AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“And that’s my secret. I’m a witch but not as powerful as my siblings, especially Emerald. I’m a fraud, Klaus, and not the powerful ally you think you were lucky to snag—”
She yelped when a hand closed in on her waist and dragged her forward. She blinked when she felt his warmth seeping into her again and realized she was back in her curled position in his arms.
“Beautiful,” he declared. “Still powerful.”
And just like that, Klaus eliminated all doubts that he would get angry at her or think she betrayed him. She trembled again. This time, it was him who soothed her, his fingers brushing against her skin and his warm embrace tightening. Greedily, she snuggled against his chest, basking in the comfort he offered. His steady acceptance of her confession felt like the greatest balm in the world, soothing her soul and giving her the courage to keep talking.
“My siblings know, especially my sisters. But no one ever brought it up and I can tell they cover for me to keep it a secret from the others. I’m not even sure if my brother knows. Either he does or he’s just good at pretending he doesn’t. Sometimes, I kind of wish they would just confront me. But most of the time, I’m grateful that they don’t.”
“They’re brilliant for that,” he said gruffly. A pause then, “A few years ago, a seer saw my future.”
“What did the seer see?”
“Trouble. Death. She predicted evil coming and me not surviving it alone.”
Her breath caught in her throat. “You’re not alone,” she insisted. “You have loyal people around you. You have me.”
“Hmm.”
The hmm felt different…more intimate. She felt his lips on her hair, kissing her lightly, but her mind was persistently weighing his words.
“Did she say what kind of trouble’s coming?”
“No.”
“Maybe it was that attack,” she said hopefully. “The evil was them and the death was from all sides. You survived it because you were with us and not facing them alone.”
“I don’t know.”
Doubt and weariness tinged his tone, so she placed her hand on his chest to soothe him. Her other hand became busy digging one more thing out of her pocket.
“It’s late and you’re tired, Klaus. Let’s not think about it.”
“Okay…what are you doing?”
“Drink up. Please.” She held the open vial firmly against his lips. “It’s my last. I have to make more.”
After some reluctance, he drank the liquid and pulled her to the ground until they were in a lying position.
“Later,” he said. “You’re tired too.”
“I know.”
Klaus patted around and snatched the silk robes to cover their forms. Her energy coasted out of her, an instinctive move that she didn’t hold back. Instead, she pressed tighter against him until she felt his pulse grow steady and his body give in to sleep. Something shifted in the air, but it also shifted inside her and her relationship with this complicated man. She didn’t question it.
Sapphire closed her eyes, content to just have him nearby and confident that whatever this shift was, they would figure it out in the long run.
Thunder crackled through the sky and shook Sapphire into consciousness. Her body took seconds longer to catch up, still floating in a state of sleep. When it did catch up, the first thing she noticed was the chill in the cave as the thunderstorm raged outside. She felt inside her body for her energy, tried to make out the time, and flew into a panic when she heard the all-too-familiar ding of an alarm.
No. Not again.
Within seconds, she was out of the cave and scrambling to find its source, then climbing down the mountain when she determined it was closer to the castle than before. The time it took to climb down triggered her impatience, so she created a line with her magic that allowed her to shimmy down the rest of the way. She didn’t stop when she got to solid ground, keeping her momentum, and feeling her heart jump in her throat when the sound led her to the garden. What would an intruder be doing in Oslo’s garden?
Her energy braced on her fingertips when she sensed movement inside. The rain masked hers as she entered and crouched, peering into the slightly foggy wetness. When she glimpsed the movement again, she threw her energy in that direction, and felt the distinct yelp of someone caught by surprise. Sapphire made a run for it at the lack of retaliating magic, taking her chance as she closed in on the trapped blur and—
“Saph, can you let me go?”
Her mouth dropped open.
