Page 26 of Joined By Magic

“Bullshit.” Damien let out a sigh. “You two, stand there.” He pointed to a small cluster of onlookers at the side of a clearing about forty feet in diameter. The crowd obscured my view of what it contained. “And you, come with me. He wants you. Good fucking luck.” He set off with a quick glance back to ensure we were following.

My nerves returned full force as I followed Damien’s broad back into the crowd. They parted for him, and I drifted along in his wake. I recognized some but not all of the Assemblymen. A small group of colorfully dressed Atarans lurked off to one side, talking in a huddle. As we broke through the people, the contraption in the center drew my eye.

Deceptively plain, as all Ataran tech appeared to be, the black rectangle stood just higher than a man’s head. Twinned with an identical machine in Atar, the device needed an immense amount of magical power to forge the link. Power that only Leo could provide.

Two figures stood before the device, deep in conversation. I watched the back of Leo’s head as he waved his companion off, then turned to me. As our eyes met, I saw the expected fury on Leo’s face. Tension, as if he was itching to lecture me right there in the middle of the clearing. But beneath the anger lurked something that chilled my blood.

Fear.

Chapter Twelve

Liv

Myfeetdraggedwithevery step toward Leo. Suddenly, the whole escapade appeared stupid. Reckless. He was anxious. I could read it on his face. He held out his hand and took mine in a stiff grip, then led me over to the black device. He spoke in a low hiss.

“Are you fucking serious? Everyone’s on high alert for trouble, and now I’m going to be worried about you too. There’s no excuse for this.”

Guilt warred with the remnants of my earlier anger. I stiffened my spine. No sense in backing down now, not when I’d already earned whatever was coming to me. “I said I was coming. You can’t make every decision for me. Not anymore.”

He let out an angry breath. “I approved every single person here. Each has a role to play, each one a calculated risk. You don’t need to be here. You’re nothing but a dangerous distraction.”

I flinched back from the word and the dismissal.Ouch.A kick in the guts. Just a distraction with no purpose. If that didn’t sum up my current life, nothing did.

He leaned closer, his face hard. “You have to listen to me and take what I say seriously. You’re my biggest vulnerability. It makes you a target. Don’t you understand that?”

I did. I wasn’t stupid. But life was life, and I only got one. “Yes, but Leo—”

“Your Highness.” A young man from the Ataran party approached, holding a glowing device. “His Majesty and the team are in position. It’s time.”

Leo glanced around the group. “Understood.” He pointed to a spot off to the side and addressed me. “Stay there. If anything happens, listen to Damien. He’s assigned to protect you. We’ll continue this discussion later.”

Later wouldn’t be fun.

I nodded and took my spot. Despite Leo’s anger and the growing sense I’d made a mistake, I couldn’t shake the feeling it was going to be worth it. A permanent portal. Never done before. Excitement spiraled through my veins.

A veil of quiet draped across the clearing as Leo took his position in front of the device. The air held an early winter bite that cut through my thin layers, and the trees loomed above us, swaying in a stiff breeze. Guards fanned out, tense, hands on their weapons.

Leo’s voice rang out clear and strong. “I’m about to begin. Once I start the process, I can’t stop, for any reason. I mustn’t be disturbed or touched. The consequences could be serious.”

A sliver of fear worked its way in. Consequences? What consequences? When I’d asked Leo about the dangers involved in creating the portal, he’d shrugged the question off. Was he risking himself for this?

Too late to ask now. Leo glanced at the young Ataran who’d interrupted our argument, and he nodded. Leo set his feet and held out his hand.

With a sound like a clap of thunder, bright blue energy shot from Leo into the black device. The air heated, and sweat broke out on my skin. A smell filled the clearing, unpleasant and tangy. Burning hair. I pressed my hand over my nose and mouth, covering my face.

The device glowed. Blue flames licked round the edges, and a shimmer crept in toward the middle. Leo stood straight, rigid, power pouring from him. He looked like a mythical being, a conduit for some alien force. Immense and indescribable.

And he’s mine.

It never ceased to amaze me. I could forget his incredible abilities during our quiet moments, the times of peaceful domesticity we managed to carve out. But moments like this reminded me with intense clarity just who shared my bed.

The portal glowed with an almost painful brilliance. I screwed my eyes up, unwilling to turn away. The heat grew. It blasted over me like a desert wind and seared my skin.

Shouts from behind tore my focus from Leo. The clearing erupted into motion. A mob charged out of the trees, red-robed priests mingled among them. They formed a wall of angry humanity. Guards sprang forward to intercept as they tried to push further into the clearing.

I shrank back, eyes searching, until Damien appeared, clamped an arm around me, and pulled me toward the parked karros, away from the mob. “Fucking priests,” Damien hissed. “We can’t shoot them.”

To harm a priest meant a death sentence.

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