Page 27 of Saved By Her Guardian
“Yeah, that about sums it up.But I felt, I don’t know…compelled to do what the reaper asked me to.I just wanted so badly to be assigned somewhere else.”
“Aralyn,” Maverick said, voice filled with exasperation, “I told you I’d support you in your assignment, that I thought you were strong enough to handle it.Why didn’t you tell me about finding the book when you came to Northernmost?We could have talked to Santa, and I’m sure he would have told you more about it.”
“I was afraid it wouldn’t work, and I didn’t want to get my hopes up about it.”
Maverick blew out a breath and then said, “I’m glad you’re okay, but you almost died out there.Not to mention that your foolishness nearly destroyed the protections around Northernmost and allowed Frost to waltz right in.And to top all that off, Frost clearly let you escape from the cell so that his followers could attack the security team.Elves and shifters could have been captured or killed.I’m angry that you thought so little of me that you kept me out of the loop of all of this, but I’m thankful you’re safe now.”
She stared at him, his words wrapping around her like barbed wire, and her defenses crumbled.Her mouth went salty and she struggled not to lose it, but the hot tears welled and spilled over, and she cried.
Maverick sat next to her and put his arms around her.Pressing a kiss to her temple, he whispered, “Sweetheart, I was so scared I was going to lose you.”
She clutched at him and sobbed, relief and anxiety twining inside her.“I’m sorry about it all.”
Grim grunted.“This is all well and good, but you and I have some things to discuss.Maverick, could you give us the room for a minute?This is reaper business.”
“Of course,” he said.“I’ll go hang out with Church.”
Maverick kissed her forehead and left the abbey, and she immediately missed him.And not just because her uncle was giving her a hard stare like she was a criminal he’d just apprehended.
She opened her mouth to tell him she was sorry, but he raised his hand, and she promptly closed her mouth.
“First and foremost,” he said, pulling a chair over and sitting down, “there’s no such thing as a Realm of the Forgotten or ancient reapers who hang around waiting for reapers to ask them for favors.It’s absurd and I can’t actually believe you thought it was real.”
She didn’t really have an answer for that.Looking back, she couldn’t believe she’d fallen for it either.
“Second, it would seem that Frost and his evil followers were watching you and knew your weakness and I’ll hazard a guess that it’s because they’re watching the Portal and following any Guardians or elves who leave Northernmost.So just tell me this: why did you think changing your assignment through some kind of ancient magic was the way to go about this?Why didn’t you come to me?”
“I figured you’d say no.”
“Hell yes, I would have said no,” he said, slashing the air with his hand.“Aralyn, did it ever occur to you that the reason I assigned you to ferry children’s souls is because I wanted someone likeyouin the position?”
She stared at him in silence, and then she said, “What do you mean someone like me?”
“You’re compassionate and gracious, and you actually like kids.I knew the assignment wouldn’t be easy, but hell, nothing about being a reaper is easy.It’s a necessary thing in this life because we’re part of what balances nature.There can’t be give without take, life without death.It’s why no creature in any realm is immortal.It goes against the natural order of things.”
Her eyes stung but she didn’t want to cry again.“You think I’m compassionate?”
His upper lip curled and then he sighed, like he was so very weary about everything.“Yes, Aralyn, of course I do.Out of your entire graduating class, in fact out of every reaper available, you were the one I wanted to handle that assignment.”
“You could have told me that.”
“I shouldn’t have to,” he said with a snarl.“But I realize that I got heavy-handed about everything.I expected you to take the assignment and do your best, and when you questioned me and pushed back, thenrefused, I was so damn pissed.In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not the most demonstrative guy, but you should have trusted me.I’ve been your guardian since your mother passed away, and it was my joy to see you excel in school.”
She was humbled and embarrassed at the same time.“I didn’t know.”
“And that’s on me.I’ll try to tell you that I’m proud of you more often.Although right now,” he said, moving his hand back and forth between them, “I’m not proud.”
She grunted.
“Listen, here’s the main point.Just because you don’t want an assignment doesn’t mean it stops happening.People die, young and old, and we have to ferry their souls.You refusing the assignment didn’t change anything for those young souls, it only put the burden on other reapers to pick up the slack.I shouldn’t have threatened your magic and brought you here, but if that hadn’t happened, you wouldn’t have met Maverick, so I suppose there is a silver lining to you being rebellious.Although I trust that rebellious streak is well handled now?”He arched a brow and looked at her pointedly.
“Yes, definitely.”
He rose to his feet.“Walk with me.”
She followed him out of the abbey and into the cemetery.She saw Maverick walking with Church and her heart skipped a beat.How close had she come to losing everything?
“Frost took advantage of your unhappiness, and once you cast the spell and carved those runes, he pulled the wool over your eyes, and what would seem like foolishness or dangerous to anyone else, made sense to you because of the hold he had on you.You’re lucky your mate is fierce, because he’s the reason you’re alive and not under Frost’s control.So, the question, dear niece, is what are you going to do now?”
