David whirled on her. “You can read minds, Autumn. Do you really expect me to believe you had no idea?”
Autumn’s hot hand squeezed a death grip around his wrist. “This ability of mine isn’t one I take lightly, David. Do you haveanynotion of how many secrets I keep?”
He opened his mouth, but her hand shot up to stop him.
“I promised myself a long time ago that I wouldn’t use what I hear in someone’s mind to alter events. People think about things they’d never do. They ponder things they’d never say. Theylieto themselves. If I acted on every bad idea I’d ever heard… Well, I’ve heard a lot of bad ideas is all I’m saying. Besides, Isobel and I have been together for almost thirty years. Do you think she hasn’t learned how to edit herself in my presence? To make it seem like these stray thoughts were just suppositions? I swear, I didn’t know until after she did it. You’d already drunk the wine, and I just thought…what was the point in telling you then? It couldn’t be undone, and you were already so overwhelmed. It would have only made things worse. I knew you’d figure it out with time. I’m…I’m sorry.”
The taut pull in his shoulders loosened. In place of his dissipating wrath, the sense of betrayal heightened. “I didn’t deserve this,” he said, wishing his voice was stronger. Angrier.
Her emotions cracked to pieces. Pain split through worry, guilt, and regret like a sledgehammer to concrete. Her voice was a forced calm. “It doesn’t matter. She has no logic when it comes to you two. She acts on impulse alone. Meléan was the same way. Youknowthis.”
When David said nothing, she cupped his neck. The happiness in her touch smeared over his surface emotions, and she gave up on subtleties. Her arms looped around him, hugging tight.
He froze, not evading but not returning the embrace. What was up with all these women hugging him? Heat and happiness soaked through his clothes and battled hard against the icy control he refused to relinquish.
“Your soul may be bound to another,” she said, “but you still belong to yourself. In your heart, you’re still you.”
But how long would that be true? What did it really mean to be soul bound? What was a soul, in truth? Was it his consciousness? His spirit? The complex ingredients that formed his personality? All of the above?
“I’m sweating,” he said instead of voicing anything. “Did you know you’re as hot as the fucking sun?”
She laughed. “Does this mean you forgive me?”
“I’ll think about it.”
Autumn’s smile grew distant as she released him and looked toward the hallway. “Anna’s waking up.”
He pressed fingers into his closed eyes.
“I told you she likes you.”
He pressed hard enough that sparks burst into his mind’s eye, triggering a rare vision. Shimmers of blue lights framed Anna’s face, her expression broken as she whispered,I wish I’d never met you.
Nauseated, David clenched his jaw. “Yeah. She likes me. For now.”
“David—”
Ignoring her, he turned for the door.
On the training grounds, Cathaire smiled at his approach. David did the usualwrist grasp, temple kiss.
“Welcome,” the Blademaster said. “I’m pleased you arrived first. I’d like to speak with you.”
David slowed as he reached for the leather wrist guards on their supply table. “Oh?”
“I need to assess your true skill, David.”
His name sounded strange on the pixie’s lips. David was used to being called Shadow orDjianteor even Galadaine’s heir. But to hear his real name gave him pause. “Why?”
“Our warrior chieftain believes Sean is ready to fight in Viterra. I admit I have my reservations, but what I know is this. Despite what they say you will become, you’ve shown no animosity toward the Savior. Dare I say the two of you have formed something of a…brotherhood?”
David remained silent, though the soul bond jumped straight to the forefront of his mind. Was it really so obvious? Cathaire had been watching them daily for months. Perhaps he only sensed a budding friendship.
“I need to know how you fight,” Cathaire said. “My instinct says you will serve our Savior well if you accompany him on his missions, but you are still a sylph, and I have been wrong in the past.”
“Maybe I don’t want to go on missions,” David said.
He laughed. “I doubt you will be given a choice, my boy. You will be forced to prove your loyalty one way or another.”
