Page 35 of Vicious Little Vows
He smiled. “It’s disappointing that I’ve become so predictable to you, but yes. Well, not really an idea, but a first step.” He looked at all of us. “Everything is just conjecture untilwe know exactly what Eva is capable of—” Crispin’s eyes darted to Lucas.
“I know she’s a conduit,” Lucas said blandly. “And that you are all bound to her. Helena thought it might be important for me to know, should circumstances grow dire.”
“Well, that simplifies things.” Crispin stroked his chin, looking around the room. “I think perhaps though, we might want to go outside for our big test, just in case the magic cannot be contained.”
“Are you forgetting what sometimes happens when I’m outside in the Bogs?” He had been present for me being taken by vines on not one, but two occasions.
He winced, glancing again at Lucas. “Quite right. Inside it is.”
Everyone looked at me expectantly.
“Oh, you meanright now?”
Crispin had the grace to look abashed. “Better to test it now and be prepared.”
I let out a slow breath, then stood. I’d never been so nervous in my life—and I’d done a lot of nerve-wracking things lately. “Okay, Mr. Wizard. Tell me what to do.”
All the guys stepped closer. Well, all but Lucas. He took a step back toward the door. It helped a little that he didn’t seem eager to witness what came next.
Crispin took my hand and placed it on his chest. My other hand went to Gabriel, then Mistral’s fingers slid across the silk of my dress, curling around my waist.
We all looked at Sebastian, but his eyes were only on me. He walked right up to me ignoring all the guys, slid his long fingers back to the nape of my neck, and kissed me.
The moment we were all touching, magic of every variety exploded through me. There were stars, sunlight, moonlight, and pulsing aurora. It was so much power that it felt like it would tear apart my insides.
I opened my mouth to scream just as Sebastian’s fingers flexed at the back of my neck. He pressed his forehead against mine. “Just breathe,” he muttered. “You’re okay.”
My knees buckled, but Mistral kept me standing. Both Crispin and Gabriel were gripping my hands over their chests.
“Too much,” I panted. Magic seemed to light up every cell in my body. Stars danced in my vision, and I wasn’t sure if they were outside of me, or just in my head.
“She can do it.” Crispin’s voice seemed faraway, even though he was close enough for me to touch him. “With this much power, she can create a new pathway to any realm she desires.”
I slumped further in Mistral’s grip, the magic now settling in. I still felt too full, but now it was a frantic pulsing rather than a roaring current.
“It’s hurting her.” I thought that was Gabriel, but my vision was going gray. He dropped my hand, but it wasn’t enough. The golden cord between us was still pulsing with magic flowing not just from him to me, but back again and out to the other guys.
Mistral lowered me gently to the floor, stroking my back between the straps of my silk dress. “Eva,” he whispered, “can you hear me?”
I hung my head, too dizzy to do anything but nod minutely.
“You need to release the magic now. It’s overwhelming because you channeled it, but didn’t use it.”
“Can’t—” Oh gods, I was going to be sick. I hadn’t realized how different it would be having all of us together.
“Here.” I sensed Crispin in front of me more than recognizing his voice. My thoughts were too filled with magic to recognize anything so mundane. But with the cord between us, I would recognize him on the darkest night. From any distance.
His hands gripped my shoulders, and some of the confusion eased. He grunted, and I realized whatever he was doing was hurting him. “I’m well-trained in the manipulation of energy,” itsounded like he was speaking through gritted teeth, “but you will need to let it go if you want me to help you.”
Let it go—I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding onto anything, but he’d taken the edge off enough for my brain to regain a measure of function. I slumped against him, and it was like letting out my breath after holding it for far too long. It whooshed out of me all at once, slamming into him.
His hands fell away and I knew I should check on him, but I was tired, so very tired. My eyes never opened enough to see what havoc I had wrought.
There wassunlight streaming through the window when I woke. I recognized Mistral’s bed, and the scent of coffee. Someone was sitting in a chair between me and the glass doors leading out to the balcony, but I couldn’t tell who because they were rimmed in sunlight.
My magic felt completely drained. I couldn’t sense a damn thing.
I rubbed my eyes as I sat up, bracing myself against the fluffy pillows. Squinting against the light until my eyes adjusted, I finally recognized Crispin. He looked as bad as I felt with dark circles beneath his eyes, his long limbs draped across the chair like it was too much effort to hold himself up properly. The top buttons of his shirt were undone, and he was barefoot.
