Page 197 of A Touch of Poison
Crouching, he caught it. “The tighter the grip, the sooner it breaks.”
I half groaned, flexing my stiff fingers. “And there’s the lesson.”
“I told you there was a purpose.” He sank to his knees before me. “I think this is what the Lady of Lake was getting at. You hold on to the magic near you, even when you don’t realise. But you need to let it flow through and around you, like you’re directing water rather than trying to hold it.”
“Look, I appreciate you trying to help me, but this isn’t going to matter soon.”
“Your cure,” he murmured, gaze dropping to my lap.
Silence washed over us for long seconds.
“Well, just in case it doesn’t work or you decide to take off that iron ring other than when you sleep…” He gave me a quick smile and squeezed the fingers of my other hand. “Letting go is an important part of holding on. It’s something my father taught me when I was learning to control my magic.”
“And when doyoulet go?”
He pulled away slightly, but I kept hold of him. “I’ve been doing this a long time.”
“When?”
He took a long breath as though he needed to steel himself to go on. “In small pleasures… and recently, in greater ones.” One corner of his mouth rose.
“You mean beauty and sex?” I frowned. “But you’re so… in control.”
“I create parameters that allow me to let go.”
The way he’d slammed into me after I’d asked him to give me everything. He’d only allowed it once I was held down by his shadows. Hadn’t I thought before that control was his form of safety?
“I’m glad it works for you. And I’m exceedingly glad that I can help with your magical control.” I kissed him, pulling back when he tried to deepen it, though the heat in me wanted to answer in kind. “Ari’s coming before she opens the shop.”
He sighed and glanced at the orrery, thumbs tracing circles on my thighs. “And I should get to work.” Yet he didn’t make any move towards leaving.
I gathered his hands and pushed them away but couldn’t resist planting a quick kiss on his brow. “You should.”
* * *
With great force of will,we got him out the door just as Ariadne arrived. She gasped when I grabbed her for a hug.
“But… your poison?”
“Iron.” I held up my hand and showed her the ring, smiling despite the queasiness that came after I ate while wearing it. If it wasn’t the iron making me feel faintly ill, it was the poison. At least this way, I didn’t risk killing anyone by accident.
“Oh!” She pulled me into another hug, squeezing hard. “Need to make up for all the times we haven’t been able to.”
I laughed, and when we finally broke apart, I took her to the sitting room and showed her the insignia Sura had given me. “I was hoping you could tell me something about this.”
She bent over, examining it.
As the silence wore on, I fidgeted. Ari had seen the one from the Solstice attack, but Bastian had it locked away with his evidence. “I can get hold of the other one I showed you before, if you want to compare them more—
“No need.” She shook her head, flipping the patch over and checking the back. “The differences are stark. The style—they’re by different hands, which isn’t a surprise.” She shrugged. “If you needed lots of these, they wouldn’t all be sewn by the same person. Your fingers would drop off, even with a thimble.” She flashed me a grin.
“So… they’re different, but that’s explainable?”
“Yes… and no.” A crease pinched between her brows as she held it out and pointed to the hydra’s golden eyes. “The goldwork on this one is only on the eyes, but the other one. I remember it clearly, because the thread is so unusual. I’ve never seen anything like it. Two-ply…” She glanced up. “Sorry, I’m not sure how much you know about sewing…”
“Only enough to make exceptionally mediocre repairs.”
She snorted and went on, “Well, a two-ply thread is one made up of two yarns. In the case of the other insignia you showed me, one scarlet thread and one gold. Real gold, too—high content.”
