Page 19 of Hallows End
“What if you weren’t meant to?” She turns her gaze back up to meet mine. “And what in the world is a soul mark? Oh, and why do I feel like Iknowyou even though I only met you yesterday?”
I take her hand in mine and bring it to my lips, kissing the new mark as I try to gather my thoughts.
“I don’t know why you have the crescent moon,” I whisper. “I’m as surprised as you are. I’ve never seen the soul mark on anyone before. From what I’ve read and was told, it’s a physical manifestation of a soul bond. I’ve had this mark on my hand since I was a child.”
“But mine happened only minutes ago. Is it because we’rehere? Why didn’t it happen when I met you in my shop?”
“All good questions,” I say with a small smile. “Ones I wish I could answer for you. But mark or no mark, it doesn’t change the instant pull we felt as soon as we met.”
“Beforewe met,” she says. “I followed you to that bridge the other night because Icouldn’tdo anything else.”
“And I couldn’t stay away from you today. Leaving you this evening was…well, it was difficult.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t live in 1692.” She lets out a short laugh. “I need a shower. And electricity. And, you know, things that don’t exist here.”
“Don’t worry. I’m in no position to ask you to live here. None of the people in Hallows End can see you.”
“Oh, I’d forgotten about that.” She sighs and pulls her hand out of mine so she can push both hands through her hair. “So, this means you’re—”
“Three hundred and sixty years old.”
She blinks rapidly and then looks me up and down. “You look good for your age, Jonas.”
I can’t help but laugh at that.
“Were you born here? In Hallows End?”
“No, I was born in Salem.”
“What happened to your parents? Your family?”
“They died a very long time ago. They lived in Salem. I lived here.”
“Would there be records of your birth? In a census somewhere or something?”
“No. As soon as I cast the curse, our very existence was wiped out of memory.”
She scowls and shakes her head slowly. “So, even your family would have forgotten that you existed?”
“That’s right.” And it was torture being able to go into Salem and see them but having them not recognize me. My mother once passed me on the street without even a second glance.
“Some of the people who live in Salem now, those who have ancestors from that time, may be the descendants of some of the people still living here in Hallows End.”
“You have a very busy mind, Luciana.”
That makes her smile. “I overthink everything. But that’s true, isn’t it?”
“It could be, yes.”
“Could they beyourdescendants?”
I narrow my eyes on her. “Is that your way of asking if I had children?”
She simply raises an eyebrow.
“No. I never married or had children.”
“Thank the goddess.” She sits back in relief. “It would really suck if my soul mate was my great-great-great-great-great times about twelve grandfather.”