the woods yet. He should feed again.”
A barbed wire seems to wrap around my heart. How can I do that without hurting Saxon in the process.
“No. Rora almost died tonight trying to help me. I won’t put her at risk again like that.”
“What do you mean she almost died? Did you enter bloodlust?”
“No. There’s something within me that’s repelling Saxon,” I say with a heavy sigh. “I fought it and it backlashed. I was foolish enough to make a blood vow with Elena Montenegro. In exchange for the spell that brought Lucca back from hibernation, I agreed to marry Calvin.”
Solomon’s jaw slackens and he seems to freeze in that stupefied expression for a moment. Then his bushy eyebrows furrow together. “Foolish? That wasn’t foolish. That was downright stupid and irresponsible. Has your mother taught you nothing? Under no circumstances should a High Witch enter in a blood vow with anyone. It’s the most binding and invasive contract there is.”
“I know that now!” Angry tears form in my eyes. “At the time, I didn’t think I had a choice. Elena has a mirror from the Nightingales that shows possible futures. I saw with my own eyes King Raphael going mad and killing Saxon.”
Solomon’s eyes go rounder. “She has the Taluah Mirror?”
“I didn’t ask if it had a name. I was too distraught by the vision. She said the only way to stop that future from happening was if Lucca came back from hibernation.”
“Lucca coming back won’t stop the king from going crazy. Only the return of the Nightingales will fix that.”
“What are we going to do, then?” Saxon pipes up. “They aren’t likely to return.”
A shadow crosses the headmaster’s eyes. “Don’t worry about that now. We have to find a way for you to break that vow. It’s the number one priority.”
“The warlocks of Ivern are looking into it.”
He rewards me with an eyeroll. “Sure, let’s involve the brethren that deals with dark magic.”
I put my hands on my hips. “Do you have a better idea?”
“At the moment, no.” He dabs a piece of white cloth with a clear liquid, then turns to Saxon. “This is going to hurt. Try not to cry like a baby.”
33
Saxon
“Where do you think you’re going?” She crosses her arms, stepping in front of me to block my way when, instead of walking into her apartment, I make a motion to continue down the corridor.
“Back to my place. I need to grab some blood bags.”
“You’re not drinking from those stupid bags. You heard Solomon. You need to drink from me.”
“And I told you, I’m not risking your life like that.”
Her whiskey eyes flash with fiery determination. She’s not going to back down. I rub my face, trying my best to not let my frustration win.
“You can drink from a cup like you did before.”
I knew she was going to suggest that. “I can’t stand to see you get hurt because of me.”
“Well, you’d better get over it. I’m a witch. Cutting myself is part of the job.”
Hands on my hips, I stare at her through eyes narrowed to slits. “You’re not going to relent, are you?”
“Nope.”
“Fine. But when this is all over, I’m going to make love to you so hard, you’re not going to remember what planet we live on.”
Shit. I shouldn’t have said that. Aurora’s heart rate spikes as she stares at me like a deer caught in headlights. Her arousal is immediate, and it hits me like a cannonball. My cock is as hard as a rock, and my mouth waters, dying for a taste of her.
“Make love to me? Not fuck me?”
Her question takes me by surprise until I realize what I said. It was a slip of the tongue, but not untrue. I breach the distance between us, not caring that it’s dangerous for us to touch. Her breathing hitches as she tilts her face up. Holding my own breath, I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her closer.
“There will be many, many occasions when I’m going to fuck you senseless. But as soon as you’re free of this shitty blood vow, I’m going to cherish every single inch of your body, take my time drawing every gasp, every moan of ecstasy from your lips. I’m going to make love to you.”
“Why?” She looks deep into my eyes, searching for the answer.
I’m about to give it to her—the truth I’ve known for a while, but I was too afraid to say out loud—when suddenly, I feel a cold ripple on