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He loved having this power. One day, he would stand on an actual beach again and experiment with what he could do with a whole ocean in front of him. Gio should see this fun side of his gift.
Gio…
Those angry words slashed through him, and the water in the pond splashed noisily back down. The man hadn’t meant to hurt him. There was nothing cruel or mean about Gio. But there was more to the three of them than only a bit of fun.
Relief and joy had left him briefly lightheaded at the idea that both men were his soul mates. The happiness that ran through him had been like a livewire of electricity.
But Gio’s utter panic and denial had cut that spark cold. Lucien had stridden off angry, probably setting fires with every stomp of his feet. Gio had disappeared upstairs, likely to the attic.
Unable to take all the worried looks from the others, Calder had retreated to the pond.
Wrapping his arms around his bent knees, Calder glared at the water. A soul mate was supposed to be this beautiful, exciting, wonderful thing. His grandfather claimed he married his soul mate, and they’d spent fifty years together before she passed.
Maybe he had this silly dream tucked deep in his heart to one day meet his soul mate. A dream that seemed all the more impossible when he realized he was gay and too much of the world had issues with that.
But then he was pulled into the Circle, where he met three couples who’d met their soul mates. What’s more, one man could see soul mates. The dream had stopped being so impossible for one shining moment. It had actually become possible.
Someone who knew him, who loved him, who would stay by him forever.
And then bam!
Slammed back to earth. Two soul mates and neither of them wanted him. Yeah, that sounded about right. Oh, they enjoyed the sex part, but the loving and supporting part were too much work, too much risk.
Or maybe it was just him.
Of course, being a soul mate of a Weaver came with a lot of responsibility. And danger. Then there was the whole powers thing. Having a relationship with one of them came with so much baggage. But two?
Calder dropped his forehead to rest on his arms. Would Gio have been so quick to reject them if he’d been the soul mate to only one of them? He’d been hurt in a poly in the past, but if he was just tied to Lucien, he probably wouldn’t have run away. They were a perfect match for each other. Outgoing, funny, smart, passionate.
He was the third wheel. Awkward and too quiet. No one ever quite knew what to do with him, and he didn’t know what to do with people.
What if there was a way for Lucien and Gio to be bonded together? The idea was like a hot knife twisted in his stomach, but if it meant Gio and Lucien were happy, he’d go along with it. Especially if it meant defeating the pestilents and keeping the rest of the Circle safe.
Footsteps crunched through the grass, and he looked over his shoulder to see Lucien approaching. The Fire Weaver always moved with confidence and purpose, as if his every action was thought out and expertly planned. As if he always knew he couldn’t fail. Must be nice.
Calder returned his glare to the water, in no mood for Lucien’s anger. Tapping into his powers, he played with the water, making it dance in twirling fountains.
Lucien settled beside him, silently watching Calder swirling the water. His skin tingled with awareness, but it had always been like that around Lucien. From the first moment they met, there was this sixth sense about him.
Moonlight sparkled on the droplets, magic thickening the air. Lucien lifted his hand and tiny flames sprouted above each spiral. Calder held his breath at how beautiful it was. With little effort, the flames and water seemed to dance together.
“I’m sorry,” Lucien finally said, his voice low and deep. “I shouldn’t have let my temper get the best of me. It’s something I’m working on, but as you know, I can get testy fast.”
Calder let the spirals splash into the pond and looked at Lucien. His handsome face had already become dear to him. He let his gaze roam over those sharp cheekbones and soft, kissable lips. So handsome in the moonlight. “We were hit with a lot at once. Soul mates.”
“I’m not entirely surprised to find out you’re mine.” He paused, a strange emotion crossing his face before he corrected himself. “One of mine, rather. The attraction has been strong from the beginning, though I went about it all the wrong way.” He smiled sheepishly.
Calder nodded. Clay had nailed it in a nutshell, whether they were ready to hear it or not. He and Lucien had been fighting fate. “We both did. But what about Gio?”
