Page 7 of Heart's Flame

“Zeph, uh, your father, believes that the spell is weakening on it’s own or you wouldn’t have been able to remember the things you now can. He believes that together, you and I might be able to shatter it completely. The same way you pulled strength from me to remember Dem clearly.”

Vian was quiet for a moment. “Are you close to him? My father?”

“We’ve become friends, yes. There are a lot of good people willing to stand up to your mother and the mages that follow her, but we need you.”I need you, he didn’t say, even though it hung in the air between them.

It was still incredible to him how much he felt for this man. They were barely acquainted, but simply standing on a rocky path beside Vian made him feel more whole than he ever had. Time didn’t matter. His soul recognized its mate. “You said earlier that we’ve sealed no bond...that’s not entirely true. Your father made a choice on the battlefield that night. He performed a blood bonding spell on us. It’s why you felt it so acutely when you believed me dead.”

A gamut of emotions raced over Vian’s face until finally something like sadness settled into his features. “Let’s move on. We don’t want to get caught out in the open like this.” He faced forward and started down the path again.

When they reached the base of the hill, a little girl came into view on top of the next one. Even at a distance, Marcellus could see her fire-red hair and knew that up close her eyes were the color of warm honey. When she spotted them, Sasha squealed and started to run their way.

"Vian," she yelled, her voice going high-pitched with excitement.

Beside him, Vian’s steps slowed, and Marcellus worried he would reject her. He needn't have. When it became obvious Sasha had no intention of slowing down, Vian squatted down and opened his arms to her just as she launched herself at him.

"I knew you'd come back. I knew it," Sasha said over and over, her voice muffled from where she buried her face against the side of Vian's neck. The mage turned to him with wide eyes even as he held Sasha close, letting her hug him for all she was worth.

"No hug for me, little one?" Marcellus asked. "I've been gone for days. Didn’t you miss me?"

Sasha huffed, but finally lifted her head from Vian’s shoulder, turning to give Marcellus squint eyes. “You weren’t supposed to be gone so long!" she said, skinny arms still holding tight to Vian.

Marcellus tried to hold in his smile, but he wasn't sure he was successful. "My apologies. I promise I'll do better next time."

After watching him for a moment, in which he felt entirely measured, she finally gave him a nod, but didn’t reach out to give him a hug.

Before he had the chance to say anything else, two more forms crested the top of the hill—Demitrius and Zeph. It looked like it was finally time for Vian to get to meet his father again.

5

The walk up the hill was slow and even with Sasha chattering away in Vian’s arms, feeling like a shield, he could feel the eyes of the men standing there like a searing weight on his skin. His memories of Dem were patchy at best, but the man standing next to him, his father—who looked so similar to Vian there was no denying it—was a complete blank in his mind.

When they reached the top, Marcellus walked to the men, opening his arms to embrace each of them. Vian stopped a couple steps back and watched the exchange.

“Don’t you want hugs?” Sasha asked, one of her small hands playing in the thick tail of his hair. She was a tiny thing, all arms and legs with a mane of red hair that reached halfway down her back. He could also sense that she wasother, and wondered what type of animal lurked under her pale skin.

“Maybe just a greeting, first.”

“But why? Papa and Da are your parents too, you know.”

Vian met her golden eyes, words lost to him.

“They told me,” she said quietly, “that you might not remember me. I didn’t believe them.”

He swallowed hard, his whole world suddenly narrowed to the enchanting little creature in his arms. Warmth spread in his chest again, just like it had when she’d come running down the hill calling his name. “Someone has played with my mind, love. I am missing some memories, but I don't think my heart could ever forget about you.”

She beamed at him, and then wiggled to get him to let her down.

“Papa! Did you hear that?! Vian remembers me!”

The man with the same dark hair, eyes, and stocky build as his knelt down until he was eye-to-eye with her. “That’s because you’re especially memorable. Now, run on and tell Wilmot that we’ll have two more for supper.”

“Yes, Papa!” She took off with a spring in her step and that red hair waving like a flag behind her.

“Welcome home, Vian,” Dem said, stepping forward with a hand outstretched.

Vian took it, letting the vaguely familiar warmth of Dem’s skin ground him. “Home? I barely remember you, Dem, but at least there’s something there. Marcellus says he and I have more shared memories that I have no recollection of, and him...” Vian looked past Dem to the man who was undoubtedly his father, meeting his dark eyes. “The only thing I know about you is that you supposedly died when I was a baby.”

“Well, in Araminta’s defense,” Zeph said as he stepped forward, coming to a stop beside Dem. “There was a time when she believed she’d managed to kill me.”

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