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True to his promise, Aruan keeps me at his side.He even takes me with him when he conducts the questioning in the banquet hall.I’ve been on edge throughout the morning.I suppose multiple attempts on your life will have that effect.

To my surprise, Aruan also keeps his promise to take me to the sacred site in the afternoon.I didn’t think he’d cut his interrogations short.Maybe he thinks the outing will take my mind off this morning’s events.He knows how curious I am about the scrolls.

I’m dressed for the occasion in a clean pair of pants and a shirt with my favorite boots.As usual, when he’s not taking care of official business, Aruan wears a tunic and dark pants.We’re strolling hand-in-hand over the hill, enjoying the sunshine and the quiet—and each other’s company, to be honest—when voices reach us.

Laughter comes from the tall shrubs that line the path.Three boys jump out of the thick vegetation with makeshift stick dragons that they fly through the air.At the sight of us, they drop their toys with exclamations of fright and sprint down the path in the direction of the village.

I turn to Aruan.“They can’t seriously bethatterrified of us.”

The line of Aruan’s jaw hardens, but he doesn’t reply.

“Or…” A nasty suspicion settles in the pit of my stomach.“Are they just afraid of me because I can control the dragons?”

“Come.”He pulls me along.“They’re just kids.”

“They probably listen to scary stories their parents tell about us at night around the dinner table.”The thought leaves me sad.“How can you blame them for being frightened?”

“It’ll take time.”

Yeah.That doesn’t sound convincing.Which brings me back to the same question.Is my presence a blessing or a curse?What if the killer eventually succeeds in offing me?How will Aruan react to that?Will it be the end of Zerra?And even if Aruan’s dangerous reactions weren’t a factor, what about my parents?They don’t deserve to be abandoned and left in the dark.My heart clenches painfully at the thought of them.

Aruan stops and turns me to him with his hands on my shoulders.“Do you miss them that much?”

Of course he knows what I’m thinking.Not trusting my voice to speak, I swallow and nod.

“I understand,” he says, catching me off-guard.

I didn’t expect him to sympathize, and strangely, it helps a little when he acknowledges my feelings without trying to invalidate them.

He stares into my eyes as if he can see into my soul.“If you give us a chance, you can be happy here.”

He sounds so certain of himself.Can I?Will the sword of the prophecy always hang over my head?There’s so much I don’t understand yet.Where do our powers come from, and why are they all different?

He speaks again, interrupting my train of thought.“If you let me, I can make you very happy, Elsie.Let me show you how good it can be for mates when their bond is complete.”

How am I supposed to do that?I’m not even sure about my future here.

“When you hold back,” he continues, “you prevent me from not only being a proper mate but also from protecting you.”

“Aren’t you already protecting me?”

He tightens his grip on my shoulders.“The bond allows mates to be in touch with each other’s thoughts and emotions, as well as their locations, at any given time.It brings mates great peace and joy.You know as well as I do what we share is vague at best.When you’re away from me, I can’t even tell where you are.That’s why Gaia had to open several portals to find you when you first arrived on Zerra.That’s why my mother had to find you when the Phaelix put you up for auction at the slave market.I can’t protect you if I don’t know where to find you.”

Why is he always blaming me for the incomplete bond?I raise my chin.“Who says I’m the problem?”

A sardonic smile thins his lips.He drops his arms at his sides and takes a step back, creating distance between us.“I’m not the one holding back, my sweet.”

“Are we back to slinging accusations and blame around?”

“It’s not about blame.It’s about fixing what’s broken between us.It’s about letting me protect you as I should.”

“As you’re not letting me out of your sight, it shouldn’t be a problem,” I shoot back.

He narrows his eyes.“You can let me in and be happy or keep on shutting me out and remain unfulfilled.It’s not going to change the fact that this is where you’re staying.”He delivers the verdict almost like a threat.“Indefinitely.”Grasping my chin between a forefinger and thumb and tilting my face to meet his gaze, he adds in an oddly gentle way, “The choice is yours.”He sets me free only to offer me his arm, asking as if nothing is wrong, “Shall we?”

I accept the offer without a fight, putting my hand on the crook of his arm.We continue in silence while I contemplate my options, which, as he said, are limited.By the time we reach the site, I still have no idea what the right thing to do is.All I’ve achieved is giving myself a headache.

The same man from before guards the entrance.Aruan dissolves the big rock and leads me through the tunnel to the cist at the back, where the strange silicone-like pyramids project flashing images on the walls while the men in white tunics chant.None of them acknowledge our presence.We stand at the back, watching for a while.