Chapter 9
A whisper of dread curled in Daya’s gut as she re-packed her saddlebags so she would be ready to depart the moment the mountain told her that the time had come. The waiting was difficult, giving her nerves time to multiply.
Two things plagued her, invading not only her waking thoughts but also her dreams: the sick girl at the fortress, and Raiden’s whispered words to her the night they had danced.
She’d played the conversation between the captain and his soldiers over and over in her mind.
The separation sickness the other girl was experiencing could only be caused by some sort of deep earth magic.
Generations ago, she’d met a young ocean mage who needed the touch of the sea.
The boy’s family had moved inland to be with relatives, into the nearby town of Mountainview, far from any salted waters, and had become stranded on her mountain.
He’d become too ill to complete the journey and died, begging to be taken back to the sea.
Something about the situation felt familiar.
She wouldn’t know until she saw the girl, but the separation problem was unique and only appeared with elemental types of magic.
As a guardian, Daya’s magic was tied not to any particular element, but to all of them and more.
To the spirit of the mountain itself. Her essence, her very soul, was kept alive through her bond.
Hannelore’s territory was huge, expanding for days in all directions, but she’d never been able to travel very far outside its range.
A day or two, to one of the small villages that fell within the shadow.
Never farther. The long journey to Calderre would kill her before she ever made it to Raiden’s home.
A piercing sensation stabbed her heart at the thought of being separated from him.
She couldn’t leave, and he couldn’t stay.
Not only did his skills and memories boast of a talented and committed warrior, but they also hinted at a loving family and strong home life.
Raiden was needed elsewhere, just as she was needed on the mountain.
The passion and dedication that made them such a beautiful match for each other would ultimately keep them apart.
Sometimes, the soul knows better than the mind, anaiah. His words whispered through her like a caress, ringing with truth and surety.
Her soul did know and yearned to connect with his. She was torn between running from heartbreak or succumbing to the heat of his eyes and the touch of his hands. It was terrifying, yet everything she’d ever dreamed of.
Absent memories provided a logical reason to keep him at arm’s length, but in truth, she was protecting her heart.
Her memory would leave him in a short sixty years or so when he died, but she’d feel his touch and hear his voice for much longer, until the mountain released her from duty as guardian and she returned to the earth.
The realization that she couldn’t be both guardian and woman stung. She thought she’d come to terms with it when Draven had died, but that loss paled in comparison to even the possibility of losing Raiden.
Cruel but true.
She would never let Raiden attempt to challenge Hannelore the way Draven had. His death would destroy her completely.
Ereven pressed his mind into hers, disrupting her morose thoughts. Travelers just inside our territory.
This side of the mountain was well traveled due to its close proximity to the town of Mountainview and the nearby Zamyran border.
He didn’t feel alarmed, but the alert was odd.
They usually only paid attention to people who came further up the mountain.
Even then, he wouldn’t have notified her if it were only a villager wandering through their territory. It happened often enough.
Let me see.
The image he sent her was a crisp, wide view of four riders making their way toward the mountain. They appeared to be a competent group, traversing the trails at the base of the mountain with ease. Not mercenaries and not wanderers.
A broad-shouldered man with the look of a seasoned hunter led the group.
Dark hair was tied back from his face, and his sharp eyes scanned the sky as well as the trees.
Very aware of the forest. Another hunter closed out the group at the rear, his attention similarly captured by their surroundings. Two women rode between them.
What drew your attention? she asked.
A flare of magic.
Just one?
Yes.
Three individuals protecting one mage. That was reasonable, given how deep inland they were.
They’d seen it before. All of them had moderate coloring, but there was something about the woman paired with the lead hunter that drew her attention.
She was more out of place than the others. Less comfortable in her surroundings.
Is she the mage? She sent the image of the delicate auburn-haired woman back to him.
Yes.
That made sense. Unable to pinpoint anything besides their mere presence that should bother her, she let it go. Visitors passed through frequently enough.
Keep an eye on them. Alert me if they get too close.
A kernel of fear popped inside her chest. What if they were looking for Raiden?
