Page 21 of A Taste of Bliss

“I’m so glad you were able to meet with us today, Ms. Rassard,” the nymph says, looking me over. She motions for Liz and I to take seats across from her in the formal ornate sitting room. My aunt and I sit in matching antique upholstered chairs,a side table between us boasting a huge bouquet of expensive looking flowers.

“My name is Tessa Bridgely,” she explains to me. “I’m the head of the Bond Committee, and I want to assure you both—” she glances at my aunt, “—that we’re looking into the unfortunate accident with the activation stone very seriously.”

I hide a smile behind my hand, flashing a look at Liz. Does the committee think we’re going to sue them? Or is Liz’s badass reputation just that widespread in the committee? I wonder if Liz and Bridgely have ever crossed paths before, when Liz used to work here.

“The stone does appear to be in working order, though,” Tessa continues, a frown forming on her face.

“What does that mean?” Liz asks.

I look around the room, allowing my aunt to take the lead. The windows in here are closed and look like they don’t actually open, which really sucks because the air is becoming hotter and more stifling, though maybe it’s just me. I already know what all this means, and I can tell by the expression on Tessa’s face that if it’s not the stone’s fault, then it’s mine.

I focus on the window that overlooks the fae district located just west of the Kensington Gardens in London. Liz and I got up at an un-starly hour to travel via portal to arrive here just before noon. I stifle a yawn as I force my eyes from the park beyond the fae council’s estate and refocus on the conversation.

“Well, we’re unsure,” Bridgely says diplomatically, clearly not wanting to come right out and blame me. I fight back a harsh laugh. “We’d like to have Bliss try again.”

My eyes snap to hers. “Why? So it can burn me again?”

“Well, as far as we can tell, even despite the mishap, your bond should still be active.”

“So touching it again would prove what? That it worked the first time?”

“Yes. If there’s no reaction, then it’s very likely the bond has already been activated, and whatever reaction the stone had to you, or you had to it, is something else. To those of us with our bonds already in place, the stone feels cold.”

“And if it happens again?” Liz asks, glancing at my healed hand.

“Then the committee shall continue our investigation to see if there is something specific interfering with the magic, or if there is something unique about Bliss that is preventing her bond from activating.”

“Something could be interfering?” A small hope starts to blossom that perhaps it’s not something wrong with me after all.

“I’ve seen a few hexes placed on fae over the years to prevent them from finding their mates, though never a successful one, mind you. They usually backfire on the fae casting them, but it’s possible someone tampered with you. Have you any idea of someone who would want to prevent you from finding your mate? A jealous boyfriend, or ex, perhaps?”

I exchange glances with Liz but shake my head. “No, nothing like that,” I lie.

Jordan.I guess I wouldn’t put something like that past him. But I haven’t seen him in years, so it doesn’t make a ton of sense. Though he always used to say that if we weren’t bonded, that he’d kill my mate so he could keep me to himself. At the time, I hadn’t thought he wouldactuallydo that. It was just something he was saying because he loved me so much. It had sounded romantic. Now I see it clearly for what it was.

“Could the stone have been tampered with?” Liz proposes instead, but she throws me an odd look, like she’s not sure why I would have lied. She knows my history with him and I have a feeling she’s thinking just how stupid it is not to mention him. But my aunt isn’t like Amelia. She’ll only bring it up if she knows I’m comfortable with it.

But I’m not. The thought of any sort of investigation reeling him back into my life makes my body physically freeze up.

Tessa gives a small shake of her head. “Absolutely not. It’s kept under tight lock and key. Only I and a few other fae have access to it. It’s only taken out during ceremonies and it’s under guard while out.”

I nod. “Okay, well, let’s get this over with, I guess.”

Tessa ushers us out into the hallway, where we follow her to a small but equally ornate viewing room. Two fae guard the stone, which sits atop a pillar like the one from the ceremony. It looks like it did before, a soft glow coming from within it, and the flames from the sconces along the wall flicker in the reflection.

“The enchantment that readies the stone has already been cast. You may reach out and place your palm on the stone.”

Like I’m ripping off a Band-Aid, this time I don’t hesitate, reaching out my palm to the surface of the stone. My eyes squeeze shut as I brace myself to be thrown backwards.

But all I feel is a cold glass surface underneath my palm. I open one eye and then the other and look around from my aunt to the other fae in the room. “Well?” I ask, keeping my hand where it is.

“Does it feel cold?” Liz asks, and I nod in reply.

Tessa makes a non-committal noise in her throat and looks to the fae standing beside her. He shrugs. “Well, it appears that your bond must have been activated. We will continue digging into what caused the excess energy discharge.”

I take my hand off the stone and brace myself again to ask the question that’s been slowly eating away at me. “Aren’t you ignoring a possible explanation?” I ask.

“Such as?”