Magician's Touch (Deadly Touch book 3) Chapter 15: 15: It's Always Braph

Read chapter 15 of Magician's Touch (Deadly Touch book 3) by Deb E Howell on NovelPedia.

Llew sat up, alert and fearful. And Braph’s presence disappeared, but not before leaving a lingering sense of smug triumph. Jonas pushed it down. “He’s back?” Llew asked. “He’s gone.” Jonas gripped her hand in reassurance, but his jaw clenched at the implications. “But he knows where we are, and that Anya’s with us.” Anya was looking about the room as if she thought Braph might leap from a dark corner or cupboard. “I don’t think he’s near,” Jonas tried reassuring her. “But he’s workin’ for Turhmos. He’ll tell ’em.” He tapped his temple. Anya’s eyes widened. He gave Llew a significant look. They weren’t safe here. Llew’s fists clenched. “Damn Braph!” she exclaimed. “He’s got what he wanted. Why can’t he leave us alone?” Jonas could only shake his head over his own lack of insight. He should’ve known his half-brother better than anyone, but he had nothing. “He was—” Anya swallowed. “—in your head?” She looked like she wanted to be sick. The door opened, and the others sidled in. Elka eased her medical satchel to the floor while Rowan placed a sack of bread and fruit in the middle of the table and then they didn’t seem to know what to do with themselves, and remained by the door. “Oh, thank goodness,” said Anya. “I’m starving.” She reached into the sack, tore off a chunk of bread and handed it to Llew, then repeated for Jonas and everyone else. “There’s not much, but it should plug a gap,” Rowan said. Alvaro eased himself around the table and stood by the cold coal range, looking down on the three at the table as he chewed bread. “Braph knows where we are and is probably telling Turhmos right now,” Llew said, almost achieving nonchalance. Jonas thought he understood that tone. What was the other option? Despair? Anya shuddered as she locked her gaze on Jonas. Likely, she was remembering the boat ride to Phyos when Braph had used her to attack Emylia. “That doesn’t make sense.” She narrowed her eyes. “Doesn’t he want to kill you himself?” Jonas almost laughed, but remembered neither Anya nor Alvaro knew their full situation. “He said there was no challenge in it, now that—” He flicked his gaze between Anya and Alvaro, and withdrew his hand from Llew, sitting back. “Now that I’m powerless.” He looked down; didn’t want to see what they thought of him now. He could guess. Funny how someone like Alvaro, who’d always been kind of useless, could walk around owning his space, yet Jonas felt he could shrink to nothing and he still wouldn’t be small enough. “We saw the headlines,” Anya said. “How?” “Braph.” Llew’s sneer resounded through the word. “It’s always Braph.” Alvaro grunted his agreement. Jonas glanced up to see Anya’s pity settled in at full measure and he had to look away again. “If they have any reason to believe you’re here, they’ll tear this place apart,” Alvaro said. “I don’t know if they know about the bunker, but—” “They know about the bunker,” Jonas stated. “Then we can’t hide, not this many. And not with—” Alvaro’s voice trailed off, but Jonas heard all that remained unspoken. Not with him . Weak and broken, he was nothing but a burden. *** Little felt better than moving inside Orinia, especially when she made those little gasping sounds that told Braph she was enjoying herself, too. Little felt better. Perhaps only flooding his system with Immortal power compared. Now, the combination of coital bliss with one’s true love and the rush of incredible power created something akin to the greatest sensation of all time. Only one thing might be better. Braph’s imagining of the power he could extract from the Taither tree elicited a groan of deeper satisfaction from his lover. Orin stirred in his bed roll nearby and Braph bent down to cover Orinia’s mouth with his own. He cared little about being discovered by his son, but Orinia insisted she couldn’t truly let herself go if Orin might wake, and Braph liked it when she let herself go. He teased her with his tongue, drawing hers into his own mouth, toying with it, sucking. He ca