Page 14 of Stolen

She folded her arms. “You heard what I told Rhys. The prophecy won’t stop for anyone. If you dam it up, it will simply flow in another direction, and not always in a way you expect. Rhys puts us all in danger by threatening to keep you in Aberwas.”

“Why does he want to?” I’d only known him for two days. If anything, he should want me gone. Laurent was threatening to invade. The Brotherhood wanted me dead. The prophecy was a nebulous thing. Far from concrete. My enemies—and their armies—were very real. My presence put everyone in Aberwas in danger.

Igrith’s expression turned thoughtful. “Our line is among the most powerful of all the mages in Wesyfedd. We’ve watched you from afar. Rhys was brought up knowing he might need to help you one day. Now that he’s met you, I think he feels protective toward you.” Her shoulders lifted in a sigh. “My cousin is a good man, Given. But like a lot of men, he can be shortsighted at times.”

“But not you,” I said, a tingling sensation spreading down my arms. In the dim light, her eyes were more unsettling than ever.

Now, they glinted with something fierce. “No, not me. And I know women can do dangerous things. I’ve seen you enter the Thicket.” She tapped her temple. “Seen it, do you understand? Some visions are stronger than others. They come with more clarity and greater certainty. If my cousin stands in your way, Fate might decide to push him out of it.”

“Kill him?”

“Perhaps. We all have a path to tread. Rhys can’t trample yours without consequences.” She sighed. “I love him, so I’m shoving him out of the way first.”

I smiled, picturing it.

She hesitated, and her brow furrowed before she spoke again. “I know you’ll emerge from the trees, but I don’t know how or with whom. Or with anyone. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

I wished I didn’t. “You don’t know if I’ll get Varick out.” I didn’t bother explaining why I was convinced he was alive. Something told me she already knew.

“Just because I haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it won’t happen. Visions are imprecise. The future is fluid.” She flashed the wry smile I already recognized as one of her signature expressions. “We all have the free will to choose our own paths, even if our choices turn out to be stupid.”

The tingling in my arms turned into a shiver. “I hope I’m not being stupid.” My chest tightened, and I knew my worry showed on my face. “I don’t really know what I’m doing,” I confessed. “Rhys showed me how to summon the light, but he did most of the work. I’m not sure I can do it on my own.” Especially if the elves find me before I find Varick.

And they would. It was something I’d refused to think about until now. Because if I dwelt on it too long, I knew I would lose my nerve and retreat to the safety of my bedchamber. But that would leave Varick in whatever prison he was trapped in. I couldn’t do that, either. There were no good options. Somehow, I never had any good options.

“I can help you,” Igrith murmured, “but you’ll have to feed from me.”

That stopped my descent into a spiral of self-pity. “How will that help?”

“The banishment magic Rhys showed you is rooted in this land. Only those born of Wesyfedd can wield it.” She nodded toward my cloak. “Rhys lent you his gift the same way I lent you my clothes. You can borrow them for a time, but they’re not made for you. Ultimately, they belong to another.” She lowered her voice. “And even more so in your case because you carry the seed of the demons’ darkness within you.”

Well, Rhys had left that part out. More deception. Or, at the very least, omission. Bitterness laced my tone. “Rhys told me there’s power in blood. He didn’t tell me it was temporary.”

“Because he didn’t expect you to leave.” She untied her cloak. “I’m a stronger mage than my cousin. The magic in my blood will take you farther than his ever could.” She gave me an expectant look. “Now, how does this work? Do you bite my wrist or my neck?”

“Wrist,” I said automatically. After my encounter with Rhys, I didn’t want to risk a sexual response. Although, it was probably inevitable. The thought raised heat in my cheeks.

She undid the laces at her wrist and rolled up her sleeve. She licked her lips, her demeanor uncharacteristically nervous. “Will it hurt?”

“No.” Already, my fangs throbbed. I listened for her heartbeat—and found it. “Most people say it’s…pleasurable.”

Surprise flitted through her eyes. A sudden charge entered the air. “All right.” She stepped closer, then offered her wrist. “Take as much as you can. The power will last longer that way.”

I didn’t want to prolong her anxiety, so I took her arm and pierced her vein. Desire struck instantly. It came on harder this time, and I wondered if it was because I’d fed so recently. Or maybe I was just more accustomed to taking the vein. I’d starved in Sithistra, restricted to occasional sips of animal blood. That changed the moment I crossed the Rift. In Nor Doru, I drank blood-wine with every meal, and I fed from Laurent during sex.

This wasn’t sex, but my body didn’t seem to know the difference. Lust flared higher—and then higher still. My nipples tightened. Desire pummeled me, obliterating rational thought. I pulled Igrith’s arm more tightly against my chest, making her stumble into me. She gave a soft moan…and then pressed her body to mine.

It was my turn to moan. I was accustomed to a man’s hard, solid muscle. There was no give in it. But Igrith’s soft curves were entirely different. Because we were the same height, her hips lined up perfectly with mine. Her skin smelled sweet, like herbs and wildflowers. The feminine scent flooded my senses. We swayed together, our skirts tangling.

And she was right. Her blood was far more potent than Rhys’s. It crackled with energy as it slid down my throat. Hot and frenetic, it burned as it spread through me. But it was a good burn. The kind that warmed me from the inside out. Painted the inside of my eyelids red like I’d turned my face up to the sun. That thought made me realize I’d squeezed my eyes shut as I swallowed in great, greedy gulps. I forced them open, and I swore I could see lust in the air like a cloud of mist. Raw power flowed in a loop between us, each sweep more intense. The desire grew more intense, too, until a fierce ache blossomed between my thighs.

A dangerous ache. I’d felt it every time I fed directly from the vein. But never—never—like this.

Igrith locked gazes with me. Her eyes widened, then slid to half-mast. Her lips parted, and a rosy flush stained her cheeks.

Her power continued to fill me up. It was right there, just waiting for me to reach for it. I could have the ball of light in my palm with little more than a thought. It was a heady realization, knowing I had that kind of weapon at my fingertips.

The throbbing between my legs intensified, becoming almost painful.

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