Free Revealed by Evangeline Anderson Page A

to.”

    “Oh?” She raised one pale green eyebrow at him. “Do you dispute my prophecy?”

    “Hell yes, I dispute it. There hasn’t been a female born yet who would take one look at this…” Merrick pointed at himself—his massive frame, scarred face, and mismatched eyes. “And not run for the hills.”

    “It is difficult for me to believe too, but the Mother of All Life does not lie. There is a bride for you.” The high priestess sniffed disdainfully. “Though Goddess knows I feel sorry for her.”

    Merrick ’s hands clenched into fists at his sides. He would never hit a female but this bitch was really pushing it. “That’s enough,” he growled. “I came here for absolution—not to hear your fucking false prophecies and insults. I’m leaving.”

    “Not yet!” Raising one arm, the priestess pointed at him with an accusing finger. “I have words for you, Hybrid. Turn back and hear them or face the consequences.”

    Merrick looked at her in disbelief. “Are you threatening to curse me?”

    “You curse yourself , warrior.” The priestess’s strange eyes had grown cold by now. As cold as the frozen exterior of his home planet, Tranq Prime. “Hear me well—there is a bride awaiting you. Her love will prick your heart like a thorn, giving you pain such as you have never imagined.”

    Merrick feared nothing—surviving what he’d been through as a child left little room for fright. But at her words a cold finger touched his heart and he knew he would pay   for the disrespect he had shown her.

    Still, he lifted his chin. “Look at my scars, Holiness—I’ve known pain. Plenty of it.”

    “Not like this. I say to you now, Hybrid—the knife of love will twist in your heart and will you know true agony. Despite your mixed heritage you will form a bond—one which cannot be broken. A bond which will threaten your very life.” The priestess raised her head, a look of regal displeasure written on her strong features. “I have given you enough of my time, warrior. Now go and be at peace…if you can.”

    * * * * *

     
    Merrick shook his head as he remembered that meeting. The curse had been a bitter benediction and his parting with the high priestess still made him uneasy, although he didn’t like to admit it, even to himself.

    He’d tried not to think about the foolish prophecy but it wouldn’t leave his mind. He had been going to Sylvan’s joining ceremony, and since his old friend had told him he intended to include the luck kiss in the ceremony, Merrick had assumed that the girl he performed it with would be the female the priestess spoke of. Hadn’t the prophecy included something about waking her with a kiss? But of course it turned out to be a moot point, since the run-in with the pirates had forced him to forgo his place in Sylvan’s joining.

    Despite his anger and frustration at missing the ceremony, Merrick had to admit to   a sneaking sense of relief, too. To be honest, he’d been dreading the luck kiss. Dreading the look of fear and horror in the poor, hapless girl’s eyes as he gathered her to him for a kiss she surely didn’t want to give. There was no way she would have gone to him willingly, no way she would have kissed him without recoiling, without blanching in fear as all females did when faced with his massive, muscular frame and scarred visage…

    “Goddess damn it, stop thinking about it!” Merrick muttered savagely to himself. He gave the star-duster a little more juice, scooting past a small rust-red planet his star charts informed him was called Mars by the humans. It looked barren to him—apparently Earth itself was the only planet located in the temperate zone and suitable for habitation in the entire solar system.

    Despite his best efforts, his thoughts returned once more to the prophecy—to the curse. The high priestess had to be mistaken—of that he was certain. There wasn’t any willing female waiting for him out there in the vast reaches of