Page 79 of The Stolen Bride

She bit her bottom lip. “I don’t know, but they can’t stay together. I can feel the energy crackling between them, and it isn’t pleasant.”

Yeah, but that was a worry for another day. I rubbed my sternum. How did we fix this?

Back and forth, back and forth. Minutes blurred into more hours.

Hmm. An internal tugging sensation magnified, attempting to lure me to the dungeon once more. To Viktor?

“We won’t separate, but let’s occupy different rooms and see what that does,” I suggested, and she nodded. I ran to him. He still slept on. I began pacing at his side. Back and forth.

Okay. The hum of power downgraded just enough to clear my head. Hadn’t he once told me that the greatest force in a berserker’s life was his love for his firebrand? In this case, my love for him. Actually, our love for each other.

My eyes widened. That! That was the answer. I dropped to his side and focused inward, where love for him bubbled.An endless well of joy, peace, and contentment. And yes, more power. So much power. It flowed from my being, as if I were a river, and straight into Viktor. Oh! His love flowed from him, into me as well. Or it attempted to. There was some sort of block at the mingling point. A fear. A fear that one of us would harm the other, deposited by Valkara’s words.

I ground my teeth. That just wouldn’t do. Riding the waves of love, I crashed into the fear again and again, hitting it with truth. I would not harm him. He would not harm me. We had a wedding to plan.

The block eroded, shrinking. Until…

Viktor roared, the sound echoing throughout the catacombs. Heart thudding, I watched in awe and wonder as he leaped to his feet, alive and well. Valkara, Bodi, Deco and the guards remained on the floor, unconscious.

With a whimper, I jumped up into his arms. Hot tears poured down my cheeks, and words spewed from my mouth. “I’m so sorry for whatever I did to you, and I love you so much, and if you ever almost die again, I will do something awful. I just don’t know what it is yet and?—”

He pressed a swift kiss into my lips, quieting me. “Your power punched into our souls, latching on. Even now, you are draining our power to fuel your own.”

I was? My brow furrowed. “I don’t understand.”

“Yeah. Me, either,” Juniper said, approaching us.

He bowed his head, greeting my sister before telling us, “My guess is, you are meant to feed off each other. But because your connection happened so late, and so suddenly, the force you generated was too intense for either of you to contain, so it reached for other sources.”

Okay, yeah, that made a bit of sense. But. “How are youstaying awake if we’re still draining you? Is love really enough?”

He gave me a look,honey please. “I have your adoration, affection and loyalty, too.”

“I think I basically Snow Whited you,” I said. “Kissed you with my awesome power and broke the curse.”

Juniper covered her laugh with her fingers. “More like you Sleeping Beautyed him. Maleficent put the entire kingdom to sleep.”

“I don’t know what any of that means,” Viktor said, “but I’ll agree if it makes you happy.”

With what was probably soon to be a globally famous snort-laugh, I threw my arms around him again. “I love you. And yes, I will marry you and welcome your mark. I will mark you in turn, and start a family with you, and move to your world, and live in your palace, and rule our people at your side and help the primordials and match make for my sister and build another pet spa.”

Pleasure flooded his eyes. “And eat all my food,” he teased.

“Yes, baby. And eat all your food. That’s so obvious I didn’t think it needed to be stated.”

He kissed me and grinned. “You will also play the violin. Probably every night.”

“And you’ll massage me as payment.” As my pulse quickened, I decided to focus on the mission before things got out of hand. “Shall we slay Deco and Valkara, ensuring they never wake up?”

Juniper’s eyes widened, as if I’d suggested something abhorrent. “Death is so…permanent. Get rid of Valkara, sure, but…”

Hmm. What was going on here? She didn’t actually like her captor, did she?

“I do not know what will happen to the two of you if your tie to them is severed,” Viktor said. “So, I will locate one of Deco’s comms and contact Tabor, a commander in my army. He and his unit will join us and help cart the prisoners and primordials home with us.” As he spoke, he bent down and draped his brother over his shoulder. “Once Deco and Valkara are locked in our dungeon, we’ll marry.”

“Our dungeon,” I echoed. “I like the sound of that. It’s a fairytale come to life.”

“As a wedding gift, I offer you this realm.” He spread his arms, indicating the entire dimension. “You’re welcome.”

---