Page 84 of Tethered Fates

Whatever my expression is, Apollo must see the confusion because he says, “I can see into the future, but not that well.”

“Er… Is that a vampire thing?” I ask.

He scratches the back of his head, face twisted. Then shrugs. “I dunno. Maybe?”

“You can’t blame yourself, Apollo,” Luc explains while picking up Golden’s needles and tucking them in his back pocket. “Before Summer was a blood mage, she was a highly skilled shadow mage, she has the power to hide from foresight.”

Vidar scoffs, disgusted. “Coward is what Summer is. If she wants a fight, she should stop hiding and face me.”

“We need to make a plan,” I burst out, and only now realise my nails are digging into Sen’s forearm. I slowly retract, but Sen puts his palm over mine, stroking my knuckles.

“It’s okay,” he assures me.

I shake my head. “Sen is…he’s important!”

“We know, Teagan,” Vidar says in that way of his where I have no other choice but to believe him.

“Sen isn’t going anywhere,” Kai adds.

“We haven’t been sitting around doing nothing,” Golden assures me, curls bouncing as he nods. “We’ve got a plan.”

“And it will work.” Bran peels off the lid from the milk bottle and brings it to his lips. A shiver runs down my spine. Sen holds me tighter, and Kai moves fully in front of me. “You will live, Sen. If for no other reason than because I will claim my soulmate, and I will destroy anyone who gets in my way.” He takes a large gulp of blood, his throat working as he swallows.

If Sen turns me into a vampire, I’d need to drink blood. I’m glad I decided to wait before I’m turned; I don’t even like black pudding.

“Pragmatic,” Sen replies sharply.

“Aren’t I always?” Bran answers with a bloody smile.

“Enough dick measuring,” Vidar orders. “We’re going to lure Summer out and subdue her. Then we can get Elio to look through the blood mage tome.”

“Only the owner can touch the spellbook,” Elio interrupts. “And last time I checked, you aren’t fucking Summer. So even if someone here could touch it, I refuse to cast a spell from the tome.” Elio whips around to look at me, his eyes staying strong but gentle. “Teagan, I’m sorry but—”

“I understand,” I tell him. “Don’t we know another blood mage? Astra, right?”

Sen tenses. “I don’t trust her.”

“We can’t force Elio to do something he doesn’t want to,” I tell Sen. “So, we have to.”

Sen grumbles, but doesn’t disagree.

“I’ll contact her,” Vidar replies, though he also doesn’t seem happy about it.

“Okay, so how do we plan to get Summer here?” I ask.

“As Apollo said,” Lucero chimes in, “she needs an old fuck heart. She’ll have no choice but to come to us.”

“So you subdue Summer,” I say slowly, “get Astra to cast the spell. Then what…?”

“Then I fucking rip her head off,” Sen says into my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.

Chapter Twenty-Eight - Teagan

Isit alone on the garden bench, eyes closed. The cool breeze brushes my face as my phone rings against my ear.

I needed some time away from the heat in the kitchen.

“Teagan!”