A Kingdom of Blood and Betrayal (Stars and Shadows #2)(51)

She smiled at me as she took a deep breath, but then I could feel her magic again surging stronger than before. I pivoted on my heel just as I realized it wasn't coming from her, and I shot my own magic out toward Evren and stopped his in its tracks. Sweat dripped down my temples as he grinned.

“Good. You're getting much better at detecting magic.” There was a gleam in Evren’s eyes as he held my gaze.

“I didn't realize you were going to be stabbing me in the back with yours.”

“In the real world, no one's going to care if you're looking at them or if you're ready.” He pushed to his feet and dusted off his trousers. “You have to train yourself to be ready for whatever comes your way.”

I nodded because I knew he was right. “Your magic is easier to detect than Thalia’s.”

The smile that took over his face was wicked, and my stomach tightened as I looked upon him. “That's because you're my mate.” He took a few steps closer to me. “Our magic is linked, so you will be able to feel my magic much easier than anyone else's.”

“How else is our magic linked?”

“I don't know.” He took another step closer and black smoke trailed from his fingers. “It is legend that mates could pull power from one another in time of need, that you could take from me or I could pull from you, but I've never seen it done. Mates are rare, and mates with magic that is linked so intricately as ours is even rarer.”

“So what does that mean?” My heart hammered in my chest as I watched his magic, and my own surged inside of me begging to feel him.

“It means that we will have to figure this out as we go.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Mates have always been more powerful together, and their marriage only strengthens that power. We will figure out what we’re capable of based on the decisions that we make.”

“You mean if I agree to marry?” I put my hands on my hips even as the words that just passed my lips thrilled me.

Evren’s gaze fell upon them, and his smile never left his face. “That's exactly what I mean, princess. Legend says you will determine the fate of this world, but you will determine far more than that.”

“That she will.” Jorah pushed through the door, and Thalia took off in his direction. She ran toward him, jumping straight into his arms, and he caught her with a large smile on his face.

“You’re back.” Thalia seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and Jorah tightened his arms around her.

I looked at Sorin, and a smile formed on his lips even as his shoulders tightened.

Thalia squeezed him again before dropping back to her feet and running her hands over his face and down his chest.

“You have word?” Evren asked, and Jorah simply held up a black scroll with a gold seal.

“Queen Kaida clearly knows more than we thought. Her men hand-delivered this to us this morning. Right where we were meant to be spying on the kingdom.”

Evren stepped forward and grabbed the parchment from Jorah’s hand, and I watched him as he unrolled it and looked over it. His hands gripped the sides so tightly that the parchment crinkled in his fingers, and I could feel his power surge and surge as his eyes scanned over the words.

“What is it?” Sorin stood and moved to Evren’s side. “Fuck.” Sorin looked at me, but all I could concentrate on was Evren. His magic felt stronger than I had ever felt before. It was pure and unfiltered, and it felt like rage.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, and Evren’s gaze flew to me. They were darker than they had seemed only moments before.

“It’s from Gavril.” The parchment crumpled in his hands.

“And?” My chest tightened, and I was desperate for him to just tell me what was going on.

“And he’s sent me an official invitation to his wedding?”

“His wedding?” I looked back and forth between him and Sorin. “To whom?”

“My mate.” He practically spat the words. “He fucking dares to send me an invitation to his supposed wedding with you.”

“This is nothing more than a taunt.” Thalia moved close to Evren and read the invitation over his shoulder. “He’s trying to get under your skin.”

“This is a threat.” Evren stared directly at me, and I could feel his anger as if it was a living, breathing thing. “He thinks that he’s going to take Adara back.”

“We won’t allow that to happen,” Jorah promised, and the certainty in his voice begged me to believe him. “We won’t let him close to her.”

Evren wasn’t listening to them, though. His attention was solely on me. “His name is next to yours.” Black smoke trickled from his fingers, and I knew he was no longer in control of himself. “He requests the honor of my presence at the marriage of their crowned prince and the Starblessed who was promised.”

“I need a moment,” I said quietly, and Evren shook his head.

“Fuck no.”

But I wasn’t talking to him, and I looked past him to look at his friends. “I need a moment with my mate,” I said it more firmly, and the three of them looked to Evren before looking back at me.

“Okay.” Thalia nodded before grabbing Jorah’s hand. “Let’s give them some space.”