Cast A Spell (Mages and Mates #4)

9. Otto

Otto

I woke before dawn and Thalion was on the opposite side of the bed. Random strands of silver hair rested across his face. I should’ve woken him when he fell asleep, but his presence calmed me. No surprise, mates had that effect on each other. He also seemed truly at peace, something I’d not seen from him since we met.

The door was still open because I’d promised him we wouldn’t flaunt Elana’s rules. I also didn’t want Owen to see him leave the room and wonder how come there were two sets of rules. There weren’t, and Thal and I had followed the only one that existed.

Reaching over, I avoided sweeping the hair from his face. It was too intimate a gesture. Instead, I gently shook his shoulder. “Thal? Wake up.”

His eyes opened and when he saw me, he smiled. It faded an instant later when his brain kicked in, and he must’ve realized where he was.

“What . . .?”

Being the cause of his distress exacerbated my dislike of the situation. There had to be a way to achieve our goals without causing him heartache. “It’s fine. You fell asleep, but we stayed on our sides of the bed. There wasn’t even any touching.”

“Oh.” He rubbed his eyes and then stretched. “As much as I wish we’d broken the rules, Elana would be extremely upset with us after she scolded Lysandor.”

Thal was a good being. Many others in his situation would have pressed me to forget my brother and bond with them. Not him. He understood my refusal. “Agreed. To both.”

The small acknowledgment that I had similar feelings earned me a tiny smile. “I should go back to my room before Elana finds me here.”

Arching a brow, I wondered how he didn’t notice. “She already knows you were here. Elana is linked to the earth magic in the house. Nothing that happens here escapes her notice.”

“Good thing we didn’t shut the door.”

It probably wouldn’t have mattered. Intimacy created powerful emotions the house would’ve detected. I also suspected Elana wanted to encourage Thal and me and wondered if she’d have made an exception for us. “True.”

Stretching, I swung my legs over the side of the bed. “I’d like to shower before breakfast.” The last syllable trailed off at my poor choice of words. “Sorry, I wasn’t trying to be a tease.”

Thal laughed loud enough I worried Owen would storm out of his room yelling, “What the fuck!” I liked the sound of his laugh. It welled up from deep inside and encompassed his entire being.

“Don’t worry. I didn’t take it the wrong way. I’m old enough not to devolve into middle school titters every time I hear a double entendre.”

He slipped off the bed and I wished things were different. Even without a mate bond, I’d have been attracted to him. More so every day. I shoved that thought behind me; it wouldn’t lead me anywhere good. “That’s helpful because Owen and Lysandor do that enough.”

“Exactly.” He stared at me, and I was sure we were both thinking the same thing. A hug, however, would only arouse us both and he had to walk up to his room. “I’ll see you at breakfast.”

He left quietly and if I stared at his ass longer than was polite, too bad. The view was too nice to shortchange. It also gave me morning wood like I was Owen’s age.

I groaned and grabbed my cock. The trip brought me no closer to finding answers but made it incrementally harder every day to ignore the pull of our bond. No doubt that was at least part of the reason to send us here.

Undressing quickly, I headed for the shower. It had been decades since I needed to get off before getting ready for breakfast, but today was absolutely one of those days.

T he staff directed me to the kitchen when I arrived in the formal dining room. When I entered, only Elana sat at the round table big enough for at least ten, but set for five.

“Good morning, Otto,” she said, setting her teacup down. “Did you sleep well?”

I snorted softly. Was she testing me? “Thal and I talked for a bit before he fell asleep on my bed. But you knew that.”

“Only some things.” She rose and took her cup with her. “Do you prefer coffee or tea in the morning?”

Following her to the counter, I inspected the food set out. Fruit, muffins that smelled warm, scones with butter and clotted cream, and juices. “Tea would be wonderful.”

She handed me a box of tea bags and pointed to the kettle. “Help yourself to food while your tea steeps.”

I selected English breakfast tea from the wooden box, filled my mug with hot water, and grabbed a plate. Elana put two scones and a large amount of three different types of jam on her dish.

“The staff set out all my favorites, so why settle for just one.”

There wasn’t a whiff of contrition in her not-an-apology apology.

“Your home, your rules.”

She closed an eyelid and wagged a finger at me. “Just because I didn’t send guards to drag Thal away doesn’t mean I approve that you broke my rules.”

