Page 89 of The Rogue's Curse

“I think I’m all done,” she said, releasing him to hold up one of her pads of paper. An intricate drawing had taken shape across the page. It reminded him of his own work, but in an entirely different style, as if they were painters of different eras. A bold red streak wove through the tangle.

“This is the bond to Paris,” he said, tracing the red.

She smiled and nodded. “That’s right.”

“And you’re sure about it?”

“Absolutely positive,” she said. “You two are soulmates.”

Soulmate. It made no sense at all, not in his world of measurements and logic and geometry. This was a wild and unpredictable magic, something he could not hope to tame.

And yet, it made perfect sense. Alone there in his workshop, he thought dimly that he should be upset with fate, frustrated at having no say in the matter. How could he just go along with the insane notion that he had been chosen as the mate of a man he’d known barely a week?

Like this. It felt like swimming with the current, lying down and letting the sun warm him with its gentle rays. It was easy. And while Paris seemed frightened and agitated, Misha was happy.He could see it with his own eyes, knew it was as real as the moon and stars.

All that frightened him were these strange shadow creatures. It was already unsettling enough for his magic to be out of control. Knowing that something could emerge from the ether when he slept… It was enough to make him shudder.

Shoshanna glanced over her shoulder, then took Misha’s hand. “I’m really glad you’re here,” she said.

He nodded. “I am too.”

“He acts like a dick sometimes, but Paris is one of the best men I know,” she said. “Even before I met Alistair, Paris and Dominic dropped everything to help me when I was in trouble. He’s a flirt, and sometimes he acts like a fool, but it’s an act. Deep down, he’s a protector, and once he’s decided you’re under his wing, he’ll fight to the death for you.And I don’t know if he’s told you, but it was his idea to split the court. Even before Eduardo announced he was leaving, Paris knew that things were going in a direction he didn’t like. He asked me to learn about Covenants because he knew that he was going to have to make a big decision soon.”

Misha nodded. “I’ve gotten that impression. That he is a genuinely good man.”

“He is,” Shoshanna said. “You have to be patient sometimes, but I think you already see who he really is.” Shesmiled brightly, then folded up her paper. “I’m going to work on this a while longer. I need to get a few hours of sleep, but I’ll get up and get right to work. I should have something functional by sunset.”

“We could try earlier, given that neither of us should sleep,” Misha said.

Shoshanna chuckled. “Perhaps, but you’ll be weaker in daylight. I’d rather have you both at full strength, particularly Paris. Breaking curses takes a toll.”

He nodded and said, “Is there anything I can to do help?”

“No. It’s just a lot of meticulous measuring. If you can keep working on those grounding stones for breaking Shea’s barrier, that would be the best thing,” she said. “And then whatever secret stuff you’ve got going on, keep working on it. I’m ready for this to be over.”

“My pleasure,” he said. He gently took her hand and kissed the back. “Thank you for all that you do here. You work incredibly hard, even if others don’t realize how much you do.”

She smiled shyly. “Uh…wow. Thank you for saying that.”

When she left for her little workshop, Misha headed back to Five, which had unofficially become his personal building. The smell of Paris still hung in the air, reminding him of their night spent together. He found himself instinctively smiling as he returned to his own workshop.

He carefully sliced into his palm and drained some of his blood into a basin to begin the work. It took several hours of careful measurements and stirring to begin the process of distilling the blood into bloodstones. The addition of other powerful ingredients, along with ground quartz and silver, created a sludge-like mixture that smelled of metal and smoke.

After placing the lid on the basin, something tickled along his spine. Misha jolted, spun around, and saw a shadow flickering across the corner of his vision. Gathering a burst of power, he spread his arms wide in a shielding motion. In his arcane sight, he saw a faint shadowy residue, as if the creature had disappeared and left its outline.

Adrenaline raced through his system, making him feel uneasy. He darted out into the hall and saw no sign of it. As he was heading back into the workshop, his phone rang, startling him once more. He snatched it up and saw Rafaela A. on the screen.

Frowning, he answered and said, “Rafi? Isn’t it the middle of the day for you?”

“I’m in London for a visit, love,” she said. “I was hoping to see you while I was here.”

“I’m still in America,” he said.

“Oh, that’s just dreadful,” she said. “How are you?”

“Well…that’s a funny question,” he said. “It’s been an interesting visit.”

“Do tell!” she said.

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