Lowering his finger from my mouth, Julian found one of my hands and laced his fingers through mine. “You have not yet asked about my gift. Would you like to know what I inherited from Brigid?”
“I assumed your gift was the same as mine.”
Julian laughed. “Our first mother was the goddess of many things.” He pulled me with him deeper into the garden. “She was the goddess of healing and fertility, of poetry and smithcraft.” Stopping for a moment, he let go of my hand and then disappeared behind several large bushes. “And she was the goddess of agriculture.”
“Where are you going?” I asked, following after him.
“Our dear Queen Caroline is a romantic at heart. She had several types of berries planted in one of the more secluded gardens with the idea that her courtiers could spend leisurely afternoons feeding each other fruit. Sort of like the garden of Eden if you ask me.”
He came to a stop, knelt down in the grass next to a cluster of plants and rummaged through the foliage. “Here we are.” He stood and I glimpsed something small between two fingers.
“What is that?” I asked.
“Alas, a dried-up strawberry, stunted in its youth and left to die on the vine once summer passed.”
He put the berry in his palm and held it closer for my inspection. I stared unblinking at the small dark spot against his fair skin. A few seconds passed when it began to take new form, growing to about the size of an acorn.
I looked at him, astounded. “How did you do that?”
“It only takes a seed. With Brigid’s power, I can grow anything to maturity.” He pulled the stem and held the strawberry to my mouth. “Taste it, I promise you’ll not be disappointed.”
Biting down, the berry released the sweetest, most intense juice I had ever known. “It’s delicious,” I said, breathless. The berry disappeared in another bite and I was left wishing for more.
Julian allowed his finger to linger, lightly tracing a line along the curve of my lower lip. “You see, Selah, our gifts may vary, but we are the same.” His voice had grown lower as his hand slipped down my neck to rest on the bare skin. “We are meant to be together.”
With the sweetness of strawberry still on my tongue, Julian leaned closer and touched his lips to mine. Surprised by his actions, I didn’t resist, didn’t even think to pull away.
“I would treat you like the goddess you are,” Julian murmured, pulling me closer to fully claim my mouth.
My thoughts became a blur. Julian was kissing me not like a brother, or even a dear friend. He was kissing my like a lover and from what I could tell, I was kissing him back. It took a moment for my senses to catch up. I love Henry...not Julian.
“No,” I said, moving my head away despite his hold on my neck. “I can’t.”
“Henry doesn’t deserve you.” He leaned forward to kiss me again.
My hands shot up and pushed against his chest. “Don’t, Julian, this isn’t right. I love Henry.”
“But he is not leath’dhia. You were never meant to be together.” Julian closed his hands around mine and held them tightly against him. “Give me time, Selah. You will learn to love me even more than you could ever love Lord Fitzalan.”
I shook my head. “I’m sorry if I led you on in any way, but my heart belongs to Henry and I’m going to marry him as soon as the betrothal is cancelled with Amelia.”
Dropping my hands, he took a small step back. “Have you already forgotten what he called your power? He thinks you are unnatural. How long will it take before he casts you off just as my father did to my mother?”
“Henry would never do that to me.”
“How can you defend him after tonight? Clearly, Amelia and his friends mean more than you. On my honor, I’ve never seen more despicable behavior from a gentleman.”
His words struck at my heart. “Please don’t, Julian. You’ll not change my mind about Henry. I know he loves me.” I was crying again, this last part coming out as a sob.
Julian reached for my arm. “When will you stop denying the truth and see the man for what he really is?”
I tried to wrench my arm free, but Julian’s grip held fast. “Let go of me.”
“So you can run back to Henry?”
“That’s none of your concern.” In a few short breaths, my despair turned to anger, simmering precariously close to the surface.
“I’ll be damned if I stand by and watch you be hurt by a selfish brute with no thought for anyone beyond himself.”
Anger shot through me and before I knew what was happening, heat surged down my arm. Julian yanked his hand away, stumbled back several steps. I stared at him, too mad to give any consideration to what I had just done.
“Don’t do this,” he said, reaching for me again.