She pauses, but her brows knit together in a frown. “And yet… I still can’t see your Spark. Not even a flicker. It’s like there’s a void where it should be.”
“But I feel it,” I say, quietly. “The bond. I feel it now.”
Camara nods slowly, like that makes perfect sense. “You should just mark each other,” she says, breezy and casual.
“Absolutely not,” I say immediately, my voice sharp.
Kass throws her hands in the air. “Well, I wasn’t planning on it anyway, but it’s nice to know you feel the same, Your Majesty,” she mutters, sarcasm thick.
“Kass,” I murmur, turning to her. “We don’t know what this magic is doing inside me. If I mark you and it spreads? If it infects you too?” My voice breaks on the edge of that thought. “I couldn’t live with that.”
Her expression falters. Just for a second. I see the disappointment slip through. It guts me.
I wish we wouldn’t have to deal with this. I wish we could just be normal mates, just navigating our way through the usual stuff, toward a life together.
Camara’s tone softens. “It’s a valid concern. But it’s also possible that your mark — especially from a hellhound — could be strong enough to break the leash entirely. Your kind was very unpredictable. And powerful.”
“I’m not risking my mate’s life on a possibility,” I snap. “Not now. Not ever.”
She lifts a shoulder in a shrug. “That’s your call.” Then she straightens. “Now, get out.”
I blink. “Excuse me?”
“I need a private word with your mate,” she says, like she’s shooing off a servant. “Alone.”
“No,” I growl.
“Yes,” Kass says at the exact same time, stepping in front of me and shoving her palms against my chest. “Out.”
She leans in close, eyes locked on mine, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “And don’t you dare use your shifter hearing to listen in. That would make me very unhappy.”
Fuck, why do I love it so much when she threatens me?
I sigh and let her push me toward the door. “Fine,” I mutter. “But if she does anything suspicious…”
“I’ll throw her through a window,” Kass replies sweetly.
She shuts the door in my face.
And I stand there, grinning like a fool.
Chapter 10
Kassira
Iturn to the High Priestess, arms crossed, spine straight, glare sharp enough to draw blood.
“What did you see?” I ask, voice low. “What do you know?”
She smiles warmly. “You’re very direct. I like that.” But the smile fades as quickly as it came, her voice dropping to a hush. “That bruise… I’ve never seen anything like it on a shifter before. But… I could sense something from it.”
My brows pinch. “What?”
She hesitates for a breath. “Draven is powerful. His body heals instantly. But that bruise… it won’t. I would stake every blessing the Goddess ever gave me that if he gets hurt in that spot, the wound won’t heal.”
The air leaves my lungs instantly. My stomach turns to stone.
“What are you saying?” I whisper. “That if someone stabs him there… he’d die?”
