“What were you thinking, you loon?” I muttered, settling her on the bed and using magic to change her into one of the clean shifts from the armoire.
Tadhg had been right all along.
I’d spent the last year worrying and breaking my back trying to keep her safe when I should have been teaching her how to escape.
I shifted a bowl of water and a cloth to clean the dried blood from her wounds, already pink and bubbled. What if her bound magic didn’t bring her back? The last time could’ve been a fluke.
An hour of pacing and cursing and hoping and praying, finally, blessedly, ended when Aveen took a harsh, shuddering breath. I sank onto the mattress, assuring her she wasn’t alone as she suffered through the agony of returning from true death.
My fingertips brushed the matted curls stuck to her temples until her eyelids peeled open. Those eyes. How I’d missed their glare.
I caressed her cheek, willing my warmth to seep into her bones. “I cannot believe you killed yourself to get here.”
Her tongue darted out to lick her lips, stirring desire that had been buried beneath so many fears. “What other choice did I have?” she croaked.
“You should’ve stayed where you’re safe.”
Her eyes hardened. “Unlike you, I want to be with the people I love. I had to be here for Keelynn.”
Knowing this woman, if I forced her to leave, she’d only come right back. Meaning I needed to find a way to keep her safe while she was here. “I will let you stay on one condition: you must promise to stay in your room.”
“I will do as I please,” she countered.
As much as I loved this woman, stubborn Aveen was quickly becoming my least favorite.
Unfortunately for her, I was more stubborn. “There are plenty of free cells in the dungeon. And I hear the oubliette is exceptionally dark and dank this time of year. Those are your choices, Aveen.”
“No.”
I sat back, studying the obstinate lift to her chin. “What do you mean, no?”
“I mean, you have forced me into a bargain for the last time. However, since I am not a fool and I understand your worries are not without merit, I will keep to the castleon one condition.”
This ought to be brilliant. “Go on, then. Name your terms.”
“You must teach me to evanesce.”
A logical request, and one I wouldn’t have minded grantingifcircumstances were different. I’d be a hell of a lot more careful teaching her than Tadhg or Ruairi. However, evanescing was a difficult skill to master, and even with practice, she could end up somewhere besides her desired destination. Not a risk I was willing to take. Still, I agreed because I’d been bargaining for centuries and knew exactly how to swing this one in my favor.
“And you must teach me how to glamour myself,” she added.
“That’s two demands.”
Her lips curled into a vicious smile. “How about we make it three?WhenI can glamour myself, you will let me roam without restrictions.”
And risk her glamour slipping and the Queen finding out her true identity? Not a hope. I held out my hand before she could add any more “terms.” Her smile turned smug as her palm slipped into mine. I almost felt bad for what I was about to do.
I called on my magic to bind us to our bargain. Speaking of binding… I closed my eyes and muttered a spell. Heat swelled in my palms. Aveen’s harsh intake of breath fanned against my cheek.
She tore out of my grip. “I can feel my magic.” Her fingers flexed as she stared at them. “I couldn’t before, but now I can, clear as day.” Her eyes lifted to mine, rife with accusation. “You did something to me, didn’t you?”
I twirled one of her loose curls around my finger, relishing each silky strand. “I’ve missed you, little viper.” Her fire. Her passion. Her rage.
She knocked my hand away. “I asked you a question, Rían.”
Clearly, she wasn’t going to let this drop. I supposed there was no point in lying. The more she hated me, the better. “Yes. Fine. I did something. But it was only to keep you safe.”
Her hands balled into fists. “I swear, if you say the word ‘safe’ one more time, I am going to scream.”