\u201cI\u2019m not a druid,\u201d Matt said quietly. It took less will than he\u2019d expected to force his voice to stay steady. \u201cI\u2019m an ex-geology student who\u2019s taught himself to be a blacksmith as a method of survival.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Hecate\u2019s laughter was unexpectedly low and rich, though the knife she had to his throat never wavered and the arm around his waist only drew him tighter against her. \u201cThey don\u2019t know your secret,\u201d she said softly, almost tenderly\u2014though it was a tenderness that had razor-sharp edges, a tenderness that shot shivers down his spine. \u201cBut I refuse to believe that you\u2019re not aware of what\u2019s inside you. I refuse to believe that you\u2019re completely unaware of the power tethered to the soul you share with the Ridden Druid.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matt\u2019s stomach dropped.<\/p>\n
She knows.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cIf you think I have C\u00edar mac D\u00fabhshl\u00e1in\u2019s power, then you\u2019re sadly mistaken. That power died with him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid it?\u201d the witch-goddess purred. \u201cHow would you know, blacksmith? How could you know if the power died with him?\u201d<\/p>\n Stay calm. If you stay calm, she won\u2019t realize you\u2019re lying through your frakking teeth.<\/em> \u201cBecause I bloody well asked,\u201d he said, his voice even. \u201cThey all agreed. It\u2019s gone. I don\u2019t have it. There\u2019s no spark in me, so you\u2019re wasting your time.\u201d He took a deep breath. \u201cNow slit my throat if that\u2019s what you damned well showed up here to do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re a good liar,\u201d the Hecate whispered, \u201cbut so am I and I don\u2019t believe you for an instant.\u201d Her breath was warm against his ear, tickling it even as his flesh puckered. \u201cBeing a liar helps, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n It was getting hard to breathe.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you want?\u201d Matt asked.<\/p>\n \u201cI should think it obvious.\u201d She pulled him tighter, closer, and he didn\u2019t bother to suppress his shudder. He could almost feel her smile. \u201cYour camp is full of prizes, blacksmith, and the prize I came here for today is you<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cI\u2019m not a druid,\u201d Matt said quietly. It took less will than he\u2019d expected to force his voice to stay steady. \u201cI\u2019m an ex-geology student who\u2019s taught himself to be a blacksmith as a method of survival.\u201d The Hecate\u2019s laughter … Continue reading