Please stop this.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Jasce
Annora!
I wake with a start, my eyes burning as I struggle to focus on the book on my desk.
It’s been three days since I last saw Annora. Three days of searching through every book about magical bonds, and still nothing.
Frustration spikes through me as I turn the page, the words swimming in front of my eyes.
Bonds of magic, once forged, remain unbreakable save by death...
“Fuck!” I slam my fist against the desk, hating this, hating Aleksander.
Fuck him!
That conniving bastard. He’s taken my wife, the woman I love more than anything.
He is no brother to me.
No, he’s nothing but a spineless, manipulative worm.
The words blur as I flip the page and quickly scan the ancient text, but there’s nothing that will save her.
A frown wrenches at my mouth when someone knocks at the door. “What?”
Jude steps in, his face tight with concern. “You need to rest, Jasce.”
“I need to find a way to break this fucking bond.” I stand, move to the shelves, and grab another book from the shelf. “He’s going to destroy her.”
“And you’ll be no help to your wife if you collapse.” Footsteps echo against the floor as Jude moves closer to me. “When’s the last time you slept?”
“Sleep is a waste of time.” The words come out in a snarl as I flip through more pages. “He’s made her kill already. I will not allow him to destroy my wife.”
“Jasce,” Jude begins, “you have to sleep and you have to eat. Zerah says you haven’t eaten anything in days.”
“I have to find a way.” Frantically, I scan another page, but there’s nothing related to binding magic. “I have to save her.”
“I might have an idea.” Jude’s voice drops low as he shuts the door behind him.
I look up from the pages, studying his face. His eyes hold that glint, the one he gets when he’s thought of something clever.
“What idea?”
“It’s risky.” He glances at the door, then back to me. “And we’d need help.”
“From who?”
“Reeve.”
As Jude describes his plan, I fall silent, listening intently as he lays out the details. My eyes follow the movements of his hands as he gestures, mapping out the path we would take, the dangers we would face.
It’s risky—there’s no doubt about that—but it’s a risk worth taking.
Before I can respond to Jude’s plan, a knock cuts through the room.
