Crap. “Are you serious?”
“I’ll never forget the spell. Where love and destiny meet, where two hearts beat, so shall the giver adore. Where sacrifice is made, where fire and magic are laid, only one shall be restored. Her name shall be Moyer, with golden fingers and a heart so pure. Her man will bow down, and shall never go hungry before her.” He grabbed in a deep breath. “His mother said you’re the key. You must always hold the ring, now he’s named you as his.”
“Why would she—” Crap. Crap. Crap. The whole universe was aligning against me. I still had Faith’s problem to fix, and now I had a spelled ring I couldn’t give— “Hold on. How do you know I have the fire skill, the golden fingers? What did your wife mean by ‘I’m the key?’” Faith’s words rebounded in my head, her insistence I was the key. Yeah, I’d really heard enough of that lately.
“I’ve always kept my wife’s skill quiet. Although, somewhere in her history, one of her ancestors had to have been fathered by a Wincrest. The skill only runs through the two ruling families of Magio. Anyway, before her death, she spoke of a forewarning, and she had me enchant the ring to ensure Guy’s destiny was set on the right path. He doesn’t know about the spell. He never needed to, not since she didn’t wish any further interference than what was cast.”
“Holy moly.” No wonder Guy and I had met even though he’d tried to steer clear of me. Our destiny had been set all right. “This is crazy.” Yet it made more sense than I liked.
“Wear the ring. The magic within it is strong.”
I shoved the ring back on.
“Not your right hand, your left.” His jerked his head toward it. “The other hand. Now. The magic will be stronger still if you accept your destiny is with Guy.”
“You know, I can see where Guy gets his stubbornness from. Truly, he won’t want this, and how on earth can you want your son’s destiny to be with me? We’re enemies you and I.”
“My son’s happiness will always come first, and his mother was never wrong. Because of the war and the dome my father enchanted over Dralion, so few of our people are finding their mated one. Our skills continue within our family lines, but they don’t return to full strength unless we’re born of the mated bond. How many centuries has it been since the fire skill was seen? And why must Guy be one of the few left to enchant? We are losing the battle, and it is with ourselves more than any other.”
My heart ached at the truth in his words. “Are there other warriors like you who believe the same?”
“A handful, but the number grows.”
“Are you loyal to Wincrest?”
“Yes, do not mistake my words. He is a wise ruler, and my allegiance is to him and Dralion.”
“Okay, so tell me how I’m the key?” Because that would really be helpful.
“My wife told me my son’s mate would hold the greatest of the battle skills, and yet you brought me food, your enemy. You have the heart of a nurturer, as she did. Never forget the fullness of the spell.” Again he jerked his head toward the ring. “Swap it to the third finger of your left hand. Within your heart, bind yourself to Guy.”
“Guy is going to fight any such binding. We’ve already released each other.” Yet still, with shaky fingers, I swapped it to my other hand and pushed it over my knuckle and into place. My heart thundered within my chest as the truth blazed back at me. “I’m falling for him. I made this meal to give myself closure, but deep down, I did it to reconnect with him. To bring him back to me.”
“A part of his soul lives within you, Silvie. Why wouldn’t you want to have him close? Embrace the bond. Allow the magic to flow.”
“I want to be with him.” I traced the ring with my finger. Slowly it heated, as if the magic within bubbled to life. As if the ring were in its rightful place. “I will be with him.” I stated the words forcefully. “I will be with him.” The ring lit to a bright golden hue.
“That’s perfect. That light proves the magic beats strong. The light will cool and disperse soon.” A smile lifted his lips. “Never let my son walk away from you again.”
“I won’t.” The light slowly faded from the ring. Peacefulness settled over me. Even though I didn’t have Guy back, I wouldn’t give up. I never should have.
The key jingled in the lock and the door was jarred open. Warrick walked in, observing all with his gaze. “You’ve been a while, and I thought I’d check. Are you done, Silvie?”
“Yes.”
I nodded at Gerritt and offered a small smile. “Until the next time we meet.”
“Thank you for the meal. It’s the best I’ve had in a very long time.”