He lifted a shoulder, his short-sleeved undershirt puckeringagainst his upper arm. “I mean, that kept me busy and was good experience, learning to build from the ground up rather than relying on what my mother built here, but no. I was sent to watch over you.”
Astonishment rocked her. Emmellin had made a vague comment about Gage being supposed to keep an eye on her, but with everything going on it hadn’t truly registered. Before she could make any further assumptions, Gage stood and leaned against the railing of the deck so he could face her. “One of our girls is a seer. She had visions of you for a year straight. Eventually, she had one of you and me. All we knew was that you would be important to our House. After conferring with the priestesses at the Bone Temple, it was decided the family needed to keep you safe. ThatIneeded to keep you safe.”
Elysia was reeling. “You were family to me,” she whispered.
Gage clasped a rough hand on her chilled cheek, already knowing where she was heading. “Don’t.”
“But—” Wet flakes of snow caught in her eyelashes and children screamed in the background.
“No, you know how I care for you. I left my family, my world, the magic that was a part of me—and I poured all of that into you as much as you let me.”
Elysia swallowed hard, her own hand reaching up to touch his. “Thank you.”
Gage turned their hands, kissing her palm. “It only took most of your life to get you to warm up to me.”
Snorting, she pulled his toasty hand out in front of her to inspect it. “What kind of magicdoyou have?”
“Ah, little of this, a little of that. My parents come from different backgrounds.”
She stared at him expectantly, but when he didn’t answer her magic slid out playfully.
He danced back as if that could stop her. “Hey, I didn’t teach you to be a cheater!”
Laughing, she pulled it back in. “Actually, you did.”
Ripping his shirt overhead and throwing it aside, Elysia blinked. “It’s freezing, what in the realms are you—” The rest of his clothes hit the deck. “Oh my gods, why does this keep happening?”
Gage paused, unabashedly naked. “Who else took off their clothes?”
Hand over her eyes, she hissed at him. “Does it matter! What are you doing!”
There was a strange groan, and when she dared peek out again, a large cat was butting its head against her.
“You’re akitty!” Elysia’s delight stretched across her face as she smoothed her hands over the lush fur of the beautiful creature in front of her. As tall as her chest, his fur was a blend of creams and grays with darker spots throughout, perfect for blending into winter foliage. Reaching up to his ears, she marveled at the tufts of fur sprouting off the tips. “No wonder Sir Larkspur hated you. He was probably ready to pee himself every time you walked by.”
The big cat made a chuffing sound, then stepped back and within seconds was once again a naked, muscular man. Reaching for his clothing, Gage spoke in a pained voice. “I ambeggingyou to never call me a kitty again.”
“Ah, but you’re such a pretty kitty.”
Gage glared at her. “I could kill you faster than you could blink. You’d never hear me coming.”
She gave him a look right back. “That’s just rude.”
“No, your fucking cat is rude. All eight pounds of him trying to mark all over my house because he could smell me but knew I couldn’t do anything.”
Elysia’s lips pressed together as she tried not to laugh, but it was useless, her entire chest shaking as the laughter broke free. “Larky made you his bitch.”
Sighing, Gage sank back onto the bench. “My mom was right, you know.”
“About what?” Still chuckling, she didn’t catch his tone shift.
“You really do need to consider what it would take for you toembrace this.” He held up a hand before she could respond. “If only for your own sake, Lys. I’m not a stranger to sacrifice, and the first few years I was in Kava I was a miserable, pissed off son of a bitch, and I made it damn near everyone’s problem. I caused fights, ended fights, took jobs I shouldn’t have just to see what would happen.”
Elysia picked her mug back up, afraid to ask her next question. “What changed?”
He looked at her softly. “I finally let myself care about the little kid who hadn’t asked for shitty parents or to be stuck with illegal magic in Kava. I knew I wouldn’t have been much without my family, and that keeping you safe meant more than just making sure you didn’t end up dead.”
A dull swath of emotion blanketed her, weighing her down and seeping into her eyes.
