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Charlie hesitated. “Even the scaly one that might eat magic?”
Clawdia laughed. “Even him. He was so beautiful.”
“I can’t wait. When are your fertile times, Little Cat?” I kissed the shell of her ear, and she shivered.
Charlie pulled her out of my arms and glared. “Slow down, buddy.”
“We aren’t having children just yet.” Clawdia told me and patted my chest.
“Of course. After we’ve defeated Fafnir,” I conceded.
“And after we’ve found your siblings.” She added.
I pouted. “We cannot have children and search for them?”
“You are too eager, my love.”
But how could I not be? Now that I knew of another possibility, a bright and happy future, I couldn’t wait. And the future Daithi saw for me would be bearable knowing that I had joy waiting for me.
CHAPTER23
CLAWDIA
“This is remarkable, Charlie. And you’ve been able to keep it up for all this time?” Elizabeth circled the magic cage that contained my soul mate.
As soon as we’d calmed down, I was able to tidy myself, and Charlie rushed off to grab dinner for us all and bring his birth mother to help us with both mine and Baelen’s predicament.
I sat kneeling on the sofa as near as I could to Baelen. Despite what Charlie and Zaide said, I couldn’t believe he wasn’t himself while we were intimate. I couldn’t believe it. He called me sunlight and had the same shocked awe about him as the moment he realized we were soul mates. The aggressiveness he’d had when he woke up and the way the words from his mouth sounded strange had gone. I was so sure he was mine again.
He leaned his head against the bars of his cage, watching us all but making no remark. Even after all the conversation about children, he didn’t say a word. I’d never wanted to know the thoughts of a man, quite so much.
His eyes had not been wild, but nor had he had the arrogant sneer on his lips. He was my Baelen again, and although I didn’t know what caused the change, I suspected it was my blood. So, I vowed to stay close.
Charlie rolled his eyes as he leaned against the kitchen counter. “As you can see.”
Elizabeth straightened with overly wide eyes. “And here I thought you were learning nothing.”
“How do we rid him of the shadow?” Zaide asked from beside Charlie as he made tea.
While I wasn’t convinced it was a shadow causing his strange behavior, Zaide was, and Baelen didn’t confirm or deny the accusation. But I’d witnessed the shadows in the dreamscape. If they were so powerful and had such ability, why didn’t they possess him or me when they fought him then?
Elizabeth sighed, and her expression turned somber. “What can we do? I don’t know how to ensure his shadow leaves him.” She moved away from the cage and took the cup Zaide offered her.
“We just keep him in a cage?” I asked, outraged.This is not a solution.It was clearly uncomfortable for him to sit so cramped, and more to the point, I wanted him with us, with me. I didn’t want him captive.
Baelen’s lips quirked, and he said, “I am fine in here, Sunlight. I’d rather you be out of reach.”
“What does that mean?” I asked, pressing my hand against the cage. He opened his mouth, a desperate want in his eyes, but no words came out. His face darkened as he choked and gasped, his mouth tight and his brow furrowed with pain.
My heart stuttered, and I tried to reach through the bars to touch him, but the barrier around him stopped me. “Okay. All right. Don’t try to say anything more on the topic. We’re going to help.”
He coughed again, but the panic in his eyes dulled and he whispered, “You cannot help me, Sunlight. But I appreciate you trying.”
“Are you hungry?” I asked him, my voice low. Zaide didn’t like seeing him feed, but if it kept the real Baelen with me, I’d try anything.
“No.” He smiled, and amusement made the red of his irises swirl. “But you cannot delay the inevitable by speaking with me.”
“Inevitable?” I asked quietly.
