Page 60 of Veiled Yearning

What?

I’m not feeling any more relieved. This thing keeps getting bigger, and I have no idea what to do with it. “I don’t know what to do,” I whisper. “It’s not like anything I’ve felt. I can’t tell what it does.”

“It’s okay.” Gavril strokes my hair back from my face. “Just focus with me.”

I’m scared, but I trust him, so I give him a little nod. “Okay.”

A second later; me following his lead, we push the energy toward the window.

But it doesn’t do anything spectacular—no ball of ice or fire, no tremendous blast of air—it just sort of… stops.

My heart is galloping along at triple speed, whooshing loudly in my ears.

“It’s okay,” Gavril soothes. He tugs the blanket over us and cuddles me into his arms. “Nothing’s wrong. It’s fine.”

“Fine?” My voice is shrill. “I thought I took your… I didn’t know… what happened?”

“You know how Frederick and Cait can create their bubble of invulnerability?”

“Yes?”

“They can do that by combining their abilities, their energy. Just like Alex and Jules can create balls of fire. Those aren’t individual abilities, but something that only happens between two people who are closely linked.”

He’s rubbing my back in long strokes, from my nape to the small of my back, kissing my forehead between sentences. I snuggle into his chest as I try to force my pulse to settle. “So… we’re linked? What does that mean?”

And why didn’t I ask more questions about this before? When Frederick explained that he and Cait could make their protective bubble, of sorts, I never really thought about what it meant. Or how it came to be.

“It means—” Gavril turns me in his arms, so he can meet my gaze. “That there’s a unique connection between us.” His lips curve into a smile. “Only couples with a very strong bond can do this.”

Couples? A strong bond? With Gavril?

“Is that alright?” His forehead pinches, and a hint of uncertainty tinges his words. “That we… well, have a bond like that.”

“Yes. It’s more than alright. Now that I know what it is. I felt it, even before. This connection with you. It feels right.”

“Ah, Chiara. I think so too.”

For a minute, everything else disappears. The Custodians. Nicolas. The woman who tried to kill Gavril. It’s only me and the man I know I’m in love with.

I won’t tell him that yet. Today’s had enough surprises already.

Then reality comes crashing back in. “But what was our ability, then? If we sent it out, shouldn’t it have done something?”

“Yes. But we may need to experiment.”

“By having sex?”

Gavril chuckles. “Now that we’re linked, we shouldn't have to. But I like your idea better.”

“So we just… have sex and keep trying to figure out what we can do?” I stop, thinking about it for a second. “Actually, that sounds like a great plan.”

He raises his eyebrows hopefully. “Maybe we could try again now.”

I move my hand from his chest down to his ridged abdomen. “Maybe.”

But someone has a different idea.

“Gavril.” It’s Frederick, calling from the hallway, his normally calm voice in a near shout.

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