Page 37 of Bewitched By the Djinn
His gaze sharpens. “With what?”
“My energy.”
Bennet’s mouth pops open. “You can’t do that.”
“Of course I can. It’s how things work. Don’t worry, it doesn’t hurt. I told you. It’s like giving blood. I’ll eat a good meal later.”
His jaw tightens. “I can’t let you do this.”
I raise an eyebrow. “It’s not your choice.”
He doesn’t flinch. “Let me pay him. It’s my sister.”
I hesitate, searching his face, then nod. “Fine.” Let him deal with the subsequent headache.
Bennet reaches out.
Edward’s eyes gleam, a flame flickering in the black depths of his pupils. He rests his fingers against the back of Bennet’s hand.
A few seconds pass. Then, the glow in Edward’s eyes flickers out. He frowns. “It’s not working.”
Bennet’s brows furrow. “Why not?”
Edward blows out a breath. “It’s this thing between you. It’s blocking access.”
I stretch out my hand again. “Try me.”
He touches my palm. A second passes. Then another.
He shakes his head. “Nope.”
I glance over at Bennet. “Maybe both at the same time?” The words register and my face fills with heat. “You know what I mean.”
Edward grins. “Now we’re talking.”
He shoves his food container to the side, then reaches out, fingers hovering over both of ours before finally resting atop them. His touch is cool, featherlight.
Seconds pass.
Edward withdraws. “Still nothing.”
Bennet shifts beside me. “Why?”
Edward studies us, his expression turning thoughtful, almost distant. “I’ve seen connections between people before, but this one is different.” His eyes fall shut, brow furrowing. “There are two pathways, but they’re woven together, like a braid. Instead of widening the link, it’s jamming everything up. Blocking everything.”
“What does that mean?” My voice is steady, but my pulse ticks faster. “How do we fix it? Can we unbraid it? Remove it entirely?”
Edward frowns for a few beats longer before opening his eyes. “You must make a choice to act in sync.”
His words resonate inside me, like a string plucked deep in my chest.
A chill trickles down my spine. That is eerily close to the whole “move as one” thing.
I shove the thought aside.
Pay attention.
We need the intel. Neither of us can pay with our magic, but maybe... I tap Bennet’s arm and lean in, clearing my throat.
