by N. K. Vir
Her eyes fluttered open meeting his awe struck gaze. She blessed him with a beautiful sincere smile that caused a new fog to settle in his head. Memories of her soft mouth pressed against his flooded back. “Who’s Matilda?” he asked cocking his head to the side questioningly.
Tanith smiled up at him as she stepped closer to him. She rose up on the tips of her toes but still fell a good six inches short of him. “Are you feeling better?” she whispered into his ear before sinking back down to her natural height.
His voice was suddenly stolen from him forcing him to reply with a nod of his head. He saw her eyes flick to focus on something behind him but didn’t care. He felt so good. A renewed sense of peace and calm floated over him. Tanith was standing in front of him smiling; her eyes misted as well in memories of their shared kiss.
“I’m dreaming,” he heard the slight slur in his words and knew he should be concerned but he could not find the energy to care.
“Not yet,” a disembodied voice warned. “I’ll let you put him to bed.”
He saw Tanith nod; the beautifully sculpted outlines of her face appeared fuzzy as his eyes seemed to have a hard time focusing. A petite shadow brushed past him heading towards the door. “I’ll meet you downstairs in a little bit,” Tanith told the dark figure.
A bit of frantic panic punched through the calm high he’d been riding. The repetitive mantra he’d been chanting earlier in an attempt to convince himself that everything was okay threatened to reemerge. He swallowed down the nonsense words, refusing to let them the pass his lips.
“You can’t leave me,” he half ordered and half begged, tightening his grip on her.
“Better bunk down for the night,” he heard the shadow giggle.
He closed his eyes and made a frivolous wish. He hoped Tanith would listen to the wise, tiny dark figure that hoovered in the doorway. “Alright,” Tanith relented; her eyes not moving from his. “I’ll see you tomorrow Daisy.”
Lucas heard the soft click of the door closing and waited a few seconds before he spoke again. There were so many things that he wanted to say but the hazy, slightly buzzed feeling his brain was riding had a question of its own.
“That was Daisy?” he asked flabbergasted.
Tanith chuckled softly. The smoky sound was very sensual and the vibrations did wonderful things to his insides. “Yes, that was Daisy. She used my moonstone on you to calm you down,” she explained.
“I was worried about you,” he admitted wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. She fit perfectly against him; every rounded, soft, curve molded exquisitely to his large frame. “I can’t lose you Tanith,” he confessed into her ice blonde hair. “You keep me grounded. You keep me sane. You’re the cure to my curse; I feel it,” he emphasized.
“Lucas-,”
“No,” he barked sharply cutting her off. “I would have gone mad years ago without you. And now-,” his voice cracked with an emotion he refused to allow to surface. “Tomorrow everything will be better,” he promised the both of them. “Wills will figure it all out.” He only wished he could feel as confident as his words sounded.
Tanith nodded. The gentle movement excited his sensitive skin. His change was close, his emotions were overheated and whatever strange energy Daisy had pushed into him was making him very tired. “I need to sleep,” he said stifling a yawn. His limbs suddenly felt very heavy and his knees buckled.
Tanith caught him; tightening her grip around his middle. He was always amazed by her strength. He was falling apart with worry yet she stood strong; unbreakable. “Let’s get you into bed,” she suggested. “I don’t think you’ll be comfortable on the floor.”
“What did Daisy do to me?” he wondered aloud. Tanith supported him as he stumbled towards the bed.
The backs of his knees hit the bed and instantly folded as if his weight was suddenly too much to bear. Strangely his reflexes had anticipated the move and he clung to her dragging her into the bed with him. His slightly drunken laugh lightened the mood as she tumbled on top of him. Strands of her long icy hair fell over her shoulder slightly obscuring her lighter eye. She was like a seductive siren hovering over the sailor she had taken captive. His hand stretched out gently brushing her long hair back over her shoulder. He wanted to see both of her eyes staring down at him. His hand lingered along the side of her face as a lone finger traced the narrow outline of her jaw.
