At one point, I slipped out onto a balcony to get some air. The mountains stretched out in every direction, the stars sharp and close above them. The world felt impossibly big, and I felt impossibly small.
Zaden found me there, arms crossed against the chill. He wrapped his arms around me from behind, his chin resting on my shoulder. For a long time, we didn’t say anything.
"I’m glad you came," he said finally.
"Me too," I admitted.
Chapter 9
Zaden
It startedas a flicker in my chest, a little shock every time Krystal laughed too loudly or talked to someone else. I watched her weave through the grand hall, green silk shirt clinging to her, every hair in place, and felt a primitive pride at how heads turned to follow her.
After the dinner, the gathering spread through the manor, some to the billiards room, others to the garden. I stayed close to Krystal, not ready to let her out of my sight. A few feet away, Vivienne lingered near the bar set up in the far corner of the living room, nursing a glass of something dark, her gaze slicing through the air and pinning Krystal with the weight of curiosity. She watched our every interaction, not with malice, but with a clinical, almost forensic fascination.
Then Vivienne glanced at me, then set your drink down and headed my way. "Zaden, darling," she purred. "Can I talk to you privately?"
I shot a look back at Krystal, where she was talking with Aurelia and Erin. When I returned my attention to Vivienne and nodded, she guided me out onto the terrace. Vivienne closed thedoor behind us, sealing off the noise. She moved to the stone balustrade and leaned out over the drop, her profile caught in the spill of moonlight.
"You’re not subtle, you know," she said, not turning around.
"Never claimed to be," I replied.
She smiled, small and knowing. "You burn brighter than anyone in this house. Even Ashton. But tonight, you’re practically on fire. Is it her?"
I didn’t answer. No point.
She finally turned, her gaze trained on me like a crossbow. "She’s your mate. I can see the bond, even if she can’t."
A tremor started at the base of my spine, crawling upward.
"Let me guess," she continued, circling me now. "It’s unrequited. She doesn’t feel it. She likes you well enough, maybe even wants you, but the real connection, that soul-deep, skin-to-bone thing, isn’t there for her."
I tensed, every muscle ready to snap. How could she know that? "Get to the point, Vivienne."
She stepped in close, her perfume sweet but edged with something tangy I didn't care for. "You know what I can do, Zaden. I see the curses and blocks that others miss. Your mate isn’t missing the mating bond. She’s shielded."
I furrowed my brow. "What are you talking about?"
"I can see it," she said. "A block. Not natural. It was crafted by someone with a very particular gift for dampening emotions. An Eleanor Gallagher specialty, if I’m not mistaken."
My hands curled into fists. "Her mother?"
Vivienne nodded. "I’d wager on it. I sense Eleanor’s magical signature on the suppression block placed on Krystal. The spell keeps her from forming attachments that might endanger her. It’s not a wall, exactly, more like a thick fog. She can feel your presence, but she can’t connect to it. Not unless the spell is broken."
The realization left me reeling. I’d known something was wrong, some gap, some missing link, but hearing it laid out, clinical and absolute, was a different kind of pain.
Vivienne watched me closely. "You want my advice?"
I didn’t, but she gave it anyway.
"Don’t push her. If you try to force the bond, it’ll backfire. She has to choose it. Or you can take a more direct route, find the original caster, her mother, and persuade her to remove it. Nicely, if you can."
I exhaled, sharp and shaky. "You’re enjoying this."
She smiled. "I enjoy puzzles. And Krystal, my dear, is quite a puzzle."
She reached out and brushed imaginary lint from my lapel. "I can help."
