Mark of Love (Love Mark #3) - Linda Kage Page 0,32
an electrical charge, causing it to snap and sparkle. A High Clifter’s love mark could also help them track their mate, too. That was another thing I’d heard about their freaky tattoos. At first sight, it was like a beacon was planted, and from there on out, they’d be able to follow and find you. No matter where you went.
Creepy, right?
And though that hidden, fearful place inside me was already wondering about this very possibility, I gaped at my aunt with open-mouthed astonishment before shrieking, “You must be mad.”
She rolled her eyes. “Well, if he keeps finding you through every different glamour you wear, and he had no idea you were a Graykey, then how else—”
“Well, he…” I started, only to fall silent, because I didn’t have another answer. If he hadn’t been after me because I was a Graykey, then why had he been chasing me?
Melaina sighed. “Why else would anyone care about you?”
Well, ouch.
Ignoring the fact that I was in no way useful or beneficial to anyone outside the fact that I held a dark curse inside me and therefore might as well be put down like a rabid dog, I cleared my throat. “I’m sure there are hundreds of other reasons.” Except I honestly couldn’t think of a single one. “We just haven’t considered it yet.”
“Other than the fact that the man’s probably your—”
“Don’t say it,” I warned her, pointing the end of my knife threateningly. “I’m warning you—”
“True love.”
I narrowed my eyes and dropped the knife back to my side. “You said it.”
She sighed dryly. “Well, what else was I supposed to say? It’s the most likely possibility.”
“It is not the most likely possibility,” I exploded. “It’s the most ridiculous possibility. This—this person is not my—my—my—”
“Soulmate?”
“Argh. Stop spouting that crazy nonsense, or so help me God, you’ll live to regret it. The mere idea is absolutely nauseating.”
She wasn’t cowed by my threat in the least. In fact, I think I only amused her. Crossing her arms over her chest, she lifted a mocking eyebrow. “Well, then give his mark a tap and eliminate the possibility so we can move on and conceive of another.”
I instantly retreated a dozen feet away from the man’s body. “But I don’t want to touch him.”
“Why ever not? The boy’s a comely gent. Clean enough, smells nice, and he doesn’t appear to have any bugs. Just tap his damn tattoo already, and let’s get this test over with.”
“But what if he’s—”
“What if he’s what?” she countered, grinning smugly because she knew how much I dreaded the mere possibility.
“What if he’s—you know? My—my—”
“Your one true love?”
I glared at her, teeth clenched.
She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Well, there’s only one way to find out, and standing here discussing the possibility is not it.”
I remained frozen, unable to move.
Melaina smirked. “Unless you’re too scared,” she taunted.
Oh, that did it.
“Dammit, fine,” I muttered. “But this is completely stupid. There’s no way…”
Before I could stop myself, I surged forward and knelt at his side, tapping his temple as fast as I could, ready to be done with the entire discussion.
And sparks flew from his mark, making me screech and stumble away.
“Mother of God!”
My stunned gaze lifted to my aunt. She gaped back with wide, incredulous eyes. “It worked,” she blurted, blinking rapidly, apparently as surprised as I was.
I shook my head. “No,” I whispered. “What just happened?”
Melaina was the first to recover. With a sudden snicker, she shook her head. “It appears you just landed yourself a partner for life, my dear.”
Chapter 7
Quilla
I skittered backward so fast I tripped and landed on my bottom. But that wasn’t even enough space. Needing to be farther away from the unconscious man who’d just changed everything with his stupid tattoo, I pushed up and was back on my bare feet a second later, backing away again until I bumped into a tree.
He didn’t follow. Yet I still scowled at him anyway, ready to fight if he did decide to stir.
Finally, I huffed out a breath, blew a lock of blond hair out of my face, and glared Melaina’s way. “I don’t want a damn partner.”
She shrugged, amused by my panic. “Doesn’t matter. Here he is. How marvelously incredible, huh? He’s a fine catch too, girl. You’re a lucky little shit.”
“I think I’m going to be sick.”
I turned away and slapped my hands over my mouth while I rested my shoulder against the tree’s trunk. Then I bent at the waist and spent a few seconds breathing through my