Snap.A sound like elastic breaking at the end of its stretch pinged through the room.A map unfurled in the middle of the rune circle.Lines built on lines until they broke apart, transforming into directions and colors.Topography bloomed like an enchanted forest.Bright greens, dark greens, trees, and shrubs burst across the floor as if nature had taken over the space.Through the middle of all that greenery, dozens of red arrows pointed the way.
“Quick, the canvas,” Quentin shouted.Sweat beaded on his forehead as he held the spell steady.Magic poured out of him like water through a funnel.It took all his energy to hold it back.To not run empty until he had nothing left to give.His fingers and toes began to tingle, alerting him that he was reaching dangerously low levels.
Lars grabbed the cloth they’d picked up on the way back to the workshop.With a flick of his wrists, the clean, white canvas unfurled.He carefully aligned it along the map, making sure it was entirely covered.“Clear!”he shouted.
Quentin dropped to his knees and slammed his palms onto the floor.The spell flared a bright, eye-searing white, then settled.Spots blinded his vision, and before he could verify the map, cool darkness welcomed him.
Right before he passed out, he realized he probably should’ve let his magic settle before rushing into a ritual.
Jaks was going to scold him, again.
CHAPTER15
“Ican’t believe they won’t let us go get her!”Lars shouted.
“They say we have no proof.”Jaks’s tired tone pulled Quentin from his deep sleep.
He rubbed the corners of his eyes to get the crusty bits free.
Yuck.
Exhaustion gnawed at his bones.He’d have to be careful the next few days.Two events back-to-back, sapping his magic, could cause irreparable harm if he didn’t let it refill entirely before using it again.
He felt hollow.
“What’s going on?”His back twinged when he scooted up on the pillows.Everything ached down to the molecular level—his muscles, his bones, the achy part where his magic usually blanketed his core.There wasn’t an inch of him that didn’t feel as if it were drained entirely, a feeling he was becoming far too familiar with lately.
His father’s usually pristine hair stuck out at all angles as if he’d been running his fingers through the silky strands.It gave a humanity to his usual fae perfection.
“How are you feeling, my love?”Jaks immediately rushed to his side, his eyes reflecting Quentin’s own exhaustion.
“Achy,” he replied honestly.It never went well to hide things from his lover.He tried to understand what they were discussing as he woke.“Who won’t let us get Mother?The council?”
“Yes,” Jaks hissed.“They claim your spell is inconclusive.”
“What?”The furniture rattled.“Ow,” Quentin gasped.The little energy he’d had swept from him.Winded, he sank deeper against the pillows.
“You have to let your core rest, my son.”Lars approached the opposite side of the bed, rightly giving the possessive vampire a wide berth.
“But, Mother,” he whined.He felt weaker than a newborn kitten and twice as fragile.His hand trembled in Jaks’s grip, which probably wasn’t selling his lover on Quentin’s health.
“Nikko won’t hurt her if he wants to negotiate,” Jaks soothed.
“But what if he doesn’t?What if he just wants to hurt us?”There were dozens of scenarios flashing through his mind.There was no guarantee that Nikko would act in good faith.
“We must wait.Until he contacts us, he has deniability.Once he admits to having her, we can go get her back.”
“What about the psychic link?Didn’t you say you were connected to all your vampires mentally?”Quentin grasped at a conversation they’d had months ago.
Jaks’s wince didn’t reassure him… at all.
“What?”
“Like Glenn, she’s new enough that the connection hasn’t formed yet.It takes about a year for the synapses to connect to the main hub.Sort of like learning a new language.You have to immerse yourself in the clan before the connection can grow.”
“Of course.”Nothing was going right.Tears threatened, but Quentin blinked them back.Now wasn’t the time for a breakdown; his mother needed him.“So, we’re just supposed to sit around and hope he doesn’t kill my mother while we wait for him to contact us?”
Jaks nodded.
