“If you had a chance to search for evenoneof your siblings, to actually find them and reunite after all these years, help one of them out of a dangerous, life-threatening situation, you’d drop everything and do whatever it took to get to them. So would I. And so would Rodric.”
Jaw clenched tightly, Sam rose abruptly and walked across the room to brace one hand against the window. Without the inclement weather, he probably would have continued through the kitchen door out into the woods, as was his habit when upset.
Thrashing sounded from outside, as if the earth was protesting, mimicking the intense emotions pouring off of Sam. His shoulders hunched, visibly knotted with tension, and his curtain of hair fell forward to hide his face. Trees shook and rocks tumbled down the nearby hillside, dislodged from ground disturbance deep within the soil.
Celina winced in understanding as his magic bled the volatile energy out of him. All his worst nightmares crammed into one conversation. She knew him well enough to interpret the feel of his magic. His anger cracked loudly, but he only poured his emotions that deeply into the core of the earth when he was in pain. Combined with the storm, his emotions were likely to cause an avalanche outside, the earth reacting to his inner turmoil.
Rising, she rifled through the kitchen cupboard until she found Althea’s elixir, a special syrup she made from the frost berries that grew in the snowiest regions of Calderre. Filling a new mug with a touch of hot water and cinna powder, she mixed in the syrup to create the sweet, spiced drink Althea used to make when either of them was awoken by nightmares.
Joining him at the window, she watched the water run in rivulets down the glass, the trees blowing in the shadows of waning light. After a moment, Sam let out a deep breath and put his arm around her, touching his head to hers as he accepted the mug.
“Frost tea?” There was a faint smile in his voice.
“Seemed appropriate.”
Leaning into his hug, she put one hand on his chest, over his heart. Opening the connection between them, she sent a pulse of healing warmth through the oldest channel of her magic, directly into him. Relief washed through her to feel that his lifeforce was indeed strong. She would be devastated if she lost him too.
“You don’t have to check my heart, Cela, I’m fine.” He squeezed her tightly. “Angry and worried, but fine.”
“Force of habit.” Sending a little extra to battle his exhaustion, she felt his lifeforce brighten as it soaked up the energy like the earth absorbing the gift of rain. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk? Does it have something to do with your family?”
“Figured that out, did you?”
“Only a few select topics make you that upset. I think I hit all of them tonight.”
“Yeah, I guess you did. Let’s focus on the problems we can solve. Yours are more pressing.” Dark brown eyes that matched the saturated soil outside looked down at her, worry etched deep. “Just promise me you’ll be careful. I can’t lose you, Cela.”
“I will.”
“Good.” His lips twitched. “You never know when I’ll need you to restart my heart. Again.”
“You’d better not! Twice is plenty.” She tapped his chest twice to punctuate her words before stepping away. If not her mother, at least she’d been able to save Sam that night.
He turned to face her and pressed his back to the window, reminding her of the first time she’d seen him. He was just as dark and serious looking, the rain rushing around him in a ghostly silhouette.
“You really trust him?”
“I really do.” She met his gaze, letting him read her sincerity. “I have strong instincts, Sam. He’s a good man. And he’s extremely protective. He’ll be an excellent partner. Trust me about him.”
Sam tilted his head, narrowed eyes studying her intently like he was trying to figure out a secret she was keeping. Which was ridiculous. They hadn’t kept a secret from each other since the day they’d met on a stormy forest floor, Celina drowning the young mud-covered boy in her new magic as she tried to bring him back from the brink of death.
“What?” she asked.
“I just figured out what’s off with you.” Suspicion melted into surprised recognition as he studied her. “Why your voice changes when you talk about him. You really like him. As more than a convenient guide into hostile territory.”
Cheeks heating, Celina pressed her lips together, unable to help the smile that was slowly sliding over her. She made a half attempt to look innocent but failed miserably.
“Seriously?Him? He’s Eldrin!”
“You haven’t even met him yet. Besides,you’reEldrin. What does that have to do with it?” She winced as the words left her mouth, realizing her mistake too late.
“I’mnotEldrin,” Sam growled. “Eldridge killed my family. I’m Calderran.” Ferocity swept through his eyes, darkening them, and a corresponding rumble of stone sounded, followed by a reverberating crack.
“Careful you don’t split the stone archway. Althea will be upset if you ruin her herb garden in a fit of temper.”
The tension crackling the air dissipated just as quickly as it had formed, and Sam opened his eyes to meet hers. The snap of fire in the dark depths was banked by amusement. “She’d ground me for life. And make me replant the entire thing without magic.”
Laughter caught between them. That was exactly what Althea would demand, and had, when Sam’s temper had gotten away from him as a child. His control over his immense magic was in thanks mostly to Althea’s guidance. Laugh lines returned to border Sam’s mouth, most of his earlier tension gone.
