by Rinelle Grey
What he was saying didn’t make any sense. “Then how did we heal you?”
“I don’t know.” Lyall looked at each of them in turn, his face thoughtful. “Perhaps it is something about this place? About the magical barrier? Perhaps the reason we can’t heal magical damage with magic is…” His eyes widened. “Perhaps it harks back to the Great War. If the trolls were cursed by my people, it’s entirely possible they put a curse back on us, just a less visible one. Maybe the people here weren’t affected by it, or the barrier prevents it from working. Either way, it’s unbelievable.”
“I’m just glad it worked,” Brianna said soberly.
“What if it was the three of us working together?” Terion said. “I mean, it didn’t work until then.”
Lyall frowned. “Twin magic is something we haven’t studied much on Isla de Magi. No twins have been born there in centuries, perhaps not since the Great War. So it’s possible it will overcome the curse, or limitation or whatever it is. Except that you don’t have the three way bond. Brianna is bonded to me. That means we have… three bonds in different directions…” He bit his bottom lip.
“That means four mages sharing their power together, not just three,” Brianna expanded. “What if that’s even more powerful?”
Right on the heels of her words, Lyall added, “What if the twin law was designed to make mages less powerful, rather than more?”
It made a strange kind of sense. “Four mages working together would be almost unbeatable,” she said. “Not that three would be easy to beat either.”
Lyall gave a wry grin. “No, not much. But sometimes it’s the smallest amount that makes the difference. Perhaps the rule was created by a greedy king who was powerful enough but could have been overthrown if his rival had just a little bit more power than he did? We can’t possibly know, but if we can be more powerful if we work together…”
“Then we can defeat the trolls and prove that we don’t both have to marry you,” Mianna finished for him.
“Exactly,” Lyall smiled.
Terion still looked uncertain, but he didn’t voice any objections. And when Mianna reached for his hand and squeezed it, he squeezed back.
“We should double the guard at the pass, then try to get some sleep,” Brianna said quietly. “Hopefully the trolls will wait until morning to attack.”
“I think so,” Lyall agreed. “You blasted them pretty well. I think we’re probably safe until morning.” He looked over at Mianna. “I hope you don’t mind me crashing on your couch for the night?”
Mianna stared at him, her mind in turmoil. Her first reaction was to offer him a bed, but the only one in the house big enough for his frame was the one she shared with Terion. They could sleep in with the girls, there were spare beds there, but only enough for two. Brianna would have to stay with Lyall. For some reason, she still felt uncomfortable about that.
Why? Why did she feel bad? It wasn’t like Brianna hadn’t slept with the mage prince before. Had a child with him as well. They were all but married. They would be if it wasn’t for that stupid law. A law that was probably made out of spite or jealousy or power grabbing. A law that had caused so much misery, and not just for them. It was a law that should be overturned.
“Don’t be silly. You and Brianna can have the bed. Terion and I can sleep in with the girls for a night. Poor Brianna gets child duty often enough,” she said firmly.
Brianna stared at her, then threw her arms around her, half strangling her. “Thank you!” she mumbled into her hair.
“Don’t be silly,” Mianna said roughly. “It’s no different than what you’ve done for me all these years. The two of you deserve to be together as much as Terion and I do.”
“Thank you,” Lyall said seriously. And he smiled.
It was easy to see what Brianna saw in him. He was certainly handsome enough, even worn and blood-spattered as he was. But her sister wasn’t one to be won over by a pretty face. It would have been his sensitivity, and his willingness to accept change and uncertainty that had convinced Brianna he was the one for her. He was like Kylis had been, in some ways, though a lot more mature.
Perfect for Brianna.
But not for her. He was too intense, too wild for what she wanted. She turned and smiled at Terion. She already had the perfect husband.
*****
Brianna helped Lyall into one of Terion’s spare shirts and then insisted he lay back on the pillows. His colour was better now, but she still didn’t trust it. He had been dead, his breath and heartbeat had stopped. That he was alive at all was a miracle.
That he was here, in bed, and she was about to climb in beside him, was impossible to take in. She hadn’t expected this to ever happen, especially not with her twin’s knowledge and acceptance. She had no idea where things would go tomorrow, and didn’t even want to think of the coming battle and the possibility that none of them would make it out alive. For now, she intended to enjoy this one night. To pretend that she and Lyall were husband and wife and were entitled to do things like sleep in the same bed together.
Not that anything would happen tonight. With the impending threat of the trolls, and his weakened state, they needed to sleep. Snuggling next to him would be enough.
If they defeated the trolls, there would be plenty of time for everything else later. She ignored the presence of Lyall’s father and his mages outside the village walls. She could only deal with one problem at a time, and right now, the trolls were more of a threat.
“It was kind of your sister, suggesting we share a bed tonight,” Lyall said softly.
Gratitude towards Mianna overflowed Brianna’s heart. “Yes, it was. She’s the best.” She pulled back the covers and slid in beside Lyall, a tingle running through her where her leg touched his.
Lyall opened his arms, and she snuggled into them. He pulled her tightly against his chest and kissed her hair.
