Page 74 of Oracles Always Win

Oraclemagic was rare;I’donly encountered it a few times in my long life.SoIdidn’t have a thorough understanding of how it worked.Butto be so young and already be suffering struck me as unusual.

TheEternalMagicwasn’t usually so cruel.

Idoubted we’d ever know for certain, without summoning her spirit, butIsuspected his mother had put the curse onJakewhen he first showed signs of being an oracle.FromeverythingJakehad said about her,Ifigured she’d been determined to protect him.Andwhat would scare a mother more than the thought of her child losing his grip on reality and succumbing to his magic?Itwouldn’t have been much of a leap for her to decide that ifJakecouldn’t have visions, he’d be protected.

Exceptmagic always won.

Andnow that the curse was lifted, it was like all the magic he should have experienced as a trickle over the years was flooding through him all at once, like a magic-laden tsunami battering at his sanity and eroding it quicker than it would have otherwise.

PerhapsIwas wrong to have ripped the curse from him when he wasn’t tethered yet.

IhopedTeaguecould assess the state ofJake’smagic when he arrived.Thedeath mage could see things others couldn’t.Thenwe’d know what we were dealing with.

Itwas a question for tomorrow.

Fornow, allIwanted to do was holdJake.

Icrawled into bed beside him for the third time that night.Assoon asIsettled, he gravitated to me, as if, even in his sleep, he knewIwould protect him and welcome him into my arms.

Chapter Twenty-Six

JAKE

WhenIwoke from a deep sleep,Iwas disoriented.

Themattress under me felt different.Thebedding smelled different.Thearms around me were definitely different.

WherewasI?

Iforced my eyes open and all the little details of the room, and the bed, and the man beside me filtered in.Righton the heels of those memories, everything else from the day before rushed back.

Andwhat a long and fucked up day that’d been.Itstarted normal enough and then it was just one bizarre thing after the other.

Istared up at the ceiling in the strange little bedroom inGage’smotorhome.Theroom was tiny.Iwas surprisedGageliked it so much: he wasn’t a small man.Thisconfined space couldn’t be comfortable.

Hewas also a hot man, figuratively and literally.

Rightnow,Iwas thinking mostly about the heat pouring from his body.Everywheremy body touched his was sweaty, butIdidn’t move away.Iloved being close to him and never wanted to leave the shelter of his embrace.IwishedIcould spend the whole day like this, locked away from the rest of the world.

ThenIwouldn’t have to think about my wrecked inn or someone trying to kill me.

Yeah.Itwas better to stay here.

ButthenGage’shand started moving over my back.Huh.Sohe wasn’t asleep either.He’dsoothed me by stroking my back yesterday too, but now, as his hand dipped lower, sneaking under my underwear to cup my ass,Iknew this was something different.

Holyshit.Sex.Hewas initiating sex.

Mybrain cells exploded, taking my thoughts in a thousand different directions all at once.

First,Ineeded to check on my dick.Iwiggled.Yep.Dickwas engaged.Cockwas hard.Good.Whatnext?I’dhad a shower at the end of yesterday soIshould be okay.AndI’dbrushed my teeth after my middle of the night painting escapade, so no worries there.

Hesqueezed my ass.

Everythought scattered.

Fuck.Whatelse?

Thiswas my chance.Icouldn’t fuck it up.Ishivered against him and rolled my hips a little to press my ass into his hand.Hispalm was so deliciously hot against my skin, and so fucking good.Whenhis finger slipped between my ass cheeks,Ijumped likeI’dbeen electrocuted.