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But I didn’t regret a single one of them.
Chapter Sixteen
Brandon
I couldn’t believe it was real, but there was no denying the fact I was holding Roxbury in my arms again. I buried my nose in the crease of his neck and just breathed him in, unable to pull myself away. I still couldn’t quite believe it, but his scent was so comforting and so sweet that I never wanted to move out of his arms again. I was still afraid it might all be just a dream.
“Pinch me, so I’ll know I’m awake,” I said, and he laughed softly in my ear. Behind me, I was aware of Lex standing protectively by and also comforting his sweet, soft-hearted omega Rory, who was in tears after witnessing our reunion. It was hard to believe that Roxbury was actually there in my arms. That he was real flesh and blood and…
“Wait a minute,” I said, pulling away and glaring at him. “Does this mean you faked your death again? You faked it?” I swung my fist at him, but he was too fast for me and caught it in mid-air, twisting it behind my back and pulling me close to his chest again. I struggled, but I must admit I didn’t struggle too hard. I didn’t have it in me.
“No, baby. I didn’t fake anything. I swear it. The ship went down with all hands, and I was the only survivor. It was a terrible loss.”
“But how did you make it off the ship? We all thought it would be impossible.”
“I don’t know. I was at the rail when the Lady capsized, and I jumped off and swam as hard as I could to get away from her drag so she wouldn’t take me down with her. Believe me, I was as surprised as anybody when I actually made it and managed to swim up to the surface.”
“But why didn’t you signal one of the rescue boats? They stayed in the water for a long time searching for survivors.”
“I saw them at a distance, but the current and the wind had pushed me out to sea, and when I tried to shout at them to get someone’s attention, the wind just took my voice and shredded it. I-I think black magic was in play. It had to be.”
Lex made a skeptical sound, and Roxbury whipped his head around to look at him. “It had to be magic. How else do you account for a wind that strong to come out of a clear sky and affect only my ship, while not touching the other three that were right there in the same waters? Was there a spell on everyone not to notice that?”
Lex looked stunned at the question and uncertain. Rory tightened his hold on Lex’s arm. “I wasn’t there, of course, but I did think it was strange when you told me about that wind after you got home. I didn’t want to ask too many questions, because Brandon was so devastated, and I was worried mainly about him. But how did that happen, Lex? How did the storm not affect any other ship but the pirate ship?”
“Well, because…it…” He looked up and directly into my eyes. His voice sounded puzzled. “I don’t know. I never… Who could have cast a spell so strong that it not only caused your ship to sink, but caused me and Asher not to even feel the magic that caused it? Both of us have strong magic too. And why haven’t I felt the magic around me since then? Is that even possible?”
“Maybe he or she isn’t using it now. Or they’re using the same spell against you still.”
“Even so, I should be able to sense it, and I haven’t. Asher should have too. No, it’s impossible.” He shook his head. “But your questions are troubling, to say the least.” He rubbed a hand over his face and blinked a few times, looking confused. “A spell to cloud our minds and hide the truth? I haven’t heard of anything like that in years. Nothing like this since your own mother Vesper used one like it to cover her escape from Morovia, Rory. She was the last one powerful enough that I knew about.”
“So you’re saying it’s possible?” Rory asked.
“Maybe. It’s happened before, but I don’t know. The person would have to have immense power.” He shook his head, looking confused. “Now that I’m aware of it, I think I can feel it working in my mind even now, trying to make me forget again. Telling me it’s not at all unusual and to just dismiss it.”
“Could it be more than one person?” I asked.
“I suppose. I don’t really know.”
“But it is unusual,” Rory said.
“Yes, it is. I…” He held up a hand and began to mumble some words I didn’t know. He was at it for a while, and we stood around him, trying to just let him work. I thought he was trying to take the spell off himself. Roxbury stepped back a little as the spells continued. He was wincing, and I wondered if he could feel them. Something was making the air thick around us, and it was getting harder to breathe. Finally, Lex was done.
“We need to go inside, so we can hide Roxbury somewhere and we can figure this all out. I need to send for Asher and Wyatt, and I need to do more work on my wards. I don’t know who else here I can trust if this is true except for them and the three of you.” He glanced over at Rox. “Or maybe I should say, the two of you.”
“If that was directed at me,” Roxbury said, “you can trust me. I’m the one who told you about this in the first place, remember?”
“Hmm. Whoever did this would have to be a sorcerer or have ?a group of sorcerers with immense power working right here in my own castle. I’m not at all happy about that. We have to find out who this is and quickly, so we can neutralize them. If we’ve been under attack all this time, it has to stop now.”
“To tell the truth,” Brandon said. “I was surprised that you let the Sudfarman contingent come to stay at the castle at all. You’ve hated Queen Rozamond for so long. And now she and her father are both staying here as your guests.”
“Good gods,” Lex said softly. “I mean of course, I knew that, but why did I allow it? No wonder Harrison thinks I’ve changed so much.”
“It is odd, Lex.”
“I have to have time to think about all this.” He put his arm protectively around his omega and pulled him close. Then he looked back at me. “Pull up the hood of your cape to help hide your face, Brandon. You too, Roxbury. We need to keep your survival and miraculous return a secret for a while longer. We’ll leave here separately. First me and Rory and then you two wait a few minutes and follow us to my offices. Brandon, you know where I mean.”
“I have a horse tied up outside the back gate, just inside the woods. If you could get someone to take her to the stables. I don’t like just leaving her there.”
