Natural Dual-Mage (Page 6)

“Except I left with nothing but her name that day.”

“Only to have her miraculously find you in the middle of a magical battle. And the only way she knew to go to that magical battle was because her curiosity had been piqued by her foray to New Orleans the month before.”

Emery shook his head. He was losing the thread of the conversation. “And… So what’s your point?”

“Despite my personal beliefs about fate, an unbelievable series of coincidences have led you and Penny to this exact moment. From one stop on the journey to the next, even a nonbeliever like me would shake his head at all the connections that brought you here. She came out of her shell at just the right time. She was primed to meet you when you showed up.”

“Sounds far-fetched.”

“Yes. But if it hadn’t been for you grabbing her when you did, she would’ve done something to out herself. Of that we can be sure. Without proper magical protection, she would have been picked up by the Guild. If we go a step further, the Guild would’ve trained her the way they train everyone. How you were trained. They would’ve squashed her truly unique way of doing magic, and thereby diminished her ability. If not for you, she would be a shell of herself.”

Emery blinked as the words rambled to a stop. “So…you think I actually saved her, instead of dragging her into this mess?”

“I think that is evident.” Darius’s tone wasn’t just confident, it was full of the kind of certainty of a scientist who’s just proved a theory. “As I said, fate is largely preposterous, in my opinion, but in this one situation, I can’t help but…” An uncomfortable expression crossed his face.

People who valued knowledge and strategy didn’t much like the idea that things were out of their control. Emery wasn’t a control freak to nearly the same degree as Darius, but he understood—and felt—his discomfort.

“Only fools believe in coincidences,” Emery mumbled. “I think Ms. Bristol said that once.”

“In this case, I would have to agree.”

“Still seems far-fetched.”

“Even if they were coincidences, it has to be acknowledged that her magical journey was already underway when you met her. She ran from what happened in New Orleans, but that wouldn’t have kept her away from magic for long. She would’ve sought out knowledge in her area, which would eventually have led her to the Guild. You know what would’ve happened next.”

“The Guild would’ve pieced her parentage together, just like they did after she showed up at my magical battle.”

“Without you and your connections to shelter her, she would not have stood a chance. Either way you look at it—fate or logic—you crashed into that girl’s life in the nick of time. Had you come earlier or later, you would’ve missed your opportunity, and her future would’ve been bleak.”

Emery blew out a breath, something warm infusing his chest. He’d gotten there in a roundabout sort of way, but in the end, Darius had known exactly what to say. How to view the events that had unfolded. Looking at it that way, he could hardly deny the vampire was right. And Emery’s guilt wasn’t such a constant pressure on his shoulders.

“So you see, Mr. Westbrook,” Darius said softly, back to swirling his drink, “you are actually that girl’s knight in shining armor.”

Emery laughed and sat back. “You had me, and then you lost me.”

A small grin lit Darius’s face. “Be that as it may, we’re here now. However it happened, this is where we are. Rather than dwelling on the past, we must look forward to the future.”

Shivers spread over Emery’s skin, and it wasn’t from the cold.

“You are already a natural pairing,” Darius said conversationally, “and have a deep connection you tried to run from and could not.” Emery swallowed into the pause, dreading what he knew would come next. “Have you thought of becoming a dual-mage pair?”

4

All the breath left Emery’s lungs. Yes, he’d thought about it. All he’d done was think about it. Every time Penny curled up in his arms, the idea ran through his mind. Every time she defended him to her mother. When she gave him her sleepy smile. When she whispered that she loved him. When he looked at her beautiful face. When he laughed at her hilarious antics…

He wanted to offer her forever. He wanted to give himself to her, in his entirety, to do with as she would.

But each time the words surfaced on his tongue, the memories would resurface: throwing up from the pain. Blacking out. Wishing for death.

“I can’t do that to her,” he said, emotion choking him. “I can’t, in good conscience, tie her to something that could possibly deaden her inside. I can’t protect her if I form a dual-mage pair with her.”

“But you’ve told us that, should the worst happen, we should save her over you,” Darius said. “Very few would make that sort of pact, especially with a vampire. Correct me if I am wrong, but haven’t you already decided you’d give the ultimate sacrifice to protect her, whether she’s your dual-mage or not?”

“I know what it’s like to lose a magical partner. If we become dual-mages, my death would give her incomprehensible pain. If she survived, which you’d likely ensure, she could very well go insane. It has happened in the mage world more times than you can count. And if she didn’t, she would walk through life with a hollowness I can’t even begin to describe.” Emery rubbed at his chest before downing the rest of his whiskey. Heat prickled his eyes as he imagined the most precious person in his world having to go through what he’d endured. He shook his head. “No. I can’t do that to her.”

“Ah.” Darius sipped his drink. “And this is what you are really thinking about, out here in the cold, stark emptiness.”

Emery frowned down at the ground. This was getting a little poetic for a man-to-man talk. And he didn’t even want to think about what it meant that he’d chosen to bare his soul to the soulless.

He needed to reassess the choices he made in life.

“It is common to think our beloved needs a better man than we are capable of being,” Darius said, looking out over the fields. “I am not a man at all, not anymore, and I have felt that same way. But the truly courageous look past their fear.”

“Looking past my fear won’t help Penny.”

“I wasn’t speaking of you. It is Penny who needs to decide. Who needs to weigh the risks. Just as Reagan did in bonding a creature that history has deemed the very worst sort. We can but pose the question. They must choose their path.”

“Penny would go for it in a heartbeat.”

“Then trust her.”

“She doesn’t understand the risks. She has no information to pull from. She’d make the decision solely based on her feelings.”

“She has always gone on feelings, and it has made her great. How would this be any different?” Darius was back to swirling his drink. “I will tell you what I told Reagan, because it will be just as true in your situation. I trust you will keep it to yourself.” His tone, deceptively light, hinted at a very real and dangerous warning. Shivers coated Emery’s body. “The dual-mage connection would only enhance what you already share. Your love wouldn’t deepen, but you would have another way to explore each other.” He turned and looked Emery dead in the eyes, which was extremely awkward, given the intense conversation they were having. “What if she died today? What effect would that have on you?”

A shock of pain bled through Emery, followed by helplessness. He knew exactly how he’d feel. In his down periods, he often had nightmares of losing her. He knew that would emotionally be the end for him, and it horrified him to think of what sort of person would rise from those ashes.

“She has loved you from the beginning. She waited for you even when it seemed hopeless, even when she had available suitors eager for her attention,” Darius went on, clearly seeing the answer on Emery’s face. “Do you honestly, in your heart, believe denying her a dual-mage connection would save her from completely unraveling should you die?”

He was talking about hearts now. Guys didn’t talk about hearts in these things.

Emery shifted uncomfortably, but the vampire didn’t back off. He continued to stare with that intense gaze, making things even more uncomfortable. For a creature that was excellent at reading body language, he was sure missing the mark on this one.

“Think about this, as well,” Darius said. “If you refuse the connection, you will prevent her from reaching the next level of magic. A level you will certainly need if you take on the Mages’ Guild. In trying to protect her, you are placing her in graver danger. You fear for her, and that is commendable, but it is still your fear, not hers—and in your fear, you are taking the decision away from her.”

Emery stood from his chair and gripped the back. He knew Darius was manipulating him. That was what elders did, after all: they moved people around like pawns. Darius had an ulterior motive for wanting Emery and Penny to become dual-mages, and he was going to try and work Emery around until it happened. But he was also right. Emery could give Penny that next level of power. And he could prove, in a magical way, that he wanted her forever.