Once he made it to the road, he'd concentrate and get his magic back under control and get himself a new outfit. For now, he was stuck because he couldn't seem to focus, even with the river not far away.
Something was inhibiting him and his abilities. Something was in the air that kept capturing his attention, and it smelled like cotton candy. He loved fresh cotton candy. He tried to push the thought from his mind and keep his attention on finding his way out of the woods, but his mind kept going back to that sweet scent. But there was nothing in the woods that smelled like cotton candy, so he was just being delusional.
Fear can do strange things, and apparently, it can make you smell the aroma of cotton candy. He decided to try and run, which turned out to be a bad idea. He hadn't gone more than a few yards when he caught his foot on some undergrowth and went headfirst into the broad trunk of a sturdy poplar.
He groaned and rolled onto his back and tried to sit up, but his head began to spin, so he closed his eyes and lay still for a minute as the pain eased off. Cooper felt like a complete idiot running in the woods, trying to get away without a clue where he was going. His magic wasn't working for him, so he was stuck out here in the middle of nowhere, and now he stubbed his toe, tore his pants, and had a pounder of a headache. "I was probably better off in that damnable cell."
“No, you weren’t.” The voice was deep and seemed to come from everywhere. Cooper jerked to his feet but soon fell once again and was struggling to get away when someone placed their hand on his shoulder.
CHAPTER FOUR
Thayer returned to Pittsburgh as it seemed the Black Prince was not a threat to Coven DuCane. With the gift of the Cyprian blades in the hands of his trained guards, Louis was satisfied they had a suitable defense if things happened to turn around. It was late, and Louis retired to his quarters, where he knew his beloved Ezra was waiting for him.
He shared with Ezra the happenings of the day and the Fate of the water mage. "I can't believe a man like the Black Prince would be granted a beloved Thayer claims the man has changed and is striving to heal his soul, but no matter how much healing he achieves, he does not deserve that sweet, little water mage." Louis slipped off his clothes and pulled on a light robe before joining Ezra on the plush loveseat pulling him onto his lap and kissing him deeply.
"I wanted to deny him entry. I wanted to keep him away from whoever it was he was seeking, and he knew it. I saw his gaze, and he read my thoughts, but he didn't react. He waited." Louis pulled Ezra tight to his chest and drank in the clean, exciting scent of his beloved. "What if he hasn't changed? What if that young man is destined for a life of nothing but pain and misery?"
"It is designed by Fate, and if the young mage is his beloved, you cannot interfere. It is the law of the supernatural." Ezra reminded him. "And with that said, I think he has changed." He said this, then hurried with an explanation. "What would you have done if Master Hadden had opposed our bond or tried to keep us apart?”
“I would have laid him out without a thought or care and taken you by force.” He responded at once.
"Exactly, but the Black Prince didn't do that; he waited, and he controlled himself and let you set the pace. I would say that behavior takes a lot of restraint for a man like the Black Prince.” Ezra kissed his cheek and snuggled against his chest.
“Maybe he has changed.” Louis
Edward was keeping pace with his beloved and trying not to frighten him, but still, the little man seemed to pick up on his presence and began to run. Unfortunately, he's not a good runner and ended up hurting himself. Edward decided it was probably better to introduce himself. He was impressed with the young man's speed but not with his coordination.
Cooper, such a sweet name for the little man, was what he'd expected of a water mage. Auburn hair, striking green eyes, and a slight build. What he hadn't expected was the go-it-alone attitude of this one. Water mages, as a rule, did not travel alone due to their vulnerability and the fact they often sought after for their blood's rejuvenating properties. Water mages nearly died out a few decades back, so this one should not be traveling alone.
When Cooper went headlong into the tree, he knew it was time. Edward approached and laid his hand on Cooper's shoulder, gently presenting himself to the skittish little mage. But not gently enough, apparently, because he was presently trying to jump up and run again, but the injury to his head had him dizzy and falling. The poor guy was about to turn himself inside out.
"Easy, I'm not going to hurt you. Stop struggling, or you're going to hurt yourself." He backed off just a half step and removed his hand from Cooper's shoulder.
“Why are you following me?” He snapped at him but then must have thought better of the harshness and softened his attack. “Do I know you?”
“No, you don’t know me, but I know you, Cooper.” Edward offered and took a seat on a downed log next to where Cooper was half lying and half sitting. “You escaped from one of Master Louis DuCane’s cells in the basement of the Coven Manor house.”
"It's more like a Coven Palace," Cooper spoke up and sounded less agitated as he lay down on the grass and covered his eyes with his right arm.
"Louis does prefer the opulence of such a grand, sprawling country home. I suppose it does resemble a palace in some respects." Edward offered and then added. "Myself, I prefer a castle of old world stone. A fortified masterpiece of defense and beauty."
“Do you live in a castle?”
“I do.”
“Are you going to take me back to Coven DuCane?”
“No.”
"Do you work for Norman?" He asked and moved his arm to squint up at where Edward was seated. He had no idea who this Norman was he spoke of, but the minute he said his name, his heart began to beat faster, and fear entered the air.
“I don’t work for anyone.” He told him and then asked. “Why do you fear this man named Norman.”
"He and his goons are the reason I'm here in Michigan. Never should have gotten off the highway and should have kept going north. DuCane's men spotted me immediately. I was only in town a couple of hours before I was thrown into an SUV and carted off to the Palace. It's been a real shit show of the day, and all I was looking for was a little peace and quiet and to hide out for a while." Cooper rambled for a few minutes, and Edward carefully picked through the information given to understand his beloved's situation.
"You don't have to worry about DuCane he isn't going to pursue you," Edward informed, and Cooper moved to sit up; it was the first time that he trained those gorgeous green eyes on Edward, and the moment was electric. "He was going to release you and found you missing." The expression on Cooper's face told him that he wasn't completely buying what he was saying.
“Then why are you here? Why did you follow me?”
Edward was about to try and explain without going into the very serious subject of Fated bonds when Cooper suddenly seemed to become spooked. They were positioned not far from a narrow branch of the river through which Cooper had originally escaped. He reached over and touched a shallow puddle of water next to him and disappeared.