Page 107 of A Baron of Bonds
I shook my head. “Clairannia said that isn’t good enough. It’s not potent enough to ensure there’s no child if only one of us takes it, and it’s pretty reliable if both of us do.”
He lifted my chin to look him in the eye. “From now on, we don’t risk it. We keep each other accountable. We won’t forget again, Karus, I promise you.”
I believed him.
Chapter 47
Rev
Dawn cameand though I could not see it from our rooms, I could feel it in my chest, urging me to leave the warm bed, leave her soft body curled into mine and get up to help Pompeii.
Karus slumbered in the nightgown I’d commissioned for her, and I admired the rise and fall of her chest under green silk and black lace.
I gently smoothed away her hair which had caught on her lips and studied the streaks of white. There were several more pieces that littered the top and sides of her head, and my stomach fell, remembering both times she’d used that spell.
We both knew I didn’t want her to attempt it again. I didn’t want to see her lose that control.
I’d do it.
I’d practice the spell. I’d use it on the Blight. Maybe even on Viridis. She could use Cosensian Magic to imbue her power to me and we could try again.
But first, we needed to cure Pompeii.
And train the channelers.
And conduct the conduit trials.
And she needed to take the Baron trial.
There was so much to do. I wondered how much time we really had before the Blightress reared her head again.
I tried not to spiral, I really did, but then I realized how much I was as Karus shifted beside me.
Let her sleep, Rev,I reminded myself as I shifted away from her warmth and rose from the bed.
Spring was cold in the Fortress, so I stoked the fire before heading to the washing room to splash water on my face.
I didn’t want to do what needed to be done today. We needed to search Heimlen’s study for answers. We needed to check on the laboratorium to ensure she really did kill off that Blight. We needed to hear from Talon and Ilyenna that they were alright, that they hadn’t caught this Blight illness from Pompeii.
I splashed my face again and drew a bath for Karus, filling the tub with water just warm enough to steam.
I felt a pull from her in the bed, a flurry of pain and panic. I rushed to her side as she sat up, her hand covered in blood.
“It’s started,” she trembled. “My bleeding has started again.”
She pulled back the sheets to reveal a red stain on the silk of her nightgown. Tears streamed down her cheeks. “I’ve ruined it.”
“No, love, Lia can get that out.”
She sobbed and I pulled her to my chest. “It’s alright. It’s okay. You can do this. Are you in pain?”
She nodded, rising with me as I took her hand and led her to the washing room. I slipped the thin straps off her shoulders and she stepped into the water, a sigh of relief on her lips.
I kneeled down on the side of the tub and kissed her temple, holding my hand out for her to take. “Show me where it hurts, Karus.”
She grimaced in pain and brought my hand to her lower stomach. “Here. Clairannia warned me about this. The firstbleeding since getting myliberummark would be the wor—” she bent over in pain, unable to finish the word.
“Remolyn.”I spoke the enhancement spell ofloosening and relaxation. Tendrils of blue wove through the water, encircling her waist.
