by J. Jenkins
Still hard and pulsing inside her Dylan rolled onto his side carrying her with him, kept her secured against his heart, stroking her brow and nuzzling her spiraling curls. Selflessly he wished for her world to be right upon its axis, full of the magical children she was due, for her complete happiness at all cost to him personally. He found his release then, in the olympian fragrance of lavender perfuming his senses, bringing to him much needed sleep and a silver storm of preservative dreams.
Chapter 18
Carolina silently pushed the comforter from her naked body, easing her legs to the floor. She stood for several seconds looking down upon Dylan’s slumbering, and then leaned over to place a tender kiss on his lips, felt his mouth move beneath hers then grow still before she pulled away. He reached out mumbling her name and she stayed over him, allowing her presence to comfort him until he returned to a deep level of sleep then she silently padded on bare feet over to the closet to withdraw her gym bag and his thick white cotton robe. Donning the warm covering, she knotted the belt securely at her waist. Hurrying she opened the glass doors leading onto the deck, quietly sneaking out into the light of the full moon. Securing the doors behind her, she held on tightly to her bag and climbed down to the stone patio where several woodland animals waited. Together they descended the stone steps leading out into the moonlit fields.
The grass beneath her feet was a thick, dew-damp carpet as she hurried along to gather scarlet and white poppies. Clutching bunches of flowers and the bag to her breasts, she raced to the colossally tall French lavender field, carefully selecting the most efflorescent of the tiny, dark-purple flower spikes and the most silver of the leaves. With her animal friends, she walked into the heart of the evergreen field to clear away a large area of the majestic shrubs.
In the ten-by-ten clearing she made, infirm animal babes were placed at her feet for healing before the parent animals moved away to form a wide protective circle around her. Beneath the bright light of the moon, she knelt placing her bag, poppies, lavender and silvery leaves aside. Unaided and with her bare hands she dug a deep hole in the rich, fertile soil, her tears falling upon the earth like rain. Opening her bag, she removed a green marble trinket box containing equal parts loose soil of Connemara and dried shamrocks, which she sprinkled into the hole. From the bag, she carefully lifted her glittering essence and blood soaked garments and shoes, articles that held the memory and hope of her miscarried babe, allowing the moonlight to cast its glow upon them, her tears mingling with the moonbeams to form tiny shimmering crystals upon the items as she held them to her breasts. The metallic smell of her blood mingled with the scents of poppies, lavender and fertility as she bundled the clothing and sneakers placing them into the earth, sprinkling them with the remaining mixture from the marble container. Ripping the left pocket from Dylan's robe, she laid the pristine white square of cloth atop the mounded treasures, and then alternately layered the flowers and leaves into the warm cavity, all the while sobbing silently as she labored, burying her hoardings beneath the potent earth.
Sitting atop the mound she'd created Carolina wiped away her tears, then extended her arms wide, palms facing up to the night sky. Bowing her back, she lifted her face to heaven, eyes and mouth wide open, drawing in opalescent lunar light and force until her body vibrated with waves of energy. The animals encircling and protecting her lay down reverently. She felt her form begin to pulsate, giving off sterling bands of restorative and enlivening luminescence, brighter than the moonlight itself.
Her mind registered the presence of her family housed in the distance. In the main mansion, the light she cast drew her eldest sons from their rest to the large windows of their room. The radiance soon lulled them back to sleep, their tired bodies shuffling to their beds where they slumbered beneath the incandescent cover of night.
In a large bedroom at the far end of the house, Vega sat astride her husband, spellbound by the white brilliance spiraling in the air. Reaching out her hands, she allowed the luster to caress her naked flesh as her husband steadily thrust in and out of her. Chris paced his strokes so they achieved satisfaction at the same moment. Vega threw back her head, crying out her release and he watched the glow pierce the area of her chest, over her heart. She radiated light, the glow traveling throughout her body to seep from her womanly chateau into her husband’s’ body. He experienced another orgasm, gripping her thighs from the ecstasy, his eyes rolling back, loudly singing out his love for his woman, his life. Vega leaned forward to catch in her mouth his loud, undulating voice, the force of which sent her sailing around the world.