“I love you,” he bravely whispered.
The words had just tumbled out of his mouth; and nothing would ever make him take them back. His fingers drifted back up her jawline curling around the back of her head as he slowly pulled her down towards him. He gave her every opportunity to escape but she surprised him by following his direction. He could have kissed her. He wanted to. The memory of the sweet taste of her was the one image that his cloudy mind still held in sharp focus. What he wanted; what he needed was more important than a fleeting embrace. He guided her head down onto his shoulder, slid his arms around her tiny waist and allowed his heavy lids to drift close. His last conscious thought was that he’d never been more comfortable.
Chapter Eighteen
Sometimes They Come Back
Daisy spent the quiet hours of the late evening staring deeply into the moonstone that Tanith had brought with her from another world. Stones had always talked to her. To explain it, even to herself, made her sound crazy but maybe they needed a little crazy to solve an unsolvable puzzle. She had seen the other woman calling to Tanith. The memory of her was buried deep within the heart of the odd moonstone; and she was willing to bet that so were her lost memories. Something traumatic had happened to Tanith and it was that painful memory that was locking up her entire past.
The mysterious woman was standing in the center of the stone; beckoning her. Her dark blonde hair whipped wildly around her shoulders. She was dressed like a warrior, with thick dark leather molded to her shapely curves and an ornate short sword strapped to her left hip. She was dangerously beautiful. The type of woman men would move mountains for. She smiled at Daisy, tempting her with a secret that seemed to lie just over her shoulder.
She wanted to fall deeper into the stone.
She had turned off all the lights in the room working only off the soft glow of a single candle. She took a few deep, cleansing breaths relaxing the slight tension in her shoulders. Her eyes lost their focus and the room that surrounded her and fell away, surrendering to the glint of the many facets of the raw semi-precious stone. The mysterious woman disappeared into the green wilds behind her as the milky surface rippled giving her a hint at the grander depths of the heart of the stone.
The stone’s center whispered about long forgotten myths as the rumors she had heard earlier that day danced upon her conscious mind. She fought to keep them both at bay. She wanted the stone to have its own voice; to tell its own story, without the prejudice of her superimposed thoughts. She relaxed her mind and dove deeper into the heart of the stone.
Jumbled clips of Tanith’s life wove themselves together, rapidly speeding past her mind’s eye. The center of her forehead began to burn as she tried to stay both focused and relaxed. She resisted the urge to push harder and force the stone to make sense. The soft vibrations of a stone were always attuned to a different wavelength than the cluttered human mind. She needed to listen to what the stone needed; not tell the stone what she needed. She pressed the moonstone against her chest allowing it to hear the steady rhythm of her heart; allowing it to feel her good intentions. After a few minutes she felt the stone sigh in surrender.
The world that opened up to her; the memories that exploded on her mental movie screen took her breath away.
The sun shone brighter here. The colors of the wild world were richer, more inviting. Even the air smelled sweeter. Small, white washed, thatched cottages dotted the countryside breaking up the hilly landscape. The quaint little cottages were surrounded by lush gardens that dripped with color. Long stretches of sweet meadow grass separated each cottage from
its neighbor. Butterflies drenched in every color combination bobbed above the heads of wildflowers while morning cicadas hummed forming the bass of the songbirds that sung in the crystal sky overhead. The sound of childlike laughter mingled with the distant sound of moving water in the distance rounded out the song of the morning.
Two tow-headed girls rounded the large oak tree that shaded the cottage she found herself standing in front of. The older girl swept the younger up from behind swinging her in a wide circle encouraging a deep belly laugh from both of them. They both fell to the ground breathless eyes staring at the deep blue sky above them.
“Caelia,” the younger girl said rolling over to face the other. “I want to open my birth gift.” She climbed on top of the other girl, her eyes pleading.
“Tanith, you know you have to wait till midday,” Caelia chastised.
