Soulceress (The Mythean Arcana 2) - Page 95

“Nay.” He was in front of her then, wrapping her in his arms and pulling her to him. She collapsed into his warm strength, then shook with more tears. To know this, and know that she’d lose him?

“You’re no’ going to leave me,” he said, his words muffled in her hair.

She shook her head. She wouldn’t. As much as it would hurt to watch him die, she’d be drawn back to him, unable to help herself.

“And I won’t leave you either.”

She pushed out of his arms and looked up at him. His eyes were fierce. “You can’t control that. You’re mortal now. You’ll have to leave me.”

“I doona have to stay mortal.”

“You can’t become a Mythean.” She reached up to run her hand down the side of his cheek, her heart cracking more as she did so. How would she ever bear this? Their lives would be terrible with this always hanging over their heads.

“Nay. But I can stay a mystery monster.” A tender grin kicked up the corner of his mouth at the reference to one of her earlier insults.

“What?”

“I’d like to make you a deal,” he said.

Gods, he’s handsome when he looks at me like this. Golden and good, with eyes like a midnight forest and sincerity and strength radiating from him. “What do you mean?”

“I’d like to sell you my soul.”

She jerked backward, horrified. “What?”

“Soulceresses can buy and keep souls. If you buy mine, I canna die. I’ll live as long as you do.”

“No.” She shook her head frantically. “Your soul h

as been all you’ve wanted for centuries. It’s your humanity. You said so.”

“I was wrong. I thought it would fix whatever was broken inside of me, but I was wrong. Losing my clan, my family—that’s what broke me. I’ve been hollow since then. Living for so long is a burden once you’ve lost those you love. I couldn’t do that to you. To be with you, to keep you from having to suffer the pain I did when I lost my clan, I’d sell it in a heartbeat.”

“Me?”

He shook her lightly. “Of course, you.”

“You care for me, I know that. But I’m a soulceress. I just—I don’t—”

“I doona care for you. I love you. There’s a difference. A damn big one. You’ve saved my life, saved my soul, woken me from the coma of existing but no’ living. And I love you. You’re strong, brave, determined, selfless, funny. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted but dinna realize. You’re what makes me whole now, no’ my soul.”

“Wow.” Her mind scrambled to absorb everything he’d said. All the words that she’d never expected to hear said to her. That she’d needed to hear them. A dark place in her heart that she hadn’t realized existed was filling up with light.

“As long as I’m alive, I know that I won’t be able to resist the urge to protect you,” he said. “I know you can protect yourself, but I canna help myself. Except, I’m mortal. No matter how good a warrior I am—and I’m damn good—I won’t live long against magic. If I want to stay in this world with you, I can’t be mortal. I’d trade my soul in a heartbeat to have a life with you and be able to protect you.”

“Oh my gods.” She couldn’t believe he was saying these things.

He took a deep breath and pinned her with his gaze. “I’ve seen what happiness can be, and it’s with you. You already have my soul.”

Her head spun. “But you’ll be sick if I use its power.”

He shrugged. “You’ll just have to be careful. Stay fueled by borrowing power like you do now. And it won’t drive you mad as it did Aurora, because my soul will want to be with you. I can guarantee it.”

Holy hell, he meant it. And it would work. If he was willing and she was careful, it would work. She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him close, her mind still buzzing with happiness and confusion and awe at the turn her life had taken.

“I couldn’t have borne watching you die, and then having to live so long without you,” she said against his neck.

“I know. Because I couldn’t have borne it, either. I love you, Esha.”

Tags: Linsey Hall The Mythean Arcana Paranormal
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