But I’d found Caelan the same, even as I feared for my life. I didn’t fear Ben, though. He had a gentle energy about him, and I hadn’t recognized his magic, though it felt peaceful.
“I’m a healer,” he said, answering my unasked question.
I snapped my attention to his face. “Was I that obvious?”
He lifted a powerful shoulder in a shrug. “You are the first person I’ve allowed to examine me like that. Thank you for not taking advantage.”
“You’re the first person who’s allowed it.”
We smiled at each other, and I felt an odd magical tug, drawing me toward him. I shook it off and stepped into the woods, the big shifter behind me, silent as a mountain cat.
As we walked, I realized how nice it was to have someone with me. Allowing Ben to get too close would be a deadly mistake, but I could enjoy this onetime outing. As we walked, the shifter asked questions about the flora and fauna, and to my surprise, seemed interested in the answers.
I asked him about his healing abilities and limitations, divulging a little of my own skill without giving away too much. He told me how long he’d been with Caelan and how he worked as the Keep’s main healer.
I boosted the nutrients in the soil where I found it lacking and healed some spots on my apple trees that looked to be diseased. There were several areas where seeds had gone too far to ground, so I gently tilled the soil to move them closer to the surface. In a few weeks, several parts of my land would be blanketed with native wildflowers.
I trimmed areas that needed to be trimmed to encourage more growth and buried plants and animals too far gone for my help. In the earth we began and to earth we returned. Life was a cycle and to disrupt it meant disrupting life itself, the very balance of nature.
Ben stayed quiet but watchful, and I realized I liked having someone watching over me while I communed with the earth. Every time I stood, he held a hand out to help me up, and by the time we made it to the back of the property, he stopped letting go of my hand.
I’d known the man for less than two hours, but I knew in my soul Ben had a gentle spirit saddled with lifelong trauma. As sad as it was, like recognized like.
At the edge of the uncleared land, I stopped abruptly, sensing the tingle of familiar and very unwelcome magic. “Stay here,” I warned.
Ben’s wicked chuckle tightened long unused things inside me. “If you think I’ll let a woman walk into danger alone, you’ve sorely misjudged me.”
“I don’t have time for macho nonsense,” I hissed. “Have you ever dealt with the gods, Ben?”
The shifter stilled, his brows drawing together. “Apparently you have.”
“I have, and you do not want to be on their radar. I will be fine. You may not.”
Ben’s upper lip curled, but he relented. “I’ll stay here for now. If there’s a hint of danger, I will not hesitate to come to you.”
Today felt like I’d stepped into a paranormal romance. A beautiful man built like a brick shithouse randomly showed up in my yard, said beautiful things to me, allowed me to inspect his inner spirit, then walked with me for hours, didn’t make a single thing about him, then wanted to protect me when danger showed up at my doorstep. Who the hell was this guy?
I felt like I was being punked by the universe.
Ben slipped back into the tree cover as I stepped into the yard, squaring my shoulders as I prepared to face my mother.
Chapter
Thirty-One
My mother was stunning. Considered one of, if notthemost beautiful goddesses of the fae, Cliona or Cliodhna, sat on my porch, her skirts gathered around her feet. Shining dark hair flowed down her back and gently shimmered in a phantom wind. Her eyes were the same color as mine, but her features had always been more delicate. I had a stubborn chin and higher cheekbones, and my skin had always held a faint golden sheen. Cliona’s skin was pale as pure Irish cream, her face unmarred by freckles or age.
She straightened when she saw me coming, a slight wrinkle of her forehead breaking up the perfection of her features. “Cavorting through the woods again?” she said by way of greeting.
I ignored the insult. “Hello, mother.”
Cliona rolled her eyes and rose, graceful as a swan. “Come. Invite me in for tea and let me catch up with my daughter.”
I made no move and stood there like a statue. “We both know you only visit when you need something. What is it this time?”
Displeasure flickered in her eyes, her staggering magic loosened for a second before she brought it back under control.Lightning cracked atop our heads, and thunderclouds rolled in, there and gone in an instant.
I hoped Ben stayed hidden. The last thing anyone needed was my mother’s interest.
