Page 88 of Hexbound
"Verity?" he demanded, sliding to his knees beside her in the gravel. "What's wrong? What happened?"
Lady Rathbourne was but a second behind him.
"Oh, God." Verity lifted her head, saw him, then collapsed back down weakly. "Those are very strong wards. I slammed right into them."
Bishop helped her to sit up, fussing with her skirts and brushing strands of honey-brown hair out of her eyes. There was a smudge of dirt on her cheek. "Why are you here? Where's Agatha?"
She swayed alarmingly. "I'm—"
"Here," Ianthe murmured, catching Verity's face in both her hands. A soft glow warmed her fingertips, and then Verity managed to straighten as Ianthe fed her some of her own vitality. "You've burned too much energy. Didn't you feel the warning signs?"
"She's Hex," he muttered to Ianthe. "Self-taught, mostly."
They shared a look.
"That's better," Verity said, touching her head. Color washed back into her cheeks. "Thank you."
He helped her to her feet, still fussing. Verity was so self-assured, so strong and confident. He didn't like seeing her like this.
"Bishop, we need to get to Seven Dials as soon as we can! Lady E's heart is giving her problems. I think I can take you with me."
"Agatha's what?" he demanded, snuffing out the magic that she tried to weave around him. "And stop that, you've barely gotten your feet back under you again. You're not ready to make another jump so soon!"
"She's dying!" For the first time he saw fear in her eyes, and then they glistened with tears. "I have to get you there right now, or it might be too late!"
No matter how deeply he felt those words, he clasped hands with her. "Not by yourself," he said, pushing aside all of the fear he felt for his mentor.Why the bloody hell was Agatha in the Dials?"Link with me. You use my energy and all of the power I can draw into myself while I act as a wellspring."
A single tear slid down Verity's cheek, but she nodded and swallowed hard. "How?"
Bishop reached out toward her psychically. "Can you feel me reaching for you?" Verity nodded, and he opened up to her. "Accept the link. Let me in."
There was a fumbling touch against his psychic offering. Verity tried, but her shields were fully engaged, her mind locked down so tightly that he could see years of abuse behind it. Years of mistrust.
"Do you trust me, Ver?" he whispered.
"Y-yes. Of course I do."
That inner core of protection remained, however. He knew not to take it personally. From the little she'd told him, and from what he'd seen, she'd led a tough life. Opening herself up to trust was difficult, and went against every instinct she most likely owned.
"Then accept the bond." He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers, the faintest of touches. "Let me in, so I can help you."
Her breath caught and she kissed him back. Her last remaining shields fell, one by one, until she bloomed suddenly within him, her mind brushing up against his.
For a moment he was lost in the exhilarating feel of her as they linked. Verity didn't have the experience to shield her thoughts here, and he caught the edge of some of them. She was pure hope, despite the fact that she'd been beaten down so many times. Fear for Agatha danced through her veins; curiosity about this new type of spell craft; a hunger for learning; and... a throat-filling, tremulous desire for him that extended beyond simple lust.
He almost broke the kiss at the shock of that realization.
In those odd moments at night when he'd wondered what sex would be like, he'd thought of this. Of two people merging, their breaths and dreams filling each other, until each body was but an extension of the other, each soul just another missing piece that finally fit together.
It was breathtaking to experience it. To understand his wildest imaginings could not even come close to the reality of the experience. Simply stunning to conceive that in this moment he was not alone, that themaladroisehad no hold on him—none at all—and that the possibility of forever stretched ahead of them.
Them. Not just him. He didn't know if he could ever think of himself separately anymore.
"Like that?" Verity breathed, withdrawing from their kiss, her eyes shining with surprise and delight.
"Just like that," he said, and smiled at her, feeling like they were alone in the world. "Now, use my strength and take us to Agatha."
The landing was smootherthis time. He knew this, because some part of her noted it as they sprang back into being in a small bedroom with a pair of beds. No stomach-jarring jolt like when they'd escaped from Balthazar's Labyrinth.
