Page 81 of Surrendering Hope (The Hope Legacy)

“Is it because you aren’t a pure blood?” he asks.

My head snaps to Duncan, who sighs and leans over my legs to pluck Robert from next to me. “We’ve spoken about this, Rob. You aren’t expected to marry a pure blood, neither am I. You marry who your heart falls for. That special someone might have magic. Then again, she might be a model, a doctor, a chef. You marry who makes you happy, because what’s important is when you take those vows before God you mean them. Nobody knows what the future holds, but when you say ‘I do’ it’s because you love that person with every part of you.”

Robert glances at me. “Don’t you love Natia?” he asks.

Wow, relationship dissection by a seven-year-old. Duncan smirks. “I love Natia, but as a friend.”

Robert frowns. “Mummy says the person you marry should be your best friend.”

My lips twitch as Duncan looks to the ceiling for patience. “You have your normal best friend,” I point at Duncan, “and you have your best friend who you kiss.”

Robert screws his face up. “Ew… I don’t want to kiss my best friend. I will just have the one, and she’s the one I’ll marry.”

“It’s a good plan,” Duncan says, ruffling his hair.

Robert looks me right in the eye. “So if Duncan is your normal best friend, who is your kissy best friend?”

I scratch my forehead. Wow, where to start with this one. “He’s a male.” Robert blinks at me, so I’ve quantified my sexual orientation. Now what? “He’s a complicated man.”

Zee snorts. “Yeah, and he’s a god possessed by another god.”

I reach over Duncan and smack Zee upside the head. Robert shakes his head and tsks. “I thought I had issues.”

We all fall apart laughing, whilst an innocent, yet perceptive, seven-year-old boy stares at us like we belong in therapy. Julie stands, still chuckling and holds her hand out. “Come on, Rob, it’s way past your bedtime.”

Rob looks at me. “It’s not, it’s only a half hour past my bedtime. She makes it sounds like I’m six and have to be tucked in.” He rolls his eyes and leaps off Duncan. He bows to me and sweeps out of the room.

“You have an admirer,” Duncan says, relaxing back into the sofa now the Spanish inquisition seven-year-old style is over.

“Give him ten years and he will be a heartbreaker,” I say, still clutching the crystal to my chest. Duncan glances at the books lying in a heap on my knee. He scoops them up and moves towards the bookcase.

“You know, I think you’ve got the best poker face in the world,” Aaden says to Duncan as he leans to put the books back in their place.

“Why’s that?” Duncan tosses out over his shoulder.

“Duncan, you deadpan every Harry Potter reference and make deliberate mistakes to the references, that’s some dedicated concealment.”

He shrugs. “It amuses me.”

“For four years?” I splutter. “It has to be the longest con in history.”

He chuckles just as Julie appears with a smirk, her eyes sparkling with mischief in a familiar way to Duncan’s. “Seems your god has competition.”

Duncan throws me a look. “Told you.”

Julie falls onto the sofa opposite me. “He wants me to let you know if you are okay with no kissing, he will marry you if your god doesn’t become unpossessed.”

“Nice to know I have options.”

“He’s a good kid,” Duncan says, stretching his arms in the air. Guess that’s our cue. I jump to my feet and stretch my arm to hand the crystal back to Julie.

She shakes her head. “It’s yours. It’s tuned to your frequency now, it will help you heal. Keep it close by when you sleep.”

I grimace. I’d already been suffering through nightmares before I caught the train to hell. “Thank you.” She nods in understanding as Duncan makes a beeline for the door.

Julie grabs my arm when we get to the door. Duncan kisses her cheek and heads to the car with muttered thanks from Zee and Aaden as they pass us too. She checks over my shoulder and waits until the guys get in the car.

“I don’t know what you are tangled up in, Natia, but Duncan loves you and I know he would do anything to protect you.” I swallow the lump in my throat. “You have heartbreak and chaos in your future, please don’t let Duncan be that heartbreak. I couldn’t stand this world without him. He’s all me and Robert have left of our family.”

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