Page 92 of The Girl Who Inherits the Dead

“Later, you should try it with a bug and we’ll see how long it lasts without getting incorporated back,” Chloe chimes in, and after the conversation with Maison, Delina’s head spins.

It’s too fast, too soon, with the touch of his lips still against hers like a brand.

“Don’t tell him what you’re going to do ahead of time, we want him to try to resist without foreknowledge,” Gurlien continues, and Delina locks eyes with Maison, just a bit, at that.

He nods, almost imperceptible, though his eyes are still wide.

So Delina stands, and the magic twists in her hands, almost as reflex, and both Chloe and Maison flinch in surprise. “Then let's do this.”

27

It takes a few minutes more of Chloe and Gurlien’s arguments before they agree on the perfect place for this test. It’s barely more than a clearing, just the space between two trees, but it’s secure enough that even Maison is satisfied that it won’t be seen by any onlookers, magical or not.

“Are you okay?” Delina whispers to him, as Gurlien and Chloe take a few steps back and he visually steels himself.

She’s still holding onto the coil of magic, and it pulses in her touch, vivid gold.

He nods, of course, and she raises an eyebrow.

“You need to tie it on his wrist, and pour intention into it,” Gurlien says for what feels like the hundredth time. “In that intention, put the willpower that he’ll follow your instructions. Frederick, resist her instructions.”

Maison’s eyes narrow, almost impossible to see, at the other name.

“Tell me if I’m going too far,” Delina whispers.

“Same to you,” he whispers back, quick. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

She doesn’t need a translator to know what that is, not when he’s still flushed despite the cold air.

“Stop panicking,” she whispers, because she can feel his heart jackhammering away. “You’re fine.”

“Am I, though?” he replies, then flinches as she holds the magic between two hands, like a string to tie, before he narrows his eyes further and holds his wrist out to her, almost a challenge. “You want me to be honest, you need to be too.”

So she locks eyes with him. “I’m fine.”

He searches her face, for what she couldn’t tell anyone with a gun to her head, before he nods.

Once more, she holds out the rope, silky soft in her hands. “Last chance to back out.”

“Last chance for you as well,” he shoots back, and she’s changed her mind, she loves this competitive side of him.

“Nope,” she says, popping the ‘p’ sound and, before she can psych herself out of it, quickly wraps the magic around his wrist and double knots it.

Immediately, he jerks, hand gripping down on hers. A gold flash echoes behind her eyes, sharp, her breath catching.

Her knees wobble, and his eyes reflect red at her, wide and panicked and…hungry.

“Where is he?” Gurlien asks, high pitched, and Maison gasps.

Gasps, drops her hand, and flickers away, appearing in the same stance, still recoiling, on the other side of the clearing.

“What—” Maison starts, then disappears again, appearing behind the tree, and there’s terror across his face, horror written over his features, and he flinches back. “Delina, what’s going—” he disappears, reappears right next to her, suddenly too close, his eyes flashing red. “…on?”

He reaches for her and a gold spark snaps out, and Delina’s head swims before he disappears, appearing a few steps away.

“Stop,” she breathes, and he freezes, eyes flashing red, his breath caught in his throat.

His heart is pounding, rabbit fast, and everything about him is…different.

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