“Viktor.” Ant opened his eyes again, needing his mate to see how serious this was. “In previous readings, you’ve touched meand glimpsed fragments of what I see through our bond. That works because the scenes were relatively straightforward - clear narratives without any magical interference. This is different.”
“How different?”
“I don’t know, which is why I am saying no from the outset. I don’t know what I will see. For all I know, Ronald voluntarily consented to being bitten and then died of a heart attack once he’d returned to his room. But there are too many unknowns at this point.”
Viktor’s hands clenched into fists. “You don’t believe that for a second, which is why we were sent here in the first place. But you’re expecting me to stand there and watch while you suffer through it alone?”
“You’re supposed to protect me by staying focused on the present.” Ant shifted forward onto his knees, moving closer. “If you touch me and the vision impacts you in any way, because of these wards and other magical interferences around us, that leaves us both vulnerable. Claudius or his coven could attack. Able can’t defend against multiple vampires simultaneously. We need you to be functional and aware of our surroundings.”
“I don’t like this.”
“I know.” Ant reached out and placed his hand on Viktor’s knee. His mate never worried about himself. “I need you to trust me. I’ve done this so many times before, well before you and I met. I’ll do it again tomorrow and survive.”
“And if it’s worse than you expect?”
“Then Able will break my concentration before I suffer permanent harm.” Ant glanced at his loyal dog, who was watching them both. “That’s his job. He’s trained to recognize when I’m in distress and pull me out of visions. You shouldn’t need to intervene because he will.”
Viktor pulled Ant forward into a tight embrace, burying his face in Ant’s hair. “I fucking hate this. I hate that you have to see that shit, especially when it’s inflicted by my own kind. I hate that I can’t take it from you.”
“I know.” Ant wrapped his arms around Viktor’s broad torso, feeling the slight tremor in his mate’s muscles. “But this is what I do. This is how I serve.”
“By collecting nightmares.”
“By speaking for the dead.” Ant pulled back enough to meet Viktor’s eyes. “Ronald Finch can’t testify. He can’t point at his killer or explain what he discovered about Claudius’s illegal activities. But I can. I can show everyone exactly what happened in that room, and then the Justiciary can act on that evidence.”
Viktor stroked over his cheekbones so gently as he shook his head. “Promise me something.”
“What?”
“If it gets too bad - if the vision/magic combo gets too much - promise you’ll pull out. You won’t push yourself past your limits just to prove you can handle it.”
Ant considered lying, but he knew Viktor would feel it through their bond, and Ant hated lying of any form. “I promise I’ll rely on Able’s judgment. If he determines I need to stop, I’ll stop.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
“It’s the best I can offer.” Ant leaned into Viktor’s touch. “Because if I start second-guessing myself in the middle of a reading, I’ll compromise the evidence. The vision needs to play through completely, or vital details might be lost.”
Viktor closed his eyes, his lips pressed tight together. Finally, he nodded. “Okay. But I want to be in the room. I won’t touch you, but I need to be within touching distance.”
“That’s acceptable.”
“And we’re doing this early. Before Claudius expects it.”
“Yes.” Ant had already planned that. “I told him nine in the morning, but I’ll begin at dawn. Six-thirty at the latest. By the time he’s alerted and arrives, the reading will be complete, and I’ll have secured the evidence, at least in my head if nothing else.”
“That works for me.” Viktor kissed him gently. When he pulled back, his eyes held that predatory gleam that meant his vampire was very close to the surface. “And when you prove Claudius killed Finch?”
“That hasn’t been proven yet, but if that’s what my findings show, then the Justiciary will arrest him and process him through the legal system.”
“And if he tries to stop us from leaving?”
Ant thought about the fountain in the garden - the focal point of all those layered spells. About how, technically, as a high-ranking mage, he could dismantle the wards that took centuries to build. About how satisfying it would be to watch Claudius’s arrogant face when his supposedly impenetrable defenses collapsed like tissue paper.
“Then I’ll do everything I can to destroy his wards, and we’ll walk out anyway,” Ant said. “But I don’t think he’ll risk that. Not with the Justiciary and the Mage Academy both watching this investigation. You’ve got to remember, Bridget is probably already building a case against him, as we speak, even if he wasn’t directly responsible for the murder. It’s her that Claudius should be worried about, and he doesn’t even know she exists.”
Viktor grinned and flashed his fangs. “That’s a good point, my clever mate. A very good point.”
They didn’t sit for much longer. They both knew Ant would need his rest. In a lot of ways, it was like being back at home, with Ant brushing his teeth while Viktor checked the door and window locks. Able settled on the floor between the bed and the door, although his ears remained pricked and alert.
