Page 25 of The Rowan
I nod at Astor and then glance at Valerian. He’s been quiet this entire time. “Are you okay? Can you guess why we would be in that particular chamber?” I inquire, asking a question I think only he can answer.
He stares at me, eyes roving over me intimately. “We’ll talk later. Get some rest,” he commands with a pat on my shoulder, then he strides out the door.
Theron’s eyes follow him, before glancing at the others in silent communication. I don’t know what they’re saying, but I feel I’ve missed something big.
My eyes droop, and I slide back down into the bed.
I wonder whose bed I’m in? It feels incredible,I muse drowsily.
15
THERON
Relief pours through me as I stare down at Arden. When her body jerked violently and she fell to the floor, my heart stopped. I’d never seen blood magic react in that manner. When Astor uses it, it caresses him like a lover, making his body languid and sensual.
I rub my hand over my face in frustration. I’m responsible for protecting her, and yet I allowed this to happen. This should be the one place where she’s safe. And instead of solving one of our problems, we’ve added another.
We have to figure out why Astor stabs her. Given it’s in the future, our chances of solving this puzzle immediately are slim, but we also have the luxury of time to figure it out. And Valerian can help. Something in her story triggered him. He stiffened when she mentioned the chamber. I follow him out the door.
“What aren’t you telling us?” I demand. “What’s the significance of the chamber?”
Valerian ignores me, continuing to stomp down the hallway. Ice pours from me, sliding easily under his feet, causing him to slip. He crashes down to the floor, but it’s as if his will drops with him. Valerian pulls himself to a sitting position against the wall and stares up at me, fear seeping from his very pores.
Alarmed, I slide down beside him. “The more we know, the better we can prepare,” I remind him.
“We use the ceremonial chamber when the king is crowned, when he presents his mate to the clan, and when he dies. I’ve already got a crown, and I’m in the vision, so I’m not dead. It leaves one possibility,” he replies hoarsely. “She’s my mate.” He pounds his head back against the wall. “A witch. My clan is going to go ballistic. Any other woman, and they would likely roar to the rafters with excitement, but a witch?” He shakes his head.
Arden is his mate? Startled, I whip my head around to stare at him. “Have you confirmed this?” I ask, waiting to hear if he’s kissed her. While we often feel drawn to a mate, we can’t confirm it until our souls reach out to entangle themselves with each other, which usually happens during a kiss or another physical act.
He shakes his head. “No, we haven’t kissed,” he admits. “But I’m drawn to her. More than Moira, in fact. I’ve been avoiding Arden since our last training session. I’m relieved she’s immortal, but I can’t fall for another witch. My clan will never accept her, not after the war I started when the dragons killed Moira and her entire family. Hell, her entire family line vanished overnight. All because I loved a witch.”
I grasp his shoulders, forcing him to look at me. “I can’t tell you what to do, but I’ll remind you, a mate is more than love. Mate bonds are magic’s way of influencing our destiny. To ignore it could be catastrophic.” Patting him on the back, I rise and smooth down my suit. “Regardless, we’re here to help her, and I expect you to do your part.”
His mouth flattens into a scowl. “I remember. Now that there’s a possibility she’s my mate, my full power is at your disposal.”
Satisfied, I walk away, my mind filled with the idea of Arden and Valerian as mates. Given how drawn to her I am myself, I’m surprised the idea doesn’t upset me, but it doesn’t. Instead, it feels like a piece of our giant puzzle is sliding into place.
* * *
Astor isin his lab muttering to himself when I find him. “What do you think happened?” I ask him curtly. “Why did it grab on to her so tightly?”
“I’m not sure. Blood magic is unpredictable. Although, I expected it to fight her a bit, I didn’t expect it to throw her into a violent scene,” he replies with a shiver. “I need to find out why it responded to her in that way, and I’m going to try to see her vision, get more clues.”
“Keep me updated. Also, I spoke to Valerian,” I say, sharing his insight. “If they’re mates, it explains why we were in the ceremonial chamber, but not why you would want to stab her.”
Astor winces. “I can’t believe I would stab her. She’s immortal. Stabbing her wouldn’t kill her. So why? It’s driving me crazy.”
“Do you think it could be jealousy? If we’re standing in the chamber, the likelihood they’re mates is high,” I comment.
“I couldn’t hurt her. Fight with her, yep. Fuck her, definitely. Kill her…not a chance. She fascinates my incubus. It wouldn’t let me. Hell, I’m fascinated by her, too,” he admits. “But I hope she’s Valerian’s mate. He deserves someone like her—full of light, a warrior, a mate he’d be proud to have at his side.”
My eyebrows raise at his declaration. Astor isn’t known for his generosity to others, even to the cadre. We’re close to him, but only to a certain point. Arden’s influence on us is growing.
“Well, let me know what you discover. Try not to fall too deep into the dark,” I implore him, knowing Astor’s tendency to dance on the edge. “Keep Fallon close by.”
He nods, turning back to the quill on the desk.
Watching him, I make a note to ask Fallon to stop by. Knowing Astor, he’s already forgotten my request in his search for answers. At least this time, he’s using his powers for something good.
