A blood pact

s and Te

el

ts of the magic from the blood pact thrumming through my veins, an unsettling warmth that refuses to fade. I don't know if it'

longer

ing with each passing candlelight. The air is thick with something ancient, somethi

off the

is not in

d-the heat, the pulse of raw magic, the sensation of something unseen binding me to hi

around me, my fingers gripping the soft fabric. It

t belo

ave no

r creak

andlelight. He is composed as ever, his dark clothes fitting h

re aw

ing his gaze. "

r of his lips. "I see you

u expected m

ws shifting around him like living things. "I

enching. "And how many have

re the bed, tilting hi

nk. "

the first

it's fear or something else entirely. I don't want to

ye

dark and intoxicating-like smoke and spice and something forbidden. "Tell

t he's tal

bo

able aware

se, the way my heart stumbles in my ch

e to ad

" I

the sound low and

away from him. "W

g unreadable. "I want you to

makes my stomach twist

fading. "You gave yourself to me, Evelyne.

suffocating. I knew this. I knew it the

t loud makes it real in a

The touch is gentle, almost deceptively so, but the moment

anking my

turns. "You

ate

that he

some part of me wants to lean into

forcing my voice to stay

dim light. "Now? We see jus

t leave me al

lls, but every time I think I might have a moment of solit

sn't t

re

lance there. Just enough to remind me that

rst of

wor

in my blood. He doesn't speak into my mind, but I kn

t terri

onders what it would f

pens a

n't

ith the weight of magic. My body is rest

vers away, ex

eed

, the only light coming from the flickering candles along the walls

hadows over the ruined city beyond. It should b

t doe

I can

s c

chi

it

You're doing this, aren't you

s no a

I

n us tightening, pulling, coaxing somet

is in m

r how much I

of me want