Had she sung out in the moment of her pleasure? Had she unknowingly cast another seduction spell? Had she been wrong about Bastian’s love being untainted of her magic, sure of what she saw because she wanted it so badly?
No, she was sure there had been no enchantment left, but what if distance dampened his ardor and he came back from his trip and looked at her without that same affection?
Saina’s chest hurt worse than her shoulder ever had.
She could imagine nothing worse than Bastian looking at her with indifference. The idea of it staggered her, and filled her with fear.
It would be better not to know, to hold this one perfect memory and flee, she realized, looking up at the sea glass glittering over the ceiling. She could be gone before he returned, and she would never have to face that possibility. And she still needed to figure out a way to free her Voice, something she could not do in the safe haven of this resort.
She slipped out from under his arm and wriggled back into her clothing. He was so beautiful, sprawled on his big bed, looking innocent and exhausted in sleep.
Before she left, she circled the room, dragging fingers over the beautiful things he had collected from the ocean she loved. She made the sea glass chime and considered taking just a piece of it, to remember him forever. She paused at the necklace he had tried to give her, so out of place and awkward in his beautiful collection. He had, technically given it to her, but she knew that it had been under false pretense, still thinking she was his mate.
Sirens don’t have mates, she reminded herself.
Even if he loved her, some day his true mate would come into his life and he would know that the gift had been an error. She would leave this, even if she disagreed that it was the most valuable part of his hoard.
Would his real mate think so? Would she know how perfect his unusual hoard was, or appreciate the beauty of it?
She supposed the hypothetical partner would have to, if mates were really as perfect as advertised.
She ached at the idea of someone else bringing Bastian joy, but sadly realized that she would rather he was truly happy with someone else than falsely happy with her.
The sun outside the open windows was beginning to plunge to the ocean, turning the sky golden and bleaching the green and blue from the sea glass glinting in the window.
Saina put fingers to a particularly fine piece of glass, a shard as big as her palm that was swirled green and blue and ground by sand and salt to a soft-edged plate. Then she pulled her hand back. She couldn’t disturb his hoard.
She had memories to take with her; that was enough.
She crept down the stairs as quietly as she could, hoping to leave unnoticed, but she was greeted at the bottom by Travis, who was just coming up. “Hi, Saina,” he said cheerfully, as casually as if she lived there and was already an established part of the staff. “How’s the shoulder?”
“All better,” she said in surprise. She hadn’t thought about it all day.
“I hear you’re going to be our lifeguard while Bastian’s gone a few days,” he continued, friendly.
Saina nodded slowly, surprised by how fast the news had traveled. “I am,” she said. And she’d be gone before he returned, she reminded herself.
“Let us know if you need anything,” Travis continued, then he was moving past her up the stairs.
It was odd, being the object of friendliness with absolutely no sexual expectations behind it. They accepted her as Bastian’s mate, not as something potentially their own.
Even Graham the landscaper, who hadn't said so much as a word to her the few times they had crossed paths, gave a nearly friendly nod from the common room as Saina passed it to get to the door.
She would miss this place, she realized as she shut the door behind her.
Not just Bastian, who was going to leave a hole in the heart she had never believed she had, but the resort had grown on her as well. Her magic felt odd here, but she liked the quirky, big-hearted staff. She even thought Jenny might even become a good girlfriend, something she had never enjoyed before.
She looked out over the cliffs at the rosy-colored ocean.
How completely unexpected.
Chapter 22
Bastian woke just before the sunrise, knowing at once that something was missing from his hoard.
A thread of anger and hunger rose in the back of his throat before he recognized that Saina was gone. He could still taste her in his mouth, but the bed was cool beside him.
The headache was gone, but the desire remained. He wanted badly to be back the way he’d been with the drug coursing through his veins. He struggled, hating how he’d been to Saina, but loving how simple and powerful it had been to be a complete dragon, strong and sure and single-minded.