Part 83 (1/2)

”Noc-”

He knew she wanted him to let it go.

But he saw what he saw last night. He felt it.

So he just couldn't.

”This guy has got it in him, Circe. He can be that guy for you. He might be the only one in two universes that can be. He's a warrior and he's a protector. You know where I'm at with you. I wouldn't say that if I didn't feel it in my gut that it's true.”

”Noc-” she tried again.

But he kept going.

”And the most important thing about it is, you so rocked his world last night just looking at you, I know he'll take it all from you. He'll hear it and he'll get it and I mean all of it. Who you are. The power you have. What happened to you. Where you're from. He won't care if you tell him you're from the moon. The man I saw last night, babe, he just wants you.”

”He terrifies me,” she blurted.

That was unexpected.

Noc fell silent.

Circe looked beyond him, drew in a visible breath then looked back at him.

”He terrifies me,” she whispered.

”Why?” Noc whispered back. ”He's not Lahn. He's not from a place they rape women to make them their wives. I can see you looking at him and seeing only that. But that isn't who he is.”

”It's not that. I saw Lahn with his Circe and I know even Lahn isn't that.”

”Then what is it?”

”He's everything.”

Again, unexpected.

And again, Noc fell silent.

”He's meant for me,” she kept on, doing it not sounding hopeful, sounding terrified. ”He's mine.”

”I think from what I saw last night, you're right. He is,” Noc agreed.

”I have never, not once, been happy,” she told him.

Noc felt that slice through his gut.

”Circe.”

”I have never, not once, except long ago in a time that seems so far away it's like it was a dream, the time my parents were alive, I have never felt love.”

Christ.

She was killing him.

”Babe.”

”I know I have friends who care deeply about me. That's not the same.”

It wasn't.

It wasn't the love of a man.

It wasn't that love growing into family, be it a family of two or the family those two made.

”I want him,” she admitted.

Finally they were getting somewhere.

He moved close, saying, ”Circe, all I've been saying means you can have him.”

She shook her head. ”I finally escaped Baldur, only to be set upon by pirates, pa.s.sed amongst them like a toy. I escaped them, only to be put into the Wife Hunt in Korwahk. At my end, I spirited myself away, only to put my twin in my place where she was promptly violated.”

”That worked out,” he reminded her.

”But it could have been disastrous,” she reminded him.

”It wasn't,” he stated.

”It could have been, and the point is, Noc, I don't have very good luck.”

”You are not wrong about that, Circe, and now you're at a crossroads. You can live safe, which means you live half a life, or you can keep trying your luck because, serious as s.h.i.+t, babe, you're long due for a windfall and I see it right within your reach. You just gotta reach for it.”

She looked hopeful before that melted to uncertain.

”What if he doesn't want me?” she asked almost shyly.

Noc fought a grin.

”Babe, were you conscious last night?” he asked back.

Again with the hope that went uncertain.

She lifted and dropped her free hand. ”I'm a witch. I'm from another world. I've had...things have been done to me...”

She trailed off and Noc reached out and took her hand.

”Those things were done to you. Those things don't make you. You are what you've always been, Circe. A beautiful, strong, caring woman. You took all that was piled on you and never gave up. You escaped Baldur only to end up in a situation that was just as bad. You got kidnapped and landed in another bad situation and you still didn't give up. You found a way to get out. That could have gone really bad, but it didn't, and in the end, the woman you switched with is happy, in love, making babies and her father thinks of you as his daughter. You got all that because you had every reason to give up and you never did. Don't give up now. You've got so much to give, babe, the lucky one in this scenario is not you reaching out to Dax. It'll be Dax, if you find the courage to reach.”

”You're very sweet,” she murmured.

”Maybe. But mostly I'm very right.”