Page 28 of His Realm

“Ah,” I murmured, smiling into the phone. Here, finally, was the heart of the matter. He had no idea how happy I was to learn that there was a reason for me feeling different than I had before.

I’d been a soldier and had never been as tired as I was in the past five months. That was insane, and now, at last, my world would make sense.

“When I made that change in you, I had to give you much of my own blood, and that included…I don’t know what. Markers, genetic material—my essence, if you will—which altered your DNA at a cellular level.”

“Oh dear God, you made it so we can’t ever get divorced,” I said, going for aghast, hoping that was coming through.

Silence on the other end. Then, “what did you say to me?”

He was absolutely incensed, and I was enjoying that.

“We will never”—he was sputtering—“you will never be parted from⁠—”

“Not that we’re married now,” I added. “It would be nice to be married before I get on a plane to Greenland, but you know, you have to find Alrek, so⁠—”

“Jason!”

Imagining his face, all indignant and pissed off, made me laugh. I couldn’t help it. Varic was so careful with everyone outside his closest circle, and the most honest with me, letting me see under his unflappable, contained facade. He was kind to everyone and proper and calm at the same time. People who didn’t know him couldn’t see that for the mask it was. No one really knew him, not even his father, except for those of us who lived with him. Only we heard his husky laugh, saw his warm smile, and understood how big his heart was.

“Why are you⁠—”

“I love you so much,” I said with a sigh.

His breath caught.

“C’mon, you know I do.”

“Yes, I…”

“Just tell me you’re sorry.”

“Oh, Jason, I’m so sorry. I made a terrible mistake by not calling and telling you what you were going through, and worse, even, by not calling only to hear your sweet voice.”

“See?” I teased him. “You’re good at this.”

“I missed you,” he barely got out, his voice cracking at the end.

“Good. Okay. I missed you too, love. Now tell me what’s happening.”

Seconds ticked by.

“Varic?”

“You’re not angry with me?”

I chuckled. “Why? Did you do something else?”

“No, I… But why—why aren’t you raging at⁠—”

“You changed the way my body works so I can live longer and have more time with you, right? That’s why you made the change to my blood and to my heart.”

“Yes,” he husked.

“And now I understand that along with that comes this extra piece which made it so we shouldn’t be separated. That’s actually a good thing. If I wasn’t a matan, my own blood wouldn’t be trying to kill me. Basically, you left me with all this blood to give and nowhere for it to go since opening a vein for anyone else is a no-no.”

He was suddenly breathing heavily. “You cannot give your most precious blood to⁠—”

“Yes, dear, I know,” I said playfully. “But really, if I weren’t a matan, I wouldn’t be feeling like this. Other vampyrs feed royals, like your mother, like Nerilla did, and don’t have these shitty side effects.”