Read Online Prince by Blood and Bone: A Fantasy Romance of the Black Court (Tales of the Black Court) by Jessica Aspen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jessica Aspen
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“—you know inside, you’re ready. The spell is ready. And the full moon will not wait.”
Her hands fluttered at her sides, and the strain of having her there, nearly touching him, was more than he could take. He broke.
Moving back to his pacing area on the far side of the room he raised his voice. “Bryanna MacElvy, you are a witch, whether you like it or not, and tonight you will prove it to yourself.”
And if they failed, then they failed. But they wouldn’t have given up. He was never giving up.
She stared at Kian as if he were amazing. As if no one in her life had ever told her she had a powerful Gift. Could that be true? This golden girl-woman who knew so much more about magic than she gave herself credit for. He could see she knew what she was doing. Even as blind as he was to the ways of magic and, with his Gift tied up in knots, he could sense she had power.
Why couldn’t she?
“Well, okay then.” She turned back to her books and papers. “We do this tonight.” Her voice was shaky. “We should get everything ready.”
“No.” Kian stopped by the bell pull, looped it in his claws, and gave it a tug. “You’ve been working for days. You need a break.”
“But, we need to get everything ready.”
“It’s ready. You’ve made sure that we’re prepared. What could you possibly have to do that can’t wait until tonight?”
“We could double check the spell, re-measure the ingredients, the space. Go over the timing.” She bit that lower lip again. He wasn’t sure he could stay here and watch her do that one more time. “We could see if we could somehow make out that last line. You know I’m worried about that. I can’t read it, it’s too worn out.”
“No. No. And no.” It was time to change things up. Before he forgot that he wasn’t elvatian in form, and made a move she would never forgive.
The door opened and Beezel poked his head in. “Sire?”
“Beezel, we need a picnic.”
“A picnic?” The gnome’s surprise was mirrored in Bryanna’s echo.
“Yes. You need a break. I need a break. You’ve been nowhere but here and your own room for the last two weeks. Time to go somewhere else.”
“There’s somewhere else to go?”
For a moment he felt a flash of guilt. He’d kept her busy. She’d done nothing but study and work, knowing that everything, and everyone, depended on her freeing him from his curse.
“Beezel, bring the food and a blanket to the ballroom.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“The ballroom?” Bryanna frowned at him. “Kian, we should work.”
“No, you need rest, and food, and something to take your mind off of the spell. The ballroom is perfect.” He bent into a bow and waved her toward the door. “After you, my lady.”
She got up from her chair and crossed to him, moving past him and out the door. As her skirts brushed close, the heat from her body stroked along his fur and chased down his nerves.
His blood pulsated.
This was a bad idea. Being alone with her, watching her work, was dangerous. Being alone with her, without the distraction of the spell, was insane.
He picked up a candelabra and followed her through the door.
Bryanna followed Kian along the chilly corridors and to a small door. “Not a very big entrance for a ballroom,” she said. That was a pretty stupid thing to say. But for some reason she was nervous. For the last two weeks they’d been together working on the spell. Bouncing ideas off of each other. Struggling to be sure if the old words meant pentacle, or triangle, or something totally different.
It had fostered a strange sense of intimacy.
She knew how often he got hungry, and what he liked best to eat. He’d started anticipating her desire for hot tea and making sure Beezel brought not only her drink, but scones and a particular type of jam made from some berry they didn’t even have on Earth. He’d been thoughtful, and careful, and every inch the gentleman. But sometimes she felt him watching
Her hands fluttered at her sides, and the strain of having her there, nearly touching him, was more than he could take. He broke.
Moving back to his pacing area on the far side of the room he raised his voice. “Bryanna MacElvy, you are a witch, whether you like it or not, and tonight you will prove it to yourself.”
And if they failed, then they failed. But they wouldn’t have given up. He was never giving up.
She stared at Kian as if he were amazing. As if no one in her life had ever told her she had a powerful Gift. Could that be true? This golden girl-woman who knew so much more about magic than she gave herself credit for. He could see she knew what she was doing. Even as blind as he was to the ways of magic and, with his Gift tied up in knots, he could sense she had power.
Why couldn’t she?
“Well, okay then.” She turned back to her books and papers. “We do this tonight.” Her voice was shaky. “We should get everything ready.”
“No.” Kian stopped by the bell pull, looped it in his claws, and gave it a tug. “You’ve been working for days. You need a break.”
“But, we need to get everything ready.”
“It’s ready. You’ve made sure that we’re prepared. What could you possibly have to do that can’t wait until tonight?”
“We could double check the spell, re-measure the ingredients, the space. Go over the timing.” She bit that lower lip again. He wasn’t sure he could stay here and watch her do that one more time. “We could see if we could somehow make out that last line. You know I’m worried about that. I can’t read it, it’s too worn out.”
“No. No. And no.” It was time to change things up. Before he forgot that he wasn’t elvatian in form, and made a move she would never forgive.
The door opened and Beezel poked his head in. “Sire?”
“Beezel, we need a picnic.”
“A picnic?” The gnome’s surprise was mirrored in Bryanna’s echo.
“Yes. You need a break. I need a break. You’ve been nowhere but here and your own room for the last two weeks. Time to go somewhere else.”
“There’s somewhere else to go?”
For a moment he felt a flash of guilt. He’d kept her busy. She’d done nothing but study and work, knowing that everything, and everyone, depended on her freeing him from his curse.
“Beezel, bring the food and a blanket to the ballroom.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“The ballroom?” Bryanna frowned at him. “Kian, we should work.”
“No, you need rest, and food, and something to take your mind off of the spell. The ballroom is perfect.” He bent into a bow and waved her toward the door. “After you, my lady.”
She got up from her chair and crossed to him, moving past him and out the door. As her skirts brushed close, the heat from her body stroked along his fur and chased down his nerves.
His blood pulsated.
This was a bad idea. Being alone with her, watching her work, was dangerous. Being alone with her, without the distraction of the spell, was insane.
He picked up a candelabra and followed her through the door.
Bryanna followed Kian along the chilly corridors and to a small door. “Not a very big entrance for a ballroom,” she said. That was a pretty stupid thing to say. But for some reason she was nervous. For the last two weeks they’d been together working on the spell. Bouncing ideas off of each other. Struggling to be sure if the old words meant pentacle, or triangle, or something totally different.
It had fostered a strange sense of intimacy.
She knew how often he got hungry, and what he liked best to eat. He’d started anticipating her desire for hot tea and making sure Beezel brought not only her drink, but scones and a particular type of jam made from some berry they didn’t even have on Earth. He’d been thoughtful, and careful, and every inch the gentleman. But sometimes she felt him watching
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