“We belong, Daya.”
“I know.”She swallowed past the lump in her throat.“But it’s not that simple.”
He stroked the side of her face in a caress.“Then explain it to me, anaiah.Because I know what I feel.”
“I’m a guardian,” she confessed, heart racing from more than just the kiss.
His brows dipped in a frown, like he was trying to place the word.
“This—Hannelore—is a sacred site, and I’m its bound guardian,” she continued.
Raiden opened his mouth to speak and then shook his head.“Come on, let’s go sit.This is important.”
Her nerves were spinning and somersaulting as they walked the short distance remaining to the barn.Once he was situated, he pinned his green eyes on her with a steady intensity that was unsettling.
“Talk to me, anaiah.What does it mean to be a guardian?”
She paced for a moment before turning to face him.“How much do you know about sacred sites?”
“Very little.They’re ancient places that used to be gathering spots.Where magic lived.I think that’s the phrase historians like to use.”
That was surprisingly accurate.“Yes.That phrase is a good one.The actual gathering site—the valley where I do my work—is hidden deeper in the mountain.”
His eyes brightened.“The valley we came through when you saved me.That’s part of it, isn’t it?”
“Yes.We didn’t think you’d make it otherwise, so we took the shorter route through the mountain.”
Daya felt Ereven reaching for her but blocked the attempt, throwing a firm barrier up between her and the hawks.Even Hannelore, to the extent she could.This was between her and Raiden, and she didn’t want the others disturbing them or shadowing her mind.
“It was so bright.Radiant.I remember thinking that it felt different.Like raw magic.”His whispered words held the weight of understanding.“I didn’t have the ability to recognize that at the time.I’ve heard of places where the magic is vibrant.This is one of them.”
The knowledge he possessed surprised her, as did his ease with the idea.Though maybe it shouldn’t have.He was Calderran, after all.Raised openly around magic.“Our ecosystem is unique even compared to those vibrant places, but, yes, magic is a part of it.”
“So, they aren’t all sacred sites?”
“Definitely not.”
He looked thoughtful at that.“What about Ember and Ereven?”
“Winged guardians and, in ancient times, messengers.You were right, they’re closer to people than to normal hawks.”
“Ereven maybe, but I can’t see Ember as a messenger.”Raiden’s lips twitched in his signature teasing smile.
“She’d probably agree with you on that.Sacred sites are just places of memory for the most part, with the world as it is now.There’s no need for messengers in present times.We guard the mountain together, the three of us, and the land’s inherent magic.”
“All our time together, and you never said a word.”
“I rarely choose to share it.”She took a deep breath.“The last time, it didn’t go well.”
Raiden frowned.“You mean Draven?What happened?”
“He wanted to love me, and I wanted to let him.But I’m not like you, Raiden.I gave up my humanity to become a guardian.Draven tried to become what I am, but the mountain rejected him.Hannelore killed him.”
It wasn’t entirely fair to phrase it like that, but it was the truth.Shocked silence from Raiden had her hurrying to continue explaining her existence.
“Being a guardian isn’t a profession.It’s everything I am.My lifeforce starts and ends with Hannelore.My magic is an extension of the earth itself.I can’t leave the shadow of the mountain.I’m completely bound.”
“That’s… wow.”Raiden rubbed his temple where he often got headaches.“At least now I know why I can’t connect to you.It’s like there’s a wall around your soul, blocking it whenever I try to forge a bond with you.That’s Hannelore?”
