She didn’t wear her necklace.
Lily smiled and threw her arms around Enar’s mother, taking some of her weight. “You’re free!”
“Lily? What are you doing here?” Ayla returned the hug, hanging on like Lily was a rope in a stormy sea.
“Who is this?” Keara asked.
“This is Enar’s mother, Ayla,” Lily answered.
“I need to get her to the infirmary.” Aryana spoke through gritted teeth. Despite her clenched jaw, her voice swirled like a wind storm, bouncing off the stone walls, slamming with vehemence into the air. “I transported us here so she could see the Temple. This room was designed to bring peace.”
Lily didn’t need to read minds to see Aryana needed the peace offered by the foyer. Anger rolled off her like a tangible fist beating into Lily’s bones.
“Keara, keep Lily with you. And tell Thoren I need to speak with him.” Aryana grasped Ayla’s hand. “Follow me and we’ll see to your arm.”
“Is there something I can do to help?” Keara asked.
“You’re needed for Jamie’s adoption ceremony. I’ll be back.”
She strode down the hall, leading Ayla, the two disappearing from sight, the cloud of rage dispersing.
“You are welcome to stay with Thoren and me, you know.”
“I know. It’s just...I wish things could be different between Enar and me.”
“Maybe you should give him a chance to explain himself.”
“What’s to explain?”
“Maybe he wanted to protect you from reality. You never know with men. They come up with some wild thoughts and then tell us we’re not logical.” Keara shook her head.
Lily sniffed. Keara’s words rang true, but Enar still needed to do a lot of explaining. And apologizing.
“Maybe.”
“Why don’t you come to Jamie’s adoption ceremony? It’s a small gathering, just family.”
“All right.”
Lily followed Keara to the same chapel her friend was mated in several days ago. She met Thoren’s large family, his mother, three sisters, one brother and a nephew. Discovered Annaliese was Keara’s aunt and that she had left Ayla in the care of one of the other healing priestesses. Thoren’s father, Balthor, and Keara’s grandfather—who received the designation as the oldest person Lily had ever seen—popped into the room.
“Sorry, work held us up.”
As soon as they sat, Aryana began the ceremony. Lily dabbed at her eyes, which started to leak again. Stupid things. She’d never cried so much in her life as she had in the last hour. Too late now to go back and protect her heart. Even if she had the choice, would she go back and change things? Go back and ensure she never fell in love with Enar?
It surprised her the answer was no. When she first met Enar, she knew loving him was her fate. Why else would she want to protect her heart, to never become like her parents, disillusioned by a love gone sour? As Aryana droned on about adoption and families, Lily mulled over her feelings. She should be paying attention to the words, but all she could think of was her life since meeting Enar.
Life. By rescuing her, by saving her from death, he’d rewarded her with life. And love. Not to mention talented fingers in the bedroll. But if she’d only allowed him to touch her at night, she wouldn’t have experienced the ups and downs of life, of loving another. Protecting her heart wasn’t the answer. Learning to live with the one she loved was.
But how did she go about doing that when he lied to her about his people? About his mother, his father? She refused to return to the Claims’ House. Wasn’t happening. Refused to wear his necklace. Refused to be lied to. He might not want her on her terms.
In which case she needed to provide for herself, learning to use her Sight instead of fleeing from it. No time like the present to get started on her new life.
If she had her mind made up, why were her eyes still watering?
Must be all the incense in the room. Pining away was not on her to-do list.
The ceremony ended before Lily finished dabbing her eyes. Quick and succinct. Or maybe it had been drawn out and wordy. Her thoughts consumed her to the point where reality disappeared.
What a way to show support for her friend by tuning out the whole ceremony.
“Lily?” Aryana touched her arm, Keara’s worried face peering from behind her shoulder.
“I’m sorry. Lost in thought.”
“It’s all right. Why don’t we get you to your room?”
No, no, no. Not alone time in her room with nothing but her thoughts. “Why don’t you show me how to become a Seer?” She might as well get started on her new life. Plus keeping busy would give her time to figure out what to say to Enar the next time she saw him.
Convincing him to want her topped her to-do list.
Aryana exchanged a look with Keara. “All right. You can come with me and I’ll explain to you the role of a Seer.”
“Thank you.” She swiped her cheeks with her now damp hankie. Why did her stupid eyes continue to leak? She was not pining. Was. Not. Pining.
Keara gave her a hug. “It will be all right. I’ll come find you later.”
Lily squeezed Keara’s waist. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.”
Keara gave her cheek a peck. “Enjoy your time with Ari. I won’t worry about you much.” She grinned and Lily answered the smile.
Aryana walked out of the room and Lily followed, stepping into her new life.
****
Enar strode down the corridor to the chapel where Sofie or Vendela—he could never tell the twins apart—told him Lily would be. Apparently Thoren was adopting Jamie.
May the Goddess bless his friend. The male needed all the help he could get with that boy.
Just like he needed all the celestial assistance he could get to win Lily back. Speaking of Lily.
His woman walked behind Aryana, her eyes staring in a determined manner at the back of the High Priestess’s head.
“Lily. May I have a word with you?”
“You may not. She is now an acolyte and is going to training class.” Aryana crossed her arms and gave him a glare that rivaled one of his fiercest.
“I don’t mind speaking with him.”
His heart gave a leap at Lily’s words. So what if she spoke them through gritted teeth? One step down, many more to go.
Ari whirled. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
“You have no idea how much I want to.”
“Very well. When you are finished, someone will show you to your room. There are things I need to attend to if you do not wish to begin training tonight.”
“Thank you.” Lily inclined her head.
