“But then why would you ever?—?”
Oh.
I frown and sit down next to him. I take his hand. “Collin, tell me how you got hurt before I found you.”
Collin looks down at his hand in mine and his eyes seem haunted. “The watch isn’t just my prison, Alvin. It’s my torture cell. I do have free will. But, if you know what you’re doing, you can use the artifact to cause meexcruciatinglevels of pain. I try to fight it, but sometimes I just can’t anymore. If you hadn’t come when you did…”
I feel him shudder. It didn’t look like any humans had lived in that house on Lake Street for a long time. Who knows how long the vampires had the watch? It could have been years. I then remember what he was saying when he first appeared.I’ll do what you want.And how hisface looked. Like he had fallen down an elevator shaft of broken glass. Again and again. They hurt him so bad, he was about to help them with an evil spell that could change the whole world.
And now I’m supposed to give him to the elf.
No one knows how to manipulate magic like the fae. They have no real moral code. No shame. And no love of humans. If the elf got his hands on this artifact, there is nothing he wouldn’t do—couldn’t do—to get what he wanted.
Crap. Well, winning wasfun.
“Collin, tell me… Is there any way to free you from the watch?”
He looks up at me, startled. And touched. “That’swhat you want to know? I could make you rich. I could make you the most powerful mage in the world. Hell, I could make yourulerof the whole planet! It would take time, but I could do all that for you, and a whole lot more.” His eyes soften. “I could even just answer…personalquestions, if that’s what you wanted.”
Like about my dad. Who he is. How I can find him.
Uff.
Even though I have seriously mixed feelings on that topic, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted. It’s like I found a genie in a bottle. I’m not who I want to be. I havea lotof wishes I’d love to see fulfilled.
But if there’s one solid rule about magic, it’s that everything has a price. Even learning about my father could open a huge can of worms. Sure, there might besomeway to ask the right questions and use the answers for good. But let’s face it, I’m not that clever.
And there’s just no time.
“Collin, the elf could show up at any minute, and I’m not strong enough to keep him from taking you from me. If we’re going to get you free, it has to be now.”
“But… what about the Obligation he put you under?”
Right. The promise I made to the elf. I can feel it again. The chains, wrapped heavy around my heart. Weighing on me with lethal intent.
I do this, and I could very well end up dead. But I’ve wanted to be something different my whole life. Something I could be proud of. But with what I am,whoI am, it was never very likely that I’d become any kind of real hero. This might be the only chance I’ll ever have to do something truly good. And I’m not going to sleep on it.
I should at least have time to leave a message for Stryker about where Emma is and that she’s being held by vampires. My boss won’t ignore that, especially if I wind up dead. What truly matters is making sure this powerful artifact doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.
“Just… tell me what to do, okay?”
Collin looks down, pursing his lips and slowly shaking his head. He then rolls his eyes with a quick, amused snort. “Feck. You don’t disappoint, do you? You’re everything I could have hoped you would be.” He takes my other hand in his. “So, I’m really sorry I have to disappointyou. I can’t tell you how to save me. I don’t know, and I can’t know. That’s part of the trap I’m in.”
“Oh,” I say, actually bummed that I won’t be able to go through with my heroic suicide attempt. That I’m souseless that I don’t even get that. (Which, I know, is kinda whack, but still…)
He turns his full body to me on the love seat, bringing our knees together. “But… there is something we do have time for. Something I’ve needed for a long while. Something I didn’t think would ever be possible for me.”
Good. Great! I can at least dosomething!
“Okay,” I say, also turning and leaning in. “Tell me!”
He smiles. “This.”
Collin slides his hand around the back of my neck, pulls me in, and before I can even react, full-on kisses me on the mouth.
His lips are soft. And warm. And they wrap around mine, sucking them in gently, like a little massage, before he pulls back, his blue eyes bright with happiness.
Uh, what?
