Enchanter

Chapter Nineteen

"I just don't understand," Anton groaned. "We followed the instructions completely as it was written. It should have worked. The Bleeding Rosebud should have visited us."

"Could it be a mistake?" Azalea questioned. Reading her own book on the origins of the Throne of the Flying Eagle, she flipped through the pages in hopes of finding something, anything that could have caused their attempts to be fatal. "Is there a step we missed? Did we need to cover the blade in a coaxing or awakening spell?"

"It would have said it if it was there, right?"

"Maybe there was a secret message we overlooked," Raven suggested. The two stared at her dismay. "I'm serious. If fantasy movies have taught me anything, its that symbols are always overlooked, and it's why nothing ever works the first time. I just assumed you animals knew that already."

"Gee, thanks Einstein," Anton quipped. He scanned the pages, hoping to find something that would relate to a hidden meaning. "I'm not finding anything."

"What if we both needed to bleed over the rose?" Azalea suggested. "I mean, my hand was bleeding as well when you cut your palm, and our souls are connected, which means out blood is intertwined. My blood might need to drip onto the rose as well."

"So, you need a rose as red as blood. Are you able to summon one and make it appear?" Anton questioned.

"Possibly. I just need some time to myself to look. It's hard to search when everywhere I look I happen to be met with your face," she explained. "It is far too cramped here to do any work at all, and I'm stuck in your view constantly without the ability to move about freely unless I can't see you."

"Is this your way of kicking me out?" he teased.

"No, it's my way of telling Raven to get this mirror out of here," she smirked.

Raven quickly obliged, lifting the mirror off the wall and carrying it into the bedroom. Aaric walked into the bedroom, staring quizzically at the bird. "What are you doing?"

"Separating Azalea and Anton temporarily. If you want to speak with him alone, now is the time to do so," she responded.

Quickly entering the side room, his heart sank as he watched his mate sulk and stare at the same pages he had been staring at for hours. Before his mate could see him, he quickly covered his own eyes and stepped over to the table, careful not to bump into it.

Snickering at his mate, Anton asked, "What are you doing?"

"You can see your reflection in my eyes, so while Azalea can hear us, she won't be able to see us," he explained.

"It doesn't work that way," Anton chuckled. Approaching his mate, he lowered Aaric's hands and stared into his eyes. "Eyes are the gateway to the soul, so the only dimension I could look into is your own mind."

"That's poetic," Aaric commented as a flustered smile fluttered onto his lips. "How's it going in here?"

"Better," he answered. "We may have figured out a way we could summon Bleeding Rosebud, but we're not sure how it will work. Its why Azalea is on her own for now. She needs to do a little digging on her own, and with my reflection intervening with hers, it becomes near impossible for her to wander her cabin."

"How is that possible?"

"My reflection is latched onto her. So, rather than seeing myself, I see her when I look in a mirror or face a reflective surface. People can see it as well, so it's why when you try to look in a mirror when my reflection is in view, it's impossible. Even if I'm not right in front of the mirror, she's still in the same room as me, so we can communicate. It's a good thing this room doesn't have any windows, or else we would never get any work done," Anton explained.

"Have you been to her dimension before?"

"Yeah, when she was here. We can't be in the same dimension until we are separated."

"What's it like over there?"

"Horrible," he bluntly stated. "Then again, she is a prisoner right now for using her magic illegally, so it's kind of like solitary confinement over there. It's a small hut, as she describes it, surrounded by nothing but water. In the room, there is nothing but a bunch of mirrors to look at herself and drive her to insanity, but she latched onto me in an attempt to break free, so now she's stuck looking at me no matter where she looks. Oh, and there's this incredibly comfy chair there, too. Like, so comfy."

"Anton," Aaric chuckled.

"Yeah, well, it's a prison where you hear a lot of terrifying screaming. I had to use a protection spell in there to make sure her prison door remained locked, because if it opened, we may never separate. I don't know about you, but I'm not looking for a way to have her stay connected to my soul forever," he explained.

"Well, we'll find a way," Aaric assured.

He cupped his mate's cheek, and Anton snuggled into his touch. Such gentle, calming sparks cascaded through their contact points, awakening his wolf. He clawed at his shell of a body to come out and play with his mate, causing his eyes to flash completely white. Aaric's eyes soon followed, turning completely black.

With their wolves in control, there was no telling what would happen. But Anton was careful, still partly in control. Yet all he wanted was for his mate to kiss him, and he wondered if Aaric ever would. Not wanting to wait any longer, he jumped forward and kissed him hungrily.

Aaric pushed him back onto the table, hovering over him as he ravaged his mate's mouth. Anton let out a low moan before quickly pushing Aaric off him. "Nope, we cannot go that far."

"What are-"

"Azalea, remember? You mate with me, you mate with her, and at that rate, I was about ready to give into it," he explained. "I'm serious, Aaric, we can't do this."

As much as it hurt, Aaric knew he couldn't go that far. He knew little touches would soon lead to something more, but his wolf was growing restless. He needed to be in contact with his mate and take a cold shower before things would go too far.

"Can I at least hold you right now?" he asked.

Sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, Anton held his hand out to his mate. Aaric quickly sat beside his mate and wrapped a leg over his lap. He snuggled his head into the crook of Anton's neck and hummed in content, and his tail wagged as his mate's fingers ran along his spine. He was in heaven in an angel's arms.

Even Anton enjoyed basking in his mate's arms. To feel warm, safe, and protected was far more than he could have hoped for. He only wished he would eventually be able to do this as they enjoyed being out in the open, no need to worry about Azalea watching over them all. He was ready to face freedom and discover what was out there.