Sean blinked, cold tendrils sprouting around his throat. “What?”
“You heard the story. When Lhynion died, he died for Meléan.”
A brief image of a sword aimed for him flashed through his mind and disappeared.
“The part we didn’t tell you is that as he died, Meléan swore she’d repay him.” Bel clamped her bottom lip between her teeth.
“She’drepayhim? Repay a life?”
Bel paced away, arms crossed. “They call it a blood debt. It’s old magic—rarely used, not well understood. But Meléan was impulsive and sometimes unwise.”
“Stupid.” He pushed off the tree. “I thinkstupidis the better word.”
Bel paused to scowl at him.
Attempting to ease the insult with a chuckle, Sean smoothed a finger over the wrinkle in her brow, then wrung out his hand at the burn. “Why does it hurt to touch you?”
A faint smile appeared, followed by a bitter laugh. “It’s all part of the deal. The healing magic Meléan created is all-powerful. It bleeds through my skin, and my kiss is a huge amount of it. If you’re unhurt, the magic has nowhere to go, nothing to do, and if it’s not blocked in some way, it builds up and causes pain. It’s just…part of my fate. Your destiny is to lead this realm away from destruction.Mydestiny…” She looked away, pursing her lips.
He angled his head to catch her attention. “Your destiny?”
Her gaze wandered back to his. “Is you.”
Above him, birds chirped. The light of the sun imparted a deep gold quality to the world around him. All of it disappeared as the gravity of what she meant settled on his shoulders. “Me?”
She flopped her arms out in a helpless gesture. “She swore to repay a life, and here I am, your protector.”
“What could I possibly need protection from?”
The emerald of her eyes clouded, secrets hidden behind a guarded expression. She drew breath, dithering before answering. “There are predictions you’ll face a great deal of danger.”
Exhausted by the constant secrets, Sean studied her face, wondering how much she wasn’t saying. He didn’t know this girl, not really, but more memories appeared in his head—memories of her smile, her kiss, her voice whispering love into his ear.
He kept his tone even. “You’re telling me that a woman who lived one thousand years ago promised a dying man she’d repay him a life, so now you have to die for me?”
The thin wobble in her voice barely registered. “Blood debts are binding. Your great-grandfather gave his life for my grandmother, so I offer mine for you.”
A portion of his frustration expelled in a short sigh. “This can’t be real life.”
“Magic like this travels through bloodlines, Sean. After Meléan swore the oath, the vial of Lhynion’s blood was passed down through my line. When you were born, my mother bound it in silver and placed it around my neck. Now it can’t be removed.” She yanked hard on the necklace, only succeeding in digging the metal into her skin. “The liquid inside is no longer blood. It channelsyou, connects us to each other.”
He didn’t believe it.Couldn’tbelieve it.
“I don’t pretend to understand it,” she said, dropping her gaze to the ground. All those soft curls fell around her face, framing itperfectly. Her bronze skin gleamed in the sunshine. He could have made a list of everything he found most attractive in a woman, and the amalgamation would not have come close to this one’s beauty. Sean tried not to let that distract him. Being beautiful didn’t make her any less vulnerable, and judging by the crease in her brow, the way she nibbled at her full lower lip, the person inside that exquisite facade was nervous.
“So how are you supposed to protect me, then?” he asked. “I don’t want a bodyguard.”
A blush rose to her cheeks. “It’s so silly.”
He waited, letting her gather her thoughts.
She toed the ground. “The debt essentially recreates the relationship Lhynion and Meléan had.”
His voice went lifeless. “Recreateshow?”
Irritation sharpened her words. “I know you’re not this dense.”
“I’m sorry.” He gestured in her general direction. “You’re standing here, a virtual stranger, telling me you’re in love with me. I’m allowed to be confused.”
