Page 109 of Tethered Souls

Thirty-Seven

HER

Shit, that was close.

I close the door to my bedroom, then immediately fall into bed, my body shaking. I hadn’t even realized Varius had come home until I heard him downstairs. Thank fuck, I had thought ahead for once and come up with a reason for being up there if I got caught. It was a prank I’d pulled on Dayne a couple of times – heating his pillow with my magic so both sides would stay warm practically all night.

At the thought of my friend, I squeeze my eyes shut and bite back my urge to scream. I asked Varius to make me pregnant, a knee-jerk idea, hoping that will get him to listen to me if that recording ever gets out. And Ihatethat that request came from something that dirty. A manipulation.

Shuddering, wanting to cry but refusing to, I force my thoughts away from Varius, away from a future that feels so close to falling apart. I need to concentrate on one thing at a time. So I focus on Dayne, on the tattoo I gave him. His heart rate is still calm. Whoever is stalking him hasn’t hurt him.Yet.

ButI only have two weeks to find the ledger, and after his scare today, I just know Varius isn’t going to leave me alone in this house for a very long time. All I’ve managed to search was his bedroom, and it wasn’t there. Which means I’m going to have to get creative in how to search his office.

If Varius catches me…

I shudder, knowing what my fate will be.

Unless, perhaps, if I’m pregnant...

But I can’t give up. Can’t not look.

Not when they’re threatening Dayne.

“Fucking idiot,” I grumble. The next time I see my bestie, and Iwillbe seeing him, I’m punching him for being so obtuse. Who doesn’t realize they’re being followed? Only a fucking idiot.

Pulling myself together, I get my laptop out of my bag, then stop. I can’t trust any electronics I have. I blow out a breath. Which means I need to go old school and write a godsdamn letter because someidiotnever learned how to scry due to how easy it is to use technology.

“Fucking idiot,” I grumble again, this time at myself.

My hands shaking, I try not to think about that last look I saw on Varius. The one that rocked my entire world. The one that changed it in its entirety.

Biting my cheek, I force myself not to cry. The only tears I’ll shed because of this blackmailing asshole will be ones of glee when I skin the fucker alive.

Thirty-Eight

HIM

“How did you know?” I ask Khalid as he appears out of his shadow on our porch in the early hours of the morning. It’s been a week and a half since Talon started visiting Rei, and with every day that he fails to get info, I’ve been getting more and more restless. No…that’s not true. With every day that passes after I fucking realized I loved Micha, I’ve been wanting to tear off my skin.

She is a weakness I can’t afford, so I’ve been avoiding her, hiding in my office under the excuse of work.

Like a coward. Refusing to look at my feelings because I’m dreading the two week mark from when I last fucked her. That’s the earliest we can find out if she’s pregnant with magic. And if she is?

If our enemies kidnapped either of them, they’d fucking have me in the palm of their hand.

How can I be a Boss, how can I protect my brothers, if I could be so easily manipulated?

And Micha…

My chest tightens.

Today, I found something out that makes me so fucking afraid. I haven’t been able to sleep at all, so I’ve been out here for hours, sitting in a chair and watching the flowers bloom. Leno spelled them to open whenever they’re looked at. A type of therapy, and fuck, it kind of works.

“About what?” Khalid asks as he steps towards me, the smell of someone’s pussy on his breath.

“That your girl was it?”

He looks at me sharply. “You finally claiming her?”