Page 84 of Reaper’s Curse

Should I have been more worried for Winter than I had allowed myself to be?

He shook his head. “It’s been a long time. A really long time since he’s done something like that.” He barked a laugh. “Not that he should have been able to under the current circumstances, but then,”―he turned and raised a brow―“you’re rather special, aren’t you, Ms. Gunn?”

My head jerked back a smidgen. “I’m not subjected to the same curse, if that’s what you mean.”

“Yes. Why don’t we go with that?” He returned his gaze forward and continued walking, a tiny smirk teasing the edge of his lips.

“But.” I faltered, waited for someone going the opposite way to move past. “What did those shackles do?”

“Bound his magic, of course.” Lucas’s shoulders shivered. “With his magic held at bay, his body was able to adapt and absorb until his mind settled, making him more him and less crazed.”

“I’m guessing you’ve had to deal with that in the past? That’s why you have them?”

“He used to…partake back in the day. Take a little, give a little.” He flipped his hand from left to right. “Damn, he was good at it, too. Better than any drug or alcohol. But he changed after his brother died. And he has never had a reaction quite like this.”

August isn’t dead…is he? I thought he was missing.

“It felt like he was killing me!” I threw my hand over my mouth to quiet the rise in my reaction.

“I bet.” He tossed me a sideways glance. “But you must have some goddess-level mojo running in your blood because he was positively glowing.”

“He was getting high and glowing on his own magic. Not anything of mine.” I cursed myself the moment the words flew out of my mouth.

Why had I been so reckless and let that truth slip free?

Lucas came to a full stop and spun to face me. “What?”

“I— Um…” I bit my lip.

“I just spent four days babysitting a magically wound-up prince, which I’ll have you know was not fun at all. And now I hear he was getting high on himself?” He glanced over the hallway to make sure we were still alone. “You had better start explaining yourself, and him.”

My shoulders drooped in defeat. I had been the one foolish enough to open my big mouth. Getting out of the situation would now be impossible.

“Fine.”

Lucas pulled me into an empty room, and I told him about how I, through some insane situation that I left vague, ended up with a piece of Winter’s magic inside of me. Lucas consumed all the details, listening without interruption until I finished.

“It was his own magic he was reclaiming the other night when everything went wild,” I said, bowing my head, indicating the end of my narrative.

“Well.” He took a step back and swallowed. “That’s some, um… That’s, uh…” He dragged his fingers through his hair and sighed, shaking slightly. “He was a powerful magic wielder before our magic was muffled. Getting a sip after being dry for a century… I guess what happened makes sense.”

He lurched forward and grabbed my shoulders. “But you don’t have any more of his magic, do you? This isn’t going to happen again, right?”

“I can’t be positive,” I replied. “But it felt like he drained everything out of me and then some.”

“Good.” Lucas nodded. “Good.”

Was it good, though? It was the and then some that concerned me. If he had inhaled some of my reaper essence, what would he get?

“We’d better get going.” He grabbed the doorknob. “You’re going to be late. Or are already late.”

He opened the door, ready to step into the hallway, but Valen filled the doorframe, blocking the exit.

His gaze snapped to me. “I’ve been looking for you. You’re late.”

“Sorry,” I replied.

“Don’t look so sore, Válee.” Lucas slapped the royal healer on the shoulder. “I’m really sorry I made Ms. Gunn late for your appointment, but you know how it is when we get a pretty face around here after a century of the same old options.”