Her Guardian's Heart by Crymsyn Hart Page B

for you. I’m not going to leave you.”
    “I’m glad to hear that. We’ve been alone for a long time. First Nick, and then Landon. Do you accept his apology and him?”
    A smile spread on the Guardian’s face. Her green eyes brightened. “Oh, yeah. I’m a part of you. We’re meant to be with more than one mate. Most Guardians have one particular person they’re supposed to be with. Since we are a hybrid, there are many possibilities.”
    “So what I felt with Tannin was real. And he doesn’t want us.”
    She hung her head. “I know you tried with him. I wanted to talk to him. I was stunned because I saw him in all his glory. He appeared to me in our mind with his wings. When we tried to show him our affection, he wasn’t able to accept it. I don’t know if he ever will. He will always watch over us. I’m not sure if we can live with the emptiness inside of us. It was one thing losing Nick. It was another to have Tannin turn us away. Guardians aren’t meant to be alone for long periods of time. He’s been on Earth for so long now that I’m not sure if we can sway him.”
    The floor became spongy. My toes sank into the marble. The room began to lose solidarity and ran like wet paint around the edges. The world around me was collapsing. My body was waking up. I tried to fight it. My Guardian smiled and I knew she would be there when I closed my eyes again.
    I opened my them and saw Landon leaning over me. I flashed him a sleepy smile. He grinned back. It was morning and I had to get to the shop. “Morning.”
    “Hey.” I wrapped my arms around his neck. I pressed my lips to his and kissed him. He deepened the kiss and then broke it. I sat up and looked around, knowing that I was back in my room. “How did I get here?”
    “I found you on the couch last night after dinner. You were muttering in your sleep, so I brought you back in here. I thought you might be more comfortable.”
    “Thanks.” Landon was dressed in a suit and tie. I hadn’t seen him look so dashing in a long time. “What are you doing looking so spiffy?”
    “I have an art show today that I have to get ready for.”
    I perked up. “You’re painting again? I thought you gave it up.”
    He looked down. “I needed something to fill my time after Nick died. His death made me realize how empty my heart had been. Will you come tonight and see it?”
    I ran my finger down the line of his collar. “Were you going to tell me about this? I mean before.”
    His brow furrowed. “I was going to leave you a note. I didn’t think that you wanted to go. God, Melina, we were heading down such a dark path. I was afraid that we wouldn’t be able to mend the rift. Now I can see us again. I can feel you inside my mind again. I want that you can be able to trust me. And if I ever meet this Tannin, I’m going to kill him for rejecting you.”
    “I’m glad that things between us are healing too. You can’t go after Tannin. He’s more powerful than me. More powerful than the whole coven, I think. But I would’ve gone.” I took his face between my hands and kissed his lips. “I’d love to come tonight. What time?”
    “It starts at eight.”
    “I’ll be there then.”
    Landon kissed my cheek and then left the room. I got up for the day and saw I was late for work. Melissa should have been at the shop yesterday to get the deliveries and she was going to come in at noon today. When I arrived, the police were outside the flower shop. Yellow crime scene tape was wrapped around the storefront and no one could enter. I broke through the tape when an officer caught me.
    “You can’t go in there, Ma’am. This is a crime scene.”
    The front door was smashed in. Broken glass glittered in the sunlight as it lay littered on the pavement. Then all the added crimson registered. Blood smeared on the white tile floor. Flowers scattered everywhere. There had been a scuffle inside the shop. More crimson spattered toward the register, where I saw a hand. The