Alliance family would assist the enforcer of a Central Coalition territory. For once, mage politics were on her side. She just needed to get home.
To keep her here, Vincent had crimped every pseudo-freedom she’d enjoyed for the past thirteen years. Though his vibes made her feel like she finally fit in her own skin, it wasn’t worth dying over.
The edge of the woods came into view. Her car waited in the middle of the gravel road. She took another breath of him, one last inhalation of his essence.
He stopped in front of the old Volvo and reached for the handle of the passenger door. She slid out of his arms and into the heat of her car.
She grabbed his wrist as he started to back away. “You have to let me go before he comes back. You know this. Get my pass changed. Let me leave.” She looked into his blue eyes as he crouched down before her. His broad shoulders took up almost the entire width of the door’s opening. Even if she had his strength, she would still be afraid to take on Masset.
“Masset can’t win against a Rallis. The family rules this territory.”
She tilted her chin. “It seems Chief Masset and I are in the same boat. I can’t win against you either.”
“Bronte, you and I are on the same side. You’re just too stubborn to admit it.” He reached under her knees and tucked her legs into the car, shut her door and walked around to the driver’s side.
“I am not being stubborn,” she began as soon as he sat down behind the steering wheel. “Case in point, I am letting you drive. I just want to be free to go about my life.”
“Hiding isn’t much of a life.”
“Neither is having your choices taken away. Vincent, you have all the power. I have none. I’m stuck following your commands.”
He dared to smile. “Sweetheart, going into the gyre was not following my commands. You are freer here than you ever have been. You don’t have to hide who you are. Not here. You have choices. You just have to find the courage to make them.”
“I’m not that brave. Nor am I that stupid.”
“You stood up to Masset in the house and in the gyre. That was brave.”
“Do you think that was the first time I stood up to an enforcer? Besides, I was pretty sure you weren’t going to let him arrest me over a leaf.”
“Not then. Not ever. Not for any reason.”
She couldn’t hold his gaze. He was too intent, too powerful. Too magnetic. She looked away and smoothed her fingers over the rip in the upholstered seat. “Promise me you’ll let me go tomorrow. No more pulling strings to keep me here.”
“I can’t keep you safe if you’re not here.”
“You are the biggest threat to my safety. No one knew what I was until I came here. If Senator Casteel knew why you wanted me, I’m sure he would refuse to extend my pass.”
“There is no Senator Casteel.”
“Thanks to the Rallises there will be soon enough,” she retorted.
“Then the new Senator Casteel will be grateful for what we’ve done and he’ll let me keep what’s mine.”
“Maybe I should tell him that I’m a syphon.” She thrust the words like a sharp sword, but her threat held little power. She was too tired to do anything more than talk big. She glanced at the clock. 3:02. She rubbed her gritty eyes. She’d been here for a little over three hours and she was drained, a combination of driving all night and having the foundation she’d built her life on explode to bits. “That would get me out of here.” And tied to a flaming stake.
“Tell them.” His hard voice held a battle-ready anger she didn’t share. “Tell your parents. I’ll stand behind you. Beside you. In front of you. Wherever you need me.”
She shook her head. A disbelieving laugh that held no humor bubbled out of her. “No. My mother would do the lynching herself. Especially if she knew I helped…” She waved her hands around, searching for a word. “Grow the gyre. That was a lot of power. A scary power. We could have hurt
To keep her here, Vincent had crimped every pseudo-freedom she’d enjoyed for the past thirteen years. Though his vibes made her feel like she finally fit in her own skin, it wasn’t worth dying over.
The edge of the woods came into view. Her car waited in the middle of the gravel road. She took another breath of him, one last inhalation of his essence.
He stopped in front of the old Volvo and reached for the handle of the passenger door. She slid out of his arms and into the heat of her car.
She grabbed his wrist as he started to back away. “You have to let me go before he comes back. You know this. Get my pass changed. Let me leave.” She looked into his blue eyes as he crouched down before her. His broad shoulders took up almost the entire width of the door’s opening. Even if she had his strength, she would still be afraid to take on Masset.
“Masset can’t win against a Rallis. The family rules this territory.”
She tilted her chin. “It seems Chief Masset and I are in the same boat. I can’t win against you either.”
“Bronte, you and I are on the same side. You’re just too stubborn to admit it.” He reached under her knees and tucked her legs into the car, shut her door and walked around to the driver’s side.
“I am not being stubborn,” she began as soon as he sat down behind the steering wheel. “Case in point, I am letting you drive. I just want to be free to go about my life.”
“Hiding isn’t much of a life.”
“Neither is having your choices taken away. Vincent, you have all the power. I have none. I’m stuck following your commands.”
He dared to smile. “Sweetheart, going into the gyre was not following my commands. You are freer here than you ever have been. You don’t have to hide who you are. Not here. You have choices. You just have to find the courage to make them.”
“I’m not that brave. Nor am I that stupid.”
“You stood up to Masset in the house and in the gyre. That was brave.”
“Do you think that was the first time I stood up to an enforcer? Besides, I was pretty sure you weren’t going to let him arrest me over a leaf.”
“Not then. Not ever. Not for any reason.”
She couldn’t hold his gaze. He was too intent, too powerful. Too magnetic. She looked away and smoothed her fingers over the rip in the upholstered seat. “Promise me you’ll let me go tomorrow. No more pulling strings to keep me here.”
“I can’t keep you safe if you’re not here.”
“You are the biggest threat to my safety. No one knew what I was until I came here. If Senator Casteel knew why you wanted me, I’m sure he would refuse to extend my pass.”
“There is no Senator Casteel.”
“Thanks to the Rallises there will be soon enough,” she retorted.
“Then the new Senator Casteel will be grateful for what we’ve done and he’ll let me keep what’s mine.”
“Maybe I should tell him that I’m a syphon.” She thrust the words like a sharp sword, but her threat held little power. She was too tired to do anything more than talk big. She glanced at the clock. 3:02. She rubbed her gritty eyes. She’d been here for a little over three hours and she was drained, a combination of driving all night and having the foundation she’d built her life on explode to bits. “That would get me out of here.” And tied to a flaming stake.
“Tell them.” His hard voice held a battle-ready anger she didn’t share. “Tell your parents. I’ll stand behind you. Beside you. In front of you. Wherever you need me.”
She shook her head. A disbelieving laugh that held no humor bubbled out of her. “No. My mother would do the lynching herself. Especially if she knew I helped…” She waved her hands around, searching for a word. “Grow the gyre. That was a lot of power. A scary power. We could have hurt
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