I took it from her, then dug out the charging cable and plugged it in, giddy as a kid on Hecara’s Day as the screen came to life. It took a good hour to get through all the set-up and software updates, but I couldn’t even pretend to be annoyed.
A phone was one thing, but having a computer in front of me again was…
Nope, I wasn’t going to cry.
The first thing I did was locate my old cloud account, and I worried for a second when I blanked on my password. What would happen if I couldn’t remember? They couldn’t send me a code to my number or old school email, since both were long gone.
Holding my breath, I pressed enter, relief coursing through me when the only window to pop up was one recommending I change my password soon.
Morgana looked up from where she sat in an armchair across the room, reading some thriller she’d picked up from the bookshelf with Vesper perched behind her.
“Everything good?”
“Yes, everything’s great,” I said with a smile, downloading the source code forKaldrin.
Once it was safely on my new hard drive, I created an email account for my new name, and uploaded it to that cloud as a backup before messaging Morgana’s contact.
Hi Arlen,
My name’s Briar. Morgana Vale gave me your information and suggested I reach out.
I have a nearly finished marketplace app, but I need help resolving a few lingering bugs and reviewing security and anonymity features before moving forward.
If you’re available, I’d like to discuss scope and timeline. Morgana will take care of any costs.
Please email me back when you get a chance.
Thank you,
Briar
I hit enter, sitting back as a weight lifted off my chest. Moving forward withKaldrin, finally, was making me feel like me again. Competent. Independent. With something more to offer than just my body for one man’s pleasure.
While I waited for Arlen to respond, I checked the news. They were still reporting on the outcomes of the Premiers’ Summit. A picture of Victor next to Thangmar Ulfic sent my heart racing, and his mark pulsed with a burning heat I could no longer ignore. I hissed in pain, slapping my hand over it.
“Sage?”
I squeezed my eyes shut, breathing through the wave. “Sorry… this should pass in a second.”
Morgana lifted a knowing eyebrow. “I take it he’s not very happy.”
“Yeah, feels like it,” I replied with a grimace.
She got up, coming to the couch and sitting next to me, and then tilted my chin, looking at the bond mark.
Humming to herself, she gently began to press her fingers against the two scarred puncture wounds. “The skin doesn’t look inflamed, so any effects you’re feeling are purely magical. Which means only magic can end them.”
My eyes widened, and I turned towards her in surprise. “You know how to sever a mate bond?”
Morgana chewed on her lip in thought. “A mate bond, no. I don’t think the gods themselves could separate a mated pair. But then again, this isn’t exactly a full mate bond, is it?”
I shook my head as she continued to stare at the mark. “I do know of a spell to cut the tie from an unwanted alpha bite, though.”
Alphas, due to the dominance of their designation, could bite and claim someone as their partner, while mates could claim each other through bite no matter how they’d been born. This bond, this bite… maybe it had been a simple alpha mark the whole time.
“How? Can I do it?”
She nodded resolutely, getting off the sofa. “I have the equipment. I just need to double-check the spell. You sit tight, okay?”
