Page 82 of Oracles Always Win

Jakebrushed his fingers through my hair.Hissoft touch soothed me as he waited for me to continue.Iconsidered leaving my explanation there, but it wouldn’t be fair.Hedeserved to know who he was in bed with.Ishould have told him before things had gotten this far between us.

“Myparents andItraveled the world over the next several decades as my father searched for a place that called to him.Ifeared and hoped he’d find it in equal measure.And, as time wore on, he became more unpredictable and volatile.Thesmallest inconvenience or perceived slight would set him off.Ihoped if he tethered to a place he would calm.Butat the same time…”

“Youfeared he’d turn on you like his own father had…”

“Yes,”Iadmitted quietly.Ihated remembering those selfish worries. “Whenmy mother died of old age, he became worse.”

“Theyweren’t mates?”

Ishook my head.Ioften wondered, though, why my father hadn’t bound my mother to him the same wayIhad my team.Theyweren’t true mates, so theEternalMagichadn’t stepped in to do it, but he could have lengthened her life.Shewas devoted to him.Iwas sure, if he’d offered to extend her life so they had more time together, she’d have given him anything he asked of her to balance his magic.

Itwas just one more thingI’dnever know the answer to.

“Sowhat happened?”

“Oneday my father just… broke.Idon’t know how else to explain it.Itwas winter and we’d been caught in a terrible blizzard.Whenwe finally found a room in a little hamlet where we could rest and wait out the storm,Ifell asleep.AlthoughIremember my father mumbling about the energy in the place,Ididn’t sense anything significant.ButIwouldn’t have if the place wasn’t meant to be mine.”Ipaused for a moment, needing to brace myself to finish the rest of the grisly story.Jakejust continued to pet my hair. “Myfather killed the entire village whileIslept.WhenIwoke, it was to find him looming over me.Bloodcoated his hands.Hisred eyes stared at me likeIwas a stranger.Thenhe swiped at me, going for my throat.”

Jakesucked in a sharp breath.Hishand tightened for a moment in my hair, butIdidn’t mind.Iwelcomed the bite of pain, since it reminded meIwasn’t in that cold dark room facing off against my father.

“Ikilled him.Eventually,”Iadmitted with a ragged breath.Ihadn’t actually told anyone that before.Isimply told my teamI’dhad to kill a demon who lost his mind because he never found his place.Inever confessed it was my fatherI’dkilled. “Itwas him or me… andIcouldn’t let him kill anyone else.”

Jakewrapped his arms around me and squeezed. “I’mso sorry,Gage.Iam so very sorry.”

Ileaned into the comfort he offered, butIcouldn’t stop yet.Therewas still more to say. “Ichose my family—my team—becauseIneed people around me who can kill me if my demonic side breaks.Givenmy age,IknowI’mon borrowed time.Everytime my demonic magic surges,Irisk it shattering altogether.Anda demon who has no control is dangerous, not just to themselves but to anyone they see.”Ipaused and looked straight into his eyes. “Ifyou tethered to me right now, it could destroy us both ifIlost control because of how strong our connection would be.”

Jakeclung to me.

“IthinkIcould tether toWillowLake,”Iadmitted quietly.

Hesat up abruptly, smiling. “That’sgood, then, right?Youwon’t have to leave.”

“IfIcould tether here, you’re right.Iwould stay, but…”

Jaketensed.

“IfI’mwrong andWillowLakeisn’t mine, the results could be catastrophic.Isuspect that’s what my father tried to do… bind to a place that wasn’t meant to be his.Andthat was what ultimately broke his already fragile hold on his magic.”

“Well, fuck,”Jakemuttered.AndIcouldn’t agree more.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

JAKE

Itcould destroy us both…

Thatcheery pronouncement haunted me as we dressed, me in clothes that eitherAshorJeremymust have dropped off for me while we were sleeping.Onething about all the talk of mates, curses, tethers, and murderous family members was that it had distracted me from what had happened to the inn the day before.

Justbefore we left the bedroom,IpulledGageto me for a kiss and a hug.Ihad to stand on my tiptoes to reach his mouth, but it was worth it when our mouths met.

“We’regoing to figure this out,”Isaid.

Itwas a presumptuous statement, consideringIdidn’t know anything about magic, butIhad painted a lot of scenes of the two of us and we hadn’t done everything in those pictures yet.Eventhe ones that’d danced around us when we made love had said the same thing.Wewere going to get through this.Itwas going to work out.Somehow.

Iglanced at the sliver of his chest that was visible where his collar was open.Theedge of the magical love tattoo was still there, like a reminder it’d all be okay.Imight not have believed in visions a few days ago, butIdid now.AndIrefused to believe they were filled with lies, because fuck that shit.

Except…

“Wait,”Isaid asIyanked his shirt open to expose more of his chest.