Page 63 of Touched By Destiny

Then Eric dropped onto the ground on his butt to keep from collapsing. It would take him a few minutes before he could stand again, so he ensured the man on the bed was breathing properly. Every inspirit Eric had resurrected had slept for at least ten or twelve hours before they woke for the first time. Their first day was mostly resting and eating enough to fuel them. By day two, they’d be feeling normal and ready to face the world.

Eric, too, required twenty-four hours before he was himself again, but he never minded the weakness. It was proof that he’d worked as hard as he could to offer an inspirit every possible advantage. Already eager to meet the new inspirit, Eric tugged his phone out of his pocket and texted Gabriel.

Although Gabriel was probably busy at work, Eric wanted him to know his task was done. And that he missed him.

???

Gabriel handed Eric a beer and sat on the sofa next to him. Over two weeks had passed since the necromancer had ushered hislatest ghost through a portal, and the car that had followed them to Henderson hadn’t been seen again. From Clark’s sources, they’d learned little. The Arwynn family was elusive, but they were home in Washington, DC and nowhere near Vegas.

That didn’t mean they hadn’t hired someone to keep tabs on Eric, but with no recent sightings of danger, Clark and Rosalind were giving their son freedom again, starting in the morning. Gabriel would be at his side to ensure nothing untoward happened, and he’d already decided to note the plates of every car that came near them.

“Your new inspirit loves his condo,” Gabriel said, resting a hand on Eric’s thigh and rubbing the muscles underneath with his fingers. The inspirit, who’d chosen the name Takoda, had stayed with the Marwoods for three days, and they’d encouraged his independence as he searched for a suitable job and home.

“Yeah, Takoda’s nice,” Eric replied. “And his vision is very enhanced. I hope he’s really interested in guarding the house and isn’t doing it just because he thinks he should.”

“We’ll keep an eye on him to ensure he doesn’t get bored or regret choosing the job he did. I’m surprised Richard and David are so excited about taking martial arts classes.”

“Yeah, it’s great to see; they were both smiling and ready to practice what they learned after their first class.”

“And in typical Richard fashion, he lay on the floor as soon as they got home to recover from his exertions,” Gabriel mused.

“Well, he wouldn’t be Richard if he wasn’t dramatic sometimes. What I’d like to know is how he made it through an entire martial arts class without getting a hair out of place or mussing his clothes a bit.”

“It’s Richard magic. Are you ready to go ghost-hunting again?”

“Absolutely, I can’t wait to get out of the house,” Eric said. “I’m not going to lower my shield until morning, though, in case my parents change their minds. The last thing I want to do is have some spirit driving me nuts because I can’t go find them and help them into a portal.”

“I think we should still take our walks.”

Eric’s gaze went flat, and his jaw flexed. “Of course you do.”

“It’s not so big a deal, is it?”

“You want the truth? We barely get an hour together, then we’re traipsing around the house just in case someone glances out a window. Why is this necessary?”

Gabriel sighed at the palpable frustration rolling off his soulmate. Each day when Gabriel woke up, he couldn’t deny that his heart grew a little fonder of the incredible man in his life. His fears still existed, and like Eric, he was growing irritated by the constraints on their relationship.

One hour a day wasn’t enough to let his guard down and be with Eric fully. However, if they were ever going to move forward, Eric deserved to know about Gabriel’s past. Gabriel didn’t want to enlighten him, but perhaps if he did, Eric would better understand his fears about revealing everything to his parents.

Wondering if a full confession would change the way Eric looked at him, Gabriel leaned forward and breathed him in. He pressed his lips to his cheek and marveled at the chance he’d been granted to have Eric as his partner—as limited as their connection was due to circumstance.

“Your parents raised you with stories about how I defended a destiny-touched child and earned a bullet in my shoulder for my troubles,” Gabriel said, meeting the dreamy and confused blue gaze that haunted his dreams.

“Of course, you threw yourself in front of a murderer to save him. I’m so sorry he died.”

“Me too. I could’ve prevented it.”

Eric frowned. “How?”

“His parents came and tried to convince me that my necro was a murderer. I didn’t believe them. If I had, I would’ve made it out to the backyard quicker. That boy would be alive. The world would be one destiny-touched necromancer richer.”

“Gabriel, you can’t spend your life wonderingwhat if. It’s horrible what happened to that boy, but it’s not your fault. You didn’t pull the trigger. My parents told me about Samael. You trusted him. He was your family. Why would you believe two complete strangers over him? You’d known him your entire life. He gave you life.”

“There had to be signs I missed. Fifteen years is a long time to not notice that someone is a serial killer.”

After setting his beer on the end table, Eric grabbed Gabriel’s hand and held it between his own. His touch was a comfort, and Gabriel didn’t understand how he’d gained Eric’s full trust and faith in him, but he was incredibly grateful to have it. And he feared losing it. More so than even confessing everything to Clark and Rosalind.

Was that truly what had kept Gabriel from moving forward? Had he hidden behind his desire to keep secrets to shield Eric from his past? Clark and Rosalind knew the truth but had painted a beautiful picture of bravery for the children to ensure the kids never questioned Gabriel’s orders or the need for security.

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