Page 55 of Room for Three
"No." The word came out sharper than Jamie intended. "I don't regret it. But I feel like I should."
"Explain."
Jamie sighed, trying to find words for the conflict churning inside him. "I've spent my whole life being the steady one. Theresponsible one. I don't go around forming mystical bonds with two men I've known for less than a week."
"Yet you have."
"Yet I have." Jamie's laugh held no humor. "And I can't tell if that's because of the magic or because I actually want this."
Azelon shifted closer, his hand finding Jamie's on the blanket. "Does it matter?"
"Of course it matters." Jamie's voice rose slightly, then he caught himself, glancing at Corin again. "I need to know if what I'm feeling is real or if it's just magical manipulation."
"The bonds cannot create emotions that don't exist," Azelon said quietly. "They can only amplify what's already there."
Jamie absorbed this, then another thought struck him. "And what happens when I find Daniel? When I have to decide whether to go back to Earth or stay here?"
"You would go back?" There was no accusation in Azelon's voice, which somehow made the question all the more pressing.
Jamie knew he had to respond with honesty. "I don't know. Maybe. Probably. My life is there, my business, everything I've built."
"Your business is here now."
"In the middle of nowhere." Jamie gestured toward the windows. "I love the store, but I can't exactly run a bookstore for an audience of trees and forest creatures."
Azelon was quiet for a long moment. When he spoke, his voice was carefully neutral. "You've made your decision, then."
"I haven't made any decision." Jamie turned toward him fully. "I care about you. About Corin. More than I probably should after such a short time. But I also can't ignore the practical realities."
"Such as?"
"Such as the fact that I have responsibilities. People who depend on me. A life that existed before all this magic happened."
Azelon fell silent again. Then, he said, "I cut all ties to my people yesterday."
Jamie blinked, the words not quite registering. "What?"
"When you were unconscious. I used the sacred pool to contact my Council." Azelon's voice was calm, but Jamie caught the underlying tension. "I formally renounced my claim to Tideborn lineage. My name has been struck from their records."
"You..." Jamie stared at him, trying to process what he was hearing. "You gave up your chance to ever go home?"
"There was no chance. Not after forming bonds with you and Corin." Azelon's markings pulsed dimly. "I made that choice the moment I performed the healing ritual on you."
Jamie didn't know what to say in response to that. He'd had no idea the lengths the Tideborn had gone to. "You sacrificed everything."
"Everything that mattered to my old life, yes." Azelon's gaze met his. "It took me a long time to make that choice, but I don't regret it." His lips lifted slightly. "I feel free now."
Jamie realized what Azelon was trying to tell him, but could things really be that simple?
"You don't have to decide now," Azelon said. "But I understand your worries."
Jamie sat with that for a few heartbeats.
"I don't know what I'll do," he admitted. "I wish I did, but I don't."
Azelon nodded slowly. "At least you're honest."
"I'm trying to be." Jamie reached out to touch Azelon's hand. "I never planned for anything like this. I ran a bookstore. I paid taxes. I worried about quarterly profits and rent increases. I never thought about falling in love with magical creatures from another dimension."