Tanith pouted climbing to her feet. Crossing her arms across her chest she stuck her bottom lip out farther and stamped her foot on the ground. She stopped just short of tears as she defiantly glared back at the other girl who was obviously her older sister. “That’s not fair,” she declared.
Caelia jumped to her feet and ruffled Tanith’s sun-bleached hair smiling patiently at her, “I know Tani,” she sympathized. “But you’re seven now and you are a very special little girl. Special girls who are seven can wait one more hour.” Caelia stood up to her full height. Her soft blue eyes looked down lovingly at her baby sister. “You may not be able to open your birth gift but I don’t think mother and father would object to you looking at it,” she suggested winking playfully.
Tanith squealed in delight clapping her pudgy grass colored hands and sprinted for the door of the cottage she shared with her mother, father and older sister. She shoved through the wide arched door, dodged the legs of her mother, and headed straight for the table that was already laid out with an assortment of sweet treats and party decorations. The tip of her nearly translucent eyebrows barely reached the edge of the hand-hewn oaken table. She gripped the edge of the table and pulled herself up onto the tips of her toes to see the present that awaited the stroke of midday.
The elegantly wrapped iridescent paper shimmered in the late morning sun shining through the window. Her tiny bow shaped mouth formed into a perfect circle as she gasped in awe at the pretty paper that begged to be ripped open. She bounced on the tips of her toes in excitement.
“I can’t wait,” she whispered excitedly to the tiny package.
“Well you’ll have to wait for a little while longer,” Caelia said lifting Tanith up so that she could better see the well laid out table. Their mother had outdone herself. “You’re one of a kind Tani,” Caelia whispered into her ear as she squeezed her tightly. “The seer picked this gift especially for you,” she added tickling Tanith’s slightly rounded belly until she squealed for mercy.
Tanith squirmed out of her sister’s arms and wiggled her way to her own feet. “What did you get for your birth gift,” Tanith asked her blue eyes suddenly turning serious.
“A small silver dagger,” Caelia informed her.
“Momma and Poppa let you keep it?” Tanith asked her big eyes grew wide in awe.
“Yes,” Caelia replied nodding her head. “They had to. The seer said I would need it in the future.”
Tanith’s eyes floated back to her own birth gift waiting patiently for her to open. “Will I need my birth gift in the future?” she asked.
The stone was truly singing in Daisy’s hands now. The shift in time was gentle as the stone pulled her through a long, narrow corridor. She allowed the stone to guide her; gently shifting its focus to make sure it told her only what was important; only what would unlock Tanith’s past. The quick snapshots Daisy got of Tanith’s past told her that she was a happy child, a well-loved little girl who had been blessed with a warm family. She never left home without the birth gift she had received on her seventh birthday; but she was always wondering when she would need the special gift. Colorfully ribbons of energy streaked past her as the stone lead her, pulled her to where she wanted; where she needed to go. The stone pulled her deeper but pushed her further into the future.
Tanith was older…
The shape and form of her beauty was just becoming apparent. Her hair had darkened only slightly but her set of unusual eyes had not yet manifested. The rounded baby fat had melted away transforming her figure into the shape of a woman. She was drifting through the hip height meadow grass; her beautiful face was turned upwards soaking in the light of the full moon that lit up the star-filled sky. The distant howl of a wolf drew her attention from the graceful swan that swam in the moonlit pond to her right. The noise startled the swan; forcing it to take flight.
Tanith’s head tipped back tracing the dark flight path of the swan. Her eyes, distracted, locked onto the moon riding high above her and her ears tuned to the call of the wolf in the distance. Her shape suddenly shifted. Her muscles transformed; growing and stretching. The bones in her legs shrunk pulling her down to the earth while the shape of her skull elongated. The flawless skin that encased her form sprouted thick fur that matched the silvery shade of her hair. The sudden shift surprised her as did the lack of pain. Her vision sharpened and her sense of smell suddenly locked onto the swan that had fled from the pond moments before. She buried her elongated nose to the ground inhaling the sweet scent of the damp grass that mingled with the sleeping wildflowers. A sharp yip escaped her vocal chords and then she was running.
