the spools into five hundred identical pieces that would be used as bracelets when the planes arrived.
“How does this work?” I asked, slowly sinking into the grass beside Lulu.
She had requested to perform the magic outside, hoping to tap into the raw magic of the earth and trees as well as me.
Lulu frowned and shifted to face me. “It’s hard to explain.”
“Try,” Remy said loudly from the sidelines where he stood next to an anxious looking Dimitri.
I frowned at him.
“Take my hands,” Lulu said, reaching for me with her palms up.
I slid mine against hers, jumping when I felt the surge of energy pulse between us like a living thing. It was like getting shocked by static in the winter.
“Hmm,” Lulu murmured, looking down at our hands.
“Is that a good hmm?” I asked carefully.
She nodded. “I can feel it. Your magic, I mean.”
“Okay,” I said, dragging out the word carefully. “So, I have magic?”
Her gray eyes lifted to mine. “You have a lot more than I expected. Maybe because there hasn’t been a Dashkov female in centuries it all funneled into you?”
I shrugged helplessly.
She smiled faintly. “You don’t feel anything?”
My hands felt warm, but that was about it.
“Not really,” I admitted. “There was a little jolt when you touched me, but now my hands just feel a little warm. Maybe I’ll feel something when you start?”
Her lips blossomed into a full grin. “I already did.”
My eyes narrowed and I realized her skin already had more of a healthy glow, and the circles under her eyes had disappeared.
“Huh,” I said softly, looking down.
“Do you feel this?” Lulu squinted at our joined hands, focusing on our connection.
I paused, feeling the warmth spread into my wrists. It didn’t hurt at all.
“My wrists feel a little tingly, but it doesn’t hurt,” I added, glancing back at Remy. I gave him a smile, hoping to put him at ease.
He stared back stonily, his arms folded over his chest as he watched us like his shifter form was a hawk, not a wolf. Dimitri seemed to have relaxed a bit, but his brows were still drawn with worry.
“You could power a small city,” Lulu remarked lightly. “I’ve never felt anything like this. Your power is … different.”
“Different?” I echoed.
An almost dreamy look painted on her features. “You’re like, liquid gold and honey.”
My brows lifted as the warmth spread up my arms, licking around my shoulders.
“Gold and honey?” I started to laugh.
She nodded, her eyes half-lidded and unfocused. “Yeah.”
The feeling swept across my shoulders and down my chest until I felt it curl around my heart. For a second, the sensation was sweet and rhythmic, pulling me in.
My wolf was the first to react, whining uneasily and alerting me that something was wrong.
The heat crawled up my throat languidly as the coil around my heart tugged and then squeezed.
“Lulu,” I whispered, feeling the pinch in my lungs as my heart struggled to beat around the oppressive binding of the magic.
She swayed slightly, her eyes closed now as she smiled. It was like she was on some high, completely oblivious to what was happening to me.
I swallowed down a wave of panic as the heat flared in my chest and twisted over my jaw. Grimacing, I tried to pull in a deep breath, but couldn’t.
“Lulu.” Her name came out on a whimper as I gasped. Panic started to unfurl in my chest, adding to the writhing pressure.
With a sharp hiss, Remy was between us and trying to wrench my hands from hers, but there was no give. Like they were fused together.
“Enough!” he snapped, ready to rip Lulu’s arms off if she didn’t let me go.
Dimitri joined him, reaching for Lulu. “Lu, stop!”
Her eyes flared open, her pupils blown and completely eclipsing her irises. My lungs started to seize, struggling to get in air. A second later she let me go.
The warmth and heat seeped out of my skin, the stranglehold on my chest and throat easing. The empty, hollow feeling that sucked out with the warmth made me shiver hard enough for my teeth to chatter.
I gasped, pressing a hand to my chest as Remy pulled me back.
“What the fuck was that?” he demanded, glaring at Lulu.
“Is she okay?” Dimitri asked Remy, still hovering beside Lulu, but his worried green eyes searched my face.
She blinked, her gaze starting to focus and return to normal, guilt swamping her expression. “Skye, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to … I just …” She started to reach for my hand.
“Don’t