Page 6 of Bound By the Wraith: Northern Realms

“Indeed.”

“What are the terms?” And she couldn’t believe she was asking that.

He nodded. “All I need from you is a year. With me. As my mate. You stay in my realm the year and then you’re free.”

“Free?” she asked. “I don’t believe it.”

“Believe it.”

“So, your mate…”

“In every way.” The way he smiled at her sent a zing of something through her. A ripple of pleasure. Not that she knew what pleasure felt like. She was still a virgin.

A year with a wraith? Giving her body to the demon?

It was better than her soul and suffering for all eternity.

Is it?

“If you can remain in my realm for a year, with no contact with the outside world, save for a day every three months, then you can have your soul and your freedom.” With a flourish, a contract appeared out of thin air. “All that’s required to seal this new deal is your blood.”

She was doomed anyway. Maybe with this, she could be eventually free and, when she started her new life, she’d be smarter and be more careful about who she interacted with.

Cali nodded. “Okay. I’ll sign it.”

Instantly, the restraints melted away and she was able to sit up. He took her hand in his. She thought it would feel scaly or cold, but instead it was warm and felt familiar. She extended her index finger and he pricked the tip with his nail, which grew slightly longer, like a talon. It stung, but she placed that drop of blood on his contract.

The moment the blood hit the contract, it began to glow, and it felt like her soul was being tethered to it. Just like before. There was a flash of light and then the contract disappeared and it was just her and her wraith mate standing there.

“You’ve made the right decision, Cali. Now, come and I’ll show you to your new home.” He extended his hand and what looked like a vortex began to swirl and distort her perception of the room. It was a swirling whirlpool of energy and red light.

“I don’t even know your name, or are you like Rumpelstiltskin and I’m supposed to guess?” It was a bad attempt at a joke to try to mask her nerves.

The wraith scoffed. “As if I’m as amateurish as Rumpelstiltskin. Please. You, my dear wife, can call me Cillian.”

A shiver of knowing ran down her spine as one of those weird déjà vu moments washed through her.

“Cillian,” she screamed as a group of people dragged her from her log home deep in a bramble wood forest. Only Cillian didn’t appear.

He’d said he’d come, but he didn’t.

“She’s calling out her devil,” someone shouted.

“Burn her at the stake,” another shouted.

“No,” Cali screamed, but she was being tied down and could feel the heat, smell the smoke. “Cillian!”

Cali shook that thought away. She’d had that nightmare before. Instead, she took a deep breath. “How can I trust you?”

“You can’t.”

And before she could say anything else, his arm slipped around her waist and guided her into the portal.

2

He’d never brought a human to his realm before.

Well, not willingly.

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