Chapter 49

Rhi

I guesssomeone wraps a blanket around my shoulders and forces a cup of something strongly alcoholic into my hands as Pip curls up by my side. With shaking hands, I lift the rim to my lips and tip back my head. The amber liquid stings my nose, before hitting my lips, making me cough as it slides down my throat, warming my gullet.

I let the alcohol seep through my veins, calming my racing heart and my quivering limbs, and then I lower my cup and find Winnie attempting to look Renzo over for injuries, although he's resisting every attempt she makes, still a mile high from his brush with death. Helping her, with a look of extreme trepidation on his face, is Trent.

"Trent?" I gasp.

He spins around and grins at me. "Hey Rhi."

"When did you get here?"

"Your friend insisted on a little detour on our way back from Los Magicos," Azlan says, crouching down beside me. "She can be pretty damn persuasive when she wants to be."

"I said I wasn't driving him anywhere unless we stopped by to pick Trent up first," Winnie says over her shoulder, attempting to grip Renzo's wrist in her hands and count his pulse.

"Good for you." I peer up at Trent. "She's been really worried about you."

The top of Trent's ears burn red. "I've been pretty worried about her too. You know she's on the wanted list. You all are."

"Yeah," I say, "we know." I glance back over to Winnie. "Is there any news on Rosa?"

Winnie stops what she's doing, rocking onto her backside and shaking her head. "She hasn't been seen. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing."

"It's a good thing," Azlan says reassuringly. "That woman is tough. She can take care of herself. I'm sure she's lying low someplace safe."

"You think so?" Winnie asks hopefully.

"Definitely," my mate says, nodding his head, and I can see his confidence eases Winnie's worries a little, exactly what he intends. My heart warms for him and I take his hand in mine and squeeze it. He may be this big tough enforcer, built like a brick house with eyes as dark as night, but the more I know him, the more his softer side is revealed.

"How is he?" I ask Winnie, motioning my head towards Renzo whose eyes are locked on my and Azlan's linked hands.

"If he'd hold still and let me check him over, I could tell you," she snarks with irritation.

"I'm fine, little rabbit. Never been better."

I roll my eyes. Only Renzo, dead literally five minutes ago, would describe himself as ‘never better'.

"What?" he says. "We're bonded now. And it feels fucking fantastic." He lays his hands on his taut belly and I can feel all his exuberant emotions spiraling through the bond. It's like an actual whirlwind, making me dizzy and euphoric at the same time. I predict being bonded to Renzo is going to have me feeling that way, plus a little afraid, the entire time.

I don't regret it though. Not when he smiles at me with such genuine affection, it makes my heartbeat skip.

"How about Spencer?" I ask, turning my attention back to Azlan. He's no longer in the kitchen and neither is Tristan and Stone.

"How about you, sweetheart?" Azlan asks, cupping my face and peering into my eyes. "How do you feel?"

I manage a half smile. "Pretty tired."

He strokes his thumb against my cheek. "Then go get some rest. We can take care of Barone and Spencer."

"But shouldn't we keep moving?" I ask, unable to help glancing towards the darkened window. "They're going to be after us, aren't they? Your uncle doesn't seem like a man who would happily let us slip away."

"He won't be the only one," Renzo says.

Azlan twists around to face him. "You know who else is looking for her?"

"Magicals from the West," Renzo says.

Azlan twists back to me. "There was no attack from the West. It was some clever trick of my uncle's. A coup."

Renzo scratches his cheek. "Nah, those dudes were from the West. But I don't think they were here to invade the republic or any of that bullshit. I think they were after little rabbit."

Azlan shakes his head. It's obvious he thinks Renzo's talking nonsense.

"We're not going anywhere tonight," Azlan says. "You need time to recover and so do the others."

"Is it safe to stay here, though?" I say.

"I think so. Winnie, Trent and I cast some protection spells on this place while you were gone."

"He was pacing about like a caged tiger," Winnie says. "I thought it was sensible to give him something to do."

"Will they hold?"

"I think so," Azlan says with that same confidence.

