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She directed a smile her brother’s way. At least he wasn’t trying to stop her from working on the sword. Well… not exactly. But now her fate rested in Isaac’s hands.
* * *
Kate hadn’t moved back near Isaac after she’d gone to hug her mom, so he stepped up beside her. When she looked into his eyes, a sense of foreboding came over him. The same one, like a hunch, that he’d had when he knew the tattoo in his dream was going to be for something big. Only this time, the feeling was stronger.
For the first time since becoming intimate with Kate, he hesitated for a fraction of a second as he reached for her. Then, pushing away any doubts, he held Kate’s upper arms, ready to accept whatever feelings and impressions his magic pushed to him.
The connection that came at him was immediate and more powerful than he’d ever felt with anyone. Almost like something in her was reaching for him. But it wasn’t the same type of feeling he got when sensing whether or not to do a memorial tattoo. His magic wasn’t telling him yes or no—only that the feeling was powerful—which didn’t give him an answer.
Closing his eyes, he pushed more of his magic into his hands and waited. He was just about to let go and agree to ink Kate when he felt a pushback on his hands. It wasn’t like when Isabella had asked him about a memorial tattoo for her brother and his magic had been repelled by the idea. This was subtle.
Trying to empty his mind of all thoughts, he focused on the feelings swirling inside him. He knew he cared deeply for Kate and perhaps that was interfering with his ability to detect the truth. Once more, he pushed all other thoughts aside and concentrated on sensing what had pushed back.
Isaac was at a loss. When his brother had asked him for a memorial tattoo, his magic hadn’t pushed back as strongly as it had with Isabella, but the feeling was still there. Austin had been relentless in his pleading and eventually Isaac had given in. The one time he should have held his ground.
Maybe this was the second time. Isaac refused to risk it.
He dropped his hands and stepped back from Kate before meeting her gaze. “I’m sorry, Kate, I can’t do it.” Isaac counted down in his head but didn’t break eye contact with her, knowing the full force of Kate’s ire was about to be unleashed upon him. Three. Two. One.
“Can’t?” Kate asked, barely below a shout. Her hands landed on her hips as she thrust her upper body toward him. “Or won’t?”
“It doesn’t matter,” he said quietly. “The outcome is the same. I won’t ink you so you can touch the sword, Kate. It’s not safe.”
Kate took a step toward him, getting in his way, but he couldn’t back down. “Why, Isaac? If it’s not safe, that’s my decision to decide whether or not it’s worth the risk!”
All he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and tell her how much he cared for her and wouldn’t put her life at risk. Even if it meant she couldn’t work on a sword that could save thousands. She meant more to him than all the other magics on the planet. But he didn’t say any of that because she wouldn’t want to hear it. Keeping his voice calm, he said the only thing he could. “No, Kate. It’s my choice and I won’t risk it.”
“Fuck you, Isaac!” she hissed. “I knew trusting you would come back to bite me in the ass one of these days! Maybe if I hadn’t slept with you, you’d treat me like everyone else.”
Kate’s hatred cut deep into his soul, but he wouldn’t change his mind. He’d made that mistake once before, and it cost him more than he ever could have imagined.
“I can’t believe you’re?—”
“Kate! That’s enough!” Fiona said, cutting off Kate’s newest rant. “Isaac has to trust his gift, just like we all have to trust our own. Now…”
Isaac finally looked away from Kate. Her anger felt like a tangible force aimed directly at him. Turning away from her felt like he had severed a bond he would never get back, but he’d made the right choice. Maybe Fiona could get Kate to see his side.
“Jack,” Fiona continued. “What do you want to do?”
“I don’t know yet.” Jack held out his hand, and the sword—leather cloth and all— lifted from Kate’s workbench and soared through the air like it was on a bungee cord attached to Jack. The wrapped bundle hit Jack’s hand, his fingers closing around it. “I’ll take it for now and put a cloaking spell on it. I’ll have Meredith give me a hand, and hopefully the magic from both of us will make the spell strong enough to hide it from Maverick and his minions.”
“No! Jack, you can’t take it,” Kate pleaded. “I need it to make the lock for the box. You said yourself locking the box is the only way to hold the evil that’s inside Maverick. If we don’t do it soon, he’ll infect more magics.”
“Believe me, Kate. I know what’s at stake. All the magics under my council’s purview are my top concern,” Jack said, his gaze locked on Kate. “And that includes you too. I don’t want to put anyone at risk, especially someone I consider family.” Jack turned to Fiona. “I’m sorry, Fiona, I should have protected Kate. I’m sure Maverick knows by now that we have the sword and will be working to get it back. The first place he’ll probably look is here. I’ll assign some people to watch Kate. It doesn’t?—”
“No!” Kate yelled, interrupting Jack. “I won’t let you have people guard me like some helpless damsel in a castle!”
“Kate, please be reasonable,” Damon said.
Isaac bit back a smile before it could fully form. The look on Damon’s face told Isaac that the big man realized too late what he had said. Three, two, one…
“Be reasonable?” Kate’s anger hissed out through clenched teeth. “You think I’m not being reasonable, Damon?” Kate’s voice grew louder with each word. “There are people being controlled and dying, Damon! I can forge the lock that could stop all that!”
“Kate, that’s not—” Damon tried to backpedal, but it was too late, he’d already kicked the hornet’s nest.
“Oh, I get exactly what you meant, big brother!”
“Stop!” Jack projected into the group, and even Isaac felt the push of magic that accompanied it. “If I want to post sentries, I will. It’s not your decision to make, Kate.” Jack turned to Isaac and nodded. “Thank you for trying.”