Her enhanced legs now numbered four and she was running faster than she could have ever imagined. She pushed her newly sculpted form hard as she tried to catch up to the swan. Her thin, pale tongue fell out of her stretched out mouth as her blood pumped faster through her new body.
She had done it.
She had shifted into a form!
The excitement she felt mingled with the thrill of being able to run faster, to hear better and to smell everything. The other women in her family all had their own favorite animal form. For some it was their favorite animal, for others it was a matter form over function; Tanith knew that hers would always be a wolf. Wolves were both feared and revered. They were magnificent hunters; their sleek bodies made for battle. Tanith desperately wanted to follow in the footsteps of her sister and become one of the elite warriors that protected the royal family. Taking on wolf form was known to be a difficult transition and very few accomplished it even after years of study. She had managed to shift into a wolf on her first try. She had heard for years that she was born special; that her destiny was one that would be great. Today she knew she had taken the first step on what was sure to be a long and glorious road.
She whipped through the woody undergrowth as the landscape changed. She felt free; alive. She tested the limits of her new form leaping over fallen trees and skirting around the boulders that lay in the path she had created for herself. The wind whipped against her new eyes that saw every obstacle that stood in her path. She could smell the damp undergrowth of the forest below her as well as the lingering scent of her sister flying high above her. The deep shadows of the woods did not limit the scope of her vision; instead it enhanced it.
The moon lit a path for her to follow and the shadow of the swan she followed projected down towards the earth beneath her feet. She spoke to the swan that soared above her but found that her vocal cords could only bark and yip in excitement. Her sister had chosen to fly; she had always wanted to run.
She had often followed Caelia when she left the house late at night. She had kept a close eye on her older sister fearing that she was soon to leave her. The princess had called her to service and her duties often kept her away from home. She could hardly wait until it was her turn to serve; but lately she had suspected that her sister was in trouble. She often escaped into the wild whenever she was home. Her late night clandestine meetings often kept her out until dawn broke over the horizon. She had heard her parents whispering late at night; she knew what they feared.
Caelia had met a man.
Her father had been outraged that his eldest daughter would debase herself. Her mother had tried to calm him. She did not understand. What could have put her parents into such a state? She had always looked up to Caelia; but if she was in trouble she wanted to save her; to protect her.
The shadow of the swan that was soaring above her grew larger as it prepared to land. Tanith skidded to a halt. She stalked the small clearing in the woods and watched as her sister effortlessly transformed from her animal form back into her human form. Tanith willed her animal form to shift back into a human. The transformation back was not as simple as she hoped. Stuck in the shape of a wolf she hid in the shadows and watched as her sister approached the man her parents had feared she was meeting.
He was beautiful.
His long chestnut colored hair was swept away form his face in a low lying ponytail highlighting the sharp angle of his cheekbones. His heavily lashed eyes widened slightly as he watched her sister transform shape midair from the elegance of a dark swan into the graceful form of a human. A broad smile transformed his face, lighting a fire behind his hungry eyes. His muscular arms stretched out towards her beckoning her into his embrace.
“Caelia,” he breathed as she stepped willingly into his embrace. “I’ve missed you my love.”
Their limbs entwined and their lips met. Tanith felt uncomfortable spying on the lover’s secret tryst; but found she could not look away. Tanith felt a twinge of jealousy squeeze her gut. Her parents were right; the beautiful stranger was going to take Caelia away from them. A soft whine escaped her alerting the lovers that they were not alone.
“Kane wait,” Caelia demanded stopping him from further investigating the sound. He squinted into the darkness a deep warning growl vibrated the night air drawing a gasp from Caelia. She stepped away from him; shielding Tanith’s view of the man she hated on sight.