Page 72 of Witch Undecided
The words bubbled out of her mouth as if she’d been holding back the questions all this time, which she probably had.
Jasper smirked. “I’m no witch.”
She shook her head with a frown. “This is serious, Jasper. This is a game changer.”
“You siphoned from me, didn’t you?” I stared at him, my hand going up to touch the amulet. “How?”
He rolled his eyes. “Don’t panic. I siphoned all the residual power that wreaths you. Ever since the binding you’re like a radiator of power.”
“But our power can’t break a null effect,” Sloane pointed out.
She was right. “I couldn’t use my power until you broke the null.”
“I didn’t useyourpower to break the null, I used it to fuel myself and make a bridge tomypower.”
Sloane studied Jasper through narrow eyes. “And what is that power, Jasper? Because as far as I’m aware, there are only three sources—chaos, cosmos, and the unnamed, and miasma, which is generated by humans.”
“And a few centuries ago, as far as humans were aware, the earth was flat,” Jasper drawled.
He was dodging the question. “What powerdidyou use?”
His lip curled. “Mine. I usedmine, and that’s all you need to know.”
Realization clicked. He was getting defensive because he didn’t know. “You don’t knowhowyou do what you do.”
His jaw ticked and darkness filled his eyes.
“Jasper…” A protective urge swept over me. The need to hug him, comfort him. What the fuck? I tucked in my chin. “Jasper, answer me.”
“He doesn’t know,” Tor said softly. “He doesn’t remember his past.”
Oh, Jasper…
“Don’t look at me like that,” he snarled. “I don’t need your fucking pity.”
“I wasn’t—”
He vanished. I stared at the spot where he’d been standing.
“We need him,” Sloane said. “If he can break the varga’s null, witches can fight alongside the wolves to keep the humans and the female dire wolves safe.”
I’d seen how pale and weak Jasper looked. I’d noted the tremor in his hands. Breaking that null had taken it out of him and he’d known it would, but he’d done it anyway. He’d done it for me, just like he’d done so many things before.
It was time for me to give back. To give him what he needed.
“No,” Tor said. “Cora, you can’t do that. It’s too risky. You heard what he said. He has no clue what he is. You can’t compromise the seal.”
The fact he’d figured out my thoughts through the emotions filtering to him through our bond told me our connection was getting stronger. A few weeks ago, I’d wanted to block it, but it’d saved lives today, so I’d learn to live with it.
“Jasper is too dangerous,” Tor said.
Annoyance was a burst of heat under my diaphragm. “But not too dangerous to use, huh?” I stared at Tor. “Have I got that right?”
Tor sighed and closed his eyes. “You know what I mean, Cora. You knowexactlywhat I fucking mean.”
I did, but in that moment I didn’t care. “I have to find Jasper and thank him. Something none of us have done yet.”
Leif had the grace to look shame-faced. “I’ll put the kettle on. I think we all need to talk. Properly.”