"I can add some of my own," Renzo says, jumping to his feet and nearly knocking Winnie over in the process.

Azlan eyes him, clearly wary of any spells Renzo might cast.

"That would be really helpful," I tell Renzo, ignoring Azlan. Renzo's magic is more chaotic, more unpredictable and less practiced than ours. He wasn't taught in the same way the rest of us were. I think a lot of his magic he taught himself. And I think that may give us an advantage when it comes to Christopher Kennedy and his forces.

"Wanna help me, little rabbit?" Renzo says, holding out his hand. In response, Azlan clutches my hand more tightly.

I stand up, tugging my hand from Azlan's grip but not taking the hand Renzo offers.

"I tell you what," I say, "why don't the three of us do it together?" Renzo frowns at me and Azlan goes to open his mouth but I ignore them both. "I think we could build something pretty darn strong and impregnable between the three of us, don't you?"

My two mates look unconvinced but Winnie – always ready to take my side – nods eagerly. "I think it would." She grabs a hold of Trent's arm eagerly. "We'll leave you to it." Then she pulls her boyfriend out of the kitchen and we hear her giggling as they race up the staircase.

"They're going to fuck," Renzo says helpfully.

"Yes, thanks," I mutter, "I think we figured that out for ourselves."

"That's what we should do after we've done this spell," Renzo continues, Azlan scowling at him. "What?" Renzo says, grinning at the man in black. "We're freshly bonded, and it's the only way to ease the pain, right, Az? Isn't that what you told her?"

"I didn't tell her anything," he growls between gritted teeth.

I clear my throat, regaining both their attentions. "Can we focus on the job at hand please?"

"You can take triggerwot for the pain," Azlan says, "there doesn't have to be any fucking."

"The spell!" I say. I'm relieved beyond belief that we're all together, safe for the time being, but this situation between us is going to be tricky. There's work to be done.

"Right," Azlan says, throwing one last dirty look Renzo's way. "The spell."

I take Renzo's hand in my right and Azlan's hand in my left.

"Now you hold hands too," I say motioning with my head.

"This isn't fucking kindergarten," Azlan mumbles, but I give him a no-nonsense look and he takes Renzo's hand loosely in his.

Renzo winks at me. "He has big hands, little rabbit. Big strong hands."

I swallow. Yep, that's something else I don't need Renzo to tell me. I know.

"Okay," I say, "are we ready?"

Azlan mumbles a "yes" and Renzo nods his head enthusiastically.

"Let's do this then."

I close my eyes and start to recant the protection spell my aunt taught me. The one she would cast over the house every night before we headed to bed. Beside me, I hear Renzo and Azlan do the same and immediately I see how different our three spells are. Renzo's chaotic and hissing and sparking just as I predicted. Azlan's strong, solid and dependable. And mine? Beautiful – like a web spun around us.

At first our magic is separate and distinct, but soon, they melt into one another, combining and weaving together. It's not quite like it is when I combine my magic with Tristan's. It's different from that, but it still has the blood in my veins thrumming, and my bond spinning. A smile plays across my lips and I can't help bouncing up on my toes.

We're better together. Cleverer. More complex. Stronger.

Maybe I am beginning to see why fate wants us together after all.

I'm lost in the magic and the sensations pulsating through my body, that is until a sarcastic voice pops our magical bubble.

"Am I interrupting something?" Stone asks.

Immediately Azlan drops my hand and Renzo's too. His cheeks are flushed and, with his gaze fixated on the ground, he marches out of the kitchen, pushing past his friend in the doorway.

"What was that about?" Stone says watching his friend go.

"We were casting protection spells," I say.

Stone swivels his gaze back to me. "Are you sure? It looked like you were playing nursery games."

"I'm sure."

Stone nods. "I thought you might like to know that we've finished healing all Spencer's injuries." He rubs a hand against his beard. "He was in a pretty bad way. A really fucking bad way. Those people really are sick."

"But he's okay now?"

"Physically, yeah, but emotionally … I think you should go talk to him, Rhi."