Chapter 32 #2
As each foreign word fell from his tongue, the magical energies around us grew more frenetic.
They crashed into one another, weaving together so tightly it was impossible to see where one stopped and the other began.
The power in Teague’s words—incantation was the better word—became bolder. His voice rose in a crescendo.
Just as I felt we were reaching a pinnacle, the magic plunged into me. I gasped as invisible, questing fingers dug into my chest, wrapped around my heart and yanked on it. It was the only way I could describe the sensation.
As my eyes fluttered shut under the intense pressure, I saw Levi throw his head back. A grimace of pain contorted his face.
“Levi,” I shouted.
“I love you,” he said as his hands squeezed mine tight.
I tried to tug my hands away. If I stopped this now, he wouldn’t be hurt anymore, except whatever magic had been invoked wouldn’t release me.
“Please,” I choked out as the pain ripped at my chest. “I beg you. Don’t hurt him.”
“Give me his pain,” Levi shouted. “Leave him alone.”
And then the magic simply vanished. The absence of its power made my legs weak. My ears were ringing. Tears cascaded down my cheeks.
Teague collapsed beside us, his hands releasing ours as he fell.
The sun had set now, and without the magic whirling around us, the forest was eerily dark. Levi grabbed me by the shoulders, and I felt the weight of his gaze as he studied me. “Fuck, Parker. You okay? Are you injured?”
I wiggled my fingers and toes. They were okay. The painful ache in my chest was gone. In fact, I felt pretty good, all things considered. “I’m… okay.”
Levi pulled me into his arms and crushed me to his chest.
“What about you?” I asked. “You were in pain.”
“I’m okay,” Levi assured me.
“Are you sure? ”
“I am, but what the fuck? Teague, you should have warned us. If I’d known…”
When Teague didn’t answer, Levi abruptly released me and spun toward the death mage.
My eyes had adjusted to the dark in the last few minutes, so I could see Teague sprawled across the forest floor.
He was motionless. It didn’t look like he’d moved since he’d fallen.
The runes that had covered his skin during the ritual were gone now, as if they’d never existed.
“Teague? Jesus. Teague?” I dropped to my knees beside him. I felt for a pulse. “I can’t…”
“He’s breathing. Look at his chest. I need to call Gage.
They’re friends. He’ll know what to do,” Levi said as he fished his phone from his pocket.
He tapped on it quickly and held it to his ear.
After a moment, he said, “Thank fuck. Gage? I need you. Teague collapsed.” There was a pause.
“Yeah. We’re in the forest behind the inn.
I don’t know…” He glanced around. “We’re in a clearing. ”
A second later, a large fiery circle blazed to life right beside us.
“What the…?” I shouted in surprise and scrambled back. I should have brought my gun… Except who brought a gun to their own wedding? And what the hell would I do with it against a massive fiery circle?
Gage and his mate Jake emerged from the circle—er, the portal , I guess—and ran to Teague’s side.
Gage muttered under his breath as he searched Teague’s pockets. “And he didn’t bring any apples.”
“I can go back and get some,” Jake said, wringing his hands together .
Gage nodded. “Just find some. I’ll bring him back to the inn and we’ll get him to eat some there.”
Jake’s gaze lingered on Teague for a moment, then he hurried back through the portal.
“What happened? Is he okay?” I asked.
“He’ll be fine,” Gage said. Then he eyed Levi and me. “Congratulations on your mating.”
“How did you…? Did it work?” I stammered.
“If Teague performed the ritual, it worked. Besides, I can see the matching blue streaks in your hair.” Then the demon closed his eyes for a moment, like he was listening to something only he could hear.
A little smile twitched at his lips as he opened his eyes again.
“The Eternal Magic is pleased about your union.”
Levi sucked in a breath. “She… is pleased?”
“Of course,” Gage said, like it was obvious. “I get the sense that she feels she’s righted a wrong. Perhaps because of what happened to Christos?”
Levi’s eyebrows shot up. “You remember?”