Despite her insistence that tonight would be about nothing but snuggling, every place her body touched his felt like it was on fire. There was something intimate about sharing the soft feather bed with Lyall, even though they were both still fully clothed. His lips on her forehead were soft and warm, and his hand drifted down to the curve of her buttocks, reawakening feelings she hadn’t experienced since she’d left.
“I want you,” Lyall breathed into her hair. His voice was uncertain, as though asking her permission.
“We should sleep, you were dead earlier,” Brianna joked, but her breath caught on the words.
“I feel fine now. More than fine.” Lyall nudged his hips against hers.
Brianna groaned. She wanted nothing more than to forget about talking and just experience this moment. But that moment of fear, when she had thought he was dead and she’d never see him again, wouldn’t leave her. “Are you sure it won’t… well… hurt you?”
Lyall laughed softly, one hand caressing her hair, the other her thigh. “You’ve done an excellent job of healing me. I promise I’m fully functional.”
Still she hesitated. It seemed so impossible that he could have recovered so completely from the wounds he had received. That she could have been the one who had done it. “But what if I made a mistake? What if I did something wrong?”
“Then I wouldn’t be here,” Lyall said simply.
That thought started the tears flowing. “I thought you weren’t going to be,” Brianna sobbed, clutching at him as though she never wanted to let him go. “I thought you were dead.”
Lyall held her gently, stroking her hair. “It’s all right,” he said soothingly. “Let it all out.”
Brianna sobbed out the agony of the evening, the fear of the trolls and the worry about tomorrow morning. She’d never been one to cry, she’d always held it in, and even more so since returning to her village to find her mother dead. She’d needed to be strong for Mianna, not to let those fears and weakness show, or her twin would fall apart.
But she didn’t need to be strong for Lyall. He was strong enough for both
of them. He was a powerful mage, and he didn’t seem to be afraid of anything, even the thought of dying. That thought brought fresh tears. What if she were to lose him, now, after just winning her sister’s support for the relationship? Or what if they made it through this battle only to have her village, or his father, insist that it was all or nothing—a twin marriage, or none?
“What are we going to do?” she sobbed, not having the energy to explain, her words encompassing all her fears at once.
“We’re going to get a good night’s sleep so that we have the energy to face those trolls in the morning.” Lyall’s voice was matter of fact, and it made Brianna smile. She probably would have used the same words on Mianna.
She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “What if we lose?”
Lyall’s arms stiffened around her, then relaxed. “Then there is nothing more we can do.”
Blunt. Honest. And terrifying. “What about the village? The rest of the world?”
“My father will have to deal with that, not us.”
Brianna drew in a shaky breath. She voiced her worst fear. “What if you die and I live? Like Kylis.”
There was a long pause. “Is Kylis the one you and Mianna were going to marry?”
Brianna nodded. Strangely enough, though a sadness filled her heart, the memory brought no fresh tears. “He died fighting the trolls. I wasn’t allowed to go, or I would have fought at his side. Mother said that since Mianna and I would rule the village if anything happened to her, that we needed to stay at home.”
Lyall’s hand reached up to stroke her cheek. “Do you miss him?” he asked softly.
“Every day. But it hurts a little less now.” She’d never forget Kylis. He’d been her best friend. They’d planned so many wonderful things together. Things that would have meant she’d never have met Lyall. Or if she had, that none of this would ever have happened.
Would things have been different if he’d lived long enough for her and Mianna to marry him? She would have still been here when the village was attacked, she wouldn’t have missed out on that battle, a thought that still haunted her. But could she really have changed the outcome? Or would she just have died trying, leaving her twin alone and her village defenceless?
She certainly wouldn’t be here with Lyall now. And she knew for a certainty that nothing but magic was ever going to stop the trolls for good.
Still, she shied away from the fact that Kylis’s death had been best in the long run. She didn’t want to think that thought.
“I promise you, I won’t leave you alone,” Lyall’s voice interrupted her thoughts. His hand still stroking her hair brought her back to the present, to her fears right now.
“I don’t think you actually get a choice in that,” she joked.
Lyall’s lips brushed her hair. “No, we don’t get a choice, not anymore.”
A fear stirred at his words. “What do you mean?”
“We’re all connected now, all four of us. If one of us dies, I don’t think the rest of us will survive. The bond doesn’t work like that.”
Brianna remembered the stories about the twin bond. If one twin died, the other followed. Did the same hold true for the marriage bond? She tested the strength of her feelings for Lyall, remembering the moment she had thought he was dead. The moment he had been dead. She’d been frantic, devastated, but she hadn’t felt like dying.
“I don’t think it works like that. Not when we’re all separate like this,” she mussed.
“What do you mean?” Lyall asked sharply.
Brianna reached up a hand to cup his cheek. “If you died, I’d miss you terribly, and it would leave a huge hole in my heart.” She paused, considering, but the truth was inescapable. “A much bigger one than when Kylis died. But even so, I don’t think I’d die. I didn’t feel that way when you died tonight. I think it might be because of Mianna. Our bond would hold me together.”
“And Terion would hold her together…” Lyall said slowly. “The more I look at this arrangement, the more I can see that we are far stronger this way. With the twin marriage, all an opponent had to do was take out one person and he took them all out. This way, we remain strong, even if one of us dies.”
