Chapter 26
TWENTY-SIX
“ O h cats, oh whiskers—” Sabine grabbed for the nearest shelf to steady herself. A massive tome slipped from her grasp, falling open to a page marked with an intricate symbol. The words “Binding Mark” caught her eye before white-hot pain blazed across her birthmark. She doubled over with a gasp, the book tumbling from nerveless fingers.
“Here!” Otis’s steady hands guided her to a chair. Together, they wove containment spells to calm the magical chaos. Pages fluttered back to their shelves like chastened children. The mechanical phoenix folded its wings with an indignant chirp.
“Perhaps we should—” Otis began, but darkness swept through the room. New power crackled against Sabine’s senses as Felix, Madame Zephyrine, and Neve rushed in.
“Another surge?” Felix’s voice carried over the growing magical disturbance. His usual sparkle had been replaced by focused intensity.
“Everything’s activating at once!” Sabine’s own magic responded instinctively, reaching out to help contain the chaos. The archives hummed with combined power as they worked to stabilize the surging energy.
The door burst open. Ren stood framed in the entrance, golden eyes scanning for threats. He carried two coffee cups, which he set aside with careful precision before striding toward her. The moment he stepped inside, Sabine’s magic amplified. Artifacts settled more quickly, responding to their united presence.
“I felt the surge from three blocks away,” he said, his hand settling warm and steady against her lower back. The touch sent tingles of awareness through her entire body. “Are you all right?”
The elders exchanged meaningful looks. Madame Zephyrine’s eyes sparkled with something that might have been satisfaction. “My, my. What remarkable synchronicity.”
“Indeed,” Neve agreed, studying them both with unveiled interest. “Perhaps this is an opportunity.”
Felix bounced on his toes, practically vibrating with suppressed excitement. “Oh, absolutely! We should have them practice protection spells together. Their combined magic could?—”
“Felix,” Madame Zephyrine cut in smoothly, “let’s not overwhelm them.” But her smile held volumes of unspoken meaning.
An hour later, Sabine sat cross-legged on her cottage floor, surrounded by herbs and crystals. Ren knelt beside her, close enough that his thigh pressed warm against hers. They’d been crafting protection charms—his dragon fire merging with her natural magic to create powerfully enchanted tokens.
“These are stronger than anything I’ve made before,” she admitted, turning a finished charm over in her hands. Its surface gleamed with their merged magic, creating patterns like rainbows trapped in crystal.
“The dragon approves of working together.” His voice carried a hint of humor that made her smile. His arm had settled around her waist some time ago, and she’d gradually leaned into him until her head rested against his shoulder. The position felt natural, as if they’d sat this way a thousand times before.
Their fingers brushed as she passed him another crystal. Magic sparked between them, and suddenly?—
A battlefield stretched before them. Dragons wheeled overhead, their shadows dancing across blood-stained earth. A familiar voice cried out in warning ? —
The vision slammed into her. Sabine clutched her birthmark, which burned anew. When she looked up, she found Ren watching her with an intensity that stole her breath.
“You saw it too?” she whispered.
His hand cupped her cheek, thumb stroking gently across her skin. “Every detail.”
Sabine curled closer into Ren’s embrace, mind whirling. Her magical sensitivity increased whenever he was near. Her dreams grew more vivid. But what did it mean?
“Your thoughts are loud enough to hear,” Ren murmured, pressing a kiss to her temple.
She traced the edge of a protection charm, drawing comfort from its steady warmth. “Do you ever wonder if what we’re feeling is real? Or if it’s just the magic pushing us together?”
His expression softened as he tilted her chin up to meet his gaze. “Magic can’t create emotions that aren’t there. It can only illuminate what already exists.”
Their eyes met, and her heart recognized a truth her mind still struggled to grasp. Whatever drew them together transcended simple magic. His presence felt right in a bone-deep way she couldn’t explain.
But as air continued reacting to her presence—glowing, humming, trying to convey messages she couldn’t quite grasp—Sabine knew they’d only scratched the surface of the mysteries surrounding them. Her fingers laced with Ren’s, drawing strength from his solid presence.
“Whatever happens,” she said softly, “whatever these visions mean... I’m glad you’re here.”
His answering kiss tasted of coffee and promise, sweet enough to make her forget her worries about magical bonds. For now, this was enough—his arms around her, their magic dancing together, and the growing certainty that her heart had chosen well.
Ren pressed a lingering kiss to Sabine’s temple before helping her up from the cottage floor. His dragon essence stirred at her presence—sunshine and magic wrapped in the subtle sweetness of jasmine. The urge to pull her closer, to wrap her in his arms and never let go, nearly overwhelmed him.
“Romi texted while we were working,” Sabine said, gathering her bag. Her fingers brushed his as she collected the protection charms they’d created. “She’s demanding I join her and Clover for lunch at the café. Something about needing to discuss wedding plans, though I suspect they really want to interrogate me about us.”
“Go.” He squeezed her hand, savoring the way her magic sparked against his skin. “I need to speak with the elders anyway.”
Her eyes lit with curiosity, golden flecks dancing in their hazel depths. A tendril of honey-blonde hair had escaped her ponytail, and he tucked it behind her ear, letting his touch linger. “About the magical surges?”
“Among other things.” He traced her cheek with his thumb, memorizing how she leaned into his touch. Even such a small gesture felt profound—like coming home after centuries of wandering. His dragon essence unfurled with quiet joy at her responsiveness, at how naturally she fit against him.