Fast forwarding time would be as helpful as foresight. I could see what they intended to do. I could counter whatever they did simply by reversing and doing it all over again or altering their trajectory. I could even stop it and gather what I needed. The potential for damage was never-ending with the ability to control time, and that power existed in me.
The more I thought about it, the more it made sense why they feared time manipulation the most. A dangerous power like this could be exploited by the wrong people so easily.
“He doesn’t have access to my powers, does he?” I asked, panic in every beat of my heart. “Aram, I mean?”
Cash caught my line of thought and shook his head. “Bonds don’t work like that. Thank the bloody gods for that. But he can use your magic to power his own, and you’re an especially powerful being.” He relented with a sigh. “I’ll show you.”
I grinned at the gorgeous Dark Fae and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, which was a damn feat with the difference in our heights. Cash was annoyingly tall for a princess. “Thank you. I knew you’d come around.”
He tried not to smile, but my eyebrow waggle got him. Worked every damn time. “I don’t approve of the method, but I agree that it can only benefit our cause. And…the she-devil is right. You’re someone who’s motivated by the people you protect.”
My voice dropped and I hid my mouth behind my hand, the way he fell for every time. Cash went crazy for secrets that were only meant for the two of us. “I don’t think I’m the only one, hmm, Dark King?”
His cat irises were blown wide and his chin lifted, my rune glowing and on display. “Only for you, my love. You must realize that by now.”
“And everyone I care about,” I added.
He grumbled, but nodded. “Only because I despise that kicked puppy look on your face.”
I hooked an arm through his, smiling up at him. “How could anyone think you’re a monster when you’re this sweet?”
Jo made a noise of protest, but Cash was practically preening at my praise. “I suppose I am rather kind…”
Jo grunted a small laugh, but I grabbed her and tossed a little look over my shoulder. Rolling her eyes again, she walked ahead and kept our target in her sights.
The Trickster hadn’t noticed us as we followed him into a side street, away from prying eyes. The human he had on a leash stumbled and fell, nearly getting dragged several feet because he didn’t bother to notice. Fucking bastard. But there wasn’t anywhere he could go now.
It was an instantaneous reaction. Time slowed to a stop. The world around us froze. I’d done it without thinking. When I turned my head, both Jo and Cash were smirking. Neither one had been paused the way the world had been.
“See, easy,” Jo said, folding her arms across her chest. “Now I want you to try to reverse time and then we’ll try advancing it from there. It won’t matter here, but if you can do it, it might mean correcting a mistake or catching something after it’s already been done. It might mean the difference between living or dying.” Her next words chilled my blood. “Or it can even save your human friend from death.”
I nodded, throat dry. “What should I do?”
But it was Cash who spoke first. “Magic is intuitive to us. You only need to think it. Your magic will do the rest.”
I closed my eyes, but Jo’s voice stopped me. “Just remember to stay in control. Magic this strong has a heavy cost, and you’ll need us to keep it from destroying you in the process.”
“Draw on our power to fuel your own, so to speak,” Cash added matter-of-factly, back to his proper princess mannerisms.
“You’ll need to identify the bonds you have with us and use them in a way that makes the most sense. Don’t worry, that’s intuitive, too. Your magic knows what it needs, so it’s really only about identifying the sensation when you’ve gotten what you need.” Jo turned to me, and a ripple of sensation I recognized as hers swirled inside me.
I glanced over my shoulder at Cash, and the feeling of his magic swelled across my body in my next breath. It was distinctly different from Jo’s. Stronger. Heat rushed my body and burned across my skin.
I gasped. “That felt stronger than Jo’s.”
Smug, he dropped a kiss on my mouth as I turned toward him. “Naturally. I’m your bond mate, love. Your perfect match in every way. It’s obvious I’d have a stronger effect on you.”
Jo cleared her throat, ignoring him again. “Remember the way our magic feels. Practice leaning into one over the other. Use them, but only what you need. Only what your magic seems to gravitate toward. Control will be especially important, more so around Aram because using his magic could give us an edge we didn’t have before. It could weaken him if you tap into it and drain his power. The bond will stop you from taking too much or hurting him, but it might be the thing that tips the scales in our favor.”
Cash landed that sassy hand on his hip. “Steady on, devil woman. It’ll stimulate their bond if she uses any amount of his power, and the more she uses, the worse the effect on both of them.”
The throb between my legs after Cash’s magic licked my skin would agree.
Jo narrowed her eyes on our target. “Aram will do it whether or not she does. He’s clever. He could be toying with the same idea as us. Better her than him.”
Holding the frozen time was infinitely easier than before, but I didn’t want to risk wasting time, so I cut in before they could argue again, “We’ll talk about it later. We’ve got a fox bastard to put down and a girl to save.”
Jo chuckled. “Reach out to our bonds and draw from them while you think about what you intend to do. Feel how muchyou need and only take that much. Remember, what you do here might be life or death for the people you care about.”