In the nursery, Patrick kept vigil over the babes and paid no attention to the illuminated night, so occupied were his thoughts on documenting the births. However, the radiance still found him, taking the shape of his one true love, Ciaran, who materialized on the sofa beside him. At having him near again, Patrick smiled with a brightness that surpassed the room's glow. They talked companionably about recent family events and all the wonders of the world, their minds mating, twining around each other as sensually as physical lovers.
Next door to the nursery, Dylan continued to sleep soundly. His vibrantly colored dreams filled with images of her and their family ever growing. In the unrestrained state of sleep, he allowed himself to gift his brothers a pure representation of his love that he'd never bequeath any other way. His dream shifted to song, all his children, especially the little ones he desperately wanted back.
The remaining occupants of the mansion, adult and child alike dozed peacefully. Their rest was blissful, each experiencing the most pleasant dreams of their lives. Fairy glitter and moonbeams zigzagged over beds keeping everyone, except Chris and Vega, at peace while Carolina made her atonement.
In the guesthouses, the same level of rest was being experienced by all the households' members except for Dylan's brothers, Frank and Jesse, who were in the process of loving their respective wives Sarah and Hannah, when through the glass patio doors glittering air filled their rooms. The brothers each stopped their amorous attentions to carry their women outside into the night's glistening. Placing Sarah onto a soft padded bench, Frank resumed licking and tasting her, his tongue piercing and stabbing, as her tawny thighs locked against his head keeping him firmly rooted in her moist cavern. At the moment of her orgasm, he felt her pleasured buzzing but didn’t witness the light entering her mouth as she cried out his name but he felt the warmth, saw the glow exiting her slick nest to cover his face, entering his nose and mouth. His release was a whirlpool that drug him to the bottom of reality. Weakened, he fell back, looking up into the brightest moonlit night that he’d ever seen.
A distance away Jesse bent Hannah forward over the patio railing entering her from the rear as they both stared out into the bright night, specks of starlight showering them as he rotated his hips against her, sliding his hands down and up her shapely, toffee-colored thighs, then further along her spine to grip her shoulders. Jesse drew Hannah back, slapping his hips against hers until he fell forward and she reared up rubbing, her silken back against his carved torso. Lit particles whirled around them in a rapid vortex, feeling like hundreds of stroking fingertips against their skin. Spirals of supernatural brilliance weaved through the long, thick fall of her hair, sweeping into her ears like a lover’s breath. She began spasming uncontrollably, the light traveling throughout her body like a forest fire that finally entered his shaft that was buried deep within her heavenly hideaway. He erupted and they burned together, the light causing them to pulse and glow from the inside out, until they collapsed exhaustedly onto the patio to look up into the ongoing spiraling brilliance.
Wishes began filling Carolina's mind and heart, the healing and granting starting to take shape. One after another, the once ailing animal babes took glow from her therapeutic light. Enlivened and healed the young animals returned to their sires who bowed to her preoccupied presence before taking their leave. She continued to sit with her face and palms turned skyward, hearing the earth around her
drinking in the moon's light and her brilliance. Against her ears, she felt the flutter of tiny wings and knew she'd filled one of Dylan's desires; regrettably, the other thing he wished was beyond her power to grant. Extending her hands, she allowed the tiny, blond haired, radiant winged fay babes to land in her palms, and then laid them upon the fertile ground before her. Whispering to them, she placed her hands upon the three golden winged ones and crafted them into the living manifestations of Dylan's dream. Within minutes, each fay babe was the size of a healthy, full-term human newborn, their perfect forms clothed in identical silvery-pink gowns, awaiting their presentation, as nighttime explorers entered the clearing.
