Page 103 of Death Warden
I shook my head. “No. That will release his spirit.” Now that my mind was clearer, sharper, something was niggling at it. “I saw something in the spirit plane when he spoke to me. A red door. Just…there.”
Tobias’s eyes lit up. “I’ve heard of this phenomenon. Exit paths for essences that do not belong. The universe’s way to try and maintain a balance and keep everything in its place.”
“Dralos doesn’t belong here.” I knew what I had to do. “We need to destroy his body and send his spirit through that red door.”
“We need tofindthe body first,” Logan said. “How much longer for this location spell to be ready?”
“Another couple of hours,” he said. “The hair needs to dissolve completely in the solution before I can add it to a scrying pendant and use that to pinpoint Finley’s location.” He cleared his throat. “You should take that time to, um, solidify your conduit bond.” He looked at Curo, then Logan.
“What?” I frowned up at him. “We have to solidify?”
“Standard procedure,” Tobias said. “You see the markings on your arm are slightly different from Logan’s and Curo’s.”
“But not Spectre’s.”
“Um… Yes, I’m assuming you two have already…because of your mate bond.”
“You’re talking about sex,” Curo said. “You want us to have sex with Adi.”
Tobias looked affronted. “I don’twantyou to do anything. This is what the …um, the conduit bond requires. A meeting of the mystical and physical. The mystical has occurred but the physical will cement that, and your markings will change to reflect Adi’s once the bond is cemented.”
Spectre tensed beside me while Logan looked toward the door, but Curo had a huge, shit-eating grin on his face.
I cleared my throat. “Thanks, Tobias. I’ll get on that.”
Curo snort-laughed.
I rolled my eyes. “Seriously, how old are you?”
Tobias hurried to the door. “I’ll be…somewhere else.”
The door closed behind him and the guys all looked at me.
I plucked at the duvet. “Well, this is awkward.”
“It shouldn’t be,” Spectre said. “The conduit bond is like a mating bond. It’s a natural process. We’ve been chosen for you for a reason. We can’t fight it. We need to adjust.”
I looked up at him in surprise. “You’re okay with this?” I needed him to be okay with it.
He smiled and his eyes warmed like honey. “It’s infinitely better than losing you, Adi. I want you to be safe, happy, and loved, and if I need to share you with anyone, I’m glad it’s two of my closest friends. This way you get to stay here, with us.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “As a Grave Spirit?”
His eyes lit up. “As whatever the fuck you want.” He kissed my cheek and then stood. “I’ll make us all some supper.” He made to get up, but I grabbed his hand.
“Stay.”
“What?” He looked at me in confusion.
I wasn’t sure what I was doing, I was acting on instinct. “I want you to stay with…with us.” I looked from Logan to Curo. “I feel like…Like this first time has to be all of us. Together. It feels…right.”
Curo’s eyes darkened. “Whatever you want, Adi.”
I looked to Logan, waiting.
His mouth was parted, amber eyes whiskey dark around the edges. His throat bobbed. “What Curo said.”
I let out a breathless laugh. “But first I need to shower.”
