Page 43 of Tethered Fates

Bran doesn’t appear bothered by this news.

The soulmate bond trembles like a flicked piano string. I shoot a glance at Teagan, find him anxiously running a palm up and down the arm Summer cut. “Teagan?”

He’s silent, lips moving like he’s trying to find the words. Then, finally, he whispers, “Is that why spells hurt so much?”

Elio nods slowly, eyes gentling for Teagan. “She was drawing on your pain, as well as your blood.”

Kai puts his arm around Teagan’s shoulders and draws him close.

I should’ve protected him, and when Teagan whispers, “I thought Summer was my friend,” each word hammers into my chest.

“I need a minute…” Teagan murmurs.

I keep my arms locked at my sides.

Teagan doesn’t want my comfort now.

And it hurts.

It hurts knowing Teagan craves me just as much as I crave him. As does the small, easily bruised desire I have for companionship—maybe love—that I’ve neatly tucked away. It hurts to know that if I insisted on shielding Teagan from this world and its many colours that my soulmate so revels in, I’d only do more harm.

So I don’t whisper his name like Kai does as Teagan rushes towards the ensuite. I simply stare at his retreating back, all the while promising that one day I’ll show him every wonder imaginable.

“He’s been through a lot,” Vidar whispers to Kai, gently rubbing between his shoulder blades. “Give him time.”

Lucky bastard.

Frustrated, I run my tongue along my teeth. “The others need to be told what we’ve learned. Apollo, too.”

After a beat, Kai sighs when he realises Teagan isn’t coming back out and replies, “I called Apollo already. He’s closing the studio for a few days so he can clean up all the—” Kai shivers “—the blood. He told Luuk that a pipe burst.”

“Good. I need…” I linger on the bathroom door. “I need to find Summer and end this.”

“But you need to cut the tether first,” Elio argues as I storm out of the room.

“I am aware,” I answer by slamming the door.

Coming home always brings up complicated emotions, and then Fate really said, ‘You think so, bitch?’ and upped the ante.

A dark shape moves at the corner down the hallway, and I’m there in a second, slamming a familiar figure against the wall. “You know breaking and entering is illegal, right?”

Kate pushes me off, her sensible grey coat flapping around her.

“How much did you hear?”

She glares.

I move back. “Ah, so everything.”

“Pretty much,” she snides, tucking her hands into her pockets and relaxing her shoulders.

“Pretty much,” I repeat, scoffing. Could this day get any longer?

She cocks an eyebrow. “It’s fucked up.”

“You have no idea. I’d be impressed you snuck inside, but for a mansion full of ancient vampires hunting crazy mages, we’re surprisingly lazy.”

“I’ve known you a long time, Sen.” Kate eyes me up and down. “You think I find that surprising?”