Silk & Steel (Spellbound #3)

Chapter 20: Shattered Pieces

Isobel's body hummed with magic energy in a way it had not in a long time. Whoever had entered their room and touched Castel—because she was absolutely certain that was what had happened—was incredibly powerful for her to absorb this much of their magic. Had they noticed?

But more importantly, how had she not noticed someone of such power at Fort Mael? Had the Orc's Blood poison affected her so badly that she could not sense their magic? It was possible. It was equally possible that they could somehow hide it. There were skilled magic users who knew many tricks that the sorcerers either did not use or simply had never learned. Especially ones in contact with Son of Deva and his father's disciples. They had learned dark forbidden magic from the monsters trapped in the Nether Realm with the Dark God. Magic most sorcerers would never dare touch.

Standing in Castel's study, she rubbed her arms with her hands. While she was relieved to finally have some of her abilities back, she hated the lingering feelings left by their attacker. It made her feel as if tiny angry ants crawled over her skin. Anger burned hotly inside her and she could not tell whether it was her own or another 'gift' from whoever had shared their energy with her.

This had ruined everything with Castel. He had finally begun to relax around her, but now she could sense him pulling further away than ever before for fear of hurting her. Even as he watched her now, she could see the walls coming up between them.

"Let's do this," he said, his voice monotone. He was trying to hide his rioting emotions, but while her powers were not fully back, she was so attuned to him that the fear and self-loathing he felt were so strong that if she reached out, she might have touched it.

"Sit down." She followed him when he walked to the chair behind his desk. He sat down, facing her, and her cheeks heated as she remembered the last time they had been here. When she had resolved to pleasure him, only to be interrupted. His eyes met hers, and he must have remembered the same because his fingers flexed on the armrests and there was a telltale blush on his cheeks.

"Honestly," Boreas muttered behind them. "I wish you'd just fuck each other and get over it."

"Stay out of it." There was an edge to Castel's voice that wasn't usually there, and even the Spymaster seemed to take note as he gave a terse nod. Looking back up at her, Castel squared his shoulders, obviously steeling himself for what was to come. "Go on. Do what you need to."

She reached out towards him, and he flinched the moment her fingertips grazed his temples. The anger inside her flared hotter, forcing her to tamp it down.

"Sorry." He averted his gaze, no longer able to look at her.

"It's fine," she lied.

It hurt to see him so unwilling to have her touch him. But she pressed on because they needed answers. Castel especially. Threading her fingers through the soft curls at his temples, she tried to focus on finding the traces of magic she knew must be there and not on how warm his skin was under her fingertips or how the scent of his sandalwood soap tickled her nostrils.

Castel's warm brown eyes met hers, and she forced herself to hold his gaze even as she ached to touch him. To let her hands wander down his body. But after what had just happened, he would never allow her close again.

There was a faint trace of magic humming in the air around him. She'd almost missed it. His pain and longing, his self-loathing and fear, were so powerful. They swirled and mixed, drowning out everything else. Latching on to the magic, she followed it. Her gaze lost itself in the depths of his soul.

Visions swam before her eyes, floating to the surface like air bubbles in a well, one after the other. The visions were more detailed, more real, than anything she had ever encountered before. Usually, she could only pick up on emotions, but with Castel, she could somehow see parts of his memories. It shouldn't be possible. The only time she had come close to this was with other magic users. Castel was not one. He was only a former Sentinel.