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He gave her a considering look. “That’s not something that’s usually done between a wizard and familiar, is it?”
Relieved not to have to dance around that topic, she smiled. “No, it’s not. So, new territory for me, too.”
“There’s also the reciprocal bonding,” he noted. “Maybe I can gauge how much I’m drawing from you.”
“Worth a try.” Though privately, she doubted it. She doubted that there was any reciprocity to their bonding in the first place. In the second, she’d never heard of a wizard gauging their familiar’s reserves, but that might simply sound so unlikely to her because no wizards bothered themselves to try.
Gabriel’s magic wound around her like an embrace, most intense where their hands were joined, but also washing over her like a gentle spring rain, like the fall of moonlight on naked skin. Her body responded as if he’d caressed her with sensual intent, but his attention was focused on the far side of the heavy door. She couldn’t sense exactly what he was doing, so she concentrated on monitoring the magic draw from her own reservoirs.
It made for an interesting exercise. At Convocation Academy, they’d studied the principles of how a familiar yielded magic to their wizard, as that information was equally valuable no matter how the students manifested. Even in the Advanced Training for Familiars, however, none of her teachers had mentioned techniques for measuring how much magic she had or the rate of drain. All the focus had been on opening up most fully, offering magic without reservation. Very likely they hadn’t wanted familiars to get any ideas about resisting the demands of their wizards.
For the first time, it occurred to her to wonder if shecouldrestrict that channel of flow. Not now, but Gabriel would probably be willing to experiment with her. Even more likely, he’d probably be over the moon—heh—if they determined she could cut him off if she wanted to. In the meanwhile, she concentrated on monitoring the slow trickle of her magic. He was developing more finesse, but she also wondered if he was accessing enough. He’d been working at the task for longer than he did with most of his magic use. Like all naturally talented types, he tended to be profligate with his magic, blissfully overconfident and unaware of how badly tapped out he could get. Particularly with his dual-magic nature, he’d become accustomed to simply switching to the other when he’d drained one.
Much as she disliked interrupting his focus—and with a Convocation wizard, she’d never dare—she quietly asked, “Are you making progress?”
He grimaced and blew out a breath. “You haven’t said if I’m drawing too much, but I think this isn’t enough to do the job without augmenting from my own.”
She couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her then. “Oh, honey, you’re not even close to drawing too much. I can barely feel the trickle.”
“Seriously?” He raised a dark brow. “Your magic feels so robust to me.”
“Take,” she murmured with a smile, deliberately evoking their sexual union. “Have. It’s all for you.”
“It’s yours,” he corrected.
“I can’t use it. You can. Use it for me.” The silvery tendrils of magic tightened around her, evocative and deeply stirring, the sense of him drinking from her growing stronger and profoundly erotic. It hadn’t felt like this when she’d practiced with wizards at the academy, or even with Gabriel before this, so it must be a result of the bonding. His wizard-black eyes rested on her face, his own expression tight with sexual need, so she knew he felt it, too. No wonder bonded familiars looked to be in the throes of ecstasy at times, even when berated by harsh wizard masters. This felt… amazing. “Yes,” she purred, letting him see her pleasure. “That’s very, very good.”
“All right,” he replied, voice hoarse with desire. “That seems to be enough.” With his free hand, he turned the old-fashioned handle and pushed the door open, revealing one of the most extraordinary sights Nic had ever glimpsed.
A wall of green water hovered at waist height, tumbling a bit at the top from the force of Gabriel’s magic, but otherwise glassy clear. The sun had risen higher, burning through and banishing the misty rain, and daylight streamed through a long row of open arches on either side of the room. The arcade sloped down at a decidedly disastrous angle, but the hall retained a bit of its once-elegant grandeur. The ceiling above rose high with flying buttresses, lovingly detailed with architectural flourishes popular centuries before.
And where the sunlight streamed through the water held back by the invisible wall of magic, fish swam within, brightly gold and cobalt blue. A water snake swam past, rippling with effortless ease. “Amazing,” she whispered, at a loss for anything wittier.
“Ithassunk more than it was before I messed with it,” Gabriel said, studying the slant with a frown. “I was hoping they were exaggerating, but apparently not. I don’t know if this wing is worth saving.”
“I can see why you started here,” she replied, aware of the reverence in her tone. “This is a gorgeous arcade. I know of nothing like it still in existence.”
Gabriel smiled down at her, a rare, fully delighted expression, nothing brooding in it. “I’m glad you agree.” His gaze lifted to roam over the soaring ceiling, the graceful arches that miraculously retained their integrity despite long immersion and neglect.
“Why hasn’t all this wood rotted long ago?”
“You know those trees with the big hand-shaped leaves?”
She nodded. They’d passed forests of them, and she’d wondered if they were fruit-bearing trees out of season.
“Tectona trees. The wood is nearly impervious to wet. Most of the house is constructed from it, which is the only reason it’s lasted so long. This arcade leads—once led—to a four-story wing of bedrooms. There’s another wing, but if there’s a way to raise this one…” He trailed off dubiously.
“Then we’ll have rooms to offer our guest wizards and your future minions,” she filled in firmly. “It’s a good plan. How did you raise it before?”
“I wicked water out of the soil beneath, trying to make it firm enough to support the foundation. But I think the slant is too great for that now. And I hadn’t at all figured out what to do about the parts that are sunk to the gables.”
She nodded, considering. Though he had barely tapped her magic reserves—so far as she could determine without more practice—she felt like she had slightly less magic than before. What she had wouldn’t be enough, not without the focusing power of the arcanium, but Gabriel would have to learn that for himself. “The arcade is still connected to the sunken wing beyond?”
“Not anymore. We went in and sawed the two sections apart after my first, quite spectacular failure.” He winced. “I had a splitting headache for three days afterward.”
Hmm. So Gabriel had learned about the consequences of magic depletion but was still heedless of them. She wasn’t sure how to teach him better. “I have a suggestion.”
“Please,” he replied fervently.
