Page 87 of A Fate of Blood and Magic (Fated #2)

Chapter

Thirty-Seven

TEDDY

Shouts echoed from outside Finley’s and Etienne’s townhome. Even without super-fae hearing, I heard them as if they were screaming right beside me.

“You can’t continue expecting your mate to take care of me,” Etienne shouted.

I didn’t exactly disagree with him.

I sensed more than felt Brenton and let those senses guide me to where Brenton sat at the foot of their front porch steps. I sat beside him, wrapping my arms around him as he dropped his head to my shoulder.

“It’s killing him, Finley,” Etienne continued, his words resounding higher. “ Vith, don’t you care that it’s killing him?”

Something inside crashed. “Of course I care.” Her tone was just as loud and rageful as his.

Brenton’s body shuddered, and I tried to wrap my arms around him tighter.

“Alastor and I are going to go inside to help Etienne,” I said quietly.

Brenton stilled before he lifted his head to look at me. His hazel eyes were dull and filled with pain. I wound my arms around his neck, clinging to him in the hopes of easing even the tiniest bit of his pain. His arms went around my waist, pulling me closer.

His grief swam through my veins, filling me with his escalating emotions.

“Elias can either take you to our home or the tavern while Alastor and I work on Etienne,” I whispered, running my hand over the back of his head. “But you’re leaving now, and you’re staying with us tonight.”

“What about the babes?” he asked, his voice breaking while his arms shook.

“Leah’s going to meet us here, but Alastor is certain this won’t hurt them.”

I flinched when Etienne’s shouts grew louder, but I didn’t listen to what he said.

“I trust him, and you’re going to trust us to take care of Etienne.

Okay?” I waited for him to nod. “After this, you’re done, Brent.

Alastor and I will do everything we can for him, but you’re done taking care of him.

No more looking for cures or . . . any of it.

You’re not going to hang around to sense an oncoming seizure or help him if he has one.

You’re going to distance yourself from them and let them live their lives so you can live yours. Understood?”

His hold on me tightened. “Teddy?—”

“I know you love her,” I said, holding the back of his head when his body trembled again. “Now, I need you to love yourself, even just a fraction of what you feel for her. You can do it, can’t you?”

“I don’t know.”

His honesty, the way he loved her, ripped me to shreds. It made me want to go in there and beat some sense into Finley. I couldn’t understand how anyone could turn away someone as good and kind and selfless as Brenton.

“You can,” I reassured him. “I’ll force you to until you can do it on your own.”

Elias’s hand found my knee, and I felt his other hand when he wound it around Brenton.

“I’ll force you to as well,” he said.

“Are you going to try to use your kingliness against me again?” Brenton joked through a sniffle.

Elias playfully slapped the back of his neck. “Let’s go home. I’ll even let you make us fries again.”

Although Brenton’s laugh was watery, it warmed me to hear it. Elias held my elbow to help me stand when he and Brenton did. Brenton squished my cheeks with both palms on either side of my face, and then he kissed my hair with a loud smack.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t let Elias cook,” I teased. “That’s all the thanks I need.”

“Thank you, Alastor,” Brenton said. “I’d kiss you too, but I don’t think our friendship is there yet.”

“I’ll save the kiss for a different occasion.” Alastor smirked.

Brenton laughed.

Alastor and I headed for the door while Elias and Brenton walked to Hayden, who unfortunately was witnessing far too much of our personal lives. Not that I didn’t like him. I did. I just didn’t like that he was there to see so much. Especially this with Brenton.

Already, Brenton felt horrible. Hell, it wasn’t that long ago he’d called himself pathetic. He didn’t need those he wasn’t comfortable around seeing him in such a vulnerable state .

When Finley screamed again, I stilled at the door. Widening my eyes, I turned to Alastor.

“I think you should knock,” I told him, using his mind-speak magic.

Alastor pushed me closer to the door. “You should knock.”

“Alastor —”

“You’re the queen,” he argued, grinning far too wide.

“Don’t give me that shit.”

I tensed when Finley and Etienne started shouting over each other. Alastor lifted my hand and although I fought him, he used my knuckles to knock. I kicked his shin, making him laugh.

“You’re my least favorite cousin,” I hissed when I heard someone coming to the door.

He dropped his arm on my head. “Same.”

Finley faltered when she opened the door, but she put a fixed smile on her face while she ran her fingers through her dark black hair.

“Teddy, Alastor,” she said a bit higher than necessary. “We weren’t expecting you.”

