Chapter Twenty-Five
MAEVE
Tobias sits on the edge of the bed, head in hands, and I touch his back. He shivers against me, but his skin is covered in perspiration. What do I say? What can anybody say about something like that?
"You never told me that part of the curse, Tobias," I say gently and move to sit beside him.
He reaches out to me, eyes troubled as he rests his hand against my chest. His eyes drop to my naked breasts. "Please dress, Maeve."
His ragged breaths make his voice hoarse and he looks away. "I could've killed you."
"But you didn't."
I want to tell him that the fact he stopped kills me. I now understand why his touch and kiss wrap around my body and soul to draw me away from the world. He's a spider paralysing a victim who'll take poison from the veins instead of pleasure. But I refuse to believe this is him. This isn't who we are. The curse brings us together as lovers, but we have a love to stop death happening.
"I'm not hurt," I say, although the aching between my legs is unbearable, the desire to push him to finish what we started consuming, especially beside him now as I soak up the energy he's radiating.
"I knew the Blackwood magic affected me, but I didn't think about heightening the curse. He was close to the surface. I'm sorry if I frightened you."
"You did a little, but I trust you." With a shake of his head, Tobias grabs his trousers from the floor and pulls them on. "I met you halfway," I whisper. "I experienced what you felt. I'm prepared to lose control for you."
Tobias looks over his shoulder at me. “And that is as big a problem.”
I take the T-shirt I discarded yesterday and pull the soft material over my head. The T-shirt reaches halfway to my knees but his pained look tells me I’m not covering enough. I reach out to touch his face and he catches my wrist before rubbing a finger across the back where a bruise appears.
“Look what I did.”
“I bruise easily.”
He laughs harshly. “Yes, everybody bruises when someone attacks them.”
“You did not attack me!” I retort.
“I marked your skin. That’s enough.” He jerks his head up. “We don’t have time for this. We need to figure out our next move.”
My mouth drops open. “That’s what bloody hurts more than bruises, Tobias. You're changing the subject as if this means nothing.”
“What do you want me to do? Stay buried in what just happened or think straight and get us out of this situation?”
“Logic doesn’t fit this,” I snap. “Us.”
“Maeve, rein in your emotions,” he says through gritted teeth.
“No.”
His eyes darken. “Do what I ask, Maeve.”
“Excuse me?” I half-shout. “Don’t talk to me like that.”
I stumble backwards as Tobias grabs my shoulders and jerks me out of my anger. “You saw how I lost my mind. I’m fighting really fucking hard to push that side of me away; I can’t let him feed on your distress.” Tears prick my eyes and Tobias’s eyes widen as one escapes. “I once told you I’d do anything to protect you, Maeve. That includes protecting you from me.”
“I can make that decision,” I say as my heart tears.
He holds my face in both hands, wiping tears with his thumbs. “I love you, Maeve, with every part of me. You’re burrowed so far into my heart and soul that your fate is mine too. I'm too cocky. I never thought I’d care enough for a witch to trigger the curse. I didn't think for a moment I might die.”
“Do you think the witch knew about us?” I whisper.
“I imagine she was future-sighted and saw my future. I think the curse was attached to me at that point, so that when we met, you'd destroy me.”
I lick a teardrop from my lip and Tobias bends to place his mouth on mine, soft and loving, but filling me with a hunger as overwhelming as the fierce kisses minutes ago.
“See, you can control yourself,” I whisper as he draws away.
He shakes his head with a sad smile as he searches for his shirt. "Andrei might risk hurting you. I won't."
“We could break the curse,” I suggest, hoping that’s not the stuff of fairy tales.
He laughs as he deftly buttons the shirt, hiding the lean muscle I'm aching to touch again. “No witch would want to break a curse against Tobias Whitlock.”
“If I could, I would,” I say. “I love you and don’t want to see you suffer.”
Tobias tips my chin and my heart shatters as his eyes shimmer with tears. “Thank you, Maeve.” He kisses my forehead and we stand together like this for several moments. “But for now, I need to save your life.”
The unspoken joins his words. I once worried Jamie would die but was convinced I could stop that happening. I never thought my existence could be tied so tightly to Tobias’s. Is this why I’ve seen him in visions?
“We will leave this place with you alive,” I say.
“I like your confidence.”
“No. I’ve seen you in the future. With me beneath the academy. If anywhere, that’s where this ends.”
Tobias chews his lip, absorbing my words. “I hope you’re right.”
A sharp rap on the door sends me into a panic and we look at each other, paralysed. “Bathroom,” I say and shove Tobias.
“No. I stand side by side with you.”
I scowl. I’ll never be able to argue with this man.
Someone knocks again. “Maeve? It’s Anton. I know what’s happened. To Nikolai.”
My heart beats faster and I look to Tobias for guidance.
"Let him in," he says. "If this witch knows what I did and he sees me with you, he won't want to cross us."
"What if he isn't alone?"
Tobias moves to the door and cocks his head. "I don't hear anybody else's thoughts. They could possibly be blocked, but we should take the risk."
As he reaches for the handle, I interrupt. "Wait." I grab my jeans and lean over as I pull them on. Tobias blinks then looks away before opening the door a crack.
"Let me talk to you," comes Anton's voice.
"If you know what we've done, be careful," says Tobias gruffly as he steps back to let the witch in.
"I'm not here to threaten you." Anton paces to the window then looks back at us. "Your friends are here."
My stomach clenches. "Not in the house. Please don't tell me that the Blackwoods took them too."
"No, no. Outside. They're waiting to help." He swipes a hand over the top of his head. "Beyond the perimeter that's near the lake."
He gestures at the window and I walk over to look down. The lake isn't visible under the ink-black sky, but I can see the trees bordering the lawns.
"How do you know this?" asks Tobias and crosses his arms. "Have you met them?"
He shakes his head. "I haven't, but someone I know outside is helping."
"When did you speak to them? Where are they?" Tobias's expression continues to tug down into suspicion.