Page 23 of Seduce Me in Shadow

If you return the favor.

As soon as the words blaze through my mind, I curse. I have to stop thinking about Sydney like that. I don’t want a magical mate. I don’t want anything to do with magic at all. The cost is too high.

“Likewise. Leave Sydney alone.”

“Wait. Are you having the urge to Call to this reporter?”

I want to say no…but every time I’m near her, my temperature spikes. She’s a fever in my blood that’s only getting worse, and if I kiss her, I fear I’ll blurt the words that could bind us together for nearly a thousand years.

Not good signs.

Her proposition at lunch nearly had me launching myself at her with a hearty “yes” as I ripped off her clothes. Yes, I want her naked. Yes, I crave the chance to taste every inch of her fair skin. Yes, I burn to possess her sweet body. Yes, I’m eager to call all that intelligence and sass mine. Yes, I’ll die to protect her. But giving into my urges would spell disaster.

Too bad no one has given my instincts the memo.

“Focus on the mission,” I growl in frustration. “She knows I’ve scarcely said a true word to her since we met. She’s seeing her contact this afternoon and figured out I’m following her, so she intentionally lost me. She’s thinking of writing an article about the Doomsday Diary. You know what will happen if she does.”

Bram curses. “She’ll get a very unpleasant, first-hand look at magic, Mathias-style.”

“Precisely.” I grip the phone, the thought too terrible to contemplate. To protect Sydney, I have to do whatever it takes to silence her voice.

God, she’s going to hate me.

And as much as it chafes me to ask for Bram’s help, I have little choice.

“You need to step in,” I choke out. “I’m compromised. Sydney knows I’m zeroed in on the magical war story and that my seduction wasn’t real.”

“I can’t. You’ll have to manage.” Suddenly, Bram sighs, sounding frustrated. “There was another attack last night. Nearly everyone dead, two women missing. One transitioned just last week. Gossip and panic are beginning to spread around magickind about Mathias’s return. The Council elders have their thumbs up their arses, as usual. They want me to quell the rumors.”

I’m annoyed but hardly surprised. “Bloody fools.”

“They absolutely are. I’m trying to be the voice of reason, but they don’t want logic. Duke and I are visiting Privileged households likely to be attacked and preaching caution, but…being forced to dance around the truth is frustrating. I dare not leave the Council to their own devices for long. I’d insist on transcasting the truth to all witches, wizards, and younglings, but I don’t have enough of the other Councilmen’s votes in my corner. In the meantime, Marrok is ferociously training us for the war we know is coming.”

“Surely, you can spare someone?—”

“Who? Duke is too high profile. Ice wouldn’t talk, merely destroyOut of this Realmwith his big bloody hands. Lucan isn’t capable of being human right now. And don’t start me on Shock, the dodgy git.”

“But—”

“Magic isn’t a cure-all. I can’t just wave my wand and have Sydney forget about the book and her story ideas. None of us can.Youmust convince her.”

Then what the hell good is magic? None. I had proof enough of that early in life.

I grip the back of my neck and massage at the tension gripping me. The damn tingles have returned. I’m exhausted, yet my body craves sex. Lots of lovelies in the pub, several looking in my direction. But a glance south proves my cock is having none of them. It’s fixated on Sydney. I sigh.

“Get closer to Sydney, however you must,” Bram goes on. “Convince her of whatever’s necessary. Get that bloody diary out of her hands. Stop those stories.”

Fuck all. If Sydney doesn’t trust me and I don’t dare touch her, how am I supposed to do all that?

Chapter

Eleven

“I’ll talk to her tonight,” I tell Bram, though I have no idea what I’ll say. “I’ll be waiting for her when she gets home. Until then, I should visit my brother.”

“I can’t spare any of the warriors to transport you, but I can send my sister.”

“Sabelle’s company is always a delight.”

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