Page 24 of Blood Bound

Although I guess I can’t blame her. Considering all that’s happened in the past couple of days…weeks…it’s not surprising that she’s confused. Angry.

She thinks I took her sister.

I pause at the edge of the garden, her cottage a warm, inviting presence in the darkness. Light spills from the windows, and I can hear movement inside. My enhanced senses pick up the faint scent of blossoms and magic that always seems to surround her.

For a moment, I hesitate. Maybe this is a mistake. Maybe I should turn back, find another way…

But then I think of Lucien, of the danger looming over all of us. I think of Rowan’s fierce green eyes, the firm set of her jaw, the power that ripples through her…and the air of vulnerability that still colors the world about her. She needs to know what she’s up against.

Before I can talk myself out of it, I stride toward the front door. My hand hovers over the wood for a moment before I knock, three sharp raps that seem to echo in the quiet night.

There’s a sound from inside, footsteps approaching. My body tenses, ready to face her.

The door swings open, and there she is. Rowan stands before me, her eyes widening in shock as she takes me in. For a moment, we both freeze, staring at each other.

Then her expression hardens, anger flashing in her eyes. Before I can say a word, she raises her hand, sparks lighting the air between her fingertips.

“Stop!” I say sharply, eyeing the building magic with apprehension. The last thing I need is another blast of that power. She jerks slightly, glancing at her hands and frowning, as if she didn’t realize what she’d been doing.

“What do you want, Darick?” Her voice is icy.

“I already told you; we need to talk.”

“And I already told you that I’m not interested.” She folds her arms over her chest.

“It’s important,” I press.

“To you, maybe. For me?” She tilts her head. “Not so much. I already know everything about you I need to know.”

“Oh, yeah?” I tilt my head, too. “And what’s that?”

“That you’re a sick bastard. A liar. A manipulator.” Her eyes grow more stormy with every word.

“Tough talk, little witch.”

“And I mean it.” That pretty jaw juts out further. “Where is my sister, Darick? What did you do with Mia?”

I take a deep breath, trying to calm the frustration building inside me. “Rowan, listen to me. I had nothing to do with Mia’s disappearance. I swear it.”

Her eyes narrow, disbelief written across her face. “Then explain the photos on your phone.”

“I can’t,” I admit. “Not yet. But I’m trying to figure it out. I want to help you find her.”

Rowan scoffs, but I catch a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. “Why should I believe you?”

I take a chance on stepping closer. “Because despite everything, you know me. You’ve been inside my head, just as I’ve been in yours. You know I’m not lying about this.”

She falters for a moment, her gaze dropping to my lips before snapping back up to meet my eyes. The air between us sizzles with tension, and I fight the urge to reach out and touch her.

“I don’t know what to believe anymore,” she whispers softly.

“Then let me prove it to you,” I plead. “Work with me. Let’s find Mia together.”

Rowan’s shoulders slump slightly, the fight draining out of her. She looks exhausted, vulnerable, and so achingly beautiful that it takes all my self-control not to pull her into my arms.

“I can’t trust you,” she says, but there’s a hint of regret in her tone.

“You don’t have to trust me,” I counter. “Just…don’t shut me out completely. Let me help.”

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