31. Gabriel
Chapter 31
Gabriel
T hey still hadn’t spoken about the bond, and it was driving Gabriel mad. But each time he tried to talk to Brinley about it, she changed the subject or distracted him with her damn body. It was a totally unfair advantage. Not that he was complaining.
Except, he was. Because they needed to have a serious conversation.
So, he’d decided to wait for the right time. They were running low on that, but he could give her a little longer before facing everything. It had been nearly a week though, and he couldn’t take it anymore. Today, she sat with Rose while he went to check on things around the village as usual, but when he returned to find his sister crying, whispering to Brinley about a future she didn’t think she’d get, he knew it was time. He’d left Pax with his sister and asked Brinley to take a walk with him.
He led her down the road after claiming he needed to show her something. To her credit, her hesitation was minimal, and he knew it was due to the looming conversation she couldn’t avoid rather than because she didn’t trust him. He knew that was no longer a concern. She had shown her trust in him and his friends; that fear in her eyes had vanished even without her memories of the past.
It was Rose’s idea to take Brinley to the lake house a few weeks ago, but it hadn’t brought back the memories they needed her to have. That had made him realize, however, that there was one other place that might do it. Especially since discovering the trigger to her magic, which she hadn’t been able to reach again. But he was about to test his theory of how to truly unlock it.
They strolled through the quiet village hand in hand, and for a brief moment, he could almost pretend everything was fine. He could imagine this was just another day, walking around with the girl he loved.
Gabriel shut down that line of thinking right away.
One thing at a time. He was still scared of the claim she had on the remains of his heart, but it was too late to deny that she indeed owned them.
Turning down an alley, he paused long enough to pull a ring of keys from his belt then went to one of the old doors. He opened it, revealing a pitch-dark room. But his eyes were on Brinley, who looked somewhere between terrified and shocked.
“If you think I’m walking in there first?—”
“So difficult,” he muttered, entwining their fingers once more. His calloused palm pressed against her smooth one as he led her inside.
Something scurried past their feet, and she let out an involuntary squeak. Stepping closer, she wrapped her other hand around his arm.
Gabriel laughed. “Never thought I’d see the day when a witch was so scared of a mouse that she’d cuddle up to a wolf.”
“Shut up.” She smacked his arm, only making him laugh harder. “Why is it so dark in here?”
“The building has been abandoned for decades.”
“Then, where are we…” Brinley trailed off as he opened another door.
His eyes adjusted, and he shifted to watch her reaction. She stepped into the open corridor that surrounded the large courtyard with wide eyes. Covering her mouth with a hand, she moved farther in.
“This was once a meeting area and commons for gathering, a peaceful place to relax,” Gabriel began explaining, even though he was aware she already knew about it. For days, he had gone to sit in the solarium when she first started visiting Rose. He told himself and Paxton that it was to keep an eye on the witch, that he didn’t trust her with his sister. But they both saw the lie for what it was—he’d been spying. “During one of the battles between our people, the village took a lot of damage. The homes were fixed, but with everyone grieving and trying to move on, this place was left behind.”
He caught sight of the tears welling in her eyes as she walked under one of the stone arches and onto a worn-down path in the otherwise tall grass. She passed a small stream that trickled in through an aqueduct beneath one of the buildings and headed straight toward the large tree at the end of the space.
Which was one reason why he’d thought this would make the perfect place to talk and hopefully spark her memories. Not only did this place feel magical, but he’d heard Brinley asking to hear about the pink tree over and over. He hoped that it was because subconsciously, she knew of the significance it held for her and him together.
But then, he saw her crying. She sobbed, collapsing to her knees before the willow.
He’d hoped she might have some sort of recollection, remember the connection, but he hadn’t expected her to break down within seconds. He could practically feel the pain radiating off her in waves.
It broke his fucking heart.
He went to her side and lowered to the grass, whispering, “Brinley.”
When he put an arm around her, she turned into him. He hauled her closer as she pressed her face against his neck, pulling her into his lap and running a hand down her long brown hair.
“What is it, bijou?” Gabriel asked after a couple minutes, when her tears had slowed and her breathing evened out. He needed her to speak, to tell him.
Sniffling, she pulled away enough to look over at the tree. “I… I’ve been here before.”
“You remember?”
She nodded, shifting in his lap to lean back against his chest. “When I was younger, I… I think I came here with my mother.”
He tightened his arms around her, waiting.
“But I thought it was a dream,” she whispered.
His own throat tightened. He wanted so badly to tell her everything. Closing his eyes, he pressed his lips to her head. He’d wanted so much to hate this infuriating, na?ve girl, to see that she’d grown into exactly the type of witch the High Sorceress undoubtedly wanted her to be. But it was impossible. It was one thing for her to save his life, but then, seeing her with Rose… He’d watched as they became friends, and he knew that was why Brinley wanted to train. She wanted to help his sister. And that meant everything to him.
But he also saw the girl she used to be before she was taken six years ago. He saw the cracks in her cold armor, the way she opened up to him. The way she fell for him, even after the witches had manipulated her mind.
Because their love was stronger than any spell. It was why he’d been able to push through her grandmother’s magic as a child, trying to reach Brinley after she was taken from him. It was why he had been drawn to her time and time again.
Nothing could keep them apart. The moon goddess had made them perfectly for one another, had planned out their destiny long before they were born.
He would always find her.
And she would always love and trust him. No matter how hard they tried to make her hate the DeLoup.
“Gabriel, was it a dream?”
He shook his head against hers, and she let out a stuttering breath. When she lifted a hand next to her shoulder, he cradled it in his own, knowing what she wanted.
“I was here before?”
With his thumb, he tapped the center of her palm. Though, he could have answered aloud. It was easier this way—to communicate without words when his throat was too tight with emotion.
She pivoted to face him. “Were we here six years ago too?”
Gabriel couldn’t take it anymore. He cupped her cheek and leaned in to cover her mouth with his. Without breaking the kiss, she shifted to her knees in his lap. Her arms crossed behind his neck as she parted her lips. Holding her against him, he knew this was right.
It would hurt like hell if she was taken from him again, but he knew that living without her at all… that wasn’t any better. “Brinley?—”
“No,” she whispered, tugging at his shirt.
With every bit of willpower he possessed, he pushed his desire down and held her arms still. “We have to talk about it.”
“No, we don’t.” She shook her head.
“Goddess above, why are you so damn stubborn about this?”
“The moment you say it, it becomes real.”
He lifted a hand to her cheek. “Sweetheart, it’s already real.”
“Please, Gabriel.” Her voice cracked right along with his heart.
With a long sigh, he said, “Fine, let’s start with what you remember.”
She nodded and settled back in his lap, draping her legs to one side of his so she could lay her head on his shoulder.
“You said you remember coming here with your mother, and being here with me, but that last time was after she passed.” He tightened his arms around her. “What do you recall about those times individually? What happened in between?”
She sniffled again. “Gabe…”
He tensed. She never used his nickname. She hadn’t since they were children.
Bringing her palm to his cheek, she tilted his face down to hers. Her blue eyes latched onto his. She leaned up to press a soft kiss to his lips before whispering, “I think I remember it all, and I…”
“What, bijou?”
Brinley visibly swallowed. “I can feel my magic.”