Eleri Stone - Witch Bound

The door creaked open and the light from the hall outlined Fen’s dark shape. He paused on the threshold before entering.

“Fen?”

“Yeah,” he answered. “It’s me.”

The room was dark and she only caught glimpses of him as he moved across the room. The curve of his cheek when he turned his head, the sheen of bare skin when his arm was touched by the light seeping in from under the door. He sat down on her bed.

“I didn’t mean to wake you.” He touched her hand, the backs of her knuckles, in a brief, glancing caress. “I wanted to make sure you were all right. Alan said you needed to rest and I worried it meant you were hurt worse than I thought. I needed to see for myself.”

“He healed my shoulder. It aches.” She caught his hand when it moved to her arm. “It’s okay. He didn’t think I was up to an inquisition.”

Fen chuckled, a low sound that made warmth coil in her belly. That sound coming out of the darkness...

“Is that what he said? It’s not as bad as that. Aiden’s assuming full responsibility for the Vanir witch.”

He paused and she said what he’d been too kind to say out loud. “But you know better.”

“Of course I do.”

She waited for him to say something else. Yell at her for her impulsiveness or putting herself into danger again, but he didn’t. He didn’t seem angry at all. Just...tired.

“You’re not going to tell me how stupid it was to put a geis on him?”

“You’re not stupid,” he said. “I never called you that. You’re braver than I wish you were. Rash. Why did you risk your life for him?”

She started to scoot back before remembering that beneath the sheet she was bare to the waist. The hounds had excellent night vision and she didn’t want to test it now. She drew the sheet up a little higher. “It was wrong to kill him. He knew he was sacrificing his life for ours and was willing to do it. I didn’t want to force Aiden to act as his executioner. Not when there was a choice.”

“How did you know it would work?

She blushed. “We’ve always known the Vanir used bond magic to form the geis that compels the demons to hunt us. It’s what’s kept them alive all this time even though the bridge to their home world is broken. Their lives are tied to ours. And since our presence here is what allows the demons to cross Asbrú, I knew that if I bound Kamis to me, he’d make it too.”

“You suspected he would.”

“I knew ...” How to explain it? “I’ve been studying this my whole life, Fen. I know it looks like a wild risk from the outside, but I knew what I was doing.”

“Kathy—”

“Kathy said I shouldn’t try it. I brought the amulet anyway, as a last resort. I know this sounds like I have an enormous ego, but I’ve gone as far as I can go with Kathy’s training.” She shook her head. “Maybe that’s why the block was there. It’s like you know how to shift. I can feel that magic. I know when it’s right and I know how to change it.” She paused, but Fen didn’t comment. He toyed with her fingers while he patiently heard her out. “I was maybe a little bit selfish too. Kamis...I think I can learn a lot from him.”

He looked up. “It’s not really a mating bond is it?”

“No,” she said, quickly responding to the strain in his voice. “A geis is far less intricate than a mating bond. This one is barely a tether.”

“Can you control him?”

She hesitated and Fen groaned. “Rocky.”

“If I need to, I can.” It would kill her too, but she could stop him. She chose not to share the entire truth. If Fen was aware of her omission, he didn’t call her on it.

“Can you transfer it to Kathy?”

Raquel thought about all that power. “No.”

“Okay.” He squeezed her hand. “We’ll deal with it then.”

She squinted, trying to see his face, but she could only see his downturned profile. The sharp blade of his nose, the angle of his jaw.

“We?”

“You’re part of our clan, Rocky. No backing out now.”

The bed creaked when he stood and he paused, looking down at her. She resisted the urge to grab onto the hand that hung loose at his side. Would he stay with her if she asked?

“Rocky?”

“Yes.”

“It would help me immensely if you would learn to be more cautious. No more leashing Vanir demigods and bringing them home as pets, okay?”

“No more pets, got it.” She gathered her courage. “I’m ready for that talk now, if you are.”

“You’re supposed to be resting.”

“I’d rest easier if I knew what you wanted to talk to me about.”

He hesitated and she reached for his hand again. She’d given him a chance to run and he hadn’t taken it. He couldn’t expect to stand there all night without her trying to touch him. Gently, he turned his hand so their palms were pressed together. His long fingers curved around hers, warm and solid and reassuring.

“I want to try.” He drew in a deep breath. “Us. I want to try to make it work. When this has all settled down, I’d like to take you out. For dinner or a movie, whatever you want to do. I spoke with Christian and he’s okay with that.”

That conversation had to have been hard for him. Tears pricked her eyes, but she managed to keep her voice steady. Mostly. “I’d like that, Fen. I’d like it a lot.”

He cleared his throat. “I worry that we’ve moved too fast. With the wedding and the crossing...I don’t want you to make a quick decision you’ll regret later.”

“I wouldn’t do that.”

“Since Aiden plans to keep you on as clan witch, there’s no rush. We can take things slow.” His hand flexed and released her. “You make sure I’m who you want.”

“I know what I want.” She hesitated and then plunged ahead. “What do you want, Fen?”

His gaze angled up to meet hers, but it was a long time before he spoke. The words spilled softly into the dark room. “You. It frightens me how much I want you. I’d give up the pack, the clan, my oldest friends. I would lose myself to have you and that terrifies me.”

“Fen—”

“The right thing—the best thing—would be for me to let you go. But what I want is you, all of you. I have from the beginning. And I worry that it’s selfish, and I worry that you’ll change your mind.”

Raquel swiped at the tears on her face. Fen made a soft sound. The mattress shifted beneath his weight and then his arms were there, surrounding her, drawing her into the shelter of his body. Slowly—because she didn’t want to chase him away—she reached out to touch him.

When he didn’t pull back, she traced the seam of his jeans with her fingertips all the way to his hip. She skated her fingertips over his abdomen and his muscles contracted beneath her touch. She smiled against his neck. So many muscles. She wanted to trace that path with her tongue. That might be pushing too hard. He wanted to woo her. A warm rush of feeling accompanied the thought and she turned her head, breathing him in.

She laid her palm upon his chest. His heartbeat was fast and strong, thundering away as fast as hers. She lifted her face to find him staring at her intently. His eyes nearly glowing in the faint light. His beautiful expressive mouth turned up at the corners as he took her hand and guided it back to the bed.

“But before any of that happens, you need to finish healing. You need to rest.”

“I want you to stay.”

A flash of white teeth in the darkness. “Sometimes I think you’re purposefully trying to drive me crazy.”

“I won’t change my mind.” He didn’t argue, but she could tell by his expression that he wanted to. “I know you think I rush into things, but I’m right a lot of the time.”