Chapter 22

MAEVE

Andrei wakesme with a coffee and a kiss, enthusing how he "fucking loves" being able to do that as he yanks open the curtains. Then he bounds away to make breakfast. I take a moment to sit with my coffee. Do I question him more about why he left the bed last night, or what I sensed around him? Andrei"s repressing something and it"s more than the fear he"ll harm me.

I join the guys in the kitchen, where Jamie isn"t subtle about how closely he studies my visible skin for marks, no doubt already asking Andrei if I was with him last night. Tobias sits beside him, his brow pinched as he finishes his coffee. Ash is the only one of the three who doesn"t look warily between me and Andrei as the five of us move in and out of the kitchen, preparing for our morning. A morning entailing... what? We"ve agreed to share the latest of the First"s threats with Ash and Jamie, and I"m worried how they"ll respond. Both are primed to protect me, the dragon keeping what"s precious to him safe, and Jamie"s bond putting my life equal to his.

Please keep this rational.

I finish the buttered toast Andrei prepared and join Ash in the lounge, where he"s crouched down and lacing up his sneakers. He was never a slender guy, but each day he"s noticeably different. His biceps stretch his blue running shirt more than a few days ago, shoulders broader still. I watch him, the swirling attraction to him mixed with concern as to why he"s changing so quickly now.

"Don"t worry, I can run fast," he says when I halt suddenly and stare.

"Where will you go?" I glance over my shoulder. "Does Tobias know you"re headed out?"

Ash straightens. "The guy doesn"t dictate my life, Maeve. If a dragon alpha won"t, neither will Tobias. I"m literally taking a run around the park at the end of the street—a park filled with humans."

"Better not run too fast then," I joke, distracted by how much of his powerful legs the shorts reveal.

"Seriously though." He takes my chin between his fingers and tips it to look up at him. "I make my own decisions, but always with what"s best for us all in mind. So does Jamie. It"s the rest of you that get reckless."

"Hey!" I poke him.

"If I thought taking a run around the park threatened us, I wouldn"t go, okay?" Ash pokes me in return. "And I"ll run fast if I need to."

"Maybe mop up some stray Dominion while you"re out there?" I suggest and smile.

"Absolutely." He grins and pulls me into a sudden hug, my head definitely lower on his chest.

"You"ve grown again," I tell him, cheek squashed to his chest.

"I"ve a few more scales too," he says into my hair, more nonchalantly than I"d expect.

I pull back to look at him. "Is that alright? Are you alright? Any more crap from Declan?"

"Ethan"s arranged a meeting with local dragons. He wants Ash and you to join him, Maeve," says Tobias, walking in to perch on the sofa arm. "We should talk about that."

"Local dragon mafia," Ash corrects him. "You don"t have to come, Maeve."

"She should go with you." My eyes widen in surprise at Tobias"s out of character response. "The dragon ranks high up in an organisation involved in illegal trade. Ethan suspects he may have links to Gabriella, and could be helping her."

"Right. I"d agree to whatever because I don"t like the dragon arseholes bullying Ash." I cross my arms. "I can see you half-laughing at me, but I"m serious. They need to not underestimate us."

"Understood, Maeve, but that isn"t the reason." Tobias taps the side of his head. "I want you to use your mind skills on the dragons. Get any information you can."

"I"m surprised you"re okay with this," says Ash, echoing my thoughts. "Aren"t you the strongest mind-reader? Don"t you want to join us?"

"No. The visit is partly why Maeve said—for you to show you won"t take crap from dragons," says Tobias.

"Fine. Arrange the details with Ethan," says Ash. "You"re better at logistics."

"Are you headed out somewhere?" Tobias asks lightly.

"A run."

Tobias pauses before replying, Ash"s look challenging him. "Don"t be too long."

"Yes, Professor Whitlock," he says and smirks.

Tobias huffs and makes to stand, but I walk over and touch his arm. "I want to speak to you before you leave," I say.

"Uh. I"m leaving." Ash presses a soft kiss to my lips and a few seconds later the front door bangs closed.

"How will we explain to Jamie and Ash what the First said without them freaking out?" I ask.

"I doubt we"ll avoid that, Maeve. The First wants Andrei to turn you, otherwise the people you love will die. The news will hit hard." We both study each other for thoughts and reactions, but he"s as unreadable as I hope I am. Tobias rests his fingertips on my cheeks. "There"s a different way to stop the First, Maeve. We"ll keep looking."

"But the things you said—what it"s threatening us all with, including the hybrids" daughter." I blink. "I don"t want anything to happen."

"We"ve one advantage," says Tobias.

"Andrei?"

"No. Sanity. The First"s convinced nobody can beat her…it. And that isn"t logical. Others have trapped the First, and we need to discover how. For instance, how did the Blackwoods and Winterfalls get the First into that pit? It wouldn"t willingly accompany them to the academy, and the First would be hard to trick."

"With magic."

"Precisely. The magic the witches used didn"t only lock the First in—spells caught the creature beforehand. Which spells and how? That"s what we need to figure out."

"I doubt mind control would work on the First," I say. "So, I"d count that out."

