Page 3 of Staff of Nightfall

Chapter 2

Adelaide shifted andwoke up. Her right forearm stung. Worse was the dead emptiness, deep in her soul, a hollow carved out when the sorcerer ripped away her magic. Instead of a gentle thrum of energy in her veins, she felt only silence. Months of practice, honing her ability in secret, and just when she was getting a strong grasp on her gift, it was stolen.Etiros, why?She shifted, squeezing her eyes against tears, and pushed against something soft and warm. She forced her eyes open to shaded daylight. Regulus lay on his back, his right arm curved around her. He moved away and sat up, stretching. The sudden departure of his body felt like a blanket being ripped away.

“Sorry.” His voice, gravelly and deep, reverberated down her spine. “I didn’t want to wake you. I wasn’t...I didn’t mean to...” He glanced away, prodding the bite on his shoulder.

“Oh.” Her heart twisted. She stood and turned away, hiding the heat that rose to her cheeks and the tears that pricked at her eyes. After his odd behavior last night, the way he wouldn’t meet her eyes now...

Was that really all it took? Having her magic taken? Was it that she was weak? Or broken? She touched the gray cloth strip dotted with dried blood wrapped around her forearm. Regulus hadn’t always known she had magic. But it wasn’t just going back to how things were before. She had been drained. Damaged. She swallowed a sob. The ache of her missing magic made her feel incomplete. Losing Regulus, too...

Regulus cleared his throat. “Adelaide?”

“Hm?” She didn’t trust herself to face him.

“I don’t know how to convince you I’m sorry. I failed you. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you. I don’t know how to make it up to you. I probably can’t.”

She turned around in surprise. Regulus stood with his hands clasped behind his back, staring at his feet.

“I know this is my fault. I won’t pretend I don’t deserve your blame—”

“What?” she gasped. “Blame?”

“I only wanted to protect the people I love.” He looked up, the desperation in his eyes wringing out her emotions. “If I could put this right, I would. I understand if you’re...if we’re...” He swallowed and dropped his head. “Done. I want you to know—”

“You think I’m angry with you?” Adelaide bit her lip and wrapped her arms over her stomach. “I thought—you were acting like I was broken. Different. I thought you didn’t want me anymore.”

For an awful moment, Regulus was silent. Then he laughed. Her face heated.

“I blamed myself and thought you did, too. I thought you didn’t wantme.” Regulus strode over in the space of a heartbeat and placed one hand on her hip, the other on her cheek. Her breath caught. “There is nothing, no magic, no sorcery, no pain or pleasure, nothing on this earth that can make me stop loving you. I want you and will love none other.”

His warm palm pressed against her cheek. She stared into his eyes. Those eyes, intense like molten silver yet gentle. Her lips parted, but she couldn’t piece together a coherent thought.

“I am yours, Adelaide.” The huskiness in his voice made her heart tremble. “You have all of me, now and forever. If you want me.”

She reached up, touching the stubble growing along his jaw. She ran her thumb over his lips. “And I am yours. Heart and soul.”

A smirking half-smile warned her just before he pulled her in and kissed her. She leaned into his kiss, melting against him. Regulus’ fingers curled against her back and she quivered with joy, not even caring about the scratchiness of his coarse stubble.

“Marry me,” he whispered.

She chuckled, breathless. “I already asked you, remember?”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” He kissed the hollow between her collarbones, then her neck, moving agonizingly slowly up to her mouth. She sighed as his lips found hers and wrapped her arms around his neck. He flinched with a grunt as her arm bumped his wounded shoulder.

“Sorry.” She leaned back, concern conquering her desire to kiss him until she could no longer stand. “We should get going. Those bites need tended.”

Regulus nodded, although he sighed with obvious disappointment as he looked around. Deciduous trees surrounded them, spaced far apart. The tallest peaks of the Pelandian Mountains glinted white between the trees behind Regulus.

“If we’re about where I think we are,” he said, “there should be a path nearby. If I’m right, we should reach the Drummonds’ by the end of the day.”

“No!” She clutched his shirt and forced herself to sound less panicked. “We can’t go there.”

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