“I’m not like everyone else you’ve met. Believe me. I could never hurt you like they have.” He lifted his hand to my face, gliding his fingers along my cheek. My breaths and heart almost stilled. I lowered my gaze.
“Don’t look away, please,” he whispered, dropping his hand and stepping closer to me. My legs were about to buckle. He asked, “Can you ever love me?”
I took in a shuddering breath as tears spilled along my cheeks. “I don’t know how to.”
“We can teach each other.” He wiped away the tears.
“What if I can’t? What then?”
“I will never stop trying,” he promised.
“Why?”
“Why not?” he asked with a hint of confusion in his voice, though his face didn’t change. He dropped his hands to his sides.
“Because it doesn’t make sense. I’m not whole or complete in any way.”
“Can you try to just let it happen?”
“Did you not hear my story?” My words came out shaky. “What is it you see in me that makes you so willing to spend forever trying to win me over?”
His hands touched mine, sending my nerves on high alert where our skin connected. “That is something better shown than told.”
I blinked away the blur of tears threatening to fall again. I wanted to see clearly, but he slipped his hand under my hair and grabbed the back of my head and pulled me closer to him. His other hand wrapped around my waist, pressing me to his body. He pulled back slightly to ask, “Do you trust me not to hurt you tonight?”
“Tonight?” It came out airy. I couldn’t think straight while pressed against him.
“One day at a time.”
I lifted my hands, resting them on his solid form and nodded, though I wasn’t sure at all. His lips pressed into mine, forcing a surge of heat to explode within me and burst through my body. Emotions not my own filled me and little stilled visions, like paintings, filled my mind. Memories from his past surrounded me. It surprised me to experience the images flashing through my mind and frightened me a little, too. The longer he kissed me, the more my fear melted and became a figment of what was. All too soon, he pulled away.
“What was that?” I asked, breathing heavy.
“It’s rather hard to explain.”
“Is that going to happen every time you kiss me?”
He chuckled under his breath. “I only need to touch you for that to happen.”
I raised my eyebrows, having made the connection with the strange emotions I experienced before, the touch forcing my body through chaotic sensations. “Oh.”
My cheeks rushed with heat.
He took my hand and pulled me behind him toward the ballroom, with the swords and statues. I glanced toward the wolf head again as we passed, always watching me. We approached one of the bookshelves. Marren released my hand and started to sort through the books. A thought entered my mind that he could be at it for months.
“What I’m about to tell you, and show you, is a lot to take in, but it’s important you understand exactly what you are getting yourself into before you get in too deep.”
“Too late,” I muttered under my breath. The weight of my words was far heavier than I realized.
“Most of the magic in this world, along with creatures now a part of myth, were banished several hundred years ago. As you can see, some of us stuck around anyway. Forced to hide our true identities and live in secluded areas of the world. That is how magic still exists on this realm and how I’ve been able to stick around as long as I have.”
“Where was everyone banished to?” I asked, curious about the enigma of Marren. “What do you mean hide your true identity?”
“A separate realm mirroring much of this world. Ah!” He pulled out a book by the spine, turned, and then held it out for me, ignoring my second question. “This book has a lot of information in it. This should help to answer most of your questions. What it doesn’t answer, I will explain.”
I nodded, taking the book. It was small but heavy and thick. There was no print on the cover, appearing as though it had been worn off for quite some time. The smooth cloth cover was stained heavily, making the original color difficult to discern.
“I must warn you, there are nightmarish and horrific things described in this book. It may frighten you beyond what I’m expecting. If that happens, tell me, so I can do my best to lay those fears to rest.” He cupped my face in his hands and stared deep in my eyes.
I only have one fear now…I wanted to say, but the words fell silent at my lips. I nodded.