Page 123 of Enchanted Heir
I was given this pencil as a gift from a dear friend to assist in my painting. The markings disappear when they dry.
But then the next few lines were different.
Theon is experimenting with a way to siphon another Enchanted’s magic. To steal another Enchanted’s magic. From what information I’ve been able to gather, he is using the bonding rite and trying to figure out how to force someone to channel their magic to someone else. This goes against everything the bondings stand for. The bondings are supposed to protect a relationship through magic, not provide more power for one person. I have tried to stop this. I have tried to reason with him. But the more I push back, the less and less I see of him. I fear what he will do if he ever figures out a way to accomplish this. How many Enchanted he will kill just to wear their magic in addition to his.
I gasped. “Krew.”
He was looking to me, his entire body tense.
I reached over to quickly calm his magic that was beginning to burn. “What if that is why your father is so strong? What if he did figure this out?”
Krew shook his head. “Wouldn’t we know? If he was wearing another Enchanted’s magic? Wouldn’t we somehow feel it?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know.” I reached a hand out to his shoulder. “Do the Enchanted’s magic change colors or shape after the bonding ceremony?”
“No.”
I shook my head. “Krew, we need to figure it out before you try to kill him again. It might not matter how strong you are if he is stronger than four or five Enchanted.”
Krew moved from me to pace, his chest heaving. “I need—” he grabbed at his hair, “all these journals. And a paintbrush. And Keir.”
I stepped into his path and reached to put my hand on his wrist. His magic was crawling along every inch of him now.
“We will get all those things in the morning. It’s already late. We have a ball tomorrow. We need to sleep, Krew. And while I got lots of sleep last night, I don’t know that you did. Because of me.”
“I’m fine.” He shook his head. “We need to figure this out, Jorah.”
“I know,” I nodded. “And I’ll help you. I can work on the journals while you carry on with your father, so he doesn’t get suspicious.”
Krew pointed at the journals. “If what you said is true—” he shook his head, “it changes...everything.”
“I know,” I whispered. “And I’m not going to say a large part of me doesn’t wish for that to be the case. Doesn’t wish for there to be a reason for you to not rush off trying to kill your father and die in the process.”
“Other than the reason standing in front of me, you mean?”
Tears burned my eyes. “Yes. Well, a more logical one.”
One side of his mouth turned up. “The way I feel about you has never felt more logical, and at the same time, entirely illogical.”
“Please don’t send me home,” I whispered. “I want to help you. I want to help you find out what’s in these journals. I’m sorry I lashed out at you. It wasn’t fair. I was jealous and—”
He took a step forward as he grabbed my hand and held it in both of his. “And?”
“And I was mad at you,” I admitted.
“For almost killing Easton?”
My eyebrows reached for one another. Had that truly been why he thought I was mad? “No. Not at all.”
He cocked his head, wanting me to go on.
“For granting me closure in the grief I still feel with my father, while making me realize if you are to die in this endeavor of yours, I’m going to have to start over fresh shortly.” A tear slipped out. “It’s not fair, Krew. You don’t get to help me heal the gaping hole in my heart from my father’s death left just to leave another one when you go too.”
His lips were on mine before I even finished.
When he finally pulled back minutes later, he ran his fingers through my hair while saying, “I didn’t realize, love, that was what was bothering you.”
I shook my head. “I know you can’t make me any promises. I understand that well. It is only that I don’t want to lose you too. This darkness is tearing away at me at every corner, threatening to absorb me entirely. Threatening to take away everyone I care about.”
