Origin (Scales N' Spells #1) - A.J. Sherwood Page 0,126

understand something basic. “You’ve watched me many times work a spell. Have I ever failed to pull together elements to power it? Have I ever relied solely on Dieter?”

No. She hadn’t. Cameron rocked back on his heels, considering that. “I thought the bond between dragon and mage, at least for the mage’s side, was to help with their magic? To supply power to them?”

“Only a bonus,” she corrected with a small shake of the head. “Our main benefit is that we share their life force and thereby are as long-lived as they are. The silver lining is that they can augment our magical cores and supply us with magical power if we need it. We’re certainly more powerful because of them. But that’s not where our talent comes from.”

“Okay that…makes sense.” Cameron ran this new information through his mind, trying to sort it with everything he’d recently been taught. So she was saying that because he and Alric were open with each other and had sex that some of Alric’s power was transferring over? That his magic recognized a ready source willing and available and connected them?

That sounded…a little unnerving still, actually. “But doesn’t that mean I’m bonding to him?”

“Hmm, no. It means you’re creating a relationship together strong enough that if you initiated a bond, it would take.” Lisette put a hand on his shoulder, her eyes gentle and knowing. “This isn’t frightening, Cameron. Your magic will not bind you to him without explicit consent. It can’t. The bonding spell needs to be spoken by both of you for it to form.”

“That makes me feel marginally better, thanks.” Okay, check that worry off the list. “But this still feels like I’m setting myself up for something? That my magic is doing something it shouldn’t.”

“Yeah, does Alric know about this?” Cassie piped up as she let her own ward drop. “Or is he not aware?”

“We’d have to ask, but I would think he is not aware. Most of the time, the dragons don’t feel magic like we do. And this was a very subtle draw. If not for the difference in color, I would have missed it.” Lisette tapped a finger to the bottom of her lip, eyes narrowed as she studied Cameron’s face. “The two of you, keep practicing your wards. I want to test Cameron.”

Agreeable, the two women moved off to the far side of Lisette’s workroom, near the counter and sinks. Lisette moved him closer to the book section of hers, sitting him down on one of the chairs. She drew out crystal dust from one of the stoppered glass bottles, pouring some in her hand before tossing it lightly in the air. “Ziik Alric gev adi.”

The crystal powder lit up a warm, dusky red as it settled in a brief halo around Cameron. Then it dissipated like dust motes.

“Hmm, as I thought.” Lisette nodded in satisfaction before joining him in the twin chair nearby. “The conduit between you isn’t strong enough to tie you like a bond. It’s more that he left some of his power with you.”

“So more like a battery than a live wire.”

“That’s a good way to put it.” She cocked her head at him. “You don’t seem relieved.”

Cameron wasn’t sure what he was. His emotions still careened through him like one of those rubber ping pong balls. A supersonic one, to boot.

Alric trusted him this much? Cared for him this much? This wasn’t a conscious decision on their part—it was born of want and desire. Of trust and need. Had Alric subconsciously made the decision to give Cameron everything, and Cameron’s magic had picked up on this ready supply of magical power suddenly available?

And if Alric was doing that, giving Cameron something of his life force so freely, then—

Then Alric was likely falling for him hard and fast. The realization was both breathtaking and alarming. Having Alric’s heart would be a priceless gift. Cameron was in no way sure he was ready to accept it. His mind kept skittering off, trying to avoid thinking about it properly, and Cameron had to force it back on track.

No. The time had come to really think about this instead of going with the flow. Cameron wasn’t going to risk breaking Alric’s heart because he’d failed to really consider what it all meant. What they meant to each other.

“Cameron?” Lisette called to him, low and gentle.

He wet dry lips. “Alric is amazing, Lisette. The epitome of the kind of man I always wanted in my life.