I rolled my eyes and sat back, mirroring him. My traitorous fingers reached for the phone, sliding it towards me. “What’s the point, though,” I whispered. “I’ll be gone soon and this will be over. Getting in deeper with Nick will only make it worse when I leave.”
I thought about how happy he’d been to see me Wednesday night when I’d turned up on his doorstep. How good it had felt to tumble into his bed and let my magic flow uninhibited between us. How hard it had been to walk away from him in the morning.
Even now I craved his company, and not just for the amazing sex. If it was just that, I could justify calling him now, arranging to meet him later for more of the same.
But I couldn’t kid myself into thinking that was all there was between us. I wanted to talk to him, was desperate to rip away the remaining lock on his magic and see it for myself.Feelit.
I eyed my phone.
Contacting Nick wasn’t a smart move for either of us. I should put a stop to it now before I got him into even more trouble with the council. Before I started neglecting my duties as a fae guard. Before the thought of leaving here threatened to shatter me into a thousand pieces.
I reached for my phone and scrolled for his number.
NICK
In my office,the sounds of Midnight on a Friday night were muted but not entirely blocked out. David sat in the chair opposite me, a conflicted expression on his face that was definitely my fault.
My arm rested on the desk between us, my inner wrist on show. We both stared down at what was left of my punishment mark.
David scrubbed a hand through his hair, then bit his lip. “I know I should be more concerned with the council’s reaction to this,” he said, glancing up with an expression that looked like awe. “Butfuck me, Nick, I still can’t get over how strong his magic is.”
“Me neither.” A blush crept over my cheeks as I remembered what had led to that second link disappearing.
David smirked. “I can only imagine.” His gaze never wavered from my wrist. As though he could unravel all the mystery by just staring at it. It was obvious he itched to reach out and touch it. I saw his fingers twitch more than once, but he clasped his hands instead, fingers knitting together tight.
“We’re going to have to tell the council, aren’t we?” I hated the idea of going in front of them again. The members were all coven leaders, like David, and individually they wouldn’t bother me. But together? Maybe it was all that power collected in one room, maybe it was the authority they held over me and everyone else, but whatever it was, the thought of standing before them while they deliberated on my future sent ice through my veins.
I shuddered, and David finally looked up.
“I think we’ll have to,” he said, rubbing his jaw. “Because I assume this thing with Dathal isn’t over?”
I shook my head. Maybe it should be? It might save me from having to face the council if we stopped now. I glanced down at my mark. But then again, it wasn’t as though the sudden return of my magic in a year would go unnoticed. I would have to face the consequences sooner or later.
But more than that, what forced the issue was that I just didn’t want to stop spending time with Dathal until his return through the gateway.
“In that case,” David said, a steel to his voice I recognised as his coven leader tone. “I think we should do it before the mark disappears completely.”
I wanted to tell him no. Wanted Dathal and his magic to fuck away the last link before the council had the chance to interfere. But instead, I nodded. The seeds of worry had taken hold though, and the words tumbled out. “Can they stop me from seeing him?”
“The council?”
I nodded.
David rubbed his jaw again. “They won’t like it, but no, Nick. They can’t dictate who you spend time with.”
I knew that, of course I did.
I also noticed that he’s saidtheyand notwe. As a coven leader, David also had a seat on the council.
“Have I put you in an awkward position? Again,” I added at his raised eyebrow.
To my surprise, he grinned. “Yes. But don’t worry about it. I never agreed with their decision, and it fucking frustrates me to no end that I wasn’t allowed to be a part of the discussion when it came to your punishment.” He reached out and gripped my wrist, fingers warm where they covered my mark. “Neither were your family, but I know they argued against it. You were sent up here for your own protection as much as anything. To keep you from Tombs’ radar.”
I grimaced. “I nearly set my house on fire.” And nearly killed people, but I didn’t want to say that aloud. David was well aware of the details, anyway.
“I know.” His expression softened. “You were young and arrogant, but you’re a powerful witch, Nick. You’re not the first to think they don’t need to learn to master the basics like everyone else, and you won’t be the last. What happened was an unfortunate accident.”
As much as I wanted to believe what he was saying, the fact remained that I’d been reckless, and it had nearly cost the lives of people I loved. “It could’ve ended in disaster.”
