Page 27 of Bound By the Wraith: Northern Realms

“Already nagging me.” Cillian snapped his fingers and he was gone.

Cali laughed to herself softly and then closed her eyes. Thinking about all the lives she lived before and what purpose they served, and also how mad she’d been taken countless times, made her tired, but now all the dreams made sense. The ones that had plagued her, her whole life, and now the mystery man from her dreams was Cillian all along.

Everything made sense.

The question was, why did the universe seem so intent on keeping them apart? Of stealing her from her biological parents, time and time again.

A cold breeze blew in through the room and she opened her eyes, sitting upright, pulling the satin sheet around her tighter. A dark presence, one she had felt before, was filling the room. Only it wasn’t Gootch and it wasn’t Death.

“Who’s there?” she asked, her voice shaking.

Vapor spilled in from outside and formed a figure in front of her. One of pale skin, hard features, eyes that were free of pupils, and silver hair. Something told her that this was Cillian’s mother, the banshee.

“I think you have figured that out for yourself haven’t you, Cali?”

“You’re his mother.”

She nodded in acknowledgment. “And you have regained your memory.”

“Yes.”

“I see.” His mother flitted across the room. “I don’t suppose you know what he might lose should the contract be broken? If you leave before the time is up.”

“Me.”

His mother snorted. “Not only you, but his realm. All his powers. That is what he sacrificed to save your soul from Gootch. All because you fancied yourself in love with your mortal husband.”

“I didn’t know who I was then,” Cali countered. “And I won’t leave Cillian. Not now.”

His mother scoffed in disbelief. “You and he aren’t meant to be. He’s immortal and you’re not.”

“That doesn’t matter. Time has proven you wrong, because I’m here. Again. He was able to travel through time and find me. It’s clear that nothing is going to stop that.”

The woman flew at her, her eyes flaming. “You will be separated again. I guarantee it. You will ruin it all for him and when your soul is gone, lost to time, because your time on this mortal plane is running out, he will die.”

And before Cali could respond further, his mother disappeared in a puff of smoke. All Cali could do was sit there, reeling at the news imparted on her. Was their love doomed? She didn’t want to believe that, but one thing she had learned was that history repeats itself, time and time again.

7

It had been the most idyllic three months of Cali’s life, also the most surreal, and she was still trying to figure it all out. She had her memories of this life, not that there were many good ones, and then everything else in between.

So many lives lived, but the only constant was Cillian. And he made her happy above all.

And he was a pleasant constant indeed. During the day, they would spend time together, and if he couldn’t be with her, at least she had Honk to keep her company. She was growing fond of her little goblin/unicorn companion. She and Honk liked to walk around the garden and the maze, and the thing she noticed the most was that life was creeping into the realm.

At night, much like the contract she signed stated, she belonged to Cillian and she didn’t mind that in the least. In the comfort of his arms, she was safe. Unlike the times before when she had existed in the mortal realms and at the mercy of anything. In Cillian’s realm and with new protections in place, she was safe.

Ever since she had regained her memories, Cillian was softer with her, but he was still hiding the truth from her as well.Not that she could blame him. She knew what was at stake, his mother had told her as much. The banshee had basically insinuated that Cali would be the complete ruination of him. So, she let him have his secret, because she wasn’t telling him that his mother had told her everything.

Even though it was hard to believe anything bad could possibly happen, because life just seemed to get better as the days went on, there was one thing niggling at the back of her mind— the enforced day of freedom that would fall once every three months. If Cali had her way, she wouldn’t take it.

She was worried about what it would mean. If she stepped back into the mortal realm, would someone try to kill her? It seemed to be her eternal fate.

And as she sat down by Honk’s topiary, that they were lovingly trimming as it had fully bloomed after she bled on it, she couldn’t help but worry. She didn’t want anything to change.

“Mistress seems upset,” Honk stated, flicking their tail back and forth.

“Honk, I told you to call me Cali.”

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