Page 143 of The Ranger

She set her chicken leg down. “You told me that.”

“Yes, while we sat on the porch the other day.”

She didn’t know why, but she smiled. Either he was lying through his teeth and was a very good actor, or he was telling the truth. She was inclined to believe the latter. “So... you’re a ranger for a king in a land called Muirara. That’s why you’re called a Muiraran.”

He smiled. “Yes.”

“Why did you have Kwaku hit you?”

He put a hand on the table. “To test myself.”

“For what?”

He slid his hand toward her, palm up. She took it as he said, “I have two hearts.”

She swallowed. “Oh. I see.” Now that she was more awake, part of her screamedrun!No wonder he was holding her by the hand. Maybe he thought she would. But the rest was pulsing with curiosity. “Why?”

“One is similar to yours. The other is something else entirely. It sleeps until it is ready to join with another’s and wakens when another’s heart calls to it.”

Had he gone round the bend? Is this what everyone was worried about? But if that were the case, and he was a lunatic, Pa and Grandpa would have run him off in short order. But they hadn’t. Not that they didn’t want to, which meant there must be a reason for him to stay.

She leaned in his direction. “Why are you here?”

He gave her a tender look. “I am here, little one, because your heart called to mine.”

She went stock still, and it took her a while to form her next words. “And... did you hear it?”

“I did. My heart is almost completely awake. And when it is, and yours calls to me again, our bonding will be complete.”

The part of her that wanted to run, kicked up a notch. But her mind kept going over her time spent with him, and she wanted to know more, so she played along. “Did... my heart hurt you?”

He gave her a tiny smile. “You are worried it did?”

“Did it?”

“Yes, but that is all part of the process. You suffered too.”

She gaped at him as their time at the creek flooded back. “That’s what happened?” She squeezed her eyes shut, as if it would force more memories to come. “So, you’re really not... not...”

“...like you.” He let go her hand, got up and came around the table.

She watched him settle in the chair next to hers and retake her hand. “Maida, the bonding of our hearts has upset your family. They fear that once we are joined...”

“What’s that?” she blurted.

He gave her a hint of a smile. “It is considered marriage in your world.”

Her jaw dropped. “You want to marry me?!”

“I... must join to live.”

She shut her eyes again. “Wait, what?”

He drew closer. “If one of my kind does not join their heart with another’s that is compatible, they die.”

Her jaw dropped again. “You want your heart to marry mine, so you don’tdie?!”

He gave her a tiny shrug. “Yes.”

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