49. Vex
49
VEX
I groan as I’m thrown across the room by the blast of Matilda’s magick. My back slams into the wall, knocking the wind out of me. As I catch my breath, I watch in awe as Matilda’s body arches off the bed, her skin glowing with an ethereal light.
The ritual worked even better than I’d hoped. I can feel her power pulsing through the room, intertwining with all our magick. The bond between us is tangible now, a living thing connecting our souls.
Draven pulls himself up from where he landed, his eyes wide as he stares at Matilda. “What the fuck was that?”
“The completion of the ritual,” I explain, unable to keep the smug satisfaction from my voice. “We’re bound to her now. And she is to us.”
Luc groans from his spot on the floor. “A little warning next time would be nice.”
I chuckle. “Where’s the fun in that?”
Matilda’s body finally relaxes, sinking back onto the bed. Her eyes flutter open, glowing lightly. “What happened?” she asks, her voice husky.
I move to her side, running a hand along her arm. “How do you feel?”
She considers for a moment. “Powerful. Different.” Her brow furrows. “I can feel all of you. Inside me.”
“That’s the bond,” I explain. “I carved ancient runes of binding into all of us. Your magick can’t hurt us now, and we can’t hurt you. It is imperative we have this between us before we hit the underground chambers again.”
“Why?” Matilda asks.
“In case they make us turn on each other.”
My blunt statement makes her mouth drop open in shock. “I didn’t even think of that.”
“That’s why I’m the brains of this operation, sprinkles,” I say, ruffling her hair.
“Fuck you, asshole,” Luc spits out. “And you could’ve told us. Should’ve told us.”
“Doesn’t work that way. If we’d stopped to have a conversation about it, the cold water would’ve been dumped on us, and the lust, the desire that drives this ritual, would’ve been gone.”
“So we are bound now?” Matilda asks carefully, eyeing us up warily. “Forever?”
I meet her gaze steadily. “Yes. That okay with you, sprinkles?”
She nods slowly. “I think so. It puts a lot of pressure on us, though, don’t you think?”
Narrowing my eyes, I stare at her. “No pressure. If you decide you want out, I can undo it. I would never put you into a position where there was no way out, Matilda. But in order for us to work as one to get this curse back under control, this is needed, and it needed to be when and where it was. Does that make sense?”
Matilda nods slowly, processing my words. “I understand. And I don’t think I want out. This feels right, somehow.” She looks around at all of us, her gaze lingering on each of our faces. “We’re stronger together.”
Draven moves closer, taking her hand in his. “Are you sure about this, petal?”
She squeezes his hand and smiles. “I’m sure. I trust all of you.”
Luc’s gaze is on me, but I ignore him. He is fucking furious that I used his blood without asking, but I didn’t have time to fuck about asking permission. The time was ripe for the ritual. It’s a delicate act. A few minutes either side and the moment would’ve been lost. I will not apologise for making Matilda safer when we face down those chambers tomorrow, or when we have to re-curse the fuck out of this magickal burial ground. “We should get some rest. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.”
Matilda nods and snuggles up next to Draven. He pulls the covers over them, and she falls asleep almost instantly.
Luc hasn’t moved a muscle as he watches Tilly, but as soon as he knows she is asleep, he rounds on me.
“How fucking dare you?” he hisses. “No one uses my blood without my fucking say so.”
I meet Luc’s furious gaze steadily. “I did what needed to be done,” I say calmly. “The ritual required blood from all of us to bind Matilda to us completely. There wasn’t time to explain and get permission.”
Luc’s eyes flash dangerously. “You had no right,” he snarls, his voice low to avoid waking Matilda. “My blood is not yours to use as you see fit.”
“It was necessary,” I insist. “This bond will protect all of us when we face whatever’s down in those chambers. Would you rather her go in there unprotected? This isn’t about you, arsehole. This is about Matilda. Always.”
Luc’s jaw clenches. “That’s not the point. You should have told us what you were planning.”
“And risk ruining the ritual? The timing had to be perfect. Any hesitation or doubt would have weakened the bond.”
“He’s right,” Draven says quietly from the bed. “As much as I hate to admit it, we needed this.”
Luc whirls on his brother. “You’re taking his side? Truce over, then?”
“I’m not taking sides,” Draven says. “I’m looking at the bigger picture. This bond could save all our lives tomorrow, especially Matilda’s. He said he could undo it. If it offends you that much, you can unbind yourself after we’ve got what we need down below.”
They exchange a fierce glare, and I’m pretty sure, yeah. It’s truce over.
I watch the tension build between Luc and Draven, their glares intensifying. Shit. This is exactly what I was trying to avoid by not telling them beforehand. We need to be united going into those chambers tomorrow, not at each other’s throats.
“Look,” I say, keeping my voice low, “I get that you’re pissed. And maybe I probably should have found a way to clue you in. But what’s done is done. We’re all bound to Matilda now, which means we’re stronger together. That’s what matters most right now.”
Luc’s fists clench at his sides, but he knows he is cornered. “Fine,” he growls. “But this isn’t over, Vex. When all this is done, you and I are going to have a reckoning.”
I nod, accepting the inevitability of that confrontation. It’s been on the cards since the day he arrived, and we sniffed each other out. “Fair enough. For now, let’s focus on getting through tomorrow in one piece. Get some sleep.”
Luc bares his Devil at me, and I go on the defensive. If he wants a showdown, I’ve got more than enough power to give him one he will regret starting. He knows it. He stands down and flames out of the room.
I sigh and exchange a look with Draven.
“He’ll be okay tomorrow. He is weird about shit like this,” he mutters. “Always has been.”
I have to wonder why. What is in his blood that he is so afraid of others getting their hands on it? I guess at some point, we will find out.