“If you try that again, Kara Hale, I swear I’ll use this new magic and put you to sleep,” he warned.
She gasped in mock outrage. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me.”
“Oh, I will.” She crossed her arms, still grinning. “Go on then,Healer. Put me to sleep.”
Sebastian raised a glowing emerald hand like he actually might do it. Kara lifted her chin defiantly.
“Don’t tempt me.” He hovered his fingers over her temple.
She closed one eye, but peeked at him through the other. “What, afraid it’ll work?”
He scowled at her, then focused, willing the magic to do something. Green light flickered uncertainly at his fingertips, then spluttered and fizzled out. Nothing.
Kara burst out laughing. “Oh, that was terrible!”
His ears went scarlet. “It’s new. I don’t – shut up.”
Wonderful. Not only a healer, but an incompetent one.
She bent over, clutching her sides, tears streaming down her face as she tried to speak through her laughter. “Sebastian Thorne... feared across all of Vallenna...” She gasped for air, struggling to get the words out. “...can’t even put his bondmate to bed!”
Oh really, Healer?
He lunged, pinning her down against the mattress, his face hovering inches from hers. “Keep laughing, Karalynna. I’ll figure it out. And then you’ll regret it.”
Her breath caught, though her grin didn’t fade. “Karalynna now, am I?”
“Only when you’re misbehaving,” he smirked.
She kissed him quickly on the lips and his irritation melted away instantly.
One kiss. That’s all it takes.
Ridiculous, Thorne.
“I’m glad it didn’t work,” she told him.
“Oh?”
“I don’t want to miss a single second with you.”
As if I’d let you.
He kissed her deeply, their golden bond humming at the contact. When they broke apart, her expression changed suddenly. He knew thatlook – lips still flushed, eyes gleaming with mischief. She’d thought of something, and he wasn’t sure if he should be worried.
“Could you heal me?” she asked.
He frowned. “You’re not injured.”
She held her palm up to him, showing a small cut across her skin. “This one. I never bothered with it.”
He muttered under his breath but caught her hand all the same, brushing his thumb over the mark. A warm green glow flared instantly. After his failure with sleep magic, he half expected it to not work, but then she exhaled a tiny, blissful sigh. The cut had sealed, disappearing like it had never existed.
At least I can manage that.
When he glanced up at her, he was shocked to find her eyes filling with tears.
