“That’s not a guarantee. I do have one idea,” Godwin trailed off. He knew Cyril wouldn’t like the suggestion. Godwin slipped his hand into the cloak’s pocket, where he had stuffed a few spare crystals. As he held them out to the others, their shapes changed, their edges smoothing out and bending to his will. After a few seconds, three pendants lay on his palm. “Wearing these will suppress magic’s effect on you.”
“It will also prevent us fromusingmagic.” Shadows flickered in Cyril’s eyes as he gazed at Godwin. “If this has all been some elaborate trick to entrap me, you will not like the consequences.”
“No trick, mage, but you need not take one if you don’t trust me.”
Queen Francesca chose one first, plucking a small pink heart from Godwin’s hand. “I don’t know any magic anyway, and I prefer to keep my mind whole, thank you.” She slipped the pendant onto the necklace she already wore before reclasping the chain around her throat. She waited a moment, then said, “I certainly don’t feel any different.”
Following the queen’s lead, Lucinda chose a small flower. “I haven’t practiced magic for years, except on the page.” Her husband helped her unclasp her necklace, his fingers lingering on her neck, in her hair, trailing down her shoulder. It was quite a long production, repeated all over again after they’d slid the pendant onto the chain. The moment it claspedaround her neck, Lucinda shuddered deeply. “Oh, thatisunpleasant. Like I’ve suddenly been plunged into an ice-cold lake.”
“I’ll pass,” Cyril said.
His eyes dared Godwin to argue, but why should he care if the mage willingly threw himself into a time-loop?
“Besides,” Cyril drawled, “you might need my magic later. Any spellsyoucast might boot you from this dimension,apprentice.”
Godwin’s skin prickled at the underlying threat. He had only managed to enter the pocket dimension because of Cyril’s help. What would he do if that help was rescinded? How much more chaos would the apprentice create? “Let’s continue to the evil lair.”
It might be a long journey if they had to keep making it over and over again.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Wilde
The Next Morning
Somewhere Soft and Comfortable
Not Ready to Wake Up
I snuggled deeper into the warm bed. Someone probably needed me—the minions, Delilah, Treasure—but it was so easy to drift back to sleep with the heart under my cheek beating a steady, natural lullaby.
Why can I hear someone’s heartbeat?
My eyes sprang open. Sunlight illuminated the room with a soft orange glow. The first thing I saw was my hand, pale against the deep purple of someone’s jacket. The blanket had been pulled up around us, tucked in on the sides, leaving only that hand exposed.
“I’ll warn you now,” said a deep, sleep rough voice, “if you panic and try to teleport away, we’re handcuffed together, so you’ll take me with you and wear yourself out in the process. Again.”
Slowly, I tilted my head up to look at Trey. He kept his eyes closed, refusing to greet the day. From this close, I could count his freckles and his delicate red-gold eyelashes.
Our joined hands hung above his head, resting on the pillow. A metal band circled each of our wrists and a chain clanked gently between them. I instinctively yanked my hand back.
Trey grunted as his arm was dragged forward. He finally opened his eyes, glaring at me in annoyance. “Stop that.”
Then he wrapped his manacled arm around my waist, trapping my hand behind my back, and pressed me closer to his chest. “The sun’s barely risen and you’re already causing problems.”
I’mcausing problems?! You’re the one who handcuffed me while I slept.“Release me,” I ordered.
A small shiver went through him and his eyes darkened. Then he spoke two words that could ruin or save me. “Make me.”
I wanted to steal those words with my tongue. Before I thought better of it, I’d already pressed my lips against his. The kiss surprised him, but instead of releasing me like I’d demanded, he tightened his hold. I no longer cared. He still tasted the same: hot, sweet, and defiant. I’d barely been in control for two seconds before his tongue plunged into my mouth and devoured me in turn.
Treasure flipped us over to put himself on top. He dragged our joined hands to the headboard while his other hand slipped under my shirt. There was still too much space between us. I arched my back, wanting to feel all of him. Something hot and hard twitched near my thigh and I rubbed against it.
A low, heady groan poured into my mouth. He withdrew his tongue and before I could chase it, he asked, “Fuck, is this your idea of a first kiss?”
My heart plunged into a pit of cold reality. He didn’t remember. Of course he didn’t remember,because I’d made him forget.This wasn’t the Treasure I’d taken to bed. This wasn’t the same Treasure who challenged every one of my orders and said things like ‘make me’ as a prelude to ‘fuck me.’
This couldn’t happen now. Everything was out of order. We hadn’t even argued with each other, but I waskissinghim, when he didn’t know me! I had to start over. Reset. Make sure the relationship progressed naturally, slowly, this time—
“Handcuffs,” he reminded me, raising our arms and jangling the chain. “Anywhere you go, I come with you.”