“Of course,” Gage said. “And I’m happy you’ve found happiness again.”
He picked Teague up in his arms and moved toward the portal. “You coming with us or are you walking back?”
“We’ll walk back,” I said. “He’s going to be okay, right? We never would have done this if we’d known he’d be injured.”
“He’ll be fine, after a while.”
“Do you know what happened?”
Gage stared at me. “He didn’t tell you anything, did he? ”
“Not really…”
“Because you don’t have magic, the ritual takes some from him to complete the bond.” Gage looked down at his friend in his arms.
“It takes it from him?” I swallowed hard. “Like forever?”
“No. Not permanently.” Gage shook his head. “Once he eats some apples, he’ll start feeling better. They’ll help replenish some of what he’s lost. It’ll be a long while before everything is balanced again, but he’ll get there. If he wasn’t immortal, this type of exhaustion would be dangerous.”
“Shit,” Levi muttered. “Why wouldn’t he have told us?”
“Would you have gone through with it if he had?”
“No,” Levi said.
“Then that’s why,” Gage said, again like it was obvious.
“We owe him so much,” I said. “Please take care of him.”
“Always,” Gage said. Then he scowled at us. A massive demon shooting his angry look our way was almost enough to make me piss my pants. “And don’t tell anyone about this. Not a hint or a whisper or an allusion.” The or else was implied.
“Of course not,” I assured him quickly.
“Never,” Levi agreed.
“If anyone asks about your mating marks, tell them the Eternal Magic blessed you and leave it at that. It’s the truth, and not even the hellhounds would question that answer. ”
“But Parker is human…”
Gage shrugged. “And so was Jeremy.”
Of course, the difference was that Jeremy had magic now, and I didn’t. But Gage might be right. Levi had said the Eternal Magic had been doing a lot of unusual things lately. Maybe no one would question this one more thing.
Teague stirred in Gage’s arms. He blinked up at the demon and furrowed his forehead. His eyes were back to normal. The black was gone. “Gage? What are you doing here?”
“You promised you wouldn’t do that ritual anymore,” Gage said.
Teague twisted so he could look at Levi and me. “But look at them. Their bond is beautiful. More beautiful now than before. And… Oh…”
Well, that didn’t sound good. “What? What’s wrong?”
“She didn’t… Parker, your life has been extended to match Levi’s.
I can see your life span stretching into infinity.
She didn’t take anything away. What a gift.
” Tears welled in Teague’s eyes. “And I bet I know why. That moment when you were both more concerned about what was happening to the other… That was beautiful. I’m sure that’s what clinched it. ”
Levi dropped to one knee before them. He dipped his head. “We are forever indebted to you. Call on us and we’ll be there. You have my promise.”
“That’s not necessary,” Teague said as he pressed his hand softly to Levi’s head. “But thank you. I accept your pledge.”
Then Gage carried Teague through the portal, leaving us alone in the frozen forest .
I turned to Levi. “It worked. The ritual actually worked.”
“It did,” he agreed with a wide smile. “Mate. You’re my mate.”
He picked me up and swung me around in a circle, in a move so unlike my moody minotaur, it made me realize there was still a lot I needed to discover about Levi. I couldn’t wait. Levi lowered me so I was standing on my own again, then he brushed a small section of my hair by my temple.
“Do I really have blue in my hair?” I asked.
“Yes. It’s gorgeous. It’s hard to tell in this light, but I think it is a little lighter than the color of your eyes.”
I squinted at his hair. It was harder for me to see in the dark, but a lock of his hair looked lighter. “I can’t wait to see it in the sunlight,” I whispered as I slid my fingers over it. “I bet it’s beautiful.”
“Are you ready to go home?” Levi grinned at me.
“With you? Always.” But happiness couldn’t stave off the cold. I shivered and fished my gloves out of my pocket.
“Good. Let’s go so we can get you warmed up.” He waggled his eyebrows at me. It was such a strange thing to see Levi do that I laughed and slipped my hand in his.
“You have the best ideas.”