the opportunity to nibble up the side of Isai’s neck to his ear while her heart beat rapidly. He always tasted so good and hopefully could distract her from the panic she always felt when she acknowledged her pregnancy.
That is amazing news. I’m so happy for you.
Elisabeta was. Julija not only could hear it in her voice. Her friend spread waves of warmth and love easily, without trying.
I think I’m becoming happy as well.
Right away Elisabeta wanted to know why she was becoming happy instead of being happy. Julija told her about the mage and Barnabas in particular and how he so easily got away. I know he will find a way to return. If not for me, then for a daughter of mine. He is patient. And he will not forget.
There was a small silence. I have the same fear of Sergey, so I will not dismiss your fears as invalid. Do not allow him to mar your happiness. Live your life as fully and as happily as possible, Julija. You do not know when it might be taken from you.
It was good advice, especially coming from someone whose life had been yanked away from them. I will do that.
I am tired, Julija.
Julija didn’t like that. Elisabeta was making herself tired by staying in the ground. She wanted to go to Elisabeta’s lifemate and shake him. He was too big. Too intimidating. When she tried talking to Isai he shrugged and said no one interfered with lifemates.
Good night, Elisabeta, I will talk with you soon.
She broke the contact and was silent, just absorbing Isai’s strength. They sat in silence and then she looked up at him. “What do you think?”
“I do not know. I did not feel any taint in her. Or a feeling of evil. Just the opposite. She radiates peace. I love that you worry so much about your friend, Julija, but she is Ferro’s responsibility. He will deal with whatever it is or whoever it is that you think may be talking to her. In the meantime, I want to introduce you to my friends. We have been here a week and you have not met a single person.”
She hadn’t wanted to meet anyone, but she didn’t want to admit that. In any case, he was merged with her most of the time and probably already knew. She was being a coward. She could hear laughter and the sound of children calling to one another as they played. Normal sounds. She didn’t know normal. She’d been guarded her entire life.
Coming into Tariq Asenguard’s compound meant she would have to learn to live differently. She would have to accept people into her life and let them in. She didn’t know how to do that.
Isai leaned down and gently nipped her chin. “You are more frightened of meeting my friends than you were of facing the dark mage.”
“I don’t know that I would say that.”
“In any case, sívamet, Tariq has been more than patient. The prince needs to hear an account of the destruction of the book. That will involve an actual accessing of our memories to give him a true account.”
Julija heard the warning in his voice. She frowned at him. “What does that mean?”
“One of the men, most likely Tariq’s second-in-command, Gary Daratrazanoff, will conduct the inquiry. He will access our memories and send those to the prince.”
“We can’t just write down what happened like normal people?”
“There was nothing normal about our battle with that book,” Isai pointed out, amusement coloring his voice.
She shook her head. “What other memories can he see? I don’t want him to have access to anything to do with Barnabas. I won’t do this, Isai.” She tried to move away from him, but he was fast, tightening his arms like shackles. She held herself stiffly, refusing to give in.
“I will tell him he is only to access your memories of these last few weeks, since the moment you started your journey to warn the prince of the conspiracy your family was involved in.” When she didn’t relax into him he leaned forward and bit down gently on her earlobe. “I would not allow anything to hurt you. Those memories are not anyone’s but yours.”
She was silent a moment, turning over and over what he’d said, trying to come to terms with the fact that she now lived in a society where the members all worked with one another in order for their species to survive. She was part of that now.