Chapter 31

A ll the emotions of the last few days, the fear, the uncertainty, the pain I’d witnessed rushed through me as I slowly approached the cell. His shoulders tightened, but he didn’t move as I reached the bars and gripped them, devouring him with my gaze.

“Are you okay?” My voice trembled, and his gaze softened.

“That’s a complicated question, but…I believe I will be…in time. My mind is…crowded.” He stepped forward, and I felt Hemlock behind me.

“Easy…” he warned us.

Ezekiel frowned his way. “I won’t hurt her, brother. You should know that.”

Hemlock exhaled sharply. “You do remember.”

Ezekiel’s smile was small and tight. “Yes. I remember. Everything. Each rising as if it were yesterday. And before that…our life and my captivity and…” He closed his eyes briefly before settling his attention on me. “I can feel the sun. Sleep is pulling at me.”

Panic flared in my belly. “No. Don’t go again.”

“It’s all right,” Hemlock said. “It’s dawn, and he’ll sleep a regular sleep. It will help to consolidate his newfound memories.”

“Forever the man of alchemy and science,” Ezekiel said almost fondly, then with a fresh frown, “Where is Ordell?”

“Around,” Hemlock said. “He’ll be here when you wake.”

“Good because we have much to discuss. Much to…celebrate…” He lightly touched my cheek. “You’ll be here when I wake?” There was a thread of vulnerability to his tone that I had never heard before.

“Yes. I’ll be here. I won’t leave you.”

He gently gripped my chin and nudged my head up to look deep into my eyes. “It will be different this time, little silver. I can feel it.”

“I don’t remember the other times, but I believe you. I believe in us.”

He dipped his head and pressed a featherlight kiss to my lips through the bars, leaving me warm and tingling before releasing me and taking his place on his cot once more.

“At sunset…” He sank into sleep so quickly it was scary.

“You did it,” Hemlock said softly. “You brought him back.” He turned me to face him, hands on my shoulders. “Thank you.” His voice cracked.

“Now what?”

“Now we play it by ear.” He offered me a crooked smile. “We’ve never come this far before. The road ahead is new but promising.”

Yes, I could feel it in my blood, the simmering beginnings of something, feelings and emotions I’d kept locked away for too long. Now all I had to do was let them free. All I needed to do was allow myself to fall.

Hemlock left me to go in search of Ordell, promising to meet me in the kitchens for breakfast in an hour. I headed to my room to shower and change before winding my way down to the kitchen. Daisy appeared by the stove in place of Ingrid, and a pang of sadness pierced me.

“She’ll be free soon enough,” Daisy said. “Now that the master is awake once more.”

“You heard.”

“The walls whisper,” she said as she prepared a pot of tea.

“Can you make two pots? Hemlock and Ordell will be here soon.”

“Oh, I doubt that very much.” She paused in slicing a loaf. “I probably shouldn’t have said that.”

But she had, and I doubted it had been an accident. “Daisy, what do you mean?”

She set down the bread knife and turned to me with a sigh. “I was going to pretend to let the information slip, but it’s too much hard work, so I’ll tell you because in my opinion, you should know. Master Hemlock has his brother chained in the chamber I took you to that time.”

“When you tried to get me killed.”

She winced. “Yes. Master Ordell’s condition has worsened considerably. I doubt he’ll be joining us. Not until this curse is broken, anyway. I heard them talking, and he plans to stay?—”

But I was already out the door.

Voices drifted up the stairwell as I descended, so I slowed my pace to listen.

“You know what you need to do to end this,” Hemlock said.

“I can’t do that to her,” Ordell replied.

“So you’d rather die?”

“Yes.”

“It’s a fucking blessing,” Hemlock snapped. “She’s lived without it before, she can do it again.” His tone softened. “Look, I know you’re worried about the after, about the beast killing her once it’s done, but I’ll be here to keep her safe. I’ll use the rune shackles to bind you and?—”

“No! Just fucking bind me and leave me here. Once she breaks the curse, I’ll be fine.”

“You don’t know that. If you lose yourself to the beast, not even breaking the curse could bring you back. Ordell, you’ll be lost or…or you’ll be dead.”

“I know,” Ordell said, his tone resigned and weary. “I understand the risks.”

“Dammit, it’s just sex.”

“Not to her it isn’t. And…not to me…”

Ordell was prepared to lose himself to his beast, even die to protect me and my blessing. That was his choice in the matter.

But I had a choice too.

I stepped into the room, and I stifled a cry because Ordell’s face…Oh, his beautiful face was now half beast. One yellow eye glared at me with hunger, the other, ocean blue, widened in horror. Hemlock didn’t look too surprised. Had he heard me standing out there? Or had he planned to have Daisy send me here so I’d find out what Ordell didn’t want me to know?

It hardly mattered. I was here now, and a choice needed to be made. “How about you let me have a say?”

“Stay back,” Ordell warned, his nostrils flaring. “Hemlock…”

A bolt of fear shot up my spine. The urge to run raced through my blood, but I held my ground. Because this was Ordell, still my Ordell. The beast hadn’t claimed him yet.

“You’re good,” Hemlock said. He grabbed shackles attached to chains and fit them to Ordell’s ankles. There were more fixed to the wall. For his wrists and…his neck? “It’s close to the full moon, that’s why…” Hemlock trailed off as runes flared blue on the shackles and Ordell’s breathing evened out. “You’re fine now. They’ll mute your beast and hold you.”

“How much did you hear?” Ordell asked me.

“Enough.”

“Well?” Hemlock said. “Will you do it? Will you give up your blessing to save my brother?”

“Shut up!” Ordell growled. “Orina, you don’t need to?—”

“I know.” I crossed the flagstones to stand before him, and his body rippled with tension.

“Don’t…” The word was a throb of pain. He inhaled. “Fuck, you smell so good.”

The pupil in his yellow eye dilated, drinking me in. I suppressed a shudder, lifting my chin so I could look at his face. I reached up and grazed first the gray half, covered in thick, coarse fur, then the unmarred half, where his beard sat soft and silken beneath my fingers.

His eyes drifted closed for a moment. “You should go. It’s harder to control it when you’re close.”

“He’s turning fast,” Hemlock said. “Doesn’t matter if it’s day or night, he’s?—”

“Dammit, Hemlock will you shut the fuck up,” Ordell snapped.

“I’m trying to help, asshole,” Hemlock shot back.

“If you want to help me, then get her out of here and keep her away.”

I stepped back, and his shoulders dropped.

He thought I was leaving, that I’d abandon him? No. Never. “I’m not going anywhere, Ordell. I swore an oath to protect the innocent, and as far as I’m concerned, you’re innocent. You didn’t ask for this. None of you did.” My throat ached for what I was about to lose, but if I lost Ordell by keeping my blessing, it would forever be tainted. “I won’t stand by and watch you be consumed. I won’t take the risk of losing you to this beast or to death. So I’ll do it. I’ll consummate the mate bond.”