Page 314 of Of Sins and Sacrifice

He chuckles. “That is a strange way of putting it. But no, you did not. You were simply here. I assume you teleported back?”

“I did…?”

“Minnie, are you all right? What happened while you were away?”

I bite my lip. “I followed the sound of the city until I reached Paris. I visited a couple of shops and then?—”

“Then?”

“I don’t know. I could have sworn I encountered someone from Aperion and got into a fight. But there is no evidence of it on my body.”

“That is…odd.”

“Tell me about it.” I laugh nervously. “It must have been a dream, but I’ve never in my life had such a vivid dream.”

“Was that why you woke up screaming?”

I nod. “It was…disconcerting. Perhaps it’s just stress.”

“And I added to that stress,” he whispers apologetically. “I am sorry. I did not think my mother would come here today of all days.”

“We would have had to meet eventually.”

“Yes, but she would have been prepared.”

“To what? Lie better?”

He presses his lips together in a thin line. “You will understand what I mean soon enough, Minnie. But for now, I want you to know how thankful I am you returned to me.”

He slides off the bed and to his knees. Pressing his head on my lap, he wraps his arms around my midriff and holds me tight.

“You have no idea how it felt to watch you leave. To see the disappointment in your eyes. I’ve made a mess of things, haven’t I?”

“Yes…and no.” I thread my fingers through his thick locks. “I just wish I could understand why you’re doing this. I’ve already run through every scenario, and I am quite confident you are not human. Nor is your mother. But I cannot sense anything out of the ordinary with you two.”

He raises his gaze to look at me. “Whatever I am… I can give you something.” He gulps down hard. “I vow to the Source that my intention is only to protect you, to love you, to be with you. Everything I have done, past, present, future, has been for that goal.”

I stare at him, stunned into silence.

Did he just… Was that a clue?

More confusion swirls in my brain as different theories take root. But at the core of all of them is a deep calm that washes over me.

Leaning forward, I press my lips against his forehead.

“I trust you,” I whisper, knowing the words to be true the moment they leave my lips. “I will always trust you.”

“Minnie…” he rasps. Unshed tears gather along his lower lash line, his eyes glistening with ineffable emotion.

“In my dream.” I take a deep breath as I squeeze my eyes shut. Perhaps it was a dream, but it affected me all the same. The feeling of dying…of having my heart ripped out of my body… I’ve never felt such pain and terror before. It wasn’t so much physical as it was mental. I stood at the precipice and I saw what my death would bring and I was terrified.

“I realized there is only one person in the entire universe who would miss me should I die. You. No one else. My family couldn’t care less about me as long as I don’t sully their name. My brother may tolerate me, but even he would wash his hands of me if I become an outcast. But you…”

I press my palm against his cheek, feeling the pebbled skin under my touch.

“You’ve not only accepted me for who I am, for what I am, but you’ve also taught me to not be ashamed of it and embrace myself. You gave me courage, Mine. When everything fell apart around me, you helped me believe in myself again. Perhaps you made me believe in myself for the first time ever.”

“Ah, my sweet Minnie,” he murmurs lovingly. He raises himself on his arms, his mouth a razor’s edge away from mine. His breath fans my lips as he closes the distance and skims his mouth over mine.

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