Carolina smiled at the three Savage couples as they stood staring and speechless several feet away. “I can't rise just yet. But I have something for all of you.” She reached down and picked up a squirming baby extending her toward Sarah. Then she presented the next cooing infant to Hannah. Finally, she lifted the remaining blond babe, the most brilliant of the bunch, and awarded her to Vega. Still rooted to her fairy mound she offered, “All of you wanted a child like baby Susan and now you have one. They are your babies, not mine. I know you will love them as you do all our collective children. Now please return to your beds.”
Sarah and Hannah, with babes in their arms, walked over to her, each bending down to place a kiss on her cheek before returning to their husbands who stood staring at her flickering image with tears in their eyes. Vega passed her baby to Chris then walked to kneel in front of Carolina. She felt Vega's fine boned hands on her face wiping away the tears that had started anew. Vega leaned forward to kiss her tenderly on the lips, their tears mingling before Vega rose to return to Chris and their baby. The eldest of the Savage men started in Carolina’s direction, but was stopped by his wife’s stilling hand on his forearm.
Seeing her glow fading, stony faced, Chris seriously warned, “Carolina gal, you better not abandon Dylan and your kids. If you do, no matter where you go, understand that I‘ll be on your trail and drag ya right back.” Knowing she wouldn’t respond he motioned for everyone to follow him out of the clearing, leaving her to wrestle with her demons.
****
An hour beyond the time she should have returned to Dylan she still couldn't move from the babe's resting place, was too weak and too terrified to stand. She'd given of herself and still her thoughts were dark and dangerous, desperate, as Patrick had declared her to be. Lifting the medallion she wore to her lips, she begged God's mercy for her life of trespass. Placing a kiss atop the diamonds of her engagement ring, she begged Dylan's pardon for being too feeble and foredoomed to bear the babe of his seed. Finally, she crossed her palms over her abdomen, atop her empty womb, crying out for forgiveness from her lost babe, promising the wee sprite her undying devotion and dedication.
Fighting the urge to claw into the earth and bury herself beside her babe's fairy grave, she crawled away from the mound, pulling the bag containing the empty marble box along with her. She forced herself not to look back as the rustling of the evergreens began. The shrubs she’d removed earlier, now transplanted themselves back in the clearing. When she heard the final shrub bore its roots into the earth atop her babe’s resting place, she screamed, her pitiful wail filling the night. She tried clawing her way back to her child’s grave but the shrubs continually shifted into her path, barring her entrance, scraping the skin of her arms and legs until she bled, forcing her to retreat. Crying loudly, she ran the entire distance back to the house.
Shaking and blinded by grief she fell at the bottom of the stone steps. From there, she crawled on her hands and knees up the stairs to the hidden patio. Sitting still for several minutes, she reigned in her emotions in case Dylan was awake. Standing on unsteady legs, she began the climb, up to their deck. At the highest elevation, she had the terrible thought of how freeing loosening her grip would be, to let go and fall back to the stones below, but knew she mustn't and by the time she swung herself over the railing, she was weeping in earnest. Pressing her palm to her mouth, she held back sobs, hurriedly sliding into bed. With her free hand, she drew Dylan’s arm over her, as it had been before her journey into the moonlight, feeling he would keep the darkness at bay. When he snuggled closer to her, softly whispering her name, she gave herself over to his strength and protection. Beneath the warm security of his muscled arm, she silently cried herself to sleep.
Chapter 19
Dylan heard his babies crying. Rolling over to nuzzle Carolina's neck, he was stuck in the cheek by a spike, woolly leaves scratching his skin. The fragrances of lavender and the night were in her hair. Sliding closer, his hand found hers, feeling rough scratches there and the fine graininess of what smelled like dried blood and soil. He wondered what she'd been doing. Touching the base of the bedside lamp Dylan caused muted light to shine over them. She was sleeping on her side, snoring lightly. He rolled her slumbering body onto its back to have a better look at her and the sight of her normally pale complexion now appearing marble white made him catch his breath. Forcefully he shook her until she opened her eyes. “Honey, the babies are fretting.”
