Battle of Will by Miller Sasha L

Author:Miller, Sasha L. [Miller, Sasha L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fantasy, M/M romance
Publisher: Less Than Three Press, LLC
Published: 2013-12-30T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

"Repeat that," Ealdwin said, his voice flat and displeased. His expression hadn't changed a whit, but Ackley was sure Ealdwin had heard him.

"I can break the curse," Ackley said again, crossing his arms defensively against the outburst that was about to come.

Ealdwin stared at him for a long moment, his face betraying nothing of what he was thinking or feeling, and Ackley bit his tongue against the urge to defend not telling Ealdwin sooner. There were plenty of good reasons for his silence, and Ealdwin would understand them if he didn't get angry enough to throw their truce out the window.

Ackley tensed as Ealdwin shifted, but it was only to drop his head into his hands. Ackley stared, completely thrown—that wasn't how he'd expected Ealdwin to react at all. Shifting from foot to foot nervously, Ackley finally added, "It's not a perfect solution."

Ealdwin still didn't move, and Ackley had no idea how to deal with this. Ealdwin angry would be one thing, but … upset? That hadn't been any part of how Ackley had imagined this would occur. Still, he wasn't going to provoke Ealdwin into anger. Ackley wasn't that stupid, even if dealing with Ealdwin's anger would be easier than dealing with his silence.

"Tell me." Ealdwin lifted his head, looking tired and disappointed. Ackley abruptly felt guilty, and had to remind himself that he had nothing to feel guilty about. He had every reason to keep the solution to himself.

"The curse binding us feeds off our magical energy," Ackley said, spouting off the explanation he'd been preparing in his head since Atteberry admitted he'd been poisoning Ealdwin's father. "In theory, if there's no energy to feed it, the curse would go dormant and no longer affect us. One of those books I pulled from your forbidden library had a spell that seals away a person's magical energy, which would deprive the curse of the energy it needs to bind us or replicate injuries." Ackley fell silent, watching Ealdwin for any sort of reaction or recognition of the effects of the spell.

"It would have to be a permanent seal? Or would removing the energy source dissipate the curse?" Ealdwin asked. He was watching Ackley as closely as Ackley was watching him, Ackley realized, disconcerted at that realization.

"Permanent," Ackley confirmed. "The curse would still be there, and it would latch on to any energy it could get in order to complete the spell. So if the seal fails, the effects of the curse would come into play again."

"And you're all right with not being able to use your magic ever again?" Ealdwin asked, raising his eyebrows.

"It's … not my first choice, no," Ackley said, striving to keep his tone nonchalant. He wasn't entirely sure he succeeded, but Ealdwin didn't call him on it.

"And if one of us is killed?" Ealdwin asked, thankfully not pushing the matter. Ackley clamped down on his initial instinct to bristle. There had been no threat in Ealdwin's voice, and Ealdwin did need to know, for certain, whether it was a true solution or not.

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