Warrior (Princesses of Myth #2)

“No, you don’t. You stay there.” Empaths had a terrible habit of being overly friendly.

She engulfed me in a hug, the sweet scent of roses coming with her. Shoot, and this one was no different. “I can tell you have a big heart simply because you care for Silas, and there is honor and pride emitting strongly from you.”

“I’m sure there is,” I muttered, trying to push her away. Damn it. Why wouldn’t she move? “Silas, a little help here.”

He snickered, and then coughed. “Sorry. Belle, do you mind?”

A sigh came from her. “No one cares about the empath. We have feelings too, you know.” Still, she retreated a few steps. Thank heavens. “You radiate the same emotional responses as Faith did after I first met her.”

“I do?” I slanted my head. “How can you tell that in so short a time?”

“It’s the strongest part of my skill.”

“Here we go, everyone.” Silvie breezed into the room carrying a large crockery pot with steam escaping from the sides of its glass lid. A long ladle balanced on top, and I rushed to help her, took the serving spoon and cleared a spot in the center of the table.

“Oooh, that smells delicious.” I peered in.

“It’s the starter. Spiced pumpkin soup. Great to see you.” She gave me a hug.

Silas pulled out a chair. “Come sit here, Hope, at the quiet end of the table.”

“There’s a quiet end?” I was all for that, and scurried to him.

Everyone sat and Silvie passed a basket of crusty herbed bread to me. “Did you have a good day?”

“I did.” Not that I’d talk about it in front of Zac, Viv or Belle. Dinner was one thing, but getting chummy another.

Silas squeezed my leg under the table. “You’re here. That’s all that matters.”

I gave him a small smile as Silvie plated the soup and set a bowl before me. “Thank you. This looks amazing.” I sipped a mouthful from my spoon. Oh, de-li-cious. She was good, and the herbed bread was melt-in-the-mouth divine.

“Hope. I hate to interrupt.”

I froze at Dad’s voice in my head, an undeniable urgency in his tone. “Yes.”

“Your sister’s coming. She heard Silvie had cooked and the last meal Silvie prepared for her didn’t end well. She wants to make it up to her.”

“How long?”

“Five seconds, but I’ve seen it’s time for you to meet her.”

I dropped my spoon and stared at the door. A tingly numbness pervaded my limbs. “Now?”

“Yes. Four seconds.”

“I’m not ready.” My heart thumped and Silas gripped my hand.

“What’s wrong?”

“Three.”

“Faith comes. It’s time for me to meet her.”

His chair scraped as he pushed it back.

“Two.”

“Dad, I’m not sure I can do this.”

“One.”

“Flip, stop counting down, Dad. I’m not a two-year-old.”

The door flew open and a young woman dashed in. “Silvie, I would have been here already if Davio had told me sooner you’d cooked.”

My gaze got stuck on her face as she spoke. She had pink cheeks from running and sparkling violet eyes. Her blond hair swept down her back. This was my sister. My twin. The one person I should never have been separated from in life.

Loveria panted as he hurried into the room. “You are too crafty for your own good, Faith. I said I had other plans for us.”

I soaked in every detail of her, from her casual Earth clothing, a short white skirt with a ruffled candy-pink blouse, to the three silver hoops on one wrist and the small digital watch on the other. I couldn’t wait another moment to meet her.

“Faith.” I gripped the table with both hands as I said her name.

She swiveled around, her gaze boggling wide. “What?” She blinked rapidly and squinted. “Um...” She flicked her fingers in front of her face. “Guys, I’m having a little problem with my eyesight.” She glanced around the room, looking from one to the other until she returned to me.

“No, you’re not.” Silvie grasped Faith’s shoulder. “You have a twin. This is Hope.”

Faith’s legs wobbled and her eyes rolled until the whites showed. Loveria caught her as she fell.

Okay, not the best first meeting.



Slowly Faith came to. Loveria fanned her face, holding her upright. “You fainted,” he murmured in her ear.

“I never faint.” She frowned. “Unless I see someone just like me and my best friend tells me I have twin. Then I do.” She gripped his shoulders, her knuckles turning white as she turned my way. “Oh. You’re still real.”

“What Silvie said was true.” I shoved my shaky hands behind my back. “I know this is...unexpected.” Crazy was more like it. “But if you’ll allow me to explain, I will.”

She flattened her hand on her chest. “You won’t see me stopping you...whoever you are.”

“You and I are true sisters of the blood-bond, born eighteen years ago to the same mother.”