Page 65 of The Mating Claim

“Sprite.” He summoned a bit of blue energy and fisting his hand, turned it into glitter, and then flung it over Lacey. Immediately the swarm of sprites landed on her, lapping up the glitter like children grabbingsweets.

“They’re so cute! Do they live outhere?”

“Some do. They’re usually nocturnal, but are attracted to wizards and our power. They can bite if provoked.” But the sprites seemed to adore Lacey, hovering around her, resting on her shoulder and head and arms even after the last of the glitter had beenconsumed.

Unsurprised, he watched them take off, dancing around her as moths caught up in a flame. Lacey’s gurgling laughter echoed through the air as she twirled, flinging out her arms and dancing with them. She was like a Fae herself, carefree and luminous. Sunlight glinted off her head, picking out streaks of gold and amber in her long locks. Fresh air and sunshine had restored her, filling her cheeks with color and her eyes with life. Drust felt need tighten his body as he watched her dance and twirl with abandon. That sharp wit, way she wasn’t afraid to stand up to him, had intrigued him from thebeginning.

But now he saw the woman behind the tough armor she threw up to protect herself from the world’scruelties.

When the sprites flew off, whispering good-bye in their tinny voices, Lacey ran a hand through her hair. “That wasfun.”

“You looked to enjoyyourself.”

Then the light vanished from her eyes and her entire body sagged. “I love life. I wish… I wish I didn’t have to die because of that damn book. I wish I had more time to enjoy every singlesecond.”

Her voice dropped to a bare whisper. “I wish I wasn’t such a screw-up and my life had been different. I’m too young to die. Drust, do I really have to die because my father handed me a book that I should never have received? You’re an all-powerful wizard. Is there anything you cando?”

Drust felt as if someone kicked him in the stomach. It was his job as the Coldfire Wizard to protect his charges and to deliverjustice.

Such hope and life had flared in her when she twirled around, laughing and enjoying the moment. How could he failher?

What about your honor and your vow to yourduties?

What if you are the one sent to the Shadow Lands for failing to do yourjob?

But in that moment, seeing the life faded from Lacey’s expression, he realized the stakes in thisquest.

Forget about if I fail myself. What if I fail her? She’s been disappointed her entire life and seldom trusted in anyone. Now she is putting her trust inme.

His chest ached with the burden and the hope in that fragile faith in him, as if Lacey had handed him a delicate glass sculpture and asked him not to smashit.

This was not a simple case of black and white justice. This was an area so gray that the shadows appearedwhite.

He had to find a way around destroying Lacey and thebook.

If he failed to destroy the book as Danu ordered, he could be returned to the ShadowLands.

But if he failed Lacey, she woulddie.

Her needs came before his instinct to protect himself and his fellow wizards. How many times had people let Lacey down in thepast?

Promises never came easily to Drust. Not for centuries. But he had to make onenow.

Clasping her shoulders, he looked deep into her woebegone green eyes. “I promise you, Lacey, I will try everything in my power to prevent that. There must be another way and I will findit.”

For the first time since he’d become a wizard of the Brehon, Drust risked breaking his sacred vow to remain impartial and objective regarding his dragon charges. With Lacey, he could not. The mere thought of tossing her and the book into the destructive access to the shadow lands made his hearthurt.

Had they shared a past, and if so, why could he not rememberher?

It mattered not. His thoughts and his vow did not, either. Not as much as the woman standing before him, wanting to trusthim.

But fearing to trusthim.

Hope flared again on her face. “Can you really helpme?”

“There’s a book I borrowed, a manual. I need time to read through it. Lacey, I promise you I will do whatever I can. But you must promise me you must trust me and you will not run from me. We will have to stay together and work together onthis.”

Lacey brightened, but then glanced at her car. “The book? What about it? Can we just leave it here in the swamp and hope an alligator will eat it? Then again, if a gator eats it, it might turn into something out of a horrormovie.”