Ari marched up to Enar, eyes narrowed in a glare that would make a lesser male’s balls shrivel. “You make her cry again and I will personally burn you until you are nothing more than a large blister,” she hissed.
Enar gulped and forced his feet to remain still instead of darting back several steps. “I don’t plan on it.”
“Good. Keep it that way. I’ll see you later, Lily.” With those words, she vanished.
White lines bracketed Lily’s lips as her hands twisted a piece of cloth. Was that a hankie? His chest ached to see her red-rimmed eyes, the blotches of color sprinkling her face. The knowledge his actions caused her tears. The only good thing coming from this was he finally realized the cause of his chest pains. Thoughts of losing Lily. What kind of a male was he to not realize that earlier?
He took a deep breath. To apologize. To say words he rarely, if ever, used. Since when had he apologized for anything?
Oh, sorry about lopping your head off, my mistake.
As if that would ever happen. But he needed to say the words, no matter how strange they felt in his mouth.
“I’m sorry, Lily. You were right. I should have told you what to expect.”
“So why didn’t you?” Her fists slapped against her waist.
He shoved a hand through his hair and stared at the smooth stone wall. “I didn’t want you to hate me.”
“And you thought I wouldn’t get mad when you hid things from me?”
Well, yes. He had. But judging by the look on her face, admitting his lapse into idiocy wouldn’t be the smartest thing to do. He shrugged.
“You should have told me the truth. Instead of leaving me at the Claims’ House. Instead of not telling me about your mother or the treatment of the claims.”
“I know.”
“Then why did you?”
He swallowed and checked out the smudge of dirt on his boot. The hardest part of telling the truth was admitting once the words escaped his lips, the knowledge they contained became reality. But she deserved to know. And he needed to set the thoughts free.
“Because of my father. He didn’t like me. My whole life, he hinted around I wasn’t his son, which is a lie. I look like his twin. And a Watcher will not lie with another Watcher’s claim while the owner of the claim still lives. That’s why I took you to sign you in instead of going by myself.”
“So someone would kill you and take me?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. They can’t kill me. No, I took you there...” Enar took a deep breath and stared at the wall. So calm and motionless. Unlike what he felt now. Telling the truth was harder than he expected. “I took you there to show you off. To prove to the others that I was my father’s son. And to maybe gain approval from my father. But it didn’t work. I scared you. And my father disowned me anyway tonight. I’m not allowed to live in the Watcher village.”
One hand touched her lips as her eyes widened. “Oh, Enar. That’s horrible. A man shouldn’t do that to his son.”
“I’m surprised he didn’t do it earlier.”
“What did he have against you?”
“I don’t know, but I think it had something to do with my mother. I definitely know now how he feels, which is better than thinking he might feel differently at a later time. And you know what the worst part is?” She shook her head. “I messed up a good thing for something that would never happen. It’s not him I want, Lily, it’s you. I can’t live without you.”
She shut her eyes and took a deep breath. “I thought I loved you.”
His heart did a quick hop at her words and he opened his mouth to tell her how he felt, but she held up a hand to silence him.
“I thought...but then you withheld from me things I needed to hear, needed to know. You turned distant. You left me!” Her fists balled at her sides, her eyes sparking lights that would make a Draconi proud.
“I’m sorry. I should have told you...no, I shouldn’t have even taken you. I should have kept you here.”
“You should have told me what to expect.”
“I know.”
“Do you plan on pulling something like that with me again?”
“Woman, if you take me back, I will not hide things from you again. I promise.” He took a step closer to her, releasing a breath he didn’t realize he held when she didn’t move. The skin of her cheek felt warm as he cupped her face. Her eyes glistened as she tilted her head to meet his gaze.
He lowered his lips to hers, watching to make sure she didn’t pull away, didn’t reject him. Instead, her arms grasped his nape, pulling him closer, her lips pressing against his. He deepened the kiss, diving into the depths of her sweet mouth, branding her his.
His to love. His to cherish. His to keep from harm.
Right as he tightened his arms around her, melding her body to his, she pushed against his shoulders. With a groan, he released her.
“I’m still mad at you.”
“I like the way you kiss when you’re mad.”
Lily glared at him and appeared to fight a grin. “I’m not wearing the necklace.”
“I can think of other things to do with it.” He waggled his brows.
“Oh, can you now?”
“I can. I’m good at coming up with alternative ways to use things.”
“Hmm. We’ll have to see about that.”
“Now?” Maybe he shouldn’t sound so excited about the prospect.
With a wink, she walked past him, her steps carrying her to the foyer. Like a dragon on the scent of gold, he followed. Leading him to a cluster of chairs around the fireplace, she sat down, motioning for him to sit next to her.
All right. Not exactly what he had in mind, but it beat her foot in his arse kicking him out the door. Point for him.
“If I’m no longer your claim, what do you want from me?”
“Woman, what kind of question is that? I want you. All of you. Forever.”
“Are you saying you love me?”
“I better be.” He took a deep breath, willing to get in touch with his softer side, his sapped-out Draconi side. Words he never thought he’d say tumbled out of his mouth. “Lily, I love you.” Not nearly as scary as he feared to speak those words.
“Oh, Enar. You don’t know how much I’ve wanted you to say that.”
“I love you.” He tried out the words again. Much easier the second time around.
“I love you too. But what will we do? If you aren’t allowed in your village. Not that I’d ever return there.”
“I took a position on the Council.”
One fine, white brow tried meeting her hairline. “I thought you hated the Council.”
“My father is no longer on it and it allows me to try to change things. Plus, I can make sure Thoren stays out of trouble. And you can let the priestesses turn you into a Seer. Provided that’s what you want to do.”