A tiny fear eased its grip on her heart. “If one of us dies, the other three can still defend the village.”
Lyall nodded. “With any luck, the trolls will be able to see that strength and they’ll retreat. I’m not sure even their numbers can stand against the four of us.”
Was it possible? Did they really stand a chance of defeating the trolls? For good? The idea seemed impossible, but then, so did the idea that she would be here in bed with Lyall. And yet, here she was.
She reached out to feel his chest, firmer and harder than she remembered. He had changed in the last few years in more ways than one. Her hand explored his chest, the firmness sending slivers of excitement through her body. She found one hard, tight nipple, and she rubbed it gently.
He groaned softly and pulled her closer. His lips brushed her neck, then his tongue.
Brianna shuddered. A small part of her held back, responsibility telling her they had a big day tomorrow. But then, wasn’t this a part of their day? This bond she and Lyall shared could help them defeat the trolls. They should make sure it was good and strong.
Her lips curved into a smile. Yes, that was a much better thought. She bent and found Lyall’s lips and claimed them with her own, kissing him with all the years of pent up passion. How many nights had she imagined just this moment?
Lyall’s hand brushed her side as it travelled up, and Brianna pressed her body against his. She needed to be closer to him, but their clothes were in the way, keeping them apart.
Not letting her lips separate from his, Brianna wriggled out of the skirt she wore. Lyall smiled as she tossed it over her shoulder. She had to break contact just for a moment to divest herself of her shirt, but that gave her a moment to look down at him.
The lamplight flickered, reflected in his eyes as he stared back at her, and Brianna’s breath caught in her throat. She refused to think about the morning, or how fleeting this moment was. Instead, she bent and kissed him again, her breasts brushing against his chest. Lyall’s arms pulled her down until she rested against him and his hand tangled in her hair.
Then he pulled back and Brianna moaned a protest. Until she realised that he was removing his clothes as hastily as she’d removed hers. Then she murmured in approval.
He took his own moment to look down at her, a smile curving his lips. His hand stroked the side of her face, brushing her hair out of her eyes. He slid down beside her and pulled her close to him, his body now free to slide against hers, warm and hard.
Brianna’s breathing quickened. She wanted this to last all night, and she wanted him now, inside her. It was the only way to be close enough to fulfil the desire coursing through her. The only way to complete the connection she craved.
She tugged at his hips, urging him closer and he groaned. Lying side by side, she hooked one leg over his hips, opening herself to him, and tugged him closer.
Lyall accepted her invitation, sliding closer to her, his hardness nudging at her folds. Anticipation built in her, and she wriggled her hips to the perfect position, moaning softly when he slid into her.
It was an intimate position with their legs tangled together and their hands free to roam each other’s body. Lyall rocked back and forth, alternating between kissing her hungrily and pulling back to stare into her eyes. Brianna’s hands ran over every part of him. She wanted to memorise this moment, to imprint it into the very core of her being, just in case. She wanted it to last forever.
But the desire building in her had other ideas. It had its own need and it was very insistent. Brianna groaned and rocked back and forth in time with Lyall, her breathing coming in short, sharp gasps. A sheen of perspiration coated his chest now, and he stared into her eyes, his expression intense. One hand cupped her cheek, and he moaned her name as he thrust into her.
Brianna answered in kind, and the urgency built in her, mirroring his own until it overflowed in an intense wave. Lyall shuddered against her, pulling her close, his lips finding hers and kissing her desperately.
She felt it then, the magic tug at her senses, flowing through both of them, almost like an expression of their love.
“Anna,” Lyall whispered softly.
“Lyall,” she murmured back, pulling him close to her.
His lips on hers were gentle now, their urgency satisfied. For now.
Brianna ran her hands over him, wishing she could preserve this moment, to hold it close to her, to keep her warm in future nights. Whatever they might bring.
22
A Dark Mist
“You can’t let her go in there, not when they’re both in the same bed.”
“Of course I can. He’s her father, remember?”
The whispered conversation outside his door pulled Lyall from sleep. Slivers of early morning light passed into the room through the closed shutter. He was aware of Brianna’s body curled around his. As the door creaked open, he had just enough time to be glad that they’d decided it was best to be dressed in case the trolls came.
Tiny feet pattered across the wooden floor, then Lylis heaved herself up on the end of the bed and regarded him solemnly.
Lyall couldn’t stop a slow smile spreading across his face. His daughter, named for him, even though he hadn’t been here at her birth. The thought caused a stab of guilt, but he had to remind himself that it hadn’t been by choice. If he had known…
“Wha you doin in bed wit my Mama?” The little stare was accusing and Lyall shifted uncomfortably.
“I… We…” Words failed him. How did you explain this to a child?
He was relieved when Brianna rolled over beside him and held out her arms to their daughter. “Lyall was hurt by the trolls, and I was just making sure he was all right while he slept,” she said.
Lylis gave him one last accusing stare and then threw herself into her mother’s arms, snuggling into the bed between them. Lyall smiled at Brianna over her head, and she smiled back.