Page 9 of Bound By the Wraith: Northern Realms

“I think that will wait for another day.”

Cali tucked her knees under her. “So, I have to stay here. What am I supposed to do?”

“You’re my mate,” he stated.

“I’m sorry, that’s not much of a job description.”

Cillian tried to suppress the smile. Her dry wit and sarcasm survived through the lifetimes. “You do have fire. I’m glad to see it. You let your husband walk all over you.”

Red bloomed in her cheeks. “I suppose you know everything about me.”

Oh. How little you know.

“I know enough,” he answered carefully. “Your parents treated you badly and expected you to take care of them. Good thing they weren’t yourrealparents.”

Her eyes widened. “What?”

“You didn’t know?” He did find that curious. He thought she would’ve known that she wasn’t biologically related to the people who raised her. She’d been put up for adoption, her mother a pregnant teenager who was told that Cali had died by Cali’s biological grandparents. She had then been sold. As much as people didn’t want to believe in a baby market, it happened.

“No. Apparently I didn’t,” she snapped, her voice trembling slightly. “You’re quite the harbinger of bad news.”

“I am not a harbinger. I have a half sister who is, though.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

“Look, my apologies if I was a little blunt with that information. For what it’s worth, your real mother, she loved you and she doesn’t know you’re still alive.”

“She’s still alive?”

“Indeed. Though she has other children, she thinks of you often.” He hoped that eased the sting of his blunder.

It apparently didn’t.

Tears welled up in Cali’s eyes. “Not that it makes much difference now. I’m trapped here, aren’t I?”

“For a year, but remember, you do get one day every three months to leave.”

“So, I could see her?”

He pursed his lips together, frustrated. “Yes, but you only have a day. Just a day. You return to me at nightfall.”

“And if I don’t?” she asked.

“Our contract is broken and you go to Gootch, where, I’m sorry, then you won’t have a life. Your soul will be tormented for all eternity.” It was only partly the truth. What Cillian didn’t tell her was that he would lose everything as well. He wasn’t one for trusting too much and he was putting an awful lot of trust in her. Something he had never done, even during all her reincarnations. He wanted to, but never did, it was hard thing to do. Trust meant a loss of power and he loved his power.

The banshee who had birthed him had been a harridan. Or rather, she was, and his father, well, Cillian had taken care of that problem. Especially after his father wanted to do away with Aoife right from the moment their father learned she had magic, so he could claim her powers for his own. Aoife was the only half sibling Cillian stood up for because he needed her, but with parents like he had, Cillian had learned to fend for himself.

Period.

Yet, he had agreed to this deal with Gootch. He was still trying to figure that one out himself as well. This was a monumental thing he was doing, putting his faith in Cali.

“And if I do what you say, come back to you and stay with you for a year, then I’m free?” Cali asked.

“Yes. Those were the terms we agreed to.”

“Seems easy enough,” she mused. “I can last a year, then leave.”

He grinned. “Of course, if youwantto leave after that year, that is.”

---