Page 48 of Hunting for her Heart

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And the waves beat time on stone,

We sing of the one the gods will keep,

The heart the sea brings home.

Oh, bind her name to your breath and bone,

Bind her fate to thine,

For the one you love is never alone,

Her soul was forged with mine.

She may come in storm or come in flame,

With fear in her wake behind,

But call her true and speak her name,

And the gods will make her thine.

If she is lost, be her guiding star,

If she is weak, be her hand,

For no man walks the long years far,

Without his mate to stand.

So sing her name to the dark and dawn,

Sing it soft or loud,

For the gods hear best when warriors sing

With their heads unbowed.

The sea may take, the gods may test,

But love is the oath we keep,

Heart to heart and breath to breath,

Until the long last sleep.

“That’s beautiful,”Willow whispers when the cave grows quiet, only the sound of the crackling fire filling the air. “You all sing so well.”

“Can you sing, little one?” Bo asks with a tilt of his head.

“No, I’ve never sung before.”

“We could teach you a song?” he suggests, but she’s quickly shaking her head.

“That’s okay, maybe another time?”

“Of course,” he agrees easily, offering her one of his easy smiles. He’s always been the best of us three at showing his emotions. You never really have to guess what he’s feeling at any given time. I, on the other hand, am the worst. When I was younger, I always worried about being judged by my family, and so I found it easier to hide what I was feeling.

I worry it will make it harder to connect with Willow, that she won’t understand what I’m thinking, and will misread my intentions.

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