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The majority of her life had been spent artfully concealing her powers, hiding the truth of her origins. Now that she was exposed, she felt vulnerable and unprotected. Endangered. With the chaos of her sudden alarm crashing through her system, she leapt to her feet and backed away from him. The room appeared to shrink, the walls closing in, the ceiling dropping down, while her pulse beat in her throat like her heart was trying to claw it way out of her chest.
Bringing himself to stand as well, he put his hands up in a calming gesture. “Don’t be alarmed.”
The three males whose presence had been so comforting now resembled a threat. Lear and Asher stood shoulder to shoulder, blocking her exit. Not that she’d ever abandon Caryn in this state, even to save herself.
She must have looked like a cornered animal, because Aidan actually took several paces back as though not to spook her further.
“Look at me,” he said softly. “You know me. You know we’re not like Tag. We’d never harm you or Caryn.”
Lear and Asher crossed their arms in silent agreement. Did they not realize the action made them that much more imposing, blatantly telegraphing their ability to overpower her?
“You know you can trust me,” Aidan continued, drawing her attention back to him. His expression was earnest. Over these last few weeks Aidan had shown himself to be more honorable than any other man in her past. Such a rare commodity, honor. One many laid claim to, but rarely ever possessed. Still...
“I’ve trusted others before,” she said. “Never to my benefit.”
“It’s why you lie with such ease,” he deduced without judgment. “You’ve had to in the past. I get it. But I’m not them. Your magic led you to me for a reason. If nothing else, trust that.”
She glanced down at Caryn, now sleeping soundly. Caryn had been the one to lead them here. She had been so sure ofDragoonand its crew. Onnika recalled her actually reaching out for the ship that day like she longed for it. Or was it these people she’d longed for? A group who the two of them could finally trust? A group who could take them home?
“Can you really lead us back to our people? Will you?” She didn’t mean to sound so skeptical, but she’d been burned by hope too many times.
“I give you my word,” he vowed. “You’ll see your home again.”
She searched his eyes, and the truth she saw in them flooded her with emotions. But it was the honesty in his resolve her magic sensed that smothered any doubt, and a relief so staggering assailed her that she nearly swayed on her feet. With a sob, she rushed to close the space between them and threw her arms around him. He welcomed her into his embrace. “I’ll always keep you safe.”