Etienne came up from behind her to open the door wider. “I’m sure you heard the argument we were having.” He set his lips in a thin line. “I hope Brenton left before?—”

“It’s safe to say he heard most, if not all of it,” I said.

“I’m sorry.” He dropped his forehead to the door. “He shouldn’t have to deal with any of this.”

I stared at Finley when I said, “I agree.” I turned to Etienne. “That’s actually why we’re here.”

She edged back. “Do you want to come in?”

As we stepped inside, Leah came up behind us. We followed them through the house, and Finley flinched when we reached a shattered lamp on the floor.

“I apologize,” she said weakly. “Sometimes when I get angry, my magic?—”

Etienne took her by the shoulders and pressed her to his chest. “Don’t apologize for having emotions or for your magic.”

When we reached their living room, we all stood in front of the couches without sitting.

“Teddy and I believe our magic can help you with your convulsions,” Alastor told Etienne before he turned to Leah. “The magic won’t require much from her and will not affect the babes, but we’d like you present to monitor them if Etienne agrees to allow us to cast the spell.”

Leah nodded and took a seat on the edge of the couch.

“The spell won’t heal you entirely, but with the help of the medicine you’re taking, it should dramatically decrease how many seizures you’re having,” Alastor said.

“Etienne, I’m sure you’re a good male,” I said, “but after tonight, I don’t want either of you contacting Brenton for anything.

” I ignored the way Finley stiffened. “He has gone out of his way to help you. He’s done far more than anyone else has, all because he loves his mate.

You said it yourself. This is killing him, so I’m putting a stop to it. ”

Alastor rested a hand on my shoulder and squeezed.

“I never meant to hurt him.” Finley’s voice came out small.

“Well, you did,” I said. My words hung tightly in the air. “You took advantage of how he feels about you.” I was so angry with Finley, and I hadn’t realized until that moment just how much her actions enraged me. “Were you really going to let him stay here so that he can sense an oncoming seizure?”

“He said he wanted to.” She cast her eyes down. “He insisted?— ”

“If you cared for him at all, you would never have even entertained the idea,” I said. “Let’s do this.”

“Are you okay with us using mage magic on you?” Alastor asked Etienne.

“I’m pretty sure the queen is angrier with Finley than with me, so I don’t believe she intends to kill me?” With a wry grin, he raised his brows at me.

I snickered. “At least, not tonight.”

“I am sorry for what we’ve put Brenton through,” he said.

“I know.” I crossed my arms. “I heard you yelling that through the door.”

“That’s embarrassing.” He scratched the back of his head. “If you heard us without fae hearing, can you imagine who else heard us? I fear we may have to move, Finny.”

Hesitantly, one side of her mouth tipped up in a half grin.

And dammit, I couldn’t help but like him. He was just as caring and protective as every other male fae I’d met to those he loved.

“Shall we begin?” Alastor asked.

When Etienne nodded and took a seat, Alastor pulled out his white bowl and punctured the tip of my finger. Once we both dripped three drops of blood, we chanted the words from the book.

A warm and comforting buzz built inside me, and I reveled in the way it made me feel whole.

There was this rightness to the magic, like I was doing exactly what I was born to do.

While the threads of Alastor’s green magic rose from the bowl, the threads from my magic remained missing, but I felt the way the words built inside me, swelling and swelling in the most mesmerizing way.

Far too quickly, the words slowed as did the magic within me until it dwindled and disappeared. That sense of comfort and rightness remained, though, a seed of joy nestled between the confines of my chest.

I smiled at Alastor, who dropped a heavy arm on my shoulders after he put his bowl back in the inner pocket of his magic.

“How do you feel?” Alastor asked Etienne.

Etienne ran a hand over the back of his head.

“There was this constant. . .throbbing in the back of my head. It made it harder to think, speak, or function really.” He let out a surprised huff.

“Usually for a few hours after a seizure, I feel better, but the heaviness had already started returning.” He rubbed the back of his head again. “It’s gone.”

“I’m hoping the throbbing and heaviness will not return, but if it does, reach out to me,” Alastor said. “I’ll be able to repeat the spell without Teddy next time.”

Offended, I furrowed my brows. “Why without me?”

“I didn’t mean to offend you, cousin,” Alastor said. “I just meant you didn’t have to come if you didn’t want to.”

“I like doing magic.”

Leah rose from the couch. “Your sons like you doing magic as well. Even without the machine, I heard the way both their hearts strengthened while you cast your spell.” She smiled. “Both their hearts are stronger than ever. Fascinating.”