I could have explained we’d been chaste, but she’d have called me out for splitting hairs. “I apologize. I should have woken him and sent him to his room but being close seemed to soothe him. If you’re angry, direct it at me alone. I could’ve woken him soon after he dozed off and sent him back to his room, but I let him stay as much for his sake as mine.”

Footsteps ended our private conversation. Thal entered followed by our brothers. They avoided looking at Elana.

Her eyes twinkled with mischief, and it reminded me of Sally Pedersen. “Get some food and join us, boys. You’re not in trouble. I don’t hold grudges when silly boys do foolish things.” They looked up hopefully. “I just don’t forget.”

I almost clapped at the masterful way she gave them hope only to snatch it away.

She steered me and Thal to two seats on the end, and then sat in the middle of the three remaining places. Lysandor arrived first and his face fell. His eyes pleaded with Thal to change his seat, but the elder brother shook his head as he fought to keep a straight face.

Owen did a stutter step when he saw the only remaining chair was to the left of Elana. He made me proud by how well he sucked it up. “I’m sorry, Elana,” he said. “We should’ve been more respectful of your rules. I don’t offer this as a defense, but the mate bond is strong, and we let it control our actions.”

Elana patted his hand. “Accepted. As you said, it doesn’t make it right, but I understand. Now eat. We have much to discuss before you leave.”

“Are you kicking us out today?” Thal asked before he took a bite of a muffin.

“No dear. There is a lot to go over first.”

I was glad to have time to plan. Elana and her unicorns had information we’d need to study to successfully handle Jalen.

T he embarrassment of the night before dulled some of the shine between Owen and Lysandor. I didn’t want to say that was good, but if the four of us were going to find Jalen, they needed to be all in on the mission.

Thalion, however, was a different quandary. The call of our bond was stronger but more relaxed. I had no idea how that was possible, or what changed. Did I somehow reinforce it by letting Thal sleep in my bed? Probably.

He’d changed, too. There were fewer mopey glances, more smiles, and frankly more confidence. The last was a huge plus. After breakfast, I retreated to my room to get more information.

I spent an hour talking to Dad and Avie. Sending the four of us to take out the equivalent of a domestic terrorist was absurd. None of us had received tactical training. My requests to be replaced, or if not, for reinforcements were both denied.

“The full resources of the Ocular Society were put behind this question,” Avie said. “It must be you four. They can’t see everything, but this is why all four of you were chosen at once.”

Dad didn’t like asking us to do this—and he made it clear he wasn’t ordering us to do it—but Grandma Hollen was part of the Society, and she’d walked him through the details.

“Whatever’s out there, it’s destroying the earth magic like the klarion pits,” Dad said. “Your bonds will amplify your gifts, which is why it has to be you four.”

I pointed out their plan was flawed because I hadn’t bonded with Thal. Nothing productive happened after my announcement and the call soon ended. Stowing my stone in my pocket, I let out a string of curses.

“That doesn’t sound good,” Thalion said.

He stood in my open door wearing jeans and a T-shirt that left nothing to the imagination. It confirmed my suspicions he had a hot body underneath all those clothes. Funny how he showed up, dressed to tempt me, just as I finished.

“Can we talk?”

“Isn’t that what we’re doing?” His attempt at humor didn’t hide the hesitation.

I’d reached the fork in the road and had to pick. This was something I couldn’t decide on my own. “Your smile and levity are appreciated. I wish I could join you in both, but they’ve dumped a situation on us that doesn’t give us room for either.”

“Don’t be too serious too soon.” He came in and walked into my personal space. “We’re not taking this lightly, but don’t let it rob you of the joys around you.”

This was the closest we’d been since we shook hands back on the ranch. Instinct said to make more space, but he was part of the inflection point. How I handled Thal could determine the outcome of the mission.

I ran my hand down his arm and the moment my skin touched his, the pull intensified. “Can we go outside? I need some air.”

“That bad?” He put a hand on my shoulder.

Our bond wasn’t fully engaged, but I could already feel some of the power it offered. “Unclear. I’m not pleased, so it might seem worse to me.”

“I see.” He nodded toward the door. “Let’s take a walk.”

Following him, it surprised me he didn’t suggest we talk to Elana or include our brothers. Did he trust my judgment or just want to spend time alone? At that moment, I didn’t care. I didn’t want the others to hear what we talked about.

