Chapter 87


    I throw myself from hisp, dash to our bedroom, m the door behind me, and sit on the balcony.


    Reaper takes flight from his moon tree andnds on the railing.


    I’m guessing things aren’t going so well?’ He mind-links.


    ‘No, he won’t let me go back to Pandora’s Box until the bond between Alec and me is severed!


    ‘What if it’s unbreakable?’ Reaper inquires.


    Then I’ll have no option but to go against Magnus’ wishes and meet Alec, or I can wait it out and


    eventually die from being separated from Alec for too long,


    I spend the following few days primarily in the basement concocting potions and practising spells to


    avoid Magnus. My mind and body are constantly fighting me to rush to Magnus and be with him, but


    they are also fighting me to go to Pandora’s Box and be with Alec. I already feel like I’ve betrayed


    Magnus from the kiss Alec and I shared. I don’t want to betray him again and defy his desire to see


    Alec in Pandora’s Box. Every day it bes worse, but I push past it and concentrate on making


    potions in the bubbling cauldron.


    , Fern, Lc and Ria havee down many times over the few days to help me, but I sent them


    away every time, telling them I needed to be by myself. Another two days pass. Magnus has been


    trying to talk to me at every opportunity. I’m not ready to talk about it, Magnus,’ I say each time. I let him


    still hug me and kiss me because I love him, and it brings somefort to me. Returning to the


    basement, my body begins to heat up, but I ignore it thinking it’s from all the steam and plumes of


    smoke and continue my work. Reaper has been sitting on his perch I made him. He is the only one I


    have allowed to stay by my side.


    You should get some rest, Luna.’ You’ve been working on this for more than five days. You don’t


    appear to be in good health. He mind-links.


    lignore him, but he continues to speak. ‘Perhaps you could change and go for a run, and I’ll fly beside


    you?’ he asks, hoping.


    Sweat beads collect on my face and torso. ‘It’s boiling down here, Iin.


    ‘How about we walk outside for some fresh air?’ I cave and nod. I manage to mutter ‘Skedad’ before


    slumping to the floor. I’ve suddenly be exceedingly weak and unable to cast a spell. ‘Luna! I’ll get


    help,’ Reapers says.


    No, don’t do that. All I want are Magnus and Alec, I whimper.


    I can get Magnus for you, he adds as he rushes up the stairs, leaving little time for me to say no.


    Reaper caws furiously as feet stampede below. Magnus gets down on his knees at my side and ces


    his hand on my arm. ‘Howe she’s so hot?” Is she sick?’ Magnus asks Reaper, then realises he


    and Reaper cannot mind-link.


    Magnus picks me up and carries me up the stairs while yelling for help. May and Lce running


    over to us. ‘Magnus, what’s the matter with Luna?’ Lc asks.


    I’m not sure Reaper came up to me wildly cawing. I followed him down the basement and discovered


    her on the floor. She is unbearably not to the touch I’m struggling to hold her any longer. She is burning


    my skin,’ he says,


    Take her to her room and ce her in a cold bath. I’ll go to Pandora’s Box and bring Yiselda back with


    me,’ May says.


    Magnus can’t remove my clothes as the sweat and heat make them stick to my skin. He turns the water


    on and ces me in the bath and holds my head up with one hand, and trickles cold water. He scoops


    up onto my face with his free hand.


    Magnus lifts me out of the ice-cold bath and puts a towel over me. He rests his palm against my


    temple. ‘You’re still ming hot, Nina, he exims, horrified


    A knockes from our bedroom door ‘It’s May, and I’m here with Yiselda, she adds.


    Please send her in quickly, Magnus begs, his voice shaking with fear.


    Viselda enters the restroom and stares down at Magnus, soaking wet on the floor with me on hisp.


    The speaks with a heavy sigh, It’s begun, she wores.


    What has started? Magnus asks


    Did Luna not warn you that the blood same will continue to pull her and urge her to Alec and that if she


    resists it for too long or rights it, there will be implications?


    I knew she’d be battling their bond, but she never mentioned any negative effects?


    When you resist it or stay away from your blood name for too long, you physically start to burn It begins


    as a feret, then your body continues to heat up, and you die.


    She’s going to diel Magnus snaris. Argh, he groans as he ces me on the tiled floor. He nces


    down at his scorched hands from holding me


    What should we do? How can I help her? He pleads.


    The only way to prevent her death is to bring them together, says Yiselda.


    What! There has to be another way, he says.


    you with


    The only other option is to break the bond, but we don’t know how to, and it appears that we dont have


    much time left to save Luna, you must bring her to Pandora’s Box night now she warns


    Magnus growls and battles his inner demons. He doesnt want me neat Alec, but he also doesnt want


    me to de With no choice the grabs a nket and lifts me with it to avoid his hands being burnt from skin


    contact Yebelda dashes out the front door Rrapet and Magnus rush after her. Yiscida grabs the back of


    Magnuss shirt and dragshirn into the circle as they approach


    For a brief period, my @yelids flutter open, and I glimpse someone else walking out of the portal but


    they dont follow us Instead, whoever it was doned into nearby shrubs Tortended my arm and gested to


    Têxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    the thruba hoping to draw the attention of whatever was lurking there But, with no lielo spend Magus


    grotests betoundings and my ma moodustinti ih


    door. He is captivated by the enormous muffor Yiselda stepped through but he does not have time to


    get andere belone leaping through Yiselda operis the door on the right and days, Maletilise, and a too


    ettierges a Santiate the te dropping the book at her feet Magnus steps back as the book ions into a


    staircase React Tea avea adora the dark wooden door


    ‘I must warn you, Magnus, Alec is in a worte te Younen be afraid to handler over tahun lood maten


    the


    blood names, no matter what


    ‘What do you mean he is in a worse stato?


    “I have been trying to persuade him to sever the bond of at least tell me how to do it but because he


    refuses Ive been deprino him of his daily sustenance of blood, which leads vampires to be


    unstable and somewhat wild, she says and opens arge ck door with stronge marks and drawings


    I don’t think I like the sound of any of this, Yiselda,’ he sayfollowing her though the dungeon Hesees


    the Gringhouls as the walks past. ‘They are more vicious –looking than I ever imagined them to be, he


    says


    “Don’t get too close to them. They will rip your hand off, if not your whole arm. Oven the opportunity


    We can hear agonising moans emanating from further up as we approach the Shadow Reapers, who


    are spell-sealed in their area of the dungeon


    Alec I murmur


    Magnus stiffens, and a sombre expression develops on his face as he approaches the cell where Alec


    is


    Alec snarts and hisses He appears to be physically and emotionally warning with himself. Yiselda was


    correct when she defined his current situation as unstable and somewhat wild