Page 99 of Magic Claimed
Her eyes stayed closed, but her fingers slowly, slowly released the blanket… only to curl around his hand in a white-knuckled grip and hang on.
“His plans are bigger this time,” I said bluntly. “And he’s better prepared. He has fingers in multiple courts and the human government, and he intends to put every Idrian in the country under his feet. But the key to what he wants to do next—the piece that makes the whole puzzle fit together—is Kes, and he’s not going to rest until he has her.”
Her chin came up, and she looked back at me resolutely. “You know I would go,” she said firmly. “If it would stop whatever he’s planning, if it would save all of you, I would give myself up without a moment’s hesitation.”
I nodded. “I know you would.”
Shane turned to me, the tips of his fangs bared as a golden sheen of rage rippled across his irises.
I didn’t give him a chance to speak. “But it wouldn’t solve anything, and even if it did, there is not a single person in this family who would be willing to give you up to save ourselves. We would rather fight and fail than sacrifice lives in some kind of utilitarian moral math.”
Kesdrew in a deep breath and swiped at her tears almost angrily. “Then what can I do? How can we stop him?”
“We won’t know for sure until he makes contact. But we have two days to start making plans, and we’re going to make the most of them. I just… I need your promise that you’ll trust us. That you won’t do what you tried to do with Chesney, or try to fix everything on your own.”
Kes agreed with evident reluctance. “I promise. But if things go wrong…”
“No buts,” Shane said gruffly. “We’ll find a way that doesn’t force you to sacrifice yourself.”
“Do you know what you’re asking of me?”
He tilted her chin gently until she faced him. “I do,” he said. “I know because I watched my mother choose the sacrifice. I watched her choose me, choose Kira, choose the safety of everyone around her over her own life and her own freedom.” His voice had grown ragged and hoarse, his features ravaged by a grief he’d never been able to heal from. “And yes, I know it was her choice, and I even know she didn’t regret it when she bled out on her own living room floor. But I’m asking you… I’mbeggingyou to make a different choice. As someone who…”
He stopped. Looked away.
“Someone who what?” Kes asked softly.
His eyes closed, and he swallowed.
And Kes—the most timid person I knew—reached out and traced his cheek with her fingers before taking his face between her hands. “Someone who what, Shane?”
He sighed, and it was as if all of the tension, all of the resentment,all of the hatred left his body along with that single breath of air.
“Someone…” he said quietly, turning his head just enough to press a gentle kiss to her palm, “who loves you.”
She gaped at him in shock for a moment, but then she smiled, her entire face lighting up with joy. Laughter came next, and then tears, and with one small corner of my heart, I wished I could say thank you to Blake. For creating a situation so desperate that these two were forced to drop their walls and admit their deepest feelings.
I got up from the couch—determined to give Kes and Shane some privacy—but Kes stopped me.
“Raine. Wait. I need to know that you’re okay with this. With… us.”
Her uncertainty tore at my heart, but I understood her need for reassurance. She had no one else to ask. No one else she could be sure would care enough to advise her.
“Are you safe with him?” I asked simply. “Does he put your well-being before his own? Does he treat your feelings as though they are real and important and worth his time? Does he listen to you and make time for you? Does he respect your scars and see to your needs without you having to ask?”
Tears slipped from her gray eyes and slid down her cheeks.
“Yes,” she whispered. “I’m not afraid of him. And my magic can’t touch him, so there’s nothing for him to fear either.”
Oh, Kes. I almost cried with her as I recognized the pain behind those words.
She’d been used so terribly, she’d learned to fear her own power. Learned to fear being close to anyone, because she mightbe forced to hurt them. But Shane was half-goblin, and fae and goblin magic had no effect on each other. She could never steal his power, no matter how hard she tried.
“You don’t need my permission, or my approval.” I told her. “This choice is yours, but… I’m happy for you.”
My gaze locked with Shane’s. “I won’t tell you not to hurt her. You two will hurt each other someday, because that’s inevitable when you care about someone deeply. But Kes is my sister in every way that matters, so if you betray her, know that I have her back. And my fae magic might not be able to hurt you, but I can drive a spike of ice right through your heart before you’ll even see me coming.”
His response was calm, and his golden eyes were clear of enmity. “Fair enough, Kendrick.” He glanced down at Kes. “But you have nothing to worry about. If we’re going to be together, then her family becomes mine. Whether you accept me or not has no bearing on whether I choose to protect you.”
