Page 88 of Guardian's Dilemma

“The other protections faded. I’ve been re-building them.”

“And nobody else came out to add any?”

“They don’t have the power to do it.”

I was thinking of Rhod and Aunt Isabella, who didn’t have the ability to work magic like that. I wasn’t sure they had any magic at all. They’d never be a Guardian, that was for sure. My dragon rumbled inside me. My family were weak and needed protecting.

Kingsley sounded surprised. “A dragon elder doesn’t have the power to put down protections?”

“He did,” I admitted. “But he hasn’t been out in a long time. His power is mostly wrapped around the castle.”

Kingsley was looking at me with knowing eyes and he nodded.

“We’ll start here, then.”

It was a marvel to watch Kingsley work. His magic was so different from mine and we tested each other, testing his protections and the way they interacted with mine. By the time we’d been working for half an hour, I knew that our boundary would be thoroughly secure by the time we’d finished.

“You’re strong.”

It was just an observation.

Just standing here, admiring my mate, who was the sexiest, strongest man alive.

Kingsley lowered his hands from where he’d been casting magic and met my eyes. “I’ve got stronger. Since we mated.”

“That happens,” I said, “We share our strength now. My magic has got stronger, too.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

He sighed with relief. “Thank goodness.”

I blinked in surprise. “Were you worried about that?”

His smell changed. I breathed in the discomfort and the residual anxiety and I realised I’d have to keep a much closer eye on my mate, if he’d already learned to conceal those from me. I loved that he was strong, but I loved knowing him – every intimate, flawed part of him – more.

“Tell me.”

“I was worried I’d become connected to you and was channelling my magic through your blood somehow. That it was blood magic making me stronger.”

I wrinkled my nose. “It’s not that. You have to touch the blood for that to work. You’re using deeper magic than that. The magic of fated mates. That’s stronger than anything.”

He nodded and raised his hands again. I smiled to myself. My mate needed a bit of time to process things. That was okay. I could give him that.

Then I realised I could give him something else. Something I’d got ready after talking to Seren and hadn’t found the right time to give it to my mate.

“I’ve got something for you,” I said.

“What?”

I waited until I had his full attention. Then I slipped my locket over my head, the chain newly mended. I held it out to him.

“Your locket?”

“Yes.”

“With Seren’s hair?”

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