Chapter Eleven #3
“She canna stay here with ye forever, lass. Ye know that, aye? She is one of the Fae and brought ye here for reasons only known to herself. Did ye not mention some sort of curse? Once that curse is lifted, she’ll return to her kind and forget all about ye.
” He trailed his fingers through her hair, gently combing it back from her face until she swatted his hand away.
“Stop and just go to sleep. Please?”
How had they gone from contentment to contempt in the blink of an eye?
He refrained from further conversation, granting her the peace she’d requested.
But he would not sleep. Not now. He and Evie might be bound, and their souls melded, but their union was far from strong, and a weak union was just as bad as no union at all.
*
“Ye said we must protect them.” Morganna shook off the rain like a wet dog, showering Callum and several others enjoying the warm coziness of the pub.
“Lower yer voice. Mortals abound here this evening.” He cast a pointed glance at the far corner beside the hearth. Several tourists, fated mate possibilities, had arrived today. Petra and Jarrah were currently scrying their souls to see if any were promising enough to pursue.
He scooted his seat closer, then leaned forward and propped his arms on the table.
“And I said,” he informed her in a hushed tone, “that we needed to warn the fated mates so they could remain vigilant and protect their bonds. A new bond can be a fragile thing, as ye well know, since we recently lost several.”
She gave him a look he knew all too well.
A groan escaped him. “Dinna tell me ye’ve become attached to this one too?
Ye know how unwise that is.” With Morganna and himself unable to have children of their own, not only because of fertility challenges among the Fae but also in part due to the curse, his beloved mate had started becoming far too fond of the mortals they matched, often adopting them as her own.
He covered her hand with his and gently squeezed it.
“’Twill only cause ye pain, my own. Ye know that. ”
“I promised to help her acclimate, and I’ll not be breaking my word.” She yanked her hand away, crossed her arms, and threw herself back in the chair, pouting like a spoilt bairn. “But I need help to protect her. The Fae are already closing in. The ring I gave her changed this verra day.”
He eyed the lit scoreboard above the mirror behind the bar.
Customers thought it was there to keep track of dart championships, pub games, or drinking contests, but its true purpose was tallying fated mate matches.
Earlier in the month, the numbers had dropped by three, but today, they had increased by one.
A sure sign that Morganna’s charge had stayed true to her choice and consummated her union with the Earl of Blackmorrow.
He nodded at it. “Their souls are melded. Ye warned Evie, aye? And the MacMuirrow?”
“Warning does little good when they dinna ken what they’re possibly facing.” She glared at him, then held up a hand and started counting off on her fingers. “Give me Farbis, Jadrack, and Jarrah.” She grew thoughtful, then gave a curt nod. “And Mercury.”
“Mercury is not ours to give, love. Unicorns do as they wish. Ye know that.” Callum glanced around to ensure the latest batch of tourists hadn’t overheard him, since he’d gotten a bit louder than he intended.
“Unicorns do as they will,” he repeated in a quieter whisper.
Then he nodded at the scoreboard. “And since she is no longer a virgin, I doubt he’ll be inclined to jump centuries for her. ”
“We could at least ask him.”
Callum started to argue, then snapped his mouth shut and gave a resigned shake of his head.
She was not giving up on this. He could see it in her eyes.
Her depth of love and desire to mother these poor, hapless mortals was one of the things that made him cherish her so.
“Jadrack, Jarrah, and Farbis. Why them?”
“Dragon tears heal minds as well as bodies, even though Jadrack often finds it hard to cry. As a wulver, Jarrah is kindhearted toward mortals, and since Farbis lost his precious Deirdre, he’s been particularly protective of those new to love.
A rare quality for a grumpy old gnome, I admit, but I’ve seen it with my own eyes. ”
She’d thought this through and planned her strategy well, but then, she usually did.
Callum caught her hand in his and held it.
“How long do ye intend to stay with them? I dinna like it when ye’re gone from me.
” And the longer she stayed with the mortals, the more difficult it would be for her to say goodbye to them.
“Ye know ye must not make her dependent upon ye. She must embrace the fourteenth century and its people.”
Morganna fixed a sad gaze upon their joined hands. “I know I must not stay verra long. It’s just…” She lifted her eyes to his, the pain in them begging him to understand. “I canna bear to see her struggling so.”
“Struggling will make her stronger.” He squeezed her hand again.
“Remember that wee mortal bairn we saw in the park? That fearless babe just learning to walk? How many times did that tiny lassie fall back on her arse before she finally learned to balance? Remember how proud she was when she did it? How she clapped and crowed with glee?” He gently tugged his dear one closer for a kiss.
“Evie will be just as proud when she bests whatever she faces. Ye said yerself she’s a fighter.
She can do this, but ye must allow her to do so, ye ken? Dinna make her too dependent upon ye.”
“I know,” she whispered, then managed a sad smile. “I’ll do what needs to be done. I promise.”
“I know ye will, m’love. I know.”