“Go.Be Guardian Daya.If she seems willing, I’ll ask her to help you during the ceremony.”
“Really?”
“This is a rare occasion.”He brushed her hair back with a caress.“I know how special it is for you since you don’t normally get to perform this type of ritual.If she’s going to be a guardian, she should be part of it.And we don’t have a lot of time.This will let her explore what her life could be, with you.”
Chapter 19
Connorsatshouldertoshoulder with Veda on a large rock.They were near the entrance to the mountain’s sacred valley, where the true work of the guardians was done.
After a long walk, they were getting to the root of Veda’s feelings about becoming a guardian.He was struggling to keep his heart on the outer banks of the conversation as he tried to guide her in such a major decision.
“How can I be a guardian if I can’t even protect myself?”Veda asked.“I couldn’t protect us when they took us.Or later, at the fortress.”
“Mmm.Let me ask you something.Do you still think I’m a warrior?”
Veda gave him a wide-eyed look that said he’d followed a wild hare and jumped off a cliff.“Of course you are.”
“Even though I couldn’t protect you and Opal?You were recaptured while I was guarding you.Some of my teammates died too.I failed all of you that day.”
“Oh.But you came back and saved us.”
“I did.But sometimes, I still feel like I’m not worthy of being called a warrior.Especially not when I remember what happened that day.”
Thalia and Veda’s voices in particular crushed his soul as they screamed in devastation and fear.He was confident that those nightmarish flashbacks would plague him for the rest of his life.
“You’re still a warrior to me,” Veda said softly.“I believe in you.”
He leaned down close until they were eye to eye and cut a piece of his heart out.“I believe in you, too.If you want to be, you’ll grow up into a great protector.An amazing guardian.Just like Daya.”
White flashed as Veda bit her lip, the tiny hesitation speaking a million words in the silence between them.
Deciding it was time to stop the circular debate about her current abilities and fears, he turned her attention in another direction.“You know, tonight is something really special for Daya.”
“The healing ceremony?”
“Yes.She rarely gets to do this, and it means a lot to her to get to help you and your friends.Our friends.Will you help her?For me?I’m not allowed to go with her into the mountain, but you are.”
“What if I’m not good at it?”
“All you need to do is open your heart, Veda.In fact, I don’t want you to use your head at all.Just your heart.Be open to the magic and see how it feels.You should both enjoy such a special experience.Forget everything else for tonight, and we’ll talk about being a guardian tomorrow.Deal?”
“Okay.I’ll do it.”
“Thank you, sweetheart.It means a lot to both of us.And hopefully it will to you too.”
Veda’s brown eyes lit up with golden sparks, making her look so much like a young, innocent version of Daya that his stomach flipped.
The woman of his heart appeared out of the trees, the image of the enchanting guardian she was.He forced a smile to his lips though his heart trembled with a deep ache.How was he going to leave both of them when dawn came?
“Hi Daya,” he greeted.“We were just talking about how Veda is going to help you with the ritual tonight.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”He winked at Veda, earning him a smile.“I’ll wrangle everyone else while you two prepare.”
“Thank you, Connor,” Daya said meaningfully.“Don’t let them forget about bringing something for the fire.”
A heavy sigh escaped him.“I don’t have anything to put in the fire.It’s not like I can slice the tattoo off my back and feed it to the flames.”
