Page 95 of First Ritual
Wild held both hands out. “It just happens. I’ve been leaving before you wake.”
“Then not saying a word when we see each other on dawn walks straight after.” I glanced at him. “I’m outraged about that, but very tired. Expect more on this subject later.”
I picked my way out of the cave, the way lit by Wild’s flame balls, which trailed after us. “You’ll need to summon a portal. My magic will need to recover for a while.” Whatever happened when I blacked out during journeys, it always drained my reserves. Never to the point of my magic taking my essence to replenish, but always to absolute empty.
Corentin’s face appeared before me.
I punched him, toppling forward when my fist encountered thin air. Wild clamped an arm around my waist until my wobbling legs found ground again.
“What is it?” Wild asked.
“The council is looking for her.” Corentin’s focus flicked to me. “And you.”
Wild growled. “What for?”
“The council has decided to go ahead with their original plan and test Bronte’s affinities tonight.”
I shook my head. “That’s not happening tonight.”
“Usually we’d be able to discourage them,” Corentin snarled. “There’s only one instance where that doesn’t work.”
“When my parents are involved.” Wild released me and spun away, swearing loudly. He turned back. “How much time?”
Wait, what? His parents had demanded my affinity test be held tonight.
“They know you’re in the forest,” Corentin answered. “They believe you’re meditating. We told them that Bronte was at the bar. Barrow sent Rooke and Sven to collect her.”
So they’d given Wild an awesome meditation cover story, and I’d just been “at the bar.” Not cool. Perhaps believable though, on second thought. “Why did your parents do this?” What had changed? We’d ensured no one could watch or hear my journey. We would’ve noticed if someone tried to break through Huxley’s barrier to spy too.
“Either the ‘no one else is in the room’ breakfast conversation or the ‘Bronte can hang with the guys at the hot springs,’” said Corentin.
Wild swore again. “They could have done more digging too. Fuck, Tempest. You’re not in any state to do an affinity test.”
“Forget that,” I said slowly. “What will they find?”
I’d only worried about the coven realizing the extent of my magic. I’d believed there was a block in my affinity, too, granted. Now, more and more, I had to wonder if something else was inside me. If I was the trigger behind Wild’s symptoms. Fear nearly choked me. “Wild, do you think when that black magic poured down in my throat, it stayed inside me?”
His conversation with Corentin cut off.
Wild faced me and brushed my hair behind my ears again. “If it’s still in you, I won’t stop until we get it out.”
His sharp tone was almost furious, and I felt my shoulders and fear ease at his conviction. “Okay. The person testing could sense something, though.”
“I’ll do the test.”
“They’ve said that you won’t do the test,” Corentin said quietly.
Wild’s magic pressed outward from his body to hover on his skin. He was pissed. “Is that so?”
My eyes widened at the menace in his voice.
“Don’t go against your parents, man,” his friend urged. “That’s gonna start something we haven’t figured out how to finish yet. We can find another solution tonight.”
How long did we have again? “It’s my problem. I’ll sort it out.”
“I agree,” Corentin sneered. “You’ll be interested to hear your application for a transfer was approved, though. To the original coven, no less. You’ll answer to Wild’s parents.”
What? Really?