“Desi, stop!” Oliver shouted, his voice angry. “I can’t let you do this.”
I laughed. “Let me? Oliver, I am making this choice on my own. You can’t take that away from me.”
“Last we spoke, you wanted nothing to do with me,” Oliver said quietly. “And now you want to bind yourself to me? If you do this, our minds will be linked. Our emotions will constantly communicate, and there’s no way to shut it off. No way to escape or be alone. What if you decide you’re angry with me again? What if you want to sever ties and never see me again? What if one of us wants to get married? This is too permanent, Desi.”
I sighed. “I was wrong to be so upset with you before. My anger stemmed from—from something else, something that wasn’t your fault. And if one of us gets married, well . . . I guess our spouses will have to perform the blood oath with us to remove the one we have.” I won’t even mention the idea of us marrying each other. My cheeks burned at the thought. “It’s not as permanent as you think, Oliver. If I can’t handle it anymore, I’ll find someone else to bind myself to.”
“For the rest of your life?” Oliver said with raised eyebrows.
I clutched his hand and leaned closer to him. “I wasn’t supposed to have a life, Oliver. You saved me when you cast that spell. If I have to spend a life tethered to someone else, then so be it. It’s still a greater gift than I could’ve asked for.” A small part of me had known the minute Kismet told me how to break a blood bond that I would do this for Oliver. No uncertainty, doubts, or fears clouded my determination. I’m going to do this for him.
Oliver’s mouth opened, his eyes watering again.
“It’s a small price to pay to give you back your life,” I whispered.
He shook his head, his brows creasing in sorrow. “Desi—”
“If you don’t tell me how to do this, I’m just going to cut my palm and start muttering some random spell,” I warned.
A reluctant laugh bubbled from his lips, and I joined in, relieved to see him smile.
His smile faded and he asked, “What about returning to your time?”
I pressed my lips together in thought. I had never felt more at home than I had here in Cuba. I wasn’t sure when I’d realized this, but I didn’t want to leave. I belonged here.
I shook my head. “I don’t need to. I have nothing waiting for me.”
“Not even this . . . man who courts other women?” His eyes tightened with jealousy.
I smiled as warmth coursed through me. I leaned closer to him and pressed a soft kiss against his mouth. His neck strained as he kissed me back, and his lips trembled.
“He doesn’t mean anything to me,” I whispered, pressing my forehead against his. “But you are everything, Oliver. Please let me do this for you.”
Oliver’s eyes were conflicted, tormented. Slowly, he nodded. “There’s a knife in the back of my boot. Make a small cut on our palms, and I’ll say the spell.”
I stood and ran my fingers along his boots until I found a small knife strapped to his heel. I pulled it off and eyed the shiny metal. Taking a deep breath, I drew a line in my palm, and red blood oozed from the cut. I wiped the blade on a rag hanging by the door and brought it to Oliver. I made the tiniest incision in his palm, trying to inflict as little pain as possible. Then I wiped the blade again and returned it to his boot.
“Take my hand,” Oliver said.
We clasped our bleeding hands together.
Oliver closed his eyes and said quietly,
“Blood of blood, and magic between us,
I forge this oath and pledge myself thus,
Make my body strong and whole.
I seal this covenant with my soul.”
His eyes opened and met mine. “Now you say it.”
I cleared my throat and repeated the spell back to him.
Our hands glowed blue, and warmth pressed between our palms. Oliver gasped as a white light emanated from his body. His arm stiffened in my grip, and I closed my eyes against the light.
As the magic faded, I stared at Oliver. The color returned to his face, and the shadows under his eyes vanished. He panted heavily and looked at me, eyes wide and more lucid than before.
“How do you feel?” I asked tentatively.
A wide, familiar smile spread across his lips. “Fantastic. I feel fantastic.”
I pulled my hand from his and gaped at my palm. The cut had completely vanished.
“I—I don’t feel any different,” I said, my brow furrowed.
“We’ll feel it when we experience intense emotions, or when we’re in danger,” Oliver said. “It’s only an oath, not a bond, so it’s mostly for when we’re apart or when we’re in battle. It’s like our hearts and minds share a connection, feeding energy off each other.”
He watched me for a long moment, his eyes burning with intensity. My tongue turned to sandpaper, and my stomach dropped to my knees.
With flaming cheeks, I looked away, but I bit back a smile.
“So, what will you do now?” Oliver asked.
“I’d like to stay and help the coven. I feel more at home here than I have in a long time.”
Oliver’s eyes were soft and warm as they remained fixed on me. “I’m glad to hear it, Desi.” He wiggled his shoulders and laughed. “Now could you please remove these ropes? I’d like to hold you.”
My blush intensified as I untied him. Oliver sat up in the bed and gathered me in his arms. I buried my head in his shoulder, savoring his grass and gunpowder scent and tightening my arms around his back.
“Thank you, Desi,” he murmured against my hair. My heart swelled as my entire being filled with peace. My body was grounded here