Shielding her eyes from the light she mumbled, “You're imagining things. The babes are quiet. I fed them an hour ago.”
Lifting her hand, he saw no blood or soil and her hair was free of shrubbery. “Where you outside?”
Giving an unladylike yawn and a long stretch she admitted, “I went out when the moon was high to bury the clothes I miscarried in.”
Stroking her cheek, he sighed sadly. “I would have gone with you if you'd told me.”
She hugged him tightly. “Of course you would have, but I needed to be alone.”
Holding her face in his hands, he studied her. When finally he spoke his voice was concerned, “Honey, no more shutting me out, the miscarriage, the births and now our baby's funeral. I need to support you emotionally. Will you let me?”
She nodded thinking of her babe lost in limbo. “I'm sorry. I'm accustomed to handling difficult situations on my own. Later today we'll visit the baby's resting place.”
Dylan stroked her hair. “I'd like to pay my respects to our child, but I'm worried. You're unusually pale. How are you feeling?”
She wouldn't tell him of her desperation. “Like I fed five ravenous little mouths.”
He smiled briefly, the crying he still heard robbing him of his light mood. “I'm gonna check on them, the boys and then walk to the stables. Will you come along?”
“I was hoping you'd want to fool around this morning,” she really just wanted him to hold her but she didn't want to appear needy or clinging, the very things that had driven her fay lover and Patrick away.”
“Maybe later. Their weeping is really bothering me.”
“I don't hear anything, not even a peep. Patrick is still in with them. If they were the tiniest bit fussy he'd already be here.”
He knew Patrick was just as concerned about their kids as he was. “You're right. Maybe I'm being overly sensitive. You tell me, should I stay or should I go.”
She was afraid to be alone. “I want you inside me. So my vote is you stay.”
“You're not too tired?”
When he wasn't inside her, she felt empty and the emptiness reminded her of her loss, and the loss made her entertain awful thoughts. “I'll count your vigorous lovemaking as my morning workout. So be sure and make me sweat.”
“When you tell me stuff like that ya gotta know we're likely to be in this bed all morning.” He rolled on top of her, settling his hips between her thighs and then he looked deep into her eyes and discovered her truth, that she feared needing his affection and told her, “Carolina, honey, I'll never feel you want me too much and hold on to me as tightly as you like. Now tell me the truth gal, is the crying I hear coming from inside you because our baby is gone?”
She held his gaze and confessed, “Yesterday and in the early hours of this morning I cried a lot because I desperately miss our child. But at this moment I have no tears to shed.
” Resting her palms on his muscular buttocks, she waited for his forceful shove into her vagina and when he remained still and silent above her for several pregnant minutes she questioned nervously, “Dylan, do you no longer want me?”
He could still hear the sound of crying in his head, the volume becoming increasingly urgent and in spite of her denying ownership of the wails filling his mind, he'd not take her. Lowering his head, he placed a chaste kiss on her lips before rolling them to lie on their sides with her wrapped protectively in his arms. Into her hair he softly stated, “Honey, I'll always want you but I'm really thinkin' what you need is for me to simply hold you tight for a good long while. Isn't that so precious?” He felt her nod her agreement against his chest and he clutched her to him reassuringly while trying not to reveal to her that the crying in his mind had begun permeating his entire being.
****
“Mom are you awake?”
Carolina opened her eyes, giving Justin a warm smile. Tiredly she sat up in bed, rolling back the sleeves of Dylan's denim shirt that she wore to keep the scent of him protectively near. She saw that Justin was bare-footed, wearing tattered jeans and a navy tee with 'Mama's Boy' in big block, white lettering screened across its front. Her smile broadened as she reached out and stroked his cheek, “Yes baby, where are Calder and Callum?”