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Tempest’s hand went to her mouth. “Oh, dear.”
“My power warps those around me. I knew this, and I assumed if she was with me, and I gave her everything she asked for it would be enough. It wasn’t. Obsession is like cancer, and I destroyed her the day my power infected her.”
“That is terrible. This is why you avoid everyone. You wouldn’t even go for dinner.”
He nodded. “I cannot be around those who don’t have some shielding. I wouldn’t have come here if Mara didn’t have the wards in place. They act as a buffer, and you saw how Camilla acted when she met me. It would have been worse if we were not within these walls.”
“You would have stayed with Elia. For her entire life. Did you love her?”
“I began to care for her. At first, she was fun to be with and she was kind to my brethren. None of us knew how to fix her mental decline, though we tried using magic.”
She touched his arm. “I can tell this story hurts you. I appreciate you being honest with me.”
“I will never lie to you, especially about my power. It is a solitary life and I want no misconceptions between us.” He should save her from him. Tell her she was better off without him because he knew it was true. No woman deserved the life of solitude he was forced to endure. In truth, he hadn’t. He chose to sleep to pass away the centuries. A gift that was no longer an option for him.
“What happened to Elia?”
“No matter what we tried, her mental state continued to deteriorate. I asked Ergen to watch her as I needed a break from her constant accusations. I went outside to fly and when I returned, I found my brother with her body.”
“What happened?” she asked.
“She thought I left her. She threw herself from the cliffs after telling Ergen she wanted to grab the gift she had made for me.”
“Oh Rhadan. I am so sorry.”
“There is no excuse for my mistake. I destroyed Elia. I spent most of my time asleep after that. Honestly, I am still surprised you are unaffected by me.”
Tempest shrugged. “Maybe it’s because I am blind. I can feel you next to me and it’s different from when I am around the other dragons. You seem to affect my sight. I can see hues of color but not images. So, you affect me, but not in the same way.”
“That is not radiance. You are experiencing colors because of our bond. Radiance affects the blind in the same way it does the seeing.”
“What is causing the influx of color, then?”
Rhadan ran his finger over her hand. It was soothing and warm. What a gift to touch a woman and not have her climb in his lap. To feel her shiver, but it is with doubt and trepidation. Tempests’ reactions were real. Hers. “I believe what you are experiencing is a result of my power balancing yours. Or the other way around. There was an elder when I was young. He had the power to turn the living to stone. While dragons were immune, he turned many humans and livestock to stone before he mated. His druid buffered his power, and he was able to temper his gift around her family and never experienced an... accident again.”
“She made him immune?”
“No. He could still turn another to stone, but he had more control over it. Several mages fell by his hand before he and his mate died.”
Tempest sighed. “How far away are Legion and Mara?”
Rhadan touched Legion’s mind and saw the land moving beneath his leader. “They are a half hour away. They didn’t get away from the cabin as early as they hoped.”
Tempest stood. “No problem. Can you lead me to Samantha? Natalie wanted me to meet the potential candidates, anyway. I will conduct her interview, so she doesn’t have to wait.”
“Please sit. I will have Samantha join you on the couch. I will make tea for you both. She did not grab herself any of the bakery items, so I will provide them here.”
“Thank you,” she said, sitting down.
He stood. “Why has Mara decided to hire an outsider in the store? I am more than willing to help you. As are any of the dragons?”
Tempest shrugged. “It was my idea. Nat is pregnant and she will need time off after the baby is born. I thought it made sense to have a normal human at the store. Maybe even a new roommate.”
He wanted to say he would be her new roommate, but he sensed her unease. Legion had warned Kell about pushing his mate too fast. Rhadan had never imagined he would have one, let alone one who was immune to him. He was unsure what to do, and that was rare. “I will bring Samantha to you.”
CHAPTER 8
Tempest smoothed her dress as Samantha approached her. As soon as Rhadan moved away from her, the colors that swirled in her vision disappeared, returning her world to one of dark loneliness. She glanced toward the cafe, wondering what he was doing. He was close. Likely making tea or grabbing the bakery items, but he wasn’t close enough for her to sense him. “Please sit, Samantha. I am sorry Mara can’t make it. I didn’t want to keep you waiting.”
