Page 30 of The Blood that Binds Us

“They also didn’t make a direct threat against your family last time. And as you just demonstrated, doing so turns you into something rather savage,withoutthe bloodwitch power.”

I throw my hands up. “So, then what, Singard? Are you just going to keep me here, dressing me up and sending me off to flirt with your allies in hopes Imaydiscover some facet of information for you? Perhaps if you were a halfway decent person, you wouldn’t have to worry about having so many enemies, Your Grace.”

He stares at me quietly for an extended beat, contemplating, before sucking in his cheeks and blowing out a breath. “If I allowed you to return home so you may alert your family of your new arrangements, would you find that agreeable?”

“Agreeable for now,” I answer slowly. And then as I consider his words, “Wait, you expect them to still be at home?”That lying, selfish, arrogant piece of…“You said you had information on their whereabouts, implying Legion had attacked them.” I study his face as his jaw clenches slightly, and he shuffles his weight, but not so much as a glimmer of remorse touches his expression. “But you don’t know anything about that at all, do you?” I laugh softly, shaking my head to myself as I acknowledge how foolish I was to have believed him. “Kindly go fuck yourself,Your Grace,” I say with a matching gesture.

“Careful, witch. You can accept my offer to allow you to temporarily return to yourden,or don’t, but make your decision quickly. By all means, refuse it. I have better things to be doing than keeping an eye on you anyway.”

“Keeping an eye on me? You wouldn’t be coming with—”

“Oh, yes I would,” he interjects.

“I assure you I don’t need a chaperone. It’s not as if you have to worry I won’t come back thanks to your little stalker spell.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about. If you even thought about running, I’d find you through that lovely mark on your hip and drag you back here by that pretty braid you fancy.”

I mirror his pose by crossing my arms, tucking my hands underneath their opposite armpits. “Then why can’t I go alone?”

“Because as I already said, I don’t need Legion getting their hands on you and trying to pull another stunt with you at their mercy. Sure, you didn’t cooperate with them last time, but unless my charming personality and wicked good looks have won you over, I’d rather my enemies not have a bloodwitch in their possession.”

“I amno one’spossession.”

Sin drops his hands into his trouser pockets and takes a few steps towards me. His eyes drop to where the fabric of my dress clings to my hip. “My mark on your skin says otherwise.”

Air hisses through my teeth, and I ball my fists to keep from slapping the smug curvature of his mouth from his face. “My family will not accept you. As soon as they see you, they’ll immediately assume the worst and prepare to fight. I won’t have them getting killed on my account.”

“Your precious animal pack will be fine. They won’t threaten me because they won’t know who I am.”

“They know who you are, Sin, they’ve seen you.”

“Exactly. When they see a less handsome than myself guard at your side, they won’t think anything other than I’ve sent an escort to protect you while Legion actively searches for the white-haired witch.”

“I don’t follow.”

“Cassius is very advanced in potion crafting. I’ll have him make us each a tonic that alters our physical appearances. You’ll tell your family your identity is being disguised so Legion scouts don’t spot you. They’ll assume I’m just a guard sent to look after you.”

I shake my head. “Transcendents are keen to illusive magic—they’ll detect the cloak on you.” Shifters of form, transcendents have an innate proficiency with transmutation magic. The second they get a whiff of Sin, they’ll smell the masking spell.

“They’ll note the spell, yes, but as long as they believe the magic is coming from only your disguise, they won’t suspect my identity is also altered.”

“That might work for a little while, but as soon as you’re not around me, they’ll notice the magic is coming from you as well.”

He closes the remaining gap between us and tilts his head so that his lips hover just above my ear. “Then I guess you’ll have to stay very close to me, little witch.”

His proposal isn’t a bad idea. Even if I went alone, my family’s location isn’t safe. I have no doubt Sin would use our tether to pinpoint my location once I returned home to our cabin in Autumnhelm. And if I want to keep Cosmina from coming after me and getting herself tangled up with Legion in the process, accepting the Black Art’s attempt at a compromise is the best option.

I square my shoulders and straighten my back. “When do we leave?”

“Tomorrow. First light. AndWren,” he growls my name, “enjoy your caster’s high.”

The thick purple liquid shimmers in the vial like a sea of violet stars. I swirl it around, eyeing the thin film coating the sides of the bottle, and scrunch my nose. “Whatisthis stuff?”

“I don’t know, nor do I desire to learn. But Cassius said its effects are instantaneous. He also said it tastes like a horse’s ass, so here—” Sin tosses an orange at me. “It will help dilute the flavor.”

He continues raiding the large kitchen pantry and shoving provisions into his brown leather saddle bag. Mine sits already packed with several changes of clothes and some basic necessities on the long rectangular table in the center of the castle’s oversized kitchen.

“How far into Autumnhelm is your dwelling?”

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