Page 291 of Primal Bonds

Across the table, Cleia winced.

Rosana flung up her hands. “So this is because I’m a female? I made warrior with the rest of my cohort. You trained me yourself.”

“No. Yes.” Dion shook his head. “It’s just…” He cursed under his breath, then shot a contrite look at a wide-eyed Brisa. “If something happened to you, I’d never forgive myself.”

“For Deus’s sake, I’m going to the beach, not a war zone.”

“There are people out there who would love to get at me through you.”

“Like Adric,” Tiago murmured.

Rosana stopped tearing her bread into pieces and reached for her orange juice.

Calm, controlled.

She itched to defend Adric, but her brothers weren’t stupid. It wouldn’t take much for them to connect her conversation with him last night with this sudden desire to go away on her own.

Cleia set a hand on Dion’s arm. “I can give her a protection charm. One that will deflect both physical and magical attacks.”

A muscle jumped in his cheek. When he’d mated with the powerful fae queen, he’d made it clear she wasn’t to interfere in his governing of Rock Run, however well-meaning. He hated asking her for anything. But to Dion, family was everything.

“Bom,” he agreed. “But only if you wear the charm all the time. And one day only, understand? I want you back here by tomorrow night.”

Rosana shot Cleia a grateful look. “Sure,” she said calmly, while inside, she was doing a full-out happy dance. “I’ll be fine, you’ll see.”

“You’d better be,” he returned, but his lips curved in a reluctant smile.

Cleia rose to her feet. “I’ll be right back with that charm.”

The air around her brightened and contorted so that it hurt your eyes to look straight at her. When Rosana glanced back, she’d ’ported out of the hall.

Brisa removed the chunk of bread she was gnawing on from her mouth and waved it at the spot where Cleia had just been. “Mama?” Her small brow knit uncertainly.

“She’ll be right back.” Dion set a cup of apple juice to her lips. “Here, drink.”

Brisa took a sip and then wriggled off his lap to make her way around the table to Alesia and Rosana, one hand on the bench for balance. When she reached Alesia, she handed her the half-eaten piece of bread.

“Here, Tia Yesa.”

“Thank you.” The dryad gravely accepted it and set it on her plate. “I’ll just keep it for you in case you want it back.”

“Okay.” Brisa continued to Rosana. “Up, Tia Wosa.” She lifted her arms.

Rosa swung her up. “Well, hello, there.”

Children were the one group she wasn’t afraid to touch. She might get a glimpse of a possible future, but their lives had so many possibilities that it was like looking down a hall with a thousand doors.

“What’s under here? A belly button?” She lifted her niece’s striped skirt to blow on her stomach.

Brisa chortled with glee. Then Alesia tickled one of her tiny pointed ears, and she giggled even harder.

Cleia ‘ported back with the charm, a silver Celtic knot inscribed on a plump heart. “It’s not one-hundred-percent foolproof,” she warned as she clasped the delicate chain around Rosana’s left wrist. “But it should at least buy you time to get away.”

“I love it.” Rosana turned her wrist from side to side, admiring the shiny charm. She beamed at Cleia. “It’s beautiful—thank you.”

“What if she has to shift?” asked Dion.

His mate’s smile was smug. “I’ve had my people working on that. This is a new design that will magically adjust and attach itself to her tail fluke.”

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