Page 60 of The Aether

“He will kill me, too.”

“I see. But not if Damian finds you first, right? Is that a possibility?”

Nodding, Sabrina blinked heavily, as if her emotional outburst had exhausted her and she was fighting sleep.

Jumping to her feet, Vivian ran to the en suite bathroom and found a pair of scissors. After snipping a long strand of her hair, she returned to Sabrina and did the same. Clearing her mind, she centered herself and cast a small protective circle around the chaise. As she wove the locks together, she called on the Goddess Isis.

“Goddess, hear my plea.

Assist me in this time of need.

Through these locks, bind my daughter’s tumultuous emotions to me, so she feels naught and Morcant Thywyll cannot feed.

Suppress my pain, worry, and fear

in this, our time of strife

to keep all feeling from him

and to protect blood of my blood for life.”

The impact of Sabrina’s unimaginable power hit Vivian like a freight train and knocked her flat on her back. Grunting, she held onto the bracelet of hair she’d created as her daughter’s fear and insecurities latched onto her. Like wild animals, the heightened emotions clawed at Vivian’s soul, doing their best to shred and consume it.

As suddenly as the magic hit her, it was gone. In its place was an odd sense of detachment.

Cocking her head, she looked at Sabrina, who stared back, wide-eyed.

“Too much?”

With a shake of her head, her daughter promptly closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

“It felt like it was too much,” Viv murmured.

After snuffing out the candle and closing the circle, she turned around and froze.

“Damian.”

“It was a clever idea, Viv. However, you’ve made a grave error.”

“Why?”

“When you die, it breaks the spell.”

Fuck.

CHAPTER21

Damian shook his head as he entered the bedroom. “Not to bring up a touchy subject, but I’d have thought you’d remember that from the previous binding spell you cast on her, Viv.”

“I wasn’t thinking. Merely reacting.”

“Yes. You tend to do that,” he replied dryly, smiling when she narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you completely emotionless?”

“No. Just the negative stuff.” With a sigh, she glanced back at Sabrina. “When Morcant kills me, he’ll still have the upper hand. How do we maintain the spell?”

“We add to it. A transference.”

She lifted a blond brow and handed him the bracelet. “Using this?”

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