Page 13 of Fate Unchained

She slid out the parchment. It now lay in two halves, the ink smeared and several holes torn through it. Laying them on the ground, she smoothed the paper and brought the two sides so they touched.

At the small snick of claws on stone, she glanced up. The vulk stood, and he was watching her intently. Her heart pounded. He no longer had the slight curl to his mouth from when he’d spoken before; now he looked like he was about to bite her.

He stepped forward. “I should have searched you thoroughly while you were in a crumple on the floor, but I decided not to paw at you while you were unconscious.” He frowned and rubbed his mouth as if annoyed at something. “You used that paper before, what is it?”

“Nothing you need to worry about.” She pressed her lips together. Great—antagonize the great beast. What a smart thing to do.

He growled and lunged forward.

She yelped and fell back onto her ass, the parchment with the instructions falling to the floor. Damn he was fast! A foot stepped on the paper, the lethal claws scratching its surface.

“Don’t destroy it!” Although if he tossed it in the fire, it wouldn’t matter. She’d read the one page so much on the journey she knew it by heart. Nowhere did it mention how to reverse the runic spell.

He towered over her. “No more magic.”

“I told you, I don’t have magic. I just—” She swallowed. She wasn’t about to tell him any more than she had to. “I can use a little light to reveal messages on pages. Like on this one.” She clamped her lips closed. That was all she was telling him about her abilities, but it was far more than she’d ever said to anyone other than her father.

A small tightness in her chest unfurled, as if deep down, she was happy to finally say the words aloud to another.

He stood there, with his fresh scent swirling around her, so close if she put out her arm, she’d touch him. Lilah swung her legs around and got onto her hands and knees, staring down at the mangled paper. Her heart rate steadied. “I want to examine it again and see if I can get anything else about this spell to reveal itself.” She rose up onto her knees and glared up at him. “I don’t want to be trapped in here with you, either.”

When their gazes met, the deep black of his eyes heated. It was like the air in front of them crackled. His gaze dropped to her mouth.

Lilah gulped. She was on her knees, and her face was in line with …

Her breath hitched. He really needed to wear different pants. As her aunt used to say, men’s trousers should be designed to keep their light hidden. Not so with this vulk. His light might be the very sun itself, his trousers bulged so large in the front.

“I stay at your side. If you get this cage to fall, it falls for both of us.”

She cleared her throat. Face flaming hot, she said, “Fine.” Not a chance. She needed this vulk for Boris. Yes, she’d free them from this cage, she hadn’t lied, but she knew how to use the rune now. All she’d do was trap him again. Correctly this time.

“If you try anything else, I’ll bind your hands behind your back like I do to magicwielders.” A raspy tone had roughened the edges of his voice.

She made a shooing motion. “Step back.” He didn’t move far though, only took a step to the side. Close enough he could still pounce and tackle her.

She cleared her throat and focused on the paper. Her magic wasn’t difficult to use, but with him lurking over her, her attention skittered. Taking a deep breath, she pushed a little magic out. With one finger, she touched the paper. It glowed, and the ink swirled, but no new runes appeared, only the one she already knew. The one to capture him.

Next to her, the vulk grunted. “Interesting.” He frowned. “Is there more parchment?” He scanned her. “Take off your coat.”

“What? No. This is it.”

“Take it off, or I rip more of it.”

He’d do it, the brute. She slipped it off and held it out. “There’s nothing else in there.”

“I’m supposed to take your word?” His arm brushed against hers, and the same zing from when she’d touched him while he lay helpless on the floor shot through her.

She gasped and drew back. Trying to mask her reaction, she snatched the parchment off the floor. “I don’t lie.” Well … not usually, and she hadn’t exactly lied before either. She was going to release him from their cage; she was just going to trap him again afterward.

The vulk drew closer. “Not so fast. Give it to me, I want to read it.”

She clutched it to her chest. “No.” He didn’t need to see the instructions for his capture.

He growled. “Really? You want me to wrestle it away from you?”

She put it in one hand and held it as far away from him as she could. No way was she going to outmatch a vulk twice her size, but she wasn’t about to take orders from him. “I’m not giving it to you.”

He’d gone still. Her coat slipped from his hand onto the floor. The slight rustle of fabric was the only sound throughout the cave. “What’s your name, little human?” His eyes seemed darker, and were definitely more intense, as if he were furious.

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