Page 16 of Before the Bond Breaks
“Maze, stop touching me like that or I’ll take you into the woods behind the store and have my way with you.” Eitrborn rejects be damned.
She laughed. Like a full-out, real as fuck laugh. I almost told her in that moment that I loved her. Because that was what I felt. Pure love for the badass Valkyrie that was my mate. I held the words back. If I said them now, it would freak her out.
Instead, I kissed her, then said, “Let’s go.”
9
MAZE
By the timeTalon and I reached the coven, our injuries had healed. I drove because Talon took a huge hit from the magic theeitrbornthrew at him. That magic was thrown at me, and I was prepared to take it, but my all-protective mate jumped to my rescue. I’ll have a discussion with him about that later.
When I insisted on driving, he growled at me. That growl flooded my body with desire, which annoyed me because we were on a mission.
The coven grounds looked quiet as we rolled along the dirt driveway. It was almost too quiet. Wards shimmered faintly across the tree line, a faint pulse of magic woven into the forest itself. I felt it against my skin like a heartbeat just out of rhythm, and my stomach tightened. Jessica had walked this same path only weeks ago.
We pulled to a stop and parked in front of a large house that I believed was the community center. It could also be the home of the coven leader. As we got out of the car, a tall blonde woman stepped onto the wrap-around porch. She wore dark blue jeans and a cream-colored oversized sweater. The temperature haddropped since we left Virginia, proving fall was close. The leaves would change soon.
As the woman moved closer to the porch step, I sensed her power. It flowed around her in warm, earthy waves, telling me she was the coven’s priestess. Anna White.
“High Matron,” she said with a small bow. Her eyes slid to Talon, cautious as she addressed him. “Alpha.” Then she waved for us to come inside. “Welcome.”
We followed her inside and took in the coziness of the place. The first floor was an open floor plan with the kitchen area at the back of the house. To my right was a set of beautifully hand-carved doors that were opened to reveal a library. The sound of kids talking and laughing drifted from the room.
“Would like a drink?” Anna asked as she led us through the living room towards another room just off the kitchen.
Talon shook his head, and I said, “No thanks. We can’t stay long.”
Anna nodded and smiled, but it was forced. Sadness and anxiety rolled off the coven leader. I was about to ask her about that when Talon took my hand as we entered the room. I glanced at him, and he shook his head as if he knew what I was about to ask Anna. Maybe he did. He was my mate, and our connection had grown since we had made love last night.
The thought of his hard, toned body tangled with mine flooded me with need. I squashed down those thoughts, for now. Talon caught my eye, and a smile formed. I rolled my eyes at him and took a seat on the sofa that sat in the middle of the room, surrounded by comfy armchairs and a couple of large beanbags.There was no desk, but there were a few round tables with chairs scattered around the edges of the room.
After a few moments, Talon asked, “What can you tell us about Dustin Cultz?”
The priestess’s expression soured. “Dustin is dead. We found his body three nights ago.”
My chest went cold. “How?”
Her hands folded in her lap where she sat in one of the chairs in front of the sofa. “Every drop of blood and magic was drained from him. His body glowed with a sickly green magical residue.”
I froze. The image slammed into me, overlapping with the memory feed of Jessica’s death. Same glow. Same emptiness. Same cruelty.
Talon’s amber eyes narrowed. “Dustin might not have been the traitor after all.”
I shook my head, trying to force the pieces to fit. “Or he was. And Balder silenced him once he’d served his purpose. But why kill your own spy?”
The priestess’s voice was bitter. “Because Jessica trusted him. He convinced her to go into the city. Told her he had a lead she couldn’t ignore.”
I clenched my jaw so hard it hurt. “That lead led her to her death.”
“Maybe,” Talon said, his tone grim, “or maybe Dustin didn’t realize the trap until it was too late. If Balder drained him afterward, it means he was disposable.”
Disposable. Like Jessica had been. Rage flared hot in my chest, but I shoved it down, because grief couldn’t cloud what needed to be done.
The priestess’s gaze softened, though her voice stayed firm. “Jessica said she’d found proof Balder was using our leyline for something unnatural. Experiments.”
My stomach twisted. Jessica had been so close. She’d died for it.
We stayed long enough to ask what we could, but Anna didn’t know anything else. Talon and I helped the coven strengthen their wards. My mate gave them a number to call if they needed anything.
