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“What the bloody hell is going on?” His eyes widened. “Sunday, oh, God. Are you... did something happen to you? Are you a ghost?”
“Don’t be so dramatic, Blackthorne. It’s just a little astral projection, not a case of death. Our bodies are perfectly fine back at school. Sunday here wanted to pop in for a visit. She was worried about you.” Moira shimmered into existence next to me, casting a disapproving glance around Noah’s room. “Not that she should have been, apparently.”
“I thought... When you left, you made it seem like something terrible was happening, Noah. This looks like the opposite of bad. It’s a bed and breakfast.”
“You don’t understand, love. It’s my only choice right now.”
“To live in a luxurious mansion with your uncle? Sounds pretty terrible. How noble of you,” Moira said, snorting.
“It was that or allow them to get to Sunday. This is the only way to keep her out of the Council’s reach.”
“Noah, what are you talking about?”
He dragged a hand over his face. “This isn’t a holiday. This is a cell. It’s a beautiful cell, but it’s still a prison. Those windows are barred with silver. The door too. My uncle is keeping me here by my request—”
“Yourrequest?”
“Yes, in the room they use to help rehabilitate vampires who go mad after losing their mates. It’s the only place I could go that would keep me from you until I figure out how to fix this.”
“Fix what?”
“The Council learned of my involvement in Callista’s death. Her family wants my head... literally. My father and uncle are working hard to smooth matters over, but in the meantime, I’m stuck here. If anyone discovers you, what you are to me, you could be in a world of danger. They will not hesitate to use you to get to me.” He took a pained breath, closing his eyes. “Which is why you must leave. You can’t be here, Sunday. You can’t do this again. It’s too much of a risk. The only thing helping me get through this is knowing you are safe.”
Guilt hit me hard. Here he was, sacrificing his freedom for our bond, and I’d let Kingston mark me. “Noah, I need to tell you—”
“I can smell him on you.” His voice was tight. “Did he mark you?”
Moira’s eyes widened, and she backed away even though there was nothing he could do that would hurt her. “I’ll just be over here checking out your reading material.” The witch moved toward the bookcase in the far corner, pretending she wasn't listening.
I tugged down the neck of my shirt, baring my mark to him. “Yes.”
“That bastard,” he growled. “He defiled our mark. Remind me to pay him back for that when I return.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t stop him. I barely realized he was doing it. He purposely tried to break our bond.”
“Don’t apologize. And clearly the bond isn’t broken. It’s not even scratched. But the fact that he wanted to erase me from you... that nonce.”
“Nonce?” I repeated with a tremulous laugh. “Your British is showing.”
“It means tool,” Moira said, then she gave us an apologetic smile. “Not that I was eavesdropping or anything.”
“I’ll just have to marry you when this is over. He won’t be able to sully that.”
“You keep threatening me with marriage.”
“Magic pussy,” Moira muttered under her breath.
“I know. I’m trying to wear you down until you’re amiable to the suggestion.”
“How are we going to fix this?” I hated the wobble in my voice. “We can’t get married if everyone wants to kill us.”
“Let me worry about the Council.” He sighed, balling his hands into fists. “I might hate the bastard, but it’s not a terrible thing Kingston completed your bond. There’s no one I’d trust more with your life than another of your mates. He’ll keep you safe—or die trying.”
“You... you want me to stay mated to him?”
“I want you alive and well when I come back. That’s all that matters to me.”
“Noah...” I didn’t know what else to say.
He stiffened, his focus darting to the door. “You have to go. Right bloody now.”
“But—”
“Don’t fucking argue, Sunday. Go. Now.”
I opened my mouth, wanting to at least tell him I loved him, that I’d be waiting for him. But before I could say anything, Moira grabbed my hands, and we were back in our dorm room.
She stared at me, eyes wide. “Well... that was interesting.”
