so fast it's like watching a storm form on the horizon.
“It's Desi,” she murmurs, and there's something in her voice that puts me on alert immediately.
She moves away toward the balcony to answer. The rest of us pretend not to listen, but the apartment isn't that big, and the silence we've left behind is too deep.
“Are you okay? Has he done anything to you?” Sabina's voice trembles between relief and fear. “Listen to me, we're going to get you out of there. I promise. We almost have...”
Silence. Sabina stays very still, like a statue of ice.
“What do you mean you don't want to leave?”
More silence. When she speaks again, her voice has broken into a thousand pieces.
“Desi, he's manipulating you. You're not in love with him. It's impossible that...”
The call cuts off.
Sabina stares at the phone like it's a poisonous snake that just bit her. When she turns toward us, her eyes are wet and her jaw is clenched so tight it seems like she's going to break her teeth.
“She says she doesn't want us to get her out of there,” she whispers, and pronouncing each word seems to cost her a superhuman effort. “She says Kaelisar saved her. That I wouldn't understand. That she's...” her voice breaks, "she says she's in love with that fucking monster.”
The horror in her voice is palpable. Althea gets up immediately to hug her, wrapping her with those arms that radiate heat. But Sabina remains rigid, as if she's forgotten how to accept comfort.
“That's impossible,” I protest, getting up too. “Nobody falls in love with that psychopath. Nobody.”
“Not voluntarily,” Sylara murmurs.
We all turn toward her. The elf has a distant look, as if she's seeing something we can't perceive.
“What do you mean?” I ask with fear.
