Page 188 of Primal Bonds

“I will.”

Suddenly, Fane couldn’t bear it. Sindre had dark tastes—and ways of ensuring an unwilling person’s cooperation. A year and a day with him would age Marjani in ways she couldn’t know.

He dragged in a breath. The hell with it. He’d break the geas. He couldn’t live with himself if he stood by while Marjani bound herself to Sindre.

Then Blaer stepped forward and grabbed the quartz around Marjani’s neck. Marjani’s hand shot out, gripping the fae’s wrist.

The two women stared at each other. Marjani’s lip peeled to show a single sharp canine. “Let. It. Go.”

Blaer squeezed the milky chunk of rock and shot Sindre a triumphant grin. “You don’t have to bargain with the animal, my lord. She’ll do anything I say.”

Sindre shook his head, but remained silent as Blaer tightened her grip on the substitute quartz.

“You’re in my power now, fada,” she said gleefully. “Drop to your knees.”

Marjani stared back. Blaer’s brow creased.

Marjani exploded into action, tossing Luc a stiletto at the same time she jerked her head back, ripping the quartz from Blaer’s hand. A moment later she was airborne. Her booted feet struck Blaer’s chest. The fae staggered backward.

Marjani was right there. She aimed a roundhouse kick at Blaer’s solar plexus, dropping her to the floor.

Sindre raised his hand, preparing to freeze Marjani.

Pulling her dagger from her boot, she darted forward and sliced his arm. Blood welled, soaking the white linen. Sindre’s breath sucked in. He eyed the slash in disbelief, and then lunged for Marjani.

She danced away in Fane’s direction. He grabbed her wrist and somehow managed to summon the energy to conceal them both.

Luc inserted the stiletto’s skinny blade in the cage’s lock. It released with a click.

“Get Jani out of here,” he said in Fane’s general direction as he shoved open the door. He leapt at Sindre, shifting in mid-air to a huge brown wolf. He slammed Sindre to the floor just as the king opened his mouth, probably to order Fane to release Marjani.

Fane hustled her toward the door, but she dug in her heels and tried to twist out of his grip. “Let me go, damn it. I’m not leaving without Luc.”

A cursing Blaer rose to her feet. Blood trickled from her mouth and her pale skin was bruised from her struggle with Marjani, but a powerful fae like her could heal in minutes from a blow that would've broken the ribs of a human.

Her gaze swung in Marjani and Fane’s direction. Dark tendrils slid over his skin. Despair filled him.

Give yourself up—you’ll never escape.

They had to leave. Now, while Sindre was occupied with fighting Luc and couldn’t order Fane to release Marjani. Because when it came down to it, he wasn’t sure he’d have the strength to resist the compulsion the geas put on him.

Marjani slashed at him with her dagger. “I said, let me go.”

He leapt back just as the blade ripped through his sweater, narrowly missing his stomach. His mouth dropped open. The woman had tried to disembowel him.

Fuck this.

He twisted her right arm behind her back and shoved her into the hall. There, he clamped both arms around her from behind, immobilizing her arms against her body, and raced down the stairs, Marjani fighting him the whole way. Twice, she nearly escaped, but somehow he managed to hang on to her.

He dashed for the nearest exit, and a few seconds later, they were outside the castle by a little-used portal. Still gripping her, he flicked his fingers and muttered the incantation, and then jumped through into the human world.

Unfortunately, to shut the portal required both hands. As soon as he released Marjani, she leapt for the shimmering circle. He rapped out the correct words and made the closing motion with both hands, wayfarer-fast, and then grabbed her by the waist and hung on until it contracted, leaving them on the outside.

Marjani rounded on him. “You asshole.” She crouched, her dagger raised. “Let me back in—now. I won’t leave without Luc.”

Jealousy twisted through him. What was the other man to her?

He dragged in a breath. “No.”

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