Erik gives me a curious look. “Everything okay, Slater?”
I force a smile on my face. “Just wanted to discuss something I read today with Mateo,” I say blandly.
Neither Bastian nor Erik are fooled by that excuse. “At three in the morning?” Bastian raises an eyebrow. I return his gaze steadily. “Fine,” he murmurs. “Keep your secrets. You’ll tell us about it if it’s important?”
“I will,” I reply, though I wonder if I’m lying. If the Bloodstone will harm Aria, would I tell the others? Or would I just allow them to enjoy what little time we have with our mate?
Even the thought causes a hard lump of fear in my chest. I wait until the others are out of earshot, and then turn to Mateo. “I don’t understand magic,” I start, and then pause as something strikes me. “Where are we going? This isn’t the direction of your bedroom.”
Mateo has that distracted look on his face, the one that signals that he’s using magic. “I’m following Aria’s tracks,” he says. “I want to see this underground chamber for myself.” He frowns in annoyance. “Every time I use magic in Bastian’s castle, the wards fight me. Maija Essen was not noted for her trust in her fellow mages.”
“Given that her spurned betrothed cast a blood curse on all magicals, do you blame her for her paranoia?”
He nods reluctantly. “I suppose you’re right. Anyway. You were saying?”
I take a deep breath and prepare to voice my doubts. “You know more about Maija Essen than anyone else,” I start. “She pulled Aria into our war with the Dark Dragon. Is there a chance, no matter how slight, that she would view Aria’s life as collateral damage, a necessary price to break the curse?”
Mateo stops dead in his tracks. “What?”
“Aria said that she was a seed,” I point out. “Those words got me thinking. Are you supposed to pull the untainted magic out of Aria to end Zyrian’s stranglehold, and will it end up destroying Aria?”
His face has gone pale. “No,” he whispers. “She can’t… Why would she…” His voice trails off.
“It has long been rumored that the Silver Mage could see the future,” I reply. “She guarded her ability jealously, but I’ve found hints in various manuscripts. If she saw something… what if she decided that this was the only way to save our race?”
Mateo shakes his head violently. “Why make Aria our mate then? Why trigger the mating bond? Not just for one, but for all five of us?”
“I don’t know,” I admit. “I can't see the whole path. There’s a Norm book called Dune,” I add tangentially. “In it, the main character can see the future, and every path but one leads to utter ruin. And though that path is terrible, one that leads to the death of his wife, he has to stick to it, because the alternatives are much worse.”
Mateo’s jaw clenches. When he speaks, there’s a note of tightly contained anger in his voice. “The Silver Mage might have seen the future,” he says. “But she was wrong about one thing. If it comes to a choice between magic and Aria, I’ll choose my mate. Every single time.”
3
Aria
I don’t feel like fooling around, and despite his flirting, I don’t think Rhys does either. I spoon into him, and he puts his arm around my waist. “You know,” he says softly, his breath tickling my ear, “You don’t need to be part of this. This isn’t your war.”
Is he right? I don’t know. “I can’t think of it that way,” I reply, closing my eyes and focusing on the feel of his body against mine. “When Silas got ill, and Raedwulf approached me about stealing from you, I had one week to get ready for the job. Had I stopped to think about what I was doing, I’d have peed in my pants. Or worse.”
His fingers trace circles on my stomach. “Nice image,” he says wryly.
“It’s the truth. But… I didn’t have time for fear. That week, I just prepped for the job, step by step. You know why?”
“Tell me, love.”
“Because the reward was worth it. I’d have risked anything to pay for Silas’ treatments.” I lace my fingers in his, and lift his palm to my lips, pressing a kiss there. I hope the gesture isn’t too sappy for Rhys. “This is the same thing. The journey’s scary as fuck, but the destination’s worth the struggle. Plus,” I quip, trying to lighten the tension, “I don’t want to spend the rest of my life as a half-Norm, half-gemstone. That’s just weird.”
He kisses the side of my neck. “You’re pretty damn amazing, Aria,” he says. “But this isn’t the same as when you were planning on stealing from us. This time, you’re not alone. We’re in this together. And,” he adds, his voice lighter. “I consider it my duty to make sure that this journey isn’t all doom and gloom. We’re going to have plenty of fun along the way, okay? The curse is important, but it can’t take away from us living our lives.”
I smile in the darkness. “Is that your way of reminding me it’s date night tomorrow?”
He chuckles. “It’s already tomorrow, love. Get some rest. You’re going to need it for what I have planned.”
Ooh. That sounds intriguing. I can’t wait.
I wake up at noon. Oops.
Rhys is nowhere to be seen. Making my way to my own bedroom, I shower and get dressed in yoga pants and my ‘Life is sweeter with books and cats’ t-shirt. Shockingly, I manage to reach the study without too much difficulty. Last night, this had been the room to which we’d retired after dinner. Unlike the rest of the castle, which looks formal and stuffy, the study is filled with comfortable couches, a pool table, and a massive fireplace.
Bastian and Rhys look up when I enter. “Sorry I overslept,” I say sheepishly.
“Don’t be,” Bastian replies immediately. “It’s only six in the morning in New York. It’ll take you a day or two to adjust to the time difference.” He gives me a warm smile. “I’ll ring for coffee. We were going to eat lunch in thirty minutes, but if you’d prefer, the cook will make you breakfast instead.”
One of these days, I’m sure I’ll get used to the idea of ringing for coffee and having a cook on standby to prepare my breakfast. Today’s not that day. This is so different from my regular life, where I scrounge around for cereal and wonder if the milk is expired. “Umm, I don’t want to be any trouble,” I mutter. “I’ll just eat whatever everyone else is having.”
Frau Ziegler bustles into the room and overhears my last comment. “You are no trouble,” she scolds. “I’m delighted to see the castle filled with people again. Herr Bastian, lunch is ready. After you eat, the Alpha requested a meeting.”
Bastian groans. “Yes, Frau Ziegler,” he says. “I’ll stop by to see Derther after lunch.” He gives me a rueful look. “I was hoping to show you around, but it looks like Rhys might have to play tour guide instead. I haven’t been back for twenty years. I’ll be stuck in magical meetings for the next few days.”
Rhys smirks. “No problem, mate,” he says. “Aria is in very good hands with me.”
“Lovely,” Bastian mutters under his breath. “Just fucking lovely.”
He has such a disgruntled expression on his face that I feel quite bad for him. Bastian works really hard. Frau Ziegler goes off to fetch some coffee, and I turn to him. “Poor baby,” I croon. I lean close to him and stand on tiptoe to whisper into his ear. “I never did give you your birthday present.”
His lips quirk. His arm encircles my waist, and he tugs me closer. He slides his hand down my back until he cups my ass. “Is that so?” he murmurs. “What is it?”
Tendrils of heat coil through my body. “If I tell you, it’ll ruin the surprise.”
His hand is on my butt, and I wonder if he’s going to spank me. Sadly, he doesn’t. He lowers his head and brushes his lips over mine. “That’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
I laugh breathlessly. “I’m sure you are, but I’m not.” I put my arms around his neck and return his kiss.