Page 7 of Hers to Keep

“Right, I’ll definitely be able to stay awake for that and won’t fall face first into the canapés.”

He wrapped his arms around her middle and hugged tight.“I’ll tickle your knee under the table to wake you up whenever you nod off.Don’t worry.”

“What would I do without you?”she asked and meant it, turning to offer her mouth up for a kiss.

He savored her lips with a purr that warmed her, body and soul, then broke away to kiss the tip of her nose.“Come on, you’re going to be late.”He nudged her toward the door, took her hand and gave her a twirl, and then walked her to her office.

Rio nodded to Pricilla in greeting as he helped Mari into her seat.“Take it easy on her today,” he warned.“She was up late last night and is still recovering from the mother of all magic hangovers.”

Pricilla chuckled.“I can tell.We’re probably just going to talk.”When he left to get Mari’s coffee, Pricilla sat forward, looking her over.“Seriously, how are you not burned out?That discharge last night was immense.”

Mari took a breath and tried to figure out where to start.“Most of it wasn’t mine.I was just a conduit, I guess.”

“And that giant in the hallway was Dohal, I take it?”

Mari nodded.“Sorry about that, by the way.I was too out of sorts to control my reaction.”

“I should have anticipated that you would be protective.”Pricilla shrugged.“So, he’s just out walking around now?The discharge was how you freed him?”

“Yeah, I healed his scars.They were etched into his skin over the lines of power in his body and tied him to the place they had been keeping him all these years.”

Pricilla let out a low whistle.“I don’t know how you survived the unmaking of a spell that could hold a dragon for that long.”

“The goddess,” Mari said after a few seconds.“She’s been hoarding the magic for a while.When I told her I wanted to heal him, she gave it to me.”She didn’t share the goddess’s reason for keeping back the magic—that she had somehow known and been in on Dohal’s plan to take over the world with an army of monsters that Mari would birth—that felt too personal.

“And we don’t think he’s plotting vengeance anymore?”

That struck a little too close to what Mari had just been thinking.She hoped that her face didn’t give anything away.“Now that he’s free, I think he’s a little less interested in retribution.”

“I noticed that he altered the wards,” Pricilla said carefully.

Mari took a breath.“I think he’s trying to make sure the city is still protected, but I have yet to talk to him about it.”

Pricilla showed her a small smile.“There’s a lot going on today.”

Mari nodded and hoped she didn’t look half as tired as she felt.She barely resisted rubbing her forehead.“He’s with Luis now.I’ll try to get answers about the wards as soon as I can.”

There was a soft knock, followed by Dante peeking around the door.“Rio sent me with a coffee delivery.”

Mari beamed at him.“Come on in.”

Dante entered her office balancing a tray in one hand and crossed to the desk.When he got closer, he frowned, then set the tray on the sideboard before crouching beside Mari.“You okay?”

“Yeah, just a little tired.”

“Let me give you a little pick-me-up?”

She laughed.“That’s supposed to be what the coffee is for.”

“I have half a mind to walk right back out of here with that coffee and send you for a nap.”

Saints, she must look exhausted, judging by the concern in his voice.“Let me just finish this up, and I’ll find you and we can nap together.Deal?”

“Okay, but if you’re not knocking on my door by lunch, I’m coming to find you and throwing you over my shoulder.”He reached for the back of her neck and rested his palm against her skin, sending some of his magic into her body in a warm eddy.

Her power came alive at his touch, and she shivered.“Mmm.That’s delightful.”She closed her eyes when he brushed her lips with a sweetly soft kiss.

Much too soon, he broke the contact and returned to the tray.She was still tired, but the edge had been taken off for certain, and the headache that had been threatening had retreated.

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