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A strong enough connection: Once your connection is strong enough that new bond-related abilities are manifesting between the partners, you should be able to complete the bonding process at any mutually agreed upon time.

Consent: Discuss the desire for bonding between all partners. Your magic will know if each of you has consented or not.

Skin-to-skin contact: Make sure you are touching each other’s bare skin. Even a minor contact will do.

Intent: Each of you should visualize your connection and push your intent to bond with your partner(s) through.

Exchange of pheromones: Many people use sexual intimacy to facilitate the exchange of pheromones, but alternativelyyou merely have to breathe in your partner(s)’s pheromones from a location on their body such as armpit or groin.

Once these steps are completed, you will be able to see your magics combine and become a singular source between all partners, and then the bond is in place.

CHAPTER 8

RORY

They thought I was a Hunter.Some sort of magical Green Beret, based on what Mercy and Garfield told me. A Hunter would’ve definitely been helpful in rescuing Pia. And someone like that would’ve been easier to wrap my brain around than the freaky dragon-slash-giant hedgehog-slash-donkey who a few minutes ago had casually popped a Ouija board out of their side and ordered me to move the hammock around.

Could I just go back to my boring life from yesterday?

But when I glanced over to check on Pia, who had dressed in Dimi’s clothing and was tentatively smiling up at me, I dismissed my wistfulness. Rescuing her was the most important thing I’d done in my entire life.

I didn’t bother correcting Shane’s assumption that I was a Hunter, or Ellis’ that I’d performed the rescue on my own. I handed Ellis my end of the throw blanket, and when our fingers touched, I felt a zap of static electricity.

Shaking my hand, I asked Pia, “Do the clothes help?”

She nodded. She’d put on everything except the shoes and socks. I could only imagine how clothes might feel like armorto her now. I hoped dryads had therapists. She’d need to talk to someone.

“How about some water?” Ellis handed her one of the bottles he’d brought out.

“You know,” Grandfather said. “You’re going to have to tell them about us at some point. Some point soon.”

I made a face at him but covered it up by rubbing my sleeve across my forehead like I’d felt an insect or something.

He waved toward Shane and Ellis. “They’re magic people. Do you think a man who can see ghosts is any stranger to them than... that creature?” He jutted his chin at Ms. Jackson.

Okay, he made a good point.

Lorraine looked up from where she’d been stroking Pia’s hair. “We need their help to get Pia to the local dryads. She needs people like herself.”

Well, fuck. I hated, fucking hated, explaining my ability to people. Especially after what’d happened the last time.