We made our way through the large home, passing a conservatory, a library, and what I assumed was the war room from the maps on the wall. I made a mental note to suggest we use that tonight.

Exiting through a back door, we emerged into a formal garden. Thal led us out of the cultivated grounds and took a path leading into the forest. He stopped and I came alongside him.

“Is this private enough?” he asked.

I hadn’t suggested we go outside for privacy. I’d needed to get out of the house for some air. “It’s perfect. Apart from feeling confined, I wanted to fill you in on my talk with Dad and Avie—she’s my oldest sister and the deputy inquisitor general.”

He nodded and we walked as I relayed the conversation and my concerns for everyone’s safety.

“Owen’s a powerful mage but he’s never had a real fight in his life. Not that I have a scorecard of matches under my belt, but I’ve been around a bit.”

“Facing an army of klarion is a bit more than ‘around a bit,’ but I understand. Lysandor’s been a party boy since he was little. Hard to believe the fate of the world could depend on him.”

I wasn’t as down on them as he suggested, but he’d hit the key point. “We’re expected to find Jalen’s camp and destroy the weapon. I have my doubts Owen and I can conceal our presence that long.”

We emerged into a large circle that beings had cleared and shaped. Stone blocks dotted the perimeter giving the space an arena feel. In the center, a circular, charred, stone-lined firepit sat cold.

“Once this had been a rallying point for war parties.” Thal sat on one of the slabs. “The last time the pit was lit was just before the end of the Demon War.”

I stared up at the towering trees, feeling a palpable energy filling the space. Comparing our mission to a war might not be perfect but it was close enough. One of the rules of combat magic was always engage an enemy with full force; don’t hold anything back. I was going into battle without my full power.

I took a seat on the end of a flat part of a rock so I could face him. “How much do you know about mate bonds between beings and mages?”

Thal raised his eyebrows. “Not a lot. The last time a unicorn mated with a mage was twelve centuries ago.”

No surprise. The earth actively discouraged such pairings on purpose. “With good reason. When a mage bonds with a shifter, our magic mingles, and the sum is greater than the parts—by a lot. Mages have tried to mate with beings for centuries without success. Only fated mates produce the enhanced power.”

The confusion on his face could’ve been from so many things. I gave him a minute to think before I continued.

“I’m probably going to screw this up, but I’m not sure what to do anymore. My instinct still tells me Owen’s fate is entwined with mine, but how that will play out is no longer clear. I also believe not bonding with you will kill us all. We need to be as strong as possible, and I’m holding us both back. No matter which I choose, I put people I care about at risk of dying.”

For most of the time I’d spoken, Thal peered into the circle. I wanted to know what he was thinking, but I didn’t have the right to ask. He’d honored my desire to not share everything, and I owed him the same respect. What did he see in the hallowed place? His ancestors preparing to defend the herd? A conclave of wise elders setting their unicorns on a path to safety and survival? Did he hate me for making him suffer?

I sat quietly to give him space to decide what he did next.

Finally, he faced me. “I can’t tell you what to do. Any advice I give is tainted. I want you to accept our bond, but that’s for me. Is it the right choice? I’m not able to objectively evaluate your decision. The only thing I can say for certain is if you choose us, I’ll never fail you.”

My tacit plea for help was rightfully rejected. He’d accepted my decision because it was based on something greater than just me. He understood firsthand how strong the pull was for me to embrace our bond and wouldn’t push me to choose him. It spoke to his character. Thal was the kind of being I could love, want, and admire. What more could I want in a partner?

Why could the Oculars see some of our fate but not the most important part? I was being asked to choose a path without knowing where it led.

I scanned the glade and envisioned the entire herd gathering to confront the demons trying to overrun our world. The leaders knew their decisions would kill many of those they sent into battle, yet they did it anyway. They did it to save as many unicorns as possible. The greater good.

One path in front of me might— might— force Owen to sacrifice himself. Despite my strong belief this would occur if I accepted my bond with Thal, it wasn’t guaranteed to happen. The other path would likely kill us all and allow a serious threat to unicorns and everyone else in this area of the world remain unchecked. It should be an easy choice, except the person whose life I was risking was my kid brother.

“Whatever I choose will have an impact on those I love. Some repercussions will be good, others possibly quite bad.” I held out my hand. “But I don’t want to do this alone.”