Page 72 of Kiss of Embers
Respect shone in Galen’s dark eyes. “You’ve studied witchcraft. Or at least read enough about it to know how it works.”
Struan moved to Zara’s shoulder. “She’s analpha,” he said in the same tone someone might use to saythe popeorBeyoncé.
For a second, Galen looked nonplussed. “Uh…I know. I think everyone knows that, actually.”
“Did you set the curse?” Zara demanded.
“Yes. But as I said, I’m here to break it.” Galen looked at me, his face impassive. “Can I lower my hands, or are you still thinking about killing me?”
I went to the table, flipped a chair around, and pointed to it. “Sit. And start talking.”
Galen crossed to the chair. Flicking his barasta out of the way, he sat. “As you undoubtedly suspect,” he told Zara, “Brader Ashcroft paid me to sabotage you in the Games.”
Zara’s mouth tightened with obvious anger. “Go on.”
“I upheld my end of the bargain, creating the curse that tripped you up during the challenges.” He leaned forward, a commiserating note entering his tone. “It’s quite a complicated curse, to be honest. Really slick with the way it adjusts to the circumstances. That doppelganger was a clever bit of magic?—”
“We don’t give a shite,” I snapped. “Just get to the point.”
He sat back and folded his arms. When he spoke again, he addressed Zara in clipped tones. “Magic is transactional. Ashcroft paid for the curse fair and square. When I agreed todo the magic, however, I had no idea the dragons would show up and claim you as their female. My house won’t like me going back on my end of the deal, but disrupting a mate bond doesn’t sit right with me.”
Zara’s eyes softened. “You entered the Games to bring your fated mate back from the dead.”
Galen nodded. “I won’t keep a pair”—he slanted a look between me and Struan—“or trio apart. And I have no interest in making an enemy of Niall Balfour.”
Struan grunted. “Smart of you.”
“So, what happens now?” Zara asked Galen. She tightened her arms over the sheet, tension entering her face. “What’s going on with the Games? How long until the third challenge?”
“It’s starting now,” Galen said.
“What!”
Struan blurred as he streaked to Galen and grabbed the witch by the throat. “Why didn’t you say that the second you showed up?” he demanded, holding Galen’s feet off the ground.
Galen clawed at his hand. “Fuck…you…” He grunted, then burstthroughStruan, his body going transparent. In the most bizarre move I’d ever witnessed, Galen stepped from Struan’s back wholly intact. He brushed his barasta down, smoothing the thick fabric as if he walked through people every day.
Struan whirled around, slapping at himself like he just stumbled into a doorway of cobwebs. “What in the everlovingfuckwas that!” He pointed at Galen. “Don’t ever do that again.”
Galen rubbed his throat, his expression half fascinated, half repulsed. “Your spirit is like a golden retriever wrapped in a Doberman. I’ve never felt anything like it.”
Struan lowered his hand. “Thank you.”
“Galen,” Zara said, drawing the witch’s attention. “We have to get to the third challenge.”
He nodded. “I can take you. As long as you’re okay traveling through fire.”
Struan scowled as he brushed at imaginary spiderwebs in his hair. “Well, I’m fucking not.”
“What about the second challenge?” Zara asked, swinging toward me. “None of us crossed the finish line.”
My heart sped up. “If Galen breaks the curse, I can channel us.”
“Not necessary,” he said. “The second the curse drops, you’ll return to the last place you stood before it seized you.”
“That was just before the finish line,” Zara said, excitement in her voice.
I looked at Galen. “And then you’ll take us to the third challenge?”