My mind ticked back to the knife in her basket. So did Mary’s eyes. She’d dropped the basket on the floor when Max had picked her up. The basket had fallen by his feet, a glint of the blade visible beneath the mound of leaves and flowers.
Max kept brushing at her cheek. “You seem cold. Have you been braving the roaring wind for your plants again? Do not concern yourself with such trivialities – you do not need them. Surrender to your magic, my love, and it will do the rest. It will guide us forevermore.”
Repulsion slammed through me as I realized what he was doing – the same damn thing the shadow was trying to do with me in the future. He wanted Mary to use her powers so she became a brain-dead automaton following her magic with no ability to make up her own mind.
I felt Mary try to press a smile over her lips, but it was weak.
For the first time, Max appeared to notice. Confusion flickered in his deep gaze as he stopped stroking her cheek. “What is it?”
“Have you…” her gaze ticked towards the basket, her eyes locking on the glint of steel, but all of a sudden she jerked her head back up and stared at him. I felt her heart beat even harder. “Have you never questioned whether the legends are right?” Her voice was weak, and Max had to lean in to pick up her whispered breaths.
A frown spread across his face, but it didn’t last. His lips curled into a confident smile. “Never. It must be wrong. How could it be right? The magic of the seers is the only force through which we can assure our future. And together,” he pressed her close until the line of her breast pushed up against the hard edge of his torso, “we will assure that future.”
Her gaze ticked towards the knife, but she pulled it back with greater force. “So you do not fear that your magic… will cost you everything? I have heard the legends, my Max McCane, and they warn that a sorcerer king will always be alone.”
Now a serious look welled in his gaze. “How can I be alone with you at my side? With your ability to see the future, there is nothing that can harm us. You will keep my people safe, guide us towards greater glory.”
I remained there, watching, feeling through every second of this. It wasn’t like I was watching this on TV or experiencing some fleeting dream. No, for as every second passed, the line between Mary and me fell away.
“You… you believe that, don’t you? That there will be no cost, that neither of us will pay?”
Max pressed in and kissed her, his hard lips locking against hers for a pulsing second until he drew away.
Momentarily, her heart stilled, but then it beat faster than before, thumping so hard I was terrified McCane would be able to feel it as his chest remained pressed against hers.
“I believe I have more than enough magic to keep us safe. And you, my precious seer, are all I need to chart our future.”
Mary stiffened.
Me? I wanted to ball a hand into a fist and slam it into McCane’s face. He was using her. Either willingly or through his sheer arrogant stupidity.
“And… if I can’t? If I can’t tell the future… if I turn from….” Mary trailed off as Max’s once warm expression stiffened.
“You wouldn’t do such a thing,” he said, nearly every measure of warmth gone from his face.
It took a moment, but Mary forced a nod. I could feel how stiff every muscle in her neck was, how tight with tension her torso felt. It was as if someone had tied her up with wire. And they had – for Max was doing it with his penetrating look.
He brushed at her cheek again, but there was an edge to it. “Mary, I would do anything for you,” he drew close, leaning down and pressing his forehead against hers, “as long as you will do anything for me.”
She hesitated, her gaze cutting towards the knife once more. “Then leave your books. Stop your training. Run away with me. Leave it all behind. We don’t need the magic—”
Max pulled away abruptly, and Mary had to jerk a hand out and catch the table so she didn’t fall over. Her eyes pulsed wide as she watched the anger spread over Max’s face. It was like a fire burning through a forest, crumpling his brow, igniting deep in his eyes.
His whole body was stiff, his hands held so tightly at his sides, his fingers could have driven through his palms and pierced all the way through to the other side. “Why do you speak of such things?” he spat.
Mary’s heart hammered, her cheeks slack and cold. Her gaze didn’t cut towards the knife, though – it simply locked on Max as sadness swelled in her chest. “I… I jest. It was nothing more than a test. To… to ensure your loyalty,” she whispered.
Max relaxed. Slowly his shoulders descended, and his hands opened. He breathed, his chest pushing against the rough hessian of his tunic top, his sword jostling against one of his large legs. “You do not need to test my loyalty, my love,” he finally managed. Yet there was no love in his tone, just suspicion and anger burning deep in his gaze.
Mary turned her head down, held her hands tightly in front of herself and shook her head. “I was wrong.”
“Yes…. But you are forgiven.” He reached a hand out to her. “For sometimes you know not what you are doing.”
He pushed away from her, turning to check the crackling
