Page 87 of Guardian's Soul

Nova sighed impatiently. "Suahaana."

THARAAX

I barely caughtHannah before she hit the floor. Too caught up in my own emotions at hearing Nova say the name she couldn't have possibly known.

"Hannah," I yelled as I kneeled, keeping her in my arms.

"Get some water," Luph suggested.

Moments later, Zoe handed me a moist cloth and Nova handed me a cup of water. Hannah's eyelashes fluttered as she slowly came to. She stared at me in bewildered reverence. Her hand reached up and touched my cheek. "Tharaax." She said my name without a hint of an accent. Different from anybody else who had ever spoken it. From anybody but one. But that wasn't possible.

I swallowed, having no idea what was happening.

"Here, put her on the chair." Luph waved me to the table. "She probably needs some food."

I put Hannah on my lap, unwilling to let her out of my arms.

"What is it about the name?" Zaarek asked.

I cleared my throat, unable to look away from Hannah. I told the others about my dreams. "I didn't want to say anything. It'sweird. I mean, I love Hannah, with all my heart, more than my life…"

"But?" Nova glared at me, looking ready to kill me.

"I've told you I've been dreaming about running through a forest." I looked up long enough to make sure they were all nodding. "Well, that part is true. What I left out is that in my arms, I'm holding the body of a female. A female who wore the same markings as me. I know I loved her just as much as I love Hannah, and losing her nearly killed me… or I think it did. I'm not sure." I massaged my neck, and a headache was forming. "I don't know what to think."

"Do you remember her name?" Noodar asked in a solemn voice.

"Suahaana," I confirmed what the others already suspected.

"Holy shit!" Nova exclaimed.

"That makes so much sense," Luph agreed.

Hannah was reaching for a cookie, and I took that as a good sign and helped her reach the bowl. She also drank a few sips of water and color was returning to her face.

"What makes sense? None of this makes sense," Zoe piped up.

"The rest of the story." Nova pointed at the wall, where the markings were still visible.

"See what we haven't gotten to yet is"—she paused, not for dramatics, but because she was searching for the right words—"before it sounded like some magical mumbo jumbo, but now it makes perfect sense. According to the Darlams' beliefs, the mating marks would appear on their bodies to guide them to their Soulbond."

"Okay, we already know that," Zaarek said.

"Well, that part, yes, but the reason for it developing is that these souls have been a couple for as long as time exists. They have to find each other again, in each new life."

"Reincarnation?" Zoe's eyes widened.

"More than that," Hannah said, then looked confused as if waking from a daze, staring at the cookie in her hand as if she had no idea that she had grabbed it. "Did I faint, Thrax?"

"Yes." I felt a deep heaviness in my chest. She was calling me Thrax again. I didn't mind. I really didn't, but for a moment, a second there, I thought… I didn't know what I thought.

"What do you mean, it's more than that?" Nova narrowed her eyes at Hannah.

Hannah shook her head. "I don't know. It just feels like it's more than that." She rubbed her chest. "Like we are on the brink of finding something out, but we're not quite there yet."

"So you're saying that Hannah was Suahaana in a previous life, mated to Tharaax. And then the Ohrurs killed them, and now they're back together?" Noodar summarized.

I closed my eyes and held Hannah close, rocking her slightly as she snuggled into me.

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