Page 118 of All the Devils are Here

“If it hasn’t let you give it back by now, I don’t think it’s going to. And I’m not sure you can pass on magic that belonged to someone else.”

“Fuck all of this,” I said. “The loopholes are maddening. How do you live like this?”

“What choice do we have? Magic is strange and doesn’t follow logic. Normally it isn’t this complicated because we’re not dealing with monsters like him. The Island is just as bound as you are. All of this—all of it—lies with Prospero.”

Rage surged. “There has to be something, Trin. Therehasto be. Because the options of ‘die from being consumed by magic,’ ‘die by maniac killing you to get to your mate,’ or ‘lose one of the loves of your life’? Those aren’t acceptable. He can’t pull the magic out of me, right?”

“No. Not with the power he has left. And even if he had enough magic to do it, he gave it to you.”

“The fact that there’s no magical re-gifting allowed is bullshit,” I muttered. “I don’t want it.”

He chuckled at my joke and kissed my cheek. “I know you don’t. I don’t want you to have it either.”

In the bond I felt the dread he could no longer hide. The magic was surging up my body, and if Prospero didn’t pass soon…

“So I’m stuck,” I whispered. “There’s no way to fix it. It’s going to take me. I won’t sacrifice Laurent’s life.”

It was freeing, the realization and acceptance of knowing there was no other way. The magic would do what it would to me, and I would accept it. Anger and fear struck through my bond with Trin, but before either of us could say anything—

“Yes you will.” The voice came from behind me, and I turned to find Laurent standing there.

I rolled my eyes. “No, I won’t.”

“Meg.”

Trin kissed my cheek again. “I’ll give you two a minute.” He disappeared under the water swam out of sight.

Standing, I went to the closet and pulled on the first thing I saw. A dress. It clung to my still-wet skin. “Laurent,” I said back to him, meeting his eyes in the mirror. “No.”

“The magic will return to him once I surrender.” He closed the distance to me. “You’ll be free.”

“Once youdie,” I choked on the words. “It’ll go back to him once you die. I can’t let you do that.”

“Yes, you can,” he said gently. “I’ve lived a long life, Meg. I’ve done many bad things, and I’ve been more than lucky to know you were my mate before the end of it.”

“It will kill me,” I said, whirling to face him. “Isn’t losing a mate like a piece of yourself?”

He pulled me to him, crushing me to his chest. The motion was the only thing betraying how this was truly affecting him. “You’re not bonded to me. You can grieve me like a normal person.”

“If you fucking think there would be anythingnormalabout me grieving you—”

Laurent kissed me, and it was everything. Every kiss we should have had all this time. He guided me back into the wall, and I couldn’t stop the tears. How did we suddenly get here? Only minutes ago I’d been wrapped up in love and happiness.

Now it felt like goodbye, and I didn’t want it to be.

Like it knew, pain of magic grew in my gut.

“Meg, listen to me.” Laurent pressed his forehead into mine.

“No,” I moaned. “I can’t.”

“Sweetheart,please.” His voice was agony too. “Whatever magic Prospero has—the magic you saw him receive from the portal, and whatever he’s stored from other payments like it—it’s keeping him alive. And you are running out of time.”

“Bond with me,” I said. “Right now. It’ll help push it back.”

His hands came up around my face. “It’s not enough,” he whispered. “We both know it’s not enough.”

A full day with Trin, and the magic was already beyond where it had been when we started. What chance would Laurent have of pushing it back enough to save me?

---