“This is a simple grounding exercise to help you center your magic and make it less volatile. Normally, you'd do this alone. But for our purposes, I'm going to guide you through it while adding my own magic to the process. That way, your power learns to recognize mine as supportive rather than threatening.”
Muriel's heart hammered. This was it—the moment of no return. Once she did this, once she let him in, everything would change. But what choice did she have? The only other option was to go into hiding andhope she learned control before Silas Corvus and his ilk tracked her down again.
“Okay.” Muriel clasped her hands together to keep them from shaking. “I'm ready.”
Brandon's smile was encouraging as he placed his hands, palms up, on the table. She slid her hands into his. His fingers closed around hers, firm but gentle. Tiny pulses of energy sparked from the contact, but it wasn’t unpleasant.
“Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Feel your magic as it exists right now. Where it sits in your body. How it moves.”
She did and within seconds, she felt the wild surge of power coiling in her chest, restless and anxious.
“Good. Now I'm going to reach out with my magic. You'll feel it as a presence. Don't fight it, just observe it. Let me know if anything feels wrong.”
A moment later, Muriel gasped.
His magic brushed against hers like sunlight peeking through the clouds. It hummed with a frequency that resonated in her bones, not invasive but soothing and welcoming, like slipping into a warm bath. Where hers was chaos, his was structure. Where hers was raw emotion, his was disciplined intention.
They were opposites.
And perfect complements.
“How does it feel?” Brandon's voice was quiet, careful not to break her concentration.
Like coming home.Aloud, she answered in a breathless whisper, “Good.”
In that moment, surrounded by books and magic and the steady presence of the mage she was trying so hard not to trust, Muriel felt something she hadn't experienced in a very long time.
Hope.
6
BOND, MAGE BOND
BRANDON
Brandon feltthe exact instant everything changed. One second, he was guiding Muriel through the grounding exercise, his magic blending seamlessly with hers. The next, everything snapped into place—tumblers clicking like a lock.
A mate bond.
His eyes flew open even as he fought to keep his breathing steady, his expression neutral. Muriel's eyes were still closed, her face serene as she concentrated on the flow of magic between them. She hadn't felt it—or more likely, she had and didn't understand what it meant.
Because there was no mistakingthat.
Brandon was a natural empath, but that was nothing compared to the flood of emotions that washed overhim. Muriel’s emotions. Relief. Wonder. A fragile hope that made his chest tighten.
And underneath it all, a vast loneliness wrapped in bone-deep exhaustion.
It was enough to leave him feeling unsteady. How did she carry all of that on her own?
“You can open your eyes now.”
She did. Those striking eyes met his, and he inhaled sharply. Because brilliant blue sparks now twinkled amid the sea of hazel and deep forest green.
“Your eyes,” she said breathlessly. “I see flecks of green. Is that from the bond?”
He cleared his throat. “Yes.” It wasn’t a lie if he didn’t specifywhichbond.
Her slow, wondrous smile transformed her face from beautiful to luminous. “Your magic feels so natural. I thought it would be weird but it’s not. I feel… lighter.”