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The seer left the room, and the clanking of bottles echoed off down the hall. When she returned, she held a small bottle and an old leather-bound book, filled with parchment with frayed edges. She handed the vial to the young girl. “Drink.”
Little Reagan accepted the bottle with shaking hands, but she did as she was told. Holding the elder’s hand, she stayed still while the old seer began to chant. Ancient runes swirled around the young child, an invisible shield settling onto her skin as her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she passed out, landing on Elda’s lap.
Confusion settled over me. If my younger self was asleep, I shouldn’t see this memory, but the scene continued to show me pieces of my past I didn’t know existed.
The seer placed a wrinkled hand on the child’s forehead and nodded. “There.”
“Can you see her future? Are the shadows gone?”
“No, but the darkness that shrouds her has been hidden behind a wall of light. It won’t hold forever. We must hope it’s long enough to transfer the ward to her offspring when the time comes.”
“How long do we have?”
“I truly can’t say. I’ve never felt magic that strong before, but it’s best for her to believe that guardians don’t have mates. If she doesn’t believe in it, she won’t make the mistakes her mother did. No reason to search for something that doesn’t exist. In the meantime, let us pray to the primordials who charged us with the soul’s keeping that her mate doesn’t come looking for her.”
“What kind of bond could even conceal their mate as a child, Zona?” Elda whispered as she stroked the little’s girl’s hair softly. “What kind of supernatural is capable of that?”
The elder’s question mimicked my own.
The old woman shuddered, then turned to look out the window of the cabin. She stared straight into my eyes as though I were there and not seeing this moment as a memory. In a barely audible voice, she answered. “A shadow shifter.”
The memory exploded, my vision blurring as fragments of my past shattered like glass.
My eyes shot open, and I came to, gasping for air and bolting upright to find myself no longer on the beach, but in my bed. Our bed. Caius sat beside it; worry etched in his features.
“Reagan,” he breathed. “What happened? The healers said you were ... fine. They said there was nothing they could do. I thought?—”
“I’m fine.” I swallowed, the dryness of my throat evident with each word. “How long was I out?”
“Hours,” he said painfully. “Tell me what happened.”
“I don’t know? A memory resurfaced.”
“One of mine?” His eyes darkened, but they cleared when I shook my head.
“Mine. The mate bond,” I began, and his face fell, probably waiting for me to try and back out. I shoved the covers off, tucking my legs beneath me so I could sit up better. “It was always there.”
He looked at me, confused. “How is the mate bond a memory?”
“It was never your soul. It wasn’tbecauseI’m the guardian. It’sdespiteme being the guardian.” I shook my head, trying to make sense of what I saw. “This pull I’ve had to you, the dreams of this place; it’s because I’m meant to be here. The bond. The shadows. All of it.” Something cold flashed through me as I remembered what they did. They’d taken him away from me for so long. “The coven bound me from feeling it. From feeling you.”
Caius sat on the edge of the bed, one leg hanging down and the other bent on the mattress holding my hands in his. He squeezed my hand, a small smile on his face. “All this time, I figured you were just obstinate.”
I laughed because what else could we do?
“Our bond”—I swallowed, taking another deep breath. “I felt it when I was young. The elders couldn’t see my future anymore. Your shadows were protecting me. They put a binding light over me, hoping it would hold you off. But it started to fracture when I was eighteen. That’s why you dreamed of me. The shadows crept in through those cracks. I didn’t know what it was. My dreams, my visions of shadows and safety andhome. But I do now,” I said, my voice dropping to a whisper toward the end. I squeezed his hands back. “It was always you.”
“Your dreams are part of the past. They can’t ever hurt you again. I’ll always be here if you want to talk about them.” He leaned in to kiss me, and I smiled against his lips before a sudden sense of guilt swept over me. I still hadn’t told him about my second dream. I at least had the choice to tell him about mine. It felt like I was being sneaky knowing some of his past without his permission. What if he wasn’t ready to talk about those things? He sensed that I was upset and pulled away.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I have a confession,” I began, fidgeting with my hands while I sat back. “I had another dream-memory that wasn’t mine. But it was a while ago. It was with Abra—” I cut myself off when I saw anger flash in his eyes. “Her. I didn’t tell you because I don’t want to cause you any more pain than you’ve already experienced. It feels intrusive, even if I can’t control it.”
He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter anymore. There’s nothing she can do to hurt me again. It might take me time to not feel hatred when I hear her name, but you’re all that matters.” He took a deep breath, letting the silence comfort us before he spoke again. “I actually have a confession as well.”
“Oh really?”
He hummed. “Dannika sent me a letter.” My jaw dropped. “She wants to meet on neutral ground to talk about the portal, and she hopes to welcome me to the family. I’ve written her back, but not sent it. I won’t send it until you’re ready. I figured we could make that trip together. King and Queen of Tartarus .. .”
