Page 12 of Reforging Onyx

“Good,” Dominic said, though not specifying exactly what the good was in reference to. “Get rinsed off and changed, and then we’ll depart.” He turned to Shane, the smile dropping away. “You verified the facility again this morning?”

Shane slipped through the ropes of the ring and grabbed a couple of water bottles, tossing one to Onyx. “I did,” he replied. “Everything is secured.”

Onyx barely paused long enough to catch the water bottle before heading to the makeshift locker rooms, where he could shower and change. He didn’t bother to let the water warm up before stepping under the spray, still half-dressed in his haste to follow those particular orders.

They would lead him out of here, into being able to use his magic… as long as Dominic wasn’t toying with him.

What would he even do if it turned out that this was all some elaborate lie?

But no. Dominic was a lot of things, but he wasn’t a liar.

Probably.

Chapter 6

Onyx

Onyx was quick to get out of the shower, pulling clothes on before he was more than a little dried off. He returned to Dominic with water trickling down his face. “Ready,” he said, still breathless from the fight.

“I’m going to put you into a sleep,” Dominic reminded Onyx. “When you wake up next, you’ll have your collar off. There will be targets for you to use your magic on, if you choose.” He stepped close to Onyx, lifting his hand to cup his face.

Onyx squirmed, half-expecting him to try to go in for another kiss or something equally unwanted.

“If you try to hurt anyone, including yourself, you will be stopped. Let this be a good day so we can do it again,” Dominic warned.

Onyx nodded. He took those words seriously; he didn’t think Dominic was playing around when he said that he’d set up all the precautions in the world.

There was still a part of him that wanted to try anyway, that still wanted to be a weapon, but he’d stepped away from that.

He’d…

What?

He shied away from the thoughts. He wasn’t going to attack.

If he changed his mind, he had to be damn sure that he could not only take Dominic out, but take himself out as well.

“I won’t,” Onyx promised. He paused, though, his eyes narrowing. “I’m not going to just be docile and let you re-collar me,” he warned, only partially because it was true. Mostly, he didn’t want Dominic to be able to try to claim later that Onyx had acted out of turn when they both knew he was only doing what he had to to protect himself when he fought. “You know I can’t just… let that happen.”

Dominic grinned. “I know you won’t,” he said, his voice strangely warm. “I won’t hold that against you.”

Onyx was about to reply when Dominic murmured something, and everything ceased to be.

He came awake — slowly, at first, then all at once as he sucked in a breath of air that felt and tasted sweet.

His magic was back.

Onyx knew without having to touch his throat that the cursed collar was gone. He touched it anyway, feeling skin that hadn’t seen the light of day in months.

He could see again, really see; he could feel again, really feel. This was what life was supposed to be like. People might claim that witches had no exceptional senses like wolves or vampires, but he’d like to shove them into collars and see how they felt.

He sat up and narrowed his eyes when he met resistance, reaching out to touch the shackle around his ankle. He wondered if he should focus his magic on trying to unfasten it or to melt the chain. Dominic’s magic was protecting it, or so he assumed because of the strength of the magic shielding it. Would it violate their agreement for him to try to escape?

Maybe. Maybe not.

Either way, this wouldn’t be the time to try it. Dominic would be on high alert, and if Onyx was going to kill the Bancroft witch, he’d have to do it when he was least expecting it.

Because he couldn’t handle the idea that he might never try again, that he might lose more and more of himself as the days passed.