A spell cast by the same Death Blood in question.
There really was no mystery here as to why I wanted to kill him.
The only reason I hadn’t touched him yet was because of Aflora. Hurting him would hurt her, and she was in enough pain already.
My eyebrow lifted with the thought. “Wouldn’t breaking my bond with Aflora hurt her?” I asked slowly, interrupting whatever the Death Blood had just been saying to Kols. “If yourclaim regarding his care for her is valid, then would he risk harming her in that manner?”
Shade stared at me. “Breaking the bond would hurt, yes. As to whether or not he would go through with it, I’ll just say that he’s not opposed to risks.”
“Meaning he would jeopardize Aflora if the situation required it,” I translated, my irritation renewed. Not that it’d necessarily left. “Right. We’re done with this conversation. I’m going into her dreams. If you two want to join me, then do.”
I lay down and closed my eyes.
Something was wrong, beyond the obvious. And I wasn’t just going to sit here debating when I could get to the heart of the matter.
In Aflora’s mind.
Magic curledaround me in a cocoon of color.
Purple.
Green.
Cerulean.
A splash of red.
I reveled in it, soaking up the energy my soul so badly needed, while also prodding at my renewed connection to earth.It smelled fresh and sweet, the source a welcome hive of sunshine that warmed my skin.
Beautiful,I thought, twirling in my bed of flowers and inhaling all the fresh scents. It rejuvenated my depleted spirit. Yet I couldn’t recall how or why this rejuvenation was needed.
Strange.
Oh, but the sun! I missed the sun.
I paused.Why do I miss such a vital element of life?I tapped my lip, whirling around a little slower now, trying to determine what felt so off about this place.
It reminded me of something.
A safe place.
A meadow of flowers with a home hidden in a tree.
Shade, I breathed, sighing as violet energy flared around me. Sadness overwhelmed me, a sense of betrayal lurking beneath the waves of energy.
“Aflora…” My name came to me on a breeze, the deep, masculine tones reminding me of a Warrior Blood.
Zeph, I thought, my heart skipping a beat.Oh, yes. Zeph.
But he wasn’t in my meadow. Except his green magic flickered around me, the dark hue reminding me of a forest of evergreens. My lips kicked up at the thought, the scent of his woodsy cologne touching my senses.
I followed the trail created by his masculine presence, searching… searching… searching.
However, a trickle of purple light gave me pause.Shade.
His minty aftershave swirled around me, beckoning me toward a darker section at the edge of the meadow. I hadn’t noticed it before, the sun having lit up all the corners earlier in the day.
Hmm, something wasn’t quite right about this little nook.
