Touch: Book 1 of the Savage Bond Series

I hadn't moved since Cirini's departure through my closet, too scared to see what lay beyond the door. With the way he loved to play games, I would not have been at all surprised to open the door and find him still there, or better yet trying to yank me through the portal.

But as I stood there, giving it some more thought, why hadn't he tried to steal me away like he did last time? I had been cut off from Malachai, courtesy of his witch, and even if I had put up a fight, I would not have won. He hadn't even tried, or flirted with the possibility, which I found all too odd.

The ring, Solina. Find the ring. Cirini's words rushed to the forefront of my mind as though it was something I needed to do this very second.

I shook my head, dispelling the thoughts before I linked Malachai. Gently, I pulled on the natural link we shared,

Chai, I need you.

I'll be there shortly, just going over-

Cirini, he was here...in my room.

I was only met with deafening silence on the other end of the bond. I gave it another tug when I was immediately bombarded with all-consuming rage. Before I could send a calming reassurance through the bond, Malachai had already burst through my bedroom door, with his men in toe, searching the room from top to bottom.

"How did he get in? How did he get past the barriers?" He questioned, not giving anyone time to answer, "They were magically enforced!" He shouted, enraged that something like this could happen on his watch.

"He said he had a witch who owed him a favor," I interjected.

"Yeah, I'm seeing traces of a portal in the closet," Balfore piped up as he inspected the remnants of magic that couldn't be seen with regular sight.

"He touched you," Malachai stated, "I can smell him on you, did he hurt you, Solina? Did he-"

"No!" I responded, trying to assure him, "He didn't do anything inappropriate, I mean a few choice words here and there, but nothing, absolutely nothing like last time, Chai."

While I had felt his rage, he hadn't  masked the underlying fear he felt about me potentially being violated again. I had felt his apprehension through the bond, and with everything going on, this wasn't something else Malachai needed to think about. Thankfully, I could grant him this reprieve with a clear conscience.

"I promise, Chai, nothing happened. I would have linked you sooner, but he blocked my link and soundproofed the room."

"I should have felt it!" he insisted as he paced back and forth across my bedroom. "When he crossed my borders, when the magic failed, I should have felt it," he repeated, although it has seemed to be more for himself than for anyone else.

"If he could get past our defenses so easily, anyone can. Balfore, summon the witch. It seems we have some kinks to work out. Everyone else, if you have collected what we need, leave us." He said with a tone that brooked no argument.

It was only the click of the door with the exit of his men that served as any noise in the sobering silence as we regarded each other. I looked at him, my eyes pleading with him for understanding, but Malachai only looked at me with mounting suspicion.

"Why was he here, Solina?" he asked calmly.

"He came to see me," I confessed. 

The room shifted. The very air between us thickened, charged with something volatile, something on the verge of snapping. Malachai's stare pinned me in place, demanding more, demanding to know why Cirini had gone to such lengths to reach me and-above all-why he hadn't done anything once he had.