Her heart tumbled as she considered the possibility.
Any time before, she would have been glad of the opportunity for him to reunite with his people.
But after the day they’d shared, she wasn’t so sure.
Her desire to keep him was growing stronger.
The possibility of him disappearing from her life forced her to face some stark realizations. She cared for him deeply.
The real question was whether she would tell him so before she lost him. Because whether the visitors were here for him or not, there was no way forward for them. She wouldn’t let him risk his life to stay with her. Wouldn’t let another tragic end come to a man she loved.
Daya closed her eyes against the truth. Knowing the end made it hurt so much more.
Death awaited him if he stayed and tried to win her heart the way Draven had.
She pressed shaking hands to her knees as the sharp pain in her chest intensified.
How had she let this happen? Let herself fall into the hope of possibility?
Needing air, she walked outside.
It was the wrong move.
Raiden’s rich laugh immediately entranced her. Joy suffused it, making him sound utterly alive. Her heart swelled at that. It was such a contrast to the nightmares and pain he’d suffered since she found him.
He was engaged in a game of some sort with Neka.
They were both frozen in place until he suddenly moved, and Neka pounced at him, accurately anticipating the direction he tried to go and blocking him off.
She watched them for a few moments until Neka took a larger leap and shoved Raiden over into the dirt, eliciting his vibrant laugh once again.
“You win! We’ll play again after you hunt.” Raiden spotted her and grinned before giving Neka a push toward the forest. “Go on then.”
The owlcat stretched like she was getting up from a long nap before taking off toward the trees.
“Show off,” Raiden called after her.
“Planning to rest there until she gets back?” Daya asked as she walked over to him.
“Maybe.” He smiled. “Unless I get a better offer.”
Shoving her logic as far back as she could in her mind, she did something she hadn’t done since he’d been ill. She extended her hand to him.
The spark in his eyes changed from general amusement to something deeper. He accepted her hand and let her haul him up off the ground.
He winced as he stood. “I was ready to pursue that look in your eye, but it seems nature has other ideas.”
Daya wrapped her arm around his waist and pressed close so that she could support him as they walked toward the barn. “You overdid it on our date yesterday.”
He stopped suddenly; pain banished as his eyes brightened to the richest green.
“What?” she asked, self-conscious.
“Nothing.”
The twist of his lips clearly meant the opposite of nothing.
“Why are you smiling, then?” she asked.
“No reason.”
“Raiden!”
His free hand stilled her face as he leaned close to her, blocking out the sun and everything around them. “You admit it was a date.”
“I—no—”
“Yes. You did.”
“It doesn’t matter.” She backtracked. “We—”
“Belong,” he said. “We belong, Daya.”
Raiden pressed his lips to hers and kissed her deeply, daring her to deny the truth. Seeking everything she had to give as he pursued her.
The desire she’d kept trapped broke free, and she quit hiding. She reached to meet him, tangling their hearts together as she kissed him back. Completely lost in the gentle strength of his hand holding her steady.
“We belong, Daya.”
“I know.” She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “But it’s not that simple.”
He stroked the side of her face in a caress. “Then explain it to me, anaiah. Because I know what I feel.”
“I’m a guardian,” she confessed, heart racing from more than just the kiss.
His brows dipped in a frown, like he was trying to place the word.
“This—Hannelore—is a sacred site, and I’m its bound guardian,” she continued.
Raiden opened his mouth to speak and then shook his head. “Come on, let’s go sit. This is important.”
Her nerves were spinning and somersaulting as they walked the short distance remaining to the barn. Once he was situated, he pinned his green eyes on her with a steady intensity that was unsettling.
“Talk to me, anaiah. What does it mean to be a guardian?”
She paced for a moment before turning to face him. “How much do you know about sacred sites?”
“Very little. They’re ancient places that used to be gathering spots. Where magic lived. I think that’s the phrase historians like to use.”
That was surprisingly accurate. “Yes. That phrase is a good one. The actual gathering site—the valley where I do my work—is hidden deeper in the mountain.”
His eyes brightened. “The valley we came through when you saved me. That’s part of it, isn’t it?”