Page 67 of First Ritual
Sure. He had the hots for someone. “That makes me feel a lot better.” I blew out a breath. “Seriously better.”
“Because without a formed romantic interest in another, you didn’t believe I wasn’t attracted to you?”
I pretended to think. “Yes.”
He rolled his eyes, then squeezed my thighs gently. “Thank you. I’m all right now.”
Slipping off his lap, I perched on the bed. “Why did you come here?”
“To apologize for today. I really hurt you, and in an area where you already have reservations. I’m sorry.”
I rubbed my chest and assessed the bruised feeling of my magic. “Neither of us saw that coming. I’m not after a repeat, but what happened isn’t your fault. This is a weird, weird situation. What did you feel during it?”
“The kiss or the magical assault?”
“Assault.”
He winced. “Excitement. Part of me relished that you’d be more hesitant to meet others’ magic in the future because of what I was doing to you.”
Whoa, twisted. “It’s like we’re being possessed.”
“We?”
“I can’t speak for the first part, but I certainly felt everything you did during that kiss. If that’s what you can call that.”
We exchanged another look of awe.
“Unlike any kiss I’ve ever had,” he said low.
I could second that.
Wild’s breath hitched. “I just wanted to say… I noticed your tethers. The ones that no longer connect to people. I’m—”
My three withered tethers. I squeezed my eyes shut. “Stop.”
Silence filled the room. I didn’t open my eyes. Couldn’t see his expression. His pity. “Please don’t talk about that.”
A beat. “Of course. My apologies.”
I took a few breaths. “What’s next then?”
“We’re bouncing between our courting theory and something more sinister as you’re suggesting with possession. On one hand, I wanted to own your magic during the assault. On the other, your kiss calmed me like nothing else could have. To me, it seemed like I instinctually left you with that option while going after your essence.”
That was the theory I’d been turning over too. I opened my eyes and was grateful to find him all business. “Agreed.”
“Let’s meet in the library tomorrow evening after Caves has played out. We’ll work on your project first, then see if there’s time to brainstorm further on our… thing.”
The strangeness of a calm conversation occurring between us wasn’t lost on me. “I can do that.”
He rose, his pendants clinking softly. “Night, Tempest.”
Was he purposefully mocking Bedwyr’s farewell? I narrowed my eyes. “Don’t watch me sleep.”
17
I woke from a deep slumber. One so deep that—aside from esbats—it was rare to the extreme.
Stretching out, I arched against the warm body behind me.