Page 88

Ialready feel like I’ve bared myself beyond what I ever have to any living being; further than mere nudity, deeper than the molecular foundation of my body, and into the depths of my soul. And Istillhave more to confess.

“I should also mention a few other things… Namely, the fact that you’re mysoulbound.”

Outside of the tension in his brow, Gideon’s expression remains impassive. His thumb idly sweeps soothingly across my skin, waiting for me to elaborate.

“Have you felt a type of… tether connecting us?” I rub the spot between my breasts before touching his sternum. “It essentially means that we belong to each other. That our souls are connected in this world and the next.”

Gideon’s expression remains thoughtful as his gaze shifts beyond the window overlooking his land. Silent for several, too-long moments he seemingly ponders this information, and rubs his chest right where that cord binds our souls.

“The first time I felt it I wondered if I was having a fucking heart attack.”

Surprised laughter bubbles out of me as relief begins to trickle in.

The sensation bolsters my next words.

“Additionally, I’m a goddess…”

His brows slide slightly up his forehead as his gaze slides back to mine.

“Not in the way you might imagine: all powerful and omniscient. I’m far from it. In most other realms where magically inclined beings reside, like my own, Bellorum, it just refers to someone who possesses an innate capability of wielding tremendous power and holds domain within certain elements, so-to-speak. Like me. My power resides over healing and fertility.”

A look of subdued awe carves Gideon’s palm scrubs down his trim beard.

“Well, goddamn… Can I see?”

Heaving a sigh, I give him a woeful smirk. “This place seems to stifle my powers, but I do have a little of them left.”

My eyes dip to the pocket knife clipped to his belt, nodding toward it.

“May I?”

Without batting an eye, Gideon unclips the knife, unfolds it for me, and offers it to me by the handle.

“You know… I still can’t get over how unfazed you are by all this.”

Gideon sighs, scratching his beard. The rough sound is now one of comfort for me. “Probably a symptom of working in my previous job, and just…life. I’m pretty desensitized to everything.”

Even just holding a blade in my hand makes my skin crawl. Unease is a tight fist in my gut as I grip the blade and hesitate.

“Sweetheart, I’ve had a lot worse than a papercut.”

I may have sewn flesh on countless individuals in that godsforsaken Paltorian war camp, but that was still someform of healing… Deliberately wounding someone feels like I’m breaking every vow of my soul’s contract.

When Gideon places his hand over mine, I gratefully let him take the blade from me. My chest pinches tight as I watch him draw the blade over the back of his forearm, carving a wound that is most certainly not the equivalent of a papercut.

Blood wells up and soon begins to trickle onto his jeans.

I am both horrified and ravenous.

My heart slams in my chest as my fangs lengthen, and Gideon must be worried about the look on my face because I distantly hear him curse as he tries to tip my head up to meet his. “Hey? You okay?”

Forcing myself to focus, I slip my eyes shut as I lay my hand over his wound andwillmy magic forward. I’m only able to call upon the slightest trickle of it, but the current of magic I feel is like unravelling a spool of thread from my chest and diaphragm all the way down my arms, out of my hands, and into his wound.

Within moments, dizziness and exhaustion crash over me.

I can feel the wound mirrored in my own flesh—burning as it splits open. I open my eyes, gasping as I find the wound on his forearm is no longer on his arm, but mine.

Gideon swears, pressing his hand over my now bleeding arm.