Page 32 of Destined to Fight

“Yes.”

She turned to Kade then. “You expect me to work miracles, don’t you?”

“Ye will be paid well.”

“You’re damn right I will.” She turned back to Kelly. “What is your name, child?”

“Kelly.”

“And your last name?”

“Hart.”

“Hmm, no history there. This is going to take some digging.”

“What do you mean?” Kelly was beginning to feel lost in all of this.

“The name ‘Hart’ has no ties to timekeepers in the Arcane world. You’re a timekeeper, or you will be, and that gift is only passed down through bloodlines.”

Kelly was beginning to get a little impatient. “Can we just get to your conditions, please? You want me to accept Fabian’s Guardianship. What else do I need to do?”

“I want you to tell me why you want me as your mentor.”

That wasn’t what she’d expected at all, but Kelly didn’t have to think on it. “You didn’t come in here and try to tell us how great you are. You didn’t introduce yourself or make this about you at all. You picked me out and immediately focused on me even though tradition seems to favor someone speaking for me and making my decisions. And, possibly most important of all, you just showed me more about myself and made me feel more alive than I’ve ever felt in my entire life. What you just did, it felt like you took me home, like that was where I’m supposed to be.”

The woman smiled up at her. “Bless your heart, child, you’re in for a wild ride.”

“Does that mean you’ll be my mentor?” Kelly asked, ignoring the backhanded compliment.

“When you accept the fae’s Guardianship, sure.”

The woman walked over to the food and helped herself, then took a seat at the table to the side of Fabian, leaving Kelly standing in the middle of the hall.

More than anything, Kelly wanted to say yes, but something stopped her.

“Fabian, can we talk outside?”

He nodded at her and stood from the table. As he left the hall, she followed him. He made his way through the castle and led her in the opposite direction from her room. When they entered a sun room with a huge pool in the center and plants all around, Fabian took a seat in a chair and gestured for Kelly to do the same across from him.

She did so without hesitation.

“Kade cannot hear us over here. It is the farthest place in the castle from the dining hall. You may speak in confidence.”

She hadn’t been concerned about Kade hearing but was still thankful for his desire to keep the conversation private. “This Guardianship thing, it’s for your life and mine?”

“Yes, it is. If you die and you have an heir or next of kin, my service will default to them.”

“Don’t you have a family, though, and a job to go back to?”

“I do have a family, yes, but not a wife or children, and my job was minuscule compared to what I would be doing for you. I realize you do not understand right now, but it is the greatest honor for a fae to become a Guardian. You would honor me with your acceptance; it would not be a burden.”

“I can’t pay you, though.” That was the most bothersome piece of the puzzle for her. She couldn’t expect a man to protect her and stay by her side day in and day out without compensation.

“I have enough money, and you will be able to pay me at a later time. Money is insignificant.”

His light eyes told her he was being truthful, but she still felt guilty.

“If you still find it hard to accept, try looking at it from a teamwork perspective. You are not going to get where you need to go without a team of people supporting you; nor will any of us be able to fulfill our own destinies without you.”

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