Page 27 of Enchanted Kisses
“I remember now.” One of Caiden’s stories told of the origins of the sentries. They descended from fallen angels who mated with the fae. They were meant to be trained as gods but weren’t virtuous enough. In an effort to reform them, the Gods of Souls charged their kind with maintaining the balance of life and death on Earth, by ruling two realms—the Realm of Life and the Realm of Death. That was centuries ago, and they’d been here ever since.
“You liked my stories for a reason,” Caiden said, drawing me from my thoughts. He studied my face. “Somewhere, perhaps in your subconscious, you connected with them. It’s the goddess in you. I could see it in your eyes when you listened. It’s how I knew you were more than human, regardless of what the Gods of Souls believed.”
“And what was that?”
His mouth curved with a prideful grin. “That it wasn’t possible for you to retain any goddess traits due to your half-human lineage.”
He genuinely believed this. A small part of me wanted to freak out, but Caiden’s sedating touch stifled the urge. And as much as my mind fought to accept that I could be half-nature goddess, my instincts told me it was true.
“I have so many questions…” I wasn’t sure which to ask first, only that I wasn’t ready to ask about my mom. I focused on our hands. “How are you doing this? Calming me?”
“This is basic.” He shrugged. “An emotion-altering technique all sentries have.”
“Basic,” I repeated. “Can I do it?” If I were half-goddess, why hadn’t I showed any signs other than my eyes changing?
One of his brows arched. “Still not convinced?”
“I’m getting there, but I need to know more.”
“Like?”
“Why would a nature goddess fall for a human?” Sure, Dad was all about plants and trees, and in his prime, he was a looker with his crystal-blue eyes, chocolate-brown hair, and great smile. He was smart and charming, too. But to attract a goddess…?
“You already know the answer to that.”
I thought back to my childhood and my favorite bedtime story, which was Dad’s retelling of when he’d met Mom. On a stormy night, he’d found a woman who resembled an angel. She had passed out near the lake at the back of the nursery. He was about to call 9-1-1 when she’d murmured, “Don’t.” Instead, he brought her into his office and cared for her until she regained her strength. When she did, he said it was love at first sight for them both.
My heart sank. If all of this were true, Dad and Mom shared a love story as tragic as Romeo and Juliet’s. My poor father had been through so much more than I knew. I hated that he lost her and suffered to this day as a result. I felt guilty even.
I didn’t know whether I wanted the answer to my next question, but I asked anyway. “Am I the reason my mother was sent back to her realm?”
“No.” Caiden’s thumb traced the top of my hand. A peaceful warmth traveled beneath my skin, lifting my sadness. “No god or goddess can stay on Earth. They’re not meant to be here. Had the Gods of Souls believed you were capable of inheriting your mother’s abilities, they would have forced you to leave with her. I’m thankful their arrogance led them to believe otherwise, or else I wouldn’t have met you.”
I laughed without humor. “So I’m a half-breed. A muggle,” I teased with a frown. “ThatI can believe.”
“Then you can help me.”
“How?” What talent could I, a half-breed, possibly have?
“Believing was the start of it. Now all you have to do is come with me to the Realm of Life and conjure your powers so you can heal someone important.”
I jumped from the bed. “You’re crazy. I can’t go to a mythical realm. I can’t leave Georgia. My dad’s going out of town. Someone has to be here in case—I don’t know. Besides, there’s no proof I have powers. And even if I did have powers, I wouldn’t know how to use them.” I paced the wooden floors, shaking my head and murmuring incoherently about needing to be here.
Caiden stepped in my path and touched my shoulders. Tranquility showered over me, and his body flashed with gold. I blinked and his skin was back to normal—all but his shimmering hands.
He lowered his head until he was eye level with me. “I can’t do this without you or withouthim. If he dies, it all falls on me. I’m not ready for that. You can do this, Lily. I’ll help you. I know the techniques your mother uses to call forth her abilities. It will work if you trust me.”
I wanted to argue and demand to know who he was talking about and why this person was so important, but I couldn’t when I felt so at peace. Caiden’s face was so close, his smell so tantalizing. I swayed and leaned forward. To do what, I didn’t know.
Caiden straightened and his hands fell to his sides.
The sensation of warmth faded. Did he just reject me?Again?I hadn’t planned to kiss him. I hadn’t known what I was going to do. Maybe he was being polite.
I drew in a head-clearing breath and gave Caiden what he wanted. “I’ll try…but that’s all I can promise. And for me to focus, you’ll have to stop touching me and making me feel like I popped a sedative packed with rainbows and sunshine. Agreed?”
“Agreed.” He nodded and looked as if a heavy weight had lifted from him. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” My stomach rolled with mild anxiety. I exhaled and it was gone.
