Free Bound by Erica O'Rourke Page B

studying me with undisguised curiosity. He was the scientist of the group. According to Luc, no one knew more about how the magic worked than Pascal. I’d always gotten the sense he viewed me as a particularly fascinating experiment, which was unnerving, but kind of a relief. He left the subterfuge and manipulation to Dominic. It was one less battle to fight, and I’d come to view every interaction with the Quartoren as a skirmish.
    “We’re not here to discuss spellcasting,” Dominic said.
    I folded my arms. “Why are we here? It’s the middle of the night.”
    “Anton managed to elude us this afternoon,” Dominic said. You could almost hear him grinding his teeth at the admission, and he straightened the lapels of his suit. “Seems likely he’ll try for you again. You need protection.”
    I scoffed. “Like I’d trust you guys to protect me.”
    Orla puffed up like a outraged pigeon. “Do you think we’re asking your permission?”
    The Quartoren didn’t ask permission of anyone—especially not a lowly Flat.
    “I don’t need protection. I need a way to fight them.”
    “Happy to show you some hand-to-hand,” Luc said.
    I rolled my eyes at him.
    Dominic nodded approval. “Not a bad idea. There are other steps we can take as well. But the fact is, you need us.”
    “And you expect something in return, of course. Are you offering another Covenant? Because I’d rather take my chances with the Seraphim.”
    “We’ll protect you no matter what, because it’s what our people require,” said Orla. “Whatever else you think of us, you know our Houses are our first concern.”
    Pascal spoke, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Be logical, Maura. The Seraphim are aware that you and the magic are interdependent. Anton’s willingness to hurt you signals he’s willing to hurt the magic, too. It’s only reasonable to conclude that his goal is to use the connection between you to trigger the Ascendency. He’ll continue to attack you until the magic is weak enough to do so.”
    Understanding flashed through me, and as it did, the magic reared up in alarm, streaming through the lines like a broken levee. The symbols carved into the table before me glowed and trembled, light beaming out from them. Orla gasped, stumbling backward, and Luc thrust me behind him.
    “It’s okay.” I dropped to my knees, dizzy. Luc sank down next to me, his body a shield, his arms caging me in. “It’s okay,” I repeated, and concentrated on calming myself, calming the magic, slowing my breathing and the rush of blood through my veins.
    Gradually, the terrible brilliance dimmed. My heartbeat eased. The room came back into focus, and the first thing I saw was Luc, eyes roving over me, his hands gently cradling my face.
    “Mouse? You hurt?”
    Our connection trembled, and I laid a hand over his. “Everything’s fine.” I didn’t know if the words were for him or for the magic, one last bit of reassurance. “What about you?”
    “Never seen that before,” he said, brushing away my concern. “What was it?”
    “Maura felt threatened,” Pascal said from behind the table. He rested a hand on the blackened wood. “And the fear triggered a reaction from the magic, likely as a result of the bond you’ve formed.”
    I glanced at Marguerite, who remained in her chair, hands calmly folded in her lap. She tipped her head toward the sound of Luc’s voice, the gesture a message. Luc needed to know, but not the Quartoren. Now wasn’t the time.
    It was strategy, not cowardice. That’s what I told myself.
    Luc’s grip on my shoulders was firm, as if he could divine the truth just by holding on long enough, and I shrugged away, directing my words to Pascal. “You’re the expert.”
    “We need your help,” Dominic said, clearly loathe to ask. “You know what’s at stake here.”
    I did, even more than Dominic realized. But knowing the stakes didn’t change the facts—I was still powerless.
    “How could I