Page 21 of Contested Crown

Cade was staring at me. “Miles…”

“It’s no big deal. I’m fine.” I wiped my face.

Cade reached up, his fingertips brushing underneath my eyes. “You’re crying.”

“I’m fine,” I repeated brusquely.

Looking down, I caught sight of the black piece of snakeskin on my wrist. It had moved, sliding halfway up my forearm. Cade caught my gaze and reached out. His fingers were warm on my arm.

He traced over scales, and I shivered.

“Have any of the other pieces moved?” His breath moved over my skin, raising goose bumps.

When Basil had exploded, shattering himself in an attempt to help us get free, the pieces of him had flown over my entire body. I pulled off my shirt, touching his tail on my abdomen and another piece of his body on my chest.

“I think so,” I said. “You should try again.”

Cade was staring at my skin and brushed his hand against the muscles. I shivered. Of course, we had touched in the weeks since we’d escaped House Bartlett. It was impossible not to when we were living in such close quarters.

But we hadn’t done anything more than necessary touches. A hand at the shoulder to get attention. A brush of arms as we passed. Even when we slept in the same bed, it was on opposite sides, facing away from each other.

This wasn’t required, Cade’s thumb circling next to my abs, the way he looked up at me through his eyelashes.

“What does it feel like when I give you my magic?”

“Whole. Complete.” I cut off what I wanted to say. It felt like when I had led the pack at House Bartlett. Like a piece of me was coming back, a puzzle piece fitting right into the center.

His eyes were wide now, searching mine. “Really?”

I nodded slowly. He raised his hands again, trapping my palm between his. This time, he went even more slowly, his magic warming me, spreading inside my chest, letting me breathe it.

“What spell is this?” I asked breathlessly.

“It’s just a healing spell.” Cade was focused on my hand, and I saw the black lines of tattoo curling up my wrist and arm, making it all the way to the center of my chest, where it spiraled around itself, a thorny vine that pulsed with dark magic. “You’re hurt.”

Cade’s voice was small.

“I’m always hurt,” I said brusquely. It was true. I had spent eleven years being either hurt, recovering from hurt, or about to get hurt. My body was so used to it that I didn’t even notice anymore. The idea of feeling it was foreign.

The warmth spread, running through me, all the way down to my fingertips.

“I thought—” I paused to gasp. “—I thought you couldn’t heal? Isn’t that what Rhys is for?”

“Rhys is able to heal specific injuries, and they can beautify people. They’re healing the flesh, but they nevergivesomeone their magic. I can’t do what they do. Or… I couldn’t. When I was too full of magic, if I had tried to do this spell, you probably would have blown up. There would have been too much magic inside you.” Cade slowly released my hand, and I watched as the thick vine, each thorn appearing so sharp it could slice open my skin, slithered across my chest, down the other arm, then back up the inside of my forearm, disappearing down my legs.

“Wait. There was a chance that you doing this couldblow me up?” I asked incredulously.

Cade blinked. “A mage can’t transfer magic to anyone who isn’t their consort. It’s just not possible. That’s what we’ve always been taught. It’s whateveryoneis taught. To take another mage’s magic, there has to be an agreement, or… an agreement has to be forced.” Cade frowned, looking up at me. “But you took my magic.”

He seemed confused, as though he was demanding an explanation from me.

“I don’t know.” I reached up, cupping his cheek. “All I know is that this feels right. Does this mean that we’re consorts?”

I nearly whispered the words, something inside me tightening with panic. Cade’s magic raced up my chest, spiraling tighter and tighter, trying to heal my racing heart, the muscles clenching. But it couldn’t change the anxiety I felt; it could only relax the muscles, until my body felt as limp as though I had gone through a five-hour massage.

Cade blinked and reached out, pressing his hand against the spiral of vine. “No.”

The short word spoke to things that I didn’t understand. “Then how is this working?”