She saw heartbreak in his eyes, a soft glow of devastation in the night. “Do you remember when I told you that trauma leaves a mark? It’s more than just a mark of memory. When magic appears in a situation like that, it creates deep trails of emotion that pull you back whenever you’re in a weak state.”
“Like during an intense healing,” he interjected.
“Yes. It sucks you under like an avalanche, burying you so deep that it’s a compulsion. For me, a compulsion to save someone I couldn’t before.”
“You take on too much, Celina. I can’t lose another person—” He broke off, swallowing hard as he looked down. “My sister died that way. Healing someone. She knew it was happening and she let it. Avery died in my arms. They both did—her and Damien. I can’t… You can’t do that to me too.”
Don’t leave me.His desperate words whispered to her, connecting the dots. He’d blocked his magic for a long time. Was terrified of losing someone—of losingher. She knew how it felt to be the survivor. The terrible fear and heaviness of guilt and sorrow that remained, dull one moment and searing the next.
Wanting to soothe him, she opened their connection. Finding the purest strand of magic from the very center of her core, she sent it through the bond, pouring her essence into him on the thread of golden warmth.
“Celina, what…?” His stunned expression reverberated through the bond.
Gently, she reached out to touch his face. “You’ll never be alone, Rodric.”
Affection floated between them, shattered into a million pieces and rebuilt into something more when he sealed his mouth to hers. She kissed him with everything in her, reaffirming the joy of being alive and showing him how deeply she cared for him.
Pulling her up, he settled her on his lap, straddling him, never breaking his frenzied kisses. Holding his head, she let herself fall, flashes of icy blue increasing her fervor.
She pushed at his shirt until her hands felt bare muscle, stroking softly over his chest and shoulder as his hands slid around her waist to her back, his thumbs circling her skin with maddening softness.
Dramatically loud footsteps distracted her from the trail of fire she was pressing to his collarbone. Breaking for a breath of air with a soft growl of frustration, he pressed his forehead against hers.
“We’re going to have company early tomorrow. You two lovebirds might want to get some actual sleep.” Cass’s sarcastic voice reached them from a few trees away. “I’ll finish the rest of your watch, Rodric.”
Celina groaned softly, lifting her head from Rodric’s. He gave her one last, lingering kiss before helping her to stand. Hands clasped, they wandered back to camp to prepare for the next phase of their mission.
CelinasatwithCassamidst a pile of gear the next morning, reassembling what they wanted to take with them. The mercenaries seemed to prefer traveling in comfort, because there were a lot of supplies. No wonder they’d been able to catch them. It gave her hope that they still had time to close in on the group holding Brenna.
Eyeing her friend, Celina lowered her voice so as not to be overheard. “You could easily have pulled me out of that healing. I wasn’t that deep. Our bond is plenty strong. Why didn’t you?” It wouldn’t have been the first time her friend had saved her from herself.
“Thought he needed a little push.”
“You call that a little push?”
“Okay, maybe a shove. Off a cliff. But you have to admit, it worked out well.”
She was right, but Celina never would have used such a harsh tactic. “You know, someday that attitude is going to come back and bite you.”
“You’re just mad I interrupted you last night.”
“You enjoyed thatwaytoo much.”
Cass grinned, unrepentant, as was her usual nature. “I wasn’t the one who decided to getromanticin the middle of the woods. You’re welcome, by the way.”
“For what, precisely?” she asked, amused and still just a touch annoyed.
“Sex on a rock is not as comfortable as you might think.”
Nearby, Sev choked on his breakfast, sputtering and hacking madly.
Celina chuckled, shaking her head. “You said that just to mess with him, didn’t you?”
“You know it.” Cass grinned, unabashed. “You did bring tonic with you, right?”
“Why? You need some?” Celina retorted, brow raised pointedly at the relevant but intrusive question.
“No. Just checking you’ve got your wits about you.”
