Jasce crosses the tent to where I stand and pulls me into his arms. His warmth seeps through my clothes, but it’s not enough to chase away the chill that’s settled in my bones.
“How?” he asks.
“I don’t know.” I rest my forehead against his chest.
“I’ll take care of it,” he promises, his voice fierce. “I won’t let him hurt you again.”
How can Jasce protect me from something that’s inside my own mind?
He can’t…
Still, I close my eyes, savoring the comfort of his arms around me, the steady beat of his heart against my cheek.
Unfortunately, the truth doesn’t escape me. The undeniable truth.
As long as my magic is bound to Aleksander, there is no escape.
Chapter Sixty
Jasce
Dustdances in the narrow beam of moonlight seeping through the cracks in the tent, settling on the pages I’ve turned long into the night.
Annora’s fear earlier burns into my thoughts, the way she spoke about Aleksander finding a way to communicate with her.
I’ll be damned before I allow him to hurt her again.
A soft sigh draws my attention to Annora, curled up on our bed.
Torchlight flickers across her, catching on the silvery scars that mark the left side of her face. Her reddish-brown hair spills across a pillow, and her chest rises and falls in the slow rhythm of deep sleep.
My wife. My heart.
Surely, there’s a way to break the bond.
There has to be.
I glance back down, scanning the passages, when something catches my eye.
…within the Evonlight Cave dwells the Oracle of Elements, keeper of ancient bonds…
Blood rushes in my ears as I sit up straighter and read the next passage.
…through their power, magical bonds may be severed.
This is it.
Exactly what I have been searching for.
Thank the gods!
Once the Oracle severs their bond, I’ll end Aleksander’s life.
Then, I’ll tear down the heavens themselves—if I have to—to heal what he’s done to her.
Chapter Sixty-One
Annora
