Page 69 of Curses and Casualties
“I have excellent career prospects. The dental plan’s a little iffy, but Alpha of the first Soul Bond led pack in centuries has to look good on a resume.”
“If we survive long enough to need resumes.” The words slip out before she can stop them. Her face immediately scrunches up. “Sorry. I’m trying not to be morbid, but?—”
“I know.” I pull her against my side. “It’s hard not to think about.”
Jules appears from the tree line with Ethan, both looking somewhat relaxed despite the circumstances and the fact they’re currently on patrol duty.
“How are the perimeters holding?” I ask.
“Like a charm,” Jules says as she chomps away at her sweet-smelling gum. “Literally. The pack’s been circling for hours, but between the fae glamours and our ward work, they just keep walking in circles. It’s probably driving them absolutely insane.”
Ethan grins. “We can hear them howling with frustration every few minutes. They know we’re here, but they can’t pinpoint our location.”
“How long will the protections hold?” Georgia asks.
“Until we’re ready to drop them,” Jules assures her. “Fae magic is ridiculously hard to break, and you’ve got some pretty powerfully kickass witches in here too. We’re well hidden until it’s time.”
Ethan and Jules move on, and Georgia and I continue to sit in comfortable silence, watching the camp’s activity. Scarlett hasn’t moved from Fenris’s side. The witches play cards, betting with heartstone shards and glowing vials of potion. Lucien isregaling anyone who’ll listen with a story about something that happened in 1823.
“What are your thoughts on Scarlett and Magnus—I mean, Fenris.” Georgia shifts closer, her tone uncertain. “Actually, I mean both, don’t I?”
I let out a low hum, watching Scarlett hunched small over the battered wolf. “It’s complicated, that’s for sure. Our journey toward completing our Soul Bond has been difficult enough. I can’t imagine going through all this when one half of the bond wants nothing to do with it.” I pause. “They deserve better than what we’ve had. But I think the only way it works for them is if one of them learns to want the other, not just need. Fenris wants her so bad he’d die for it, but Magnus…”
“Magnus is a coward,” Georgia says, surprising me with the edge in her voice. “He sabotaged his own happiness.”
“Not everyone is as brave as you.” I kiss her hair, breathing in the scent of her skin. “I barely survived a decade without a mate. Magnus? He never had anyone show him what it could be.”
“Scarlett will show him,” she says, certainty sharpening her words. “She’s stubborn enough for three people.”
“Let’s hope it’s enough.” I squeeze her hand, then rest my chin on the crown of her head. “What do you want to do until moonrise?”
She tilts her face up, and a laugh bubbles in her throat. “Eat something with actual flavor. Maybe watch Erik and Lucien arm-wrestle for entertainment value.”
“It’s a date.” I stand, offering her my hand to pull her up with me.
“Chosen pair.”
We both jump. One of the fae stands before us, having appeared without a sound. I’ll never get used to how they move. It’s like reality bends around them rather than them moving through it.
“Jesus,” Georgia gasps, hand over her heart. “Bells. You people need bells.”
The fae tilts their head, considering. “Bells would diminish our effectiveness.”
“That’s kind of the point,” she mutters.
“Come,” the fae says, already turning away. “Your purification awaits.”
“Our what now?” I ask, but they’re already gliding away, expecting us to follow.
We exchange glances and scramble after them. They lead us to a part of the camp I swear was empty forest an hour ago. Now an elegant tent stands between two pines, midnight blue fabric that shimmers with its own light.
“When the hell did this get here?” Georgia whispers.
“Time moves differently in fae construction,” our guide says without turning around. “It has always been here. It has never been here. Both are true.”
“My brain hurts,” Georgia complains.
“That is common when perceiving fae work with your primitive gray matter.”