"Blackwood magic." I turn my head to where Jamie stands in the doorway, leaning against the frame, a slice of half-eaten toast in hand.

"Blood magic?" asks Tobias.

"The shadows." Tobias straightens at Jamie"s flat words. "The First is an entity outside of the norm, right? Energy from..." Jamie waves a hand. "Somewhere. Well, so are the shadows."

My chest goes tight. "Didn"t we talk about this, Jamie?" I whisper.

"Everybody"s scared of the shadows because they"re uncontrollable and because nobody understands them. Not fully," he continues, taking a savage bite of the toast.

"Uncontrollable being the key word here, Jamie," I say.

Why isn"t Tobias shutting this conversation down?

"The shadows come from somewhere else. Remember, they came through the mirror when Lex attacked you, Tobias?" He rubs his nose. "Lex told me he"s travelled through mirrors to the shadows" world. And Astrid. All your fathers. These entities are not from our world."

"What? When?" I demand. "And why didn"t Lex tell me this?"

"He told me last time we met him. Lex wanted to frighten me into not helping you with the shadows ever again." Jamie pauses. "And watch in case your Blackwood attracted you to exploring more."

"Lex should"ve told me!" I say, irritation flaring.

"What"s behind the mirrors?" asks Tobias.

"He wouldn"t tell me. Lex is more concerned that shadows can escape," he replies.

"Escape?" I ask in horror.

"Look at the similarities between the First and shadows." Jamie finishes his last bite of toast and flops into the armchair. "Blackwood magic—blood runes that allow travel through the ether, the ability to control shadows living somewhere else. Blackwood shadow magic is otherworldly. So is the First."

Tobias slants his head. "You appear to have considered this a lot for someone who believes Maeve should avoid Blackwood shadow magic."

"They"re in her, Tobias," says Jamie. "Lex told us. Maeve doesn"t conjure shadows from mirrors—Lex already did that and absorbed them years ago. They"re part of Maeve due to his behaviour back then."

"And they"re dangerous," I whisper. "The shadows could take control of me."

Jamie crosses the space between us and looks down. I swallow at the fractious energy surrounding him. Why"s he angry with me? "And if Andrei turns you, something else would control you. Something fucking worse."

"You heard what I said?" I ask sharply.

"Well, you"re hardly holding a hushed conversation." His jaw sets hard, and he points at me. "You, Maeve Winterfall—Maeve Blackwood—could control the shadows like Lex did. Astrid stopped him; her Winterfall magic balanced out his Blackwood. You are both. You"ve the potential to control both."

My cheeks heat at Jamie"s harshness and I grab his pointing finger. "Stop this."

"You have both, Maeve! Use them!" he half-shouts and Tobias stands.

"Okay, Jamie. Calm down." Tobias curls his hand around Jamie"s arm.

"No!" He yanks his arm away and digs both hands into his hair. "Do you all forget that Maeve and I are bonded witches? Any threat to our bonded—especially death—overrides everything. I will not let Maeve into a living death created by that... creature."

I suck in a breath, shocked at Jamie"s vehemence and look to an equally surprised Tobias.

"And do you know what else?" he whispers harshly. "If you don"t work with the shadows, I will. Blackwood magic is in me through you, Maeve. I"ll do everything I can!"

"Whoa," says Andrei as he walks in from the kitchen. "What"s happening?"

"And you!" Jamie spins to face Andrei, striding over, almost nose to nose. "If this mysterious new Andrei does anything to harm Maeve, I will fucking end you."

"Jamie!" I look desperately at Tobias.

Andrei remains impassive. "I"ll ignore the stupidity of that comment and reassure you of one thing. Yes, I"m a new Andrei, and I don"t know what the fuck that means yet, but I sure as hell won"t hurt Maeve."

"You weren"t tempted last night?" he asks. "I know Maeve slept with you, which could"ve ended in disaster."

Andrei"s jaw hardens. "I will never do anything but love Maeve and protect her. I"m barely touching Maeve in case I do hurt her in any way. Do you know how fucking hard that is? How hard would you find not loving Maeve in the way you want, Jamie?" He gestures. "Because Tobias knows exactly how that feels too."

"Jamie." I walk over and wind my arms around his waist, tugging him backwards and forcing him to turn and look at me. "I don"t understand what"s happening here, but maybe we should talk? Me and you?"

My mind and heart race—this side to Jamie grew slowly over the last few weeks. The guy I knew at the academy avoided conflict and didn"t speak up a lot. Yes, Jamie tells people how he feels about their actions or words, but he rarely moves past terse exchanges and to loud arguments.

The witch bond. Jamie"s never reacted in this way when I"m threatened—not overtly, anyway. Yes, the need to protect simmers within us both and pulls us together. Should I worry about Jamie"s more extreme reaction and thoughts? Or be concerned that for the first time Jamie believes my life is under serious threat and that"s caused his response?

If Jamie doesn"t think we can beat the First with our current abilities, then my life is threatened. All of us.

And what"s worse? That Jamie"s suggesting we follow a darker path? Or that a part seeded inside me wants to master the magic everybody else tries to stop?