Page 17 of Bound

Merrik smiled down at her warmly. “It’s just me. I thought you might appreciate a robe.”

She sat up and he helped her into the spa-style robe. Glancing around, she noticed that Tov was nowhere in sight. “What happens now?”

“Supervisor Winlos will notify your parents of the outcome of the assessment. Because we are the only team left, Tov is trying to arrange a meeting with your parents before they leave the Citadel.”

“Then I better get dressed.” She hopped down from the table and looked around. “Where did my clothes end up?”

“The attendants took them. They presumed you had lost the right to clothing when they were summoned to undress you.”

“Delightful,” she grumbled. “How do I get them back?”

“We are hoping that your parents will give us the right to claim you. That is frequently the case.”

And of course she wouldn’t need to get dressed if they would only be stripping her naked again. A shiver dropped down her spine as she briefly imagined that being claimed by them would mean. All of her. Tov made damn sure she understood that nothing would be denied them, no pleasure, no demand, no… opening. She’d never had anal sex. Despite her friends’ obsession with it, the idea had never appealed to her.

After a long pause, Merrik said, “If your parents still plan on taking you back to their estate, you will be allowed to dress.”

She crossed her arms as anxiety and a vague sense of loss curled through her. Had today been a preview of the future? Mind-blowing pleasure, but nothing resembling control or authority over her own life? “Everyone keeps bragging about how powerful I am. Aren’t my abilities as a conduit the reason you’re so desperate to claim me?”

“It is not the only reason, but it is important to us. Why do you bring it up?”

“I think my grandmother is full of shit,” she grumbled. “I don’t have any abilities. My parents are deceiving you.”

He chuckled, his gaze locking on her face. “Your power is skillfully bound, but I can sense it. As soon as we are given permission to claim you, releasing your power is the first thing we’ll do. A great many things will make more sense to you then.”

As usual, she had nothing but his word that any of this was true. Well, almost any of it. Hearing his voice clearly in her mind had been closer to magic than anyone else had come. “Obviously, you’re telepathic.” She buried her hands in the pockets of her robe. “Can Tov read my mind and pass me his thoughts like you did?”

Merrik shook his head. “The soul bond will allow all of us to share thoughts and feelings, but Tov’s power is different from mine. He must be linked with someone to communicate mind to mind.”

She wasn’t sure how long his talkative mood would last, so she kept firing off questions. “Then how did Tov know what you were saying to me? It was obvious he understood what was going on.”

“We formed a psychic bond a few years ago. It allows him to access my abilities. However, it’s limited by proximity. Unless I am nearby, Tov is not telepathic.”

“I see.” Being able to speak mind to mind would be unique and interesting, but Iris had described so much more. Elemental magic and powers so great that males fought over the right to claim a conduit. Cara’s inquisitive mind demanded evidence, tangible evidence. “Can you show me? I know you’re a source. Don’t you have powers of your own right now?”

He moved closer, his expression intent and contemplative. “If it will make you more comfortable, I will show you.”

“I think it will really help.”

Glancing around the room, he didn’t seem pleased with his options. “I don’t think Zevon would appreciate it if I caught the furniture on fire. I guess it will have to be something a bit less impressive.” He held out his hand, palm up, fingers splayed.

Cara watched closely, unsure of what to expect. Energy streamed down his arm, creating a glowing ribbon just beneath his skin. The ribbon curved and twisted until it reached his wrist, then it separated into five smaller threads. The threads spiraled up his fingers until his fingertips glowed.

“If I release the stream, it will burn like molten lava.” His features tensed with the stress of holding back the energy. “Come here.” He suddenly closed his fist and rushed into the adjoining bathroom.

She hurried after him and watched in wide-eyed awe as a glowing, thick-looking liquid burst from his fingertips and cascaded into the metal sink. The streams sputtered and hissed as they circled the sink and finally flowed into the drain. The faucet activated and cold water washed over the sink revealing scorched indentations.

Reaching out her hand, she instinctively tried to touch the indentations. Merrik caught her wrist and prevented her from making contact. At least an inch separated her skin from the sink and she could still feel heat radiating off the damaged metal.

“Looks like I owe Zevon a sink,” Merrik concluded with a lazy smile.

“This is unbelievable.” She looked up at him and shook her head. “This kind of power is locked inside me?”

He moved her hand farther away from the sink then released her wrist. “It’s hard to explain if you’ve never experienced Altorian power. I am the reservoir, the well from which our energy will flow. Without you, I can only access a minuscule amount of it. And without Tov we would both be consumed by the intensity. It requires all three members of a power triad working together. There is mystic energy inside of you, but your function is different from mine. Does that make sense?”

“I think so.” They moved back into the main area as Cara processed what she’d just seen. “Have you and Tov worked with a conduit before?”

“We have worked with power triads before, but the three members were bonded with each other.”

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