Fate Of The Minotaur (Her Dragon's Bane 5) by Harmony Raines Page B

brought pain, a sharp jabbing pain in his side. Yet she called him, so he had to go. Battling the bright light, he opened one eye and then immediately shut it. Gathering his wits, he tried again. She was there before him.
    “Fin, at last. I was so worried.”
    “Am I dead?” That sounded so corny.
    “No. Nearly, but not quite.”
    “How?”
    “Shh. It doesn’t matter now. You’re alive.” She held his hand so tightly; he knew he would never be allowed to leave this life now. Sybil would not let him.
    He had given something to her that he had not known he was capable of, his love and compassion, and he didn’t know how to deal with this new sensation. So he allowed his eyes to close once more. Love had always been what other people experienced. It was never meant for the lonely Minotaur, and yet here it was. Sybil had pierced his heart; she had not needed a wooden stake. All she had needed was her warmth and understanding.
     

Chapter Twenty-Two - Sybil
    She stared out across the warm sea, the sun on her face. Sybil could see why Fin loved it here; the warmth helped heal old wounds, both those of the body and the heart. Placing her hand on the small swell of her belly, she thought of the man who had given her this blessing. A child, something she never thought she would ever have of her own. These things, like happiness, were for other people. Not those like her.
    Taking one last breath of the salty air, she went back to the little fishing cottage. The sun was setting over the sea and she loved to sit and watch it, with Fin by her side.
    “There you are,” he said, coming and kissing her.
    “How are you feeling?” she asked.
    “Like my old self.”
    “I’m glad, Fin. I can’t believe how close I came to losing you.”
    “It’s a good job Angus had control over all those bloodsuckers.”
    She smiled. “He told me it was easy because they don’t like the taste of Minotaur blood. Doesn’t taste the same as human blood.”
    He snorted in derision. “They don’t know rich blood when they smell it.”
    “Good, or I would be raising our child alone.”
    He came to her and kissed her, his hand going to the swell of her belly. “There’s somewhere I would like to take you, now that I’m better and the fate of mankind doesn’t hang in the balance.”
    “For now. I think there will be repercussions after what happened.”
    “Well, when you have a prophecy to share, we’ll worry about it. For now, let’s go.”
    “Where?”
    “It’s a surprise.”
    He took her hand and they walked along the beach, taking a path that led up into the hills. They strolled hand in hand, watching the sun set over the sea, casting its reds and golds over the golden rocks. He took her down a path, almost invisible to the human eye, descending back towards the beach. Around halfway down, he turned and led her to a blank rock face.
    “What are we doing?” she asked.
    He released her hand and used all his strength to roll a large rock away from what became a narrow opening. “Welcome to my lair.”
    “Oh,” she gasped. “The Labyrinth.” The hairs on the back of her neck rose as she entered the darkness with him. But he led her sure-footedly along the pathways, across wide openings, always following a downward trajectory.
    After a long walk, they reached a room hewn from the rock, filled with wood, clothes and a small bed. “This was my home.”
    “You lived here alone?” she asked.
    “Yes. For so many years. Come, I’ll show you my cove.” He took her hand and led her through a natural archway out to the most beautiful, secluded cove she had ever seen. The sun was almost gone from the horizon, its rays spreading gold across the calm waters.
    “It’s beautiful.”
    “More beautiful now I have someone to share it with,” Fin said, taking her hand and kissing it.
    “I hope we can come here and let our child play in the sand.”
    “I would forget this place ever existed.” Fin looked far out to sea.
    “No. This