Page 56 of The Book Reader
My mouth falls open in horror, hurt, and more confusion. “I need a drink.” I walk past him and into the kitchen, grateful he doesn’t follow me. I need a minute to process all of this. The way I feel about him in the short time I’ve known him is new to me. I’ve never fallen for someone this fast. The moment in his hotel room when he looked into my eyes before he kissed me felt like a missing puzzle piece had been found. Then, each moment after that, all started clicking together. Making the perfect picture. An image I had no idea I was missing so much until now.
This is all happening so quickly, and it both worries and scares me.
“Find the book, find the answers,”a whisper moves through my head, making me roll my eyes.
“Now you want to give me advice. I haven’t heard anything from you for days, andnowyou reply?” I wait for them to whisper again, but I’m met with radio silence. I pull in a breath and put the water on to make another cup of tea.
“Rose?” Gaelan’s voice softly comes from the doorway. I turn to look at him, his eyes searching my face. I know he’s waiting to tell me more, to answer my questions, but I don’t know if I’m ready to hear them. I know I have to, though.
“Who is Macy? A crazy ex I need to watch out for?” I laugh bitterly even though it’s not funny.
“She was never an ex; she was someone who wanted me and my realm.” He moves into the kitchen and sits down at the table. He waves his hand, and a bottle of Black appears, along with two glasses. My eyes flick down, and I watch as he pours us both a shot. The way his hands move and the muscles in his arms flex make me wish they were all over my body. I’m so drawn to him, even with all that’s going on right now, I want him.
“Whois she, Gaelan?” I question, needing a distraction.
“She is a princess of hell, a powerful one at that.”
“And she killed me?” I walk over and sit at the table, downing the shot of Black in one. It’s going to go straight to my head, but I welcome that feeling right now.
“Yes,” he answers. I stay silent because he’s going to have to tell me more than that. He downs his shot and then pours another one, which he drinks straight away, before he speaks. “She thinks that because she can’t have me, nobody else can either. She’s been after you ever since we became bonded soulmates.”
“How many times?”
“Too many to count.” His voice is barely above a whisper when he answers. I don’t know much about the kind of power Gaelan has, but I know dream daemons are powerful. If Macy can kidnaphim, then she will easily get to me.
“Does that mean she’s going to kill me again? In this life?” I study him as his eyes lift to meet mine, but he doesn’t answer me. “Gaelan, you need to tell me the truth,” I implore.
Dread fills his voice as he replies, “She will try, yes.”
I stand up from the chair and start to pace around the kitchen. “So not only are there daemons after this book, but I have a princess of hell after me, too?”
He nods his head at me slowly and then stands up. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Ari.”
I can’t help the little laugh of disbelief that comes out of my mouth. “Gaelan, you told me that she has killed meseveral times. That you couldn’t ever save me. What makesthisdifferent?” I now have tears running down my cheeks, the fear that I now have washes over me like a wave and threatens to drown me.
Gaelan reaches for me and pulls me close, looking at me as he lifts a hand to cup my cheek. “I am sick and tired of losing you. Of finding you and knowing that I will have to say goodbye to you. Of holding you for hours after your last breath andwondering how many more tears I have left in me. I willnotlose you again.” He sounds so sure that I want to believe him.
His words make my heart beat faster, but they don’t offer me the comfort I need; they just make me wish that we could hide away from this. “What can we do? I just…” I step away from him because I need to pace; pacing makes it a little less scary. “So much has happened since Aunt May died, I’m finding it hard to believe this is my life right now.” I walk over to the table and take another shot. “What am I meant to do? I don’t have this book; I can only do healing spells, yet you’re saying that I getreborn. What does all this mean?” I turn to him, trying to keep the panic from my voice, but it comes out anyway.
He sighs, “It means that you’re special, Ari. We will fight all this together, just like we always have.” He walks over to me and takes my hand. “Come to my home, I can protect you better there, and it might give you some of the answers you need.”
I sniff. “What answers, Gaelan?”
“About our bond, maybe even the book.”
I pull my hands from his and move to the other side of the kitchen. “Doessheknow about the book?”
“She knows I love no other, and that you are my soulmate.”
I meet his eyes. “And your soul mate… she’s always the Book Reader?”
He nods his head as he proudly, and with a hint of possession, says, “Yes. You are mine, Arianna.”
The way he saysminemakes my body shake with wanting. I can feel butterflies take flight in my stomach. I want to tell him that he’s mine too, but I can’t, not yet.
He walks over to me. “She knows you’re alive now, so she will stop at nothing to get to you. There’s something different about you this time, my Rose, I feel it. We just need time to find out whatitis. I have an army, and my realm is protected. If she comes, she’ll get a fight before she can even get to you.”He lowers his head and kisses me, his arms wrapping around me and pulling me into his body.
I want to push him away, to run away. But I can’t. I want him. More than I’m ready to admit to myself. I break the kiss and ask, “What about my home? Lucy and Mekhi?”
