Page 133 of The Dark Mage

Ren’wyn’s laughter softened into a wide, astonished smile.Fael kissed her, his lips warm and soft, his touch reverent.She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.His surprised chuckle deepened into a rough, yearning sound as he touched her, and she melted beneathhim.

“Make love to me, Fael,” she whispered, her voice full ofneed.

“Ren’wyn,” he groaned, his voice rough with restraint.

She laughed, hands clasping his backside.

“Make love to me,” she repeated, husky andsure.

Fael’s restraint shattered.He pressed a kiss to her neck, fingers trailing over the bodice of her dress, rasping against the fabric before tugging at the laces.

Her hands roamed over his back and thighs as he loved her—slowly, gently, thoroughly.Together, they unraveled, their breaths mingling as they held one another in the quiet afterward.

When Fael snuffed the lamp, they lay close, their hands and lips exploring in the dark.He whispered his love to her again and again, kissing her cheeks, her lips, her throat, until sleep claimed them both, their love warding off the fears of the coming morning.

In the last stretch of night before dawn, the four of them swept through the cobbled streets, cloaks drawn tight and hoods pulledlow.

Fael held Ren’wyn’s hand, his short sword drawn as they wove between carts laden with cheese, vegetables, and fruit bound for the seaside market.The air hung thick with mist from the Serath Sea, a damp shroud clinging to the road.Muffled shouts and oaths echoed from everywhere and nowhere as they followed Zev toward the docks.

Ren’wyn glimpsed the boat through the shifting fog.It was what she imagined might be classified as medium-sized, with a single mast rising from its center.It looked sturdy and well-trimmed, but she immediately realized she had no idea what she was doing.

As they neared the water, her spirit dimmed.Her connection to the Void thinned to a flicker, almost imperceptible.The hollow echo of lapping waves along the docks only deepened the hollowness inside her.She had never found the moment to tell Fael, and now she felt deep unease as her magic grew distant within her ownbody.

Zev climbed aboard first, disappearing unnervingly as the mist thickened, obscuring the boat.Anxious minutes stretched on.Fael slipped an arm beneath Ren’wyn’s cloak, drawing her close.He pressed a swift kiss to her forehead, offering her a worried smile.

She needed to tell him now.To let him know what was happening to her magic.The desire for reassurance swelled inside her, almost overwhelming.

“Fael, I—”

He shook his head gently, silencing her.She settled instead into his warmth, seeking protection, seeking comfort, as her power was slowly, inexorably smothered.

Zev reappeared and gestured for them to board.Fael lifted Ren’wyn easily onto the gangway’s wooden planks.Esrin took her hand, his other twitching, as if suppressing some instinct.The mist parted slightly, revealing the stairway, and Ren’wyn felt a flicker of gratitude for the fleeting visibility.

Then, her back stiffened.Something was wrong.

Shefeltit—felt strains of broken music, discordant and jagged.Like Zev’s claws, it grated against her spirit.The wrongness burned through her, an open wound radiating pain into her head, prickling her fingers.

Esrin’s hands clenched.

Zev’s jaw tightened.

Ren’wyn turned—

And saw Fael, still on the wharf.

“Fael…” she called, her voice trembling.

Broken magic seared through her senses.

“Fael!”

He turned to look at her, determined—but there was something in his expression that made the fear in her chest plummet like a stone into her belly.

Then—

A silky voice cut through themist.

“Well, well,well…”