by Jessi Gage
“What about before Saroc? Do you remember your home in the human realm? Your family?”
“I am afraid not. I wish I could be more helpful.”
Since Magnus had known Seona, he had never heard of her attempting to be helpful to anyone, even Anya, who often left her sister’s chamber in a foul temper, grumbling about ‘the ungrateful, infuriating wench.’”
“Do not trouble yourself, lady,” Giles said with a pat of her hands. “Simply continue to answer to the best of your ability, and you will help me plenty. Now, tell me about your sister. Do you remember Anya?”
“Anya,” she said. “My sister.” Her face lit with wonder.
Magnus held his breath for her answer. Surely if she was pretending, she would draw the line here. Knowing Anya lived in Glendall, that she would be interacting with her, she would not attempt to convince them she did not know her sister.
“I know of her,” she said, her tone measured and careful. “I know of the good she has done, her slaying of the vile Bantus. But I do not remember her. I...do not know her as my sister.”
Seona puzzled him. She had deliberately chosen each word of her response. He would swear to it before the high priest. She was either being incredibly honest or incredibly daft in denying any memory of Anya. The dark-haired Highland sisters who had come to Glendall were many things, but daft was not one of them.
He was convinced. Seona was telling the truth as far as she knew it. No one could pretend so convincingly for so long and deny a relationship with the one person they’d previously trusted.
Come to think of it, Seona’s speech supported her answers. Anya spoke with a pleasing, rolling burr and a vocabulary that often made those around her blush. Shouldn’t Seona sound like Anya? Have the same rolling burr? Use the same bawdy vocabulary?
He studied Giles, trying to guess at what the physician made of the interview.
But Giles’s face gave nothing away. “I see.” The physician asked several more questions about people and events Seona should easily recall—her childhood, her mother and father, the home she’d lived in, chores and duties she had carried out.
Each answer proved Seona lacked specific memories. She possessed only the most general knowledge of who she was and where she had come from. Her responses seemed like facts she had learned about some other individual rather than memories of personal experiences.
Giles thanked her for her time and cooperation. After packing up his case, he walked with Magnus to the door, where two guards met them.
Magnus posted one guard inside to watch Seona. With one hand, he took Giles’s elbow, and with the other, he carried the case as he led the elderly physician down the corridor, out of earshot of the remaining guard. The physician moved slowly. Magnus had to force himself not to rush the man, so eager was he to question him.
At last they stopped under a sconce and bent their heads together. “Tell me what you make of her condition.” The words tumbled free, urgent and more than a little anxious. With a drop of his stomach, he was a young man of twenty-five again. His mother was ill and in bed, and he was demanding Giles tell him what was the matter with her.
Please, Danu, do not let Seona’s condition be fatal. I cannot lose her like I lost my mother.
“As far as I can tell, it is a defect of the memory, Your Majesty.” Giles removed his spectacles and held them by a temple piece. The familiar mannerism only enhanced Magnus’s anxiety. He’d done the same thing when telling Magnus that his mother’s seizures would only continue to grow worse and that they would claim her life within the year.
But that was then and this was now. It was not his mother being examined, but the woman Danu had promised to him.
He scrutinized Giles. “Defect of the memory, you say. She might be pretending.” He doubted it, but he had to suggest the theory if for no other reason than to have his trusted physician rule it out. “She did escape Glendall with a convicted felon. This memory defect might be a ruse to avoid questioning.”
Giles frowned. “No. I do not think that is the case, Your Majesty. Her speech. It is different than before.”
“She spoke to you before?” He’d thought she had refused to speak with anyone save Anya.
“No. Not with me. But within my hearing, yes. I overheard her shouting to Lady Anya that she ‘wouldna be poked and prodded by a numb-pricked auld fool.’” At this, he cracked a rare smile before sobering again. “No. I believe her memory loss is genuine and that it is so severe it has affected every aspect of her personality.”
So he had been correct in guessing her speech would have been like Anya’s.
Giles went on. “Lady Seona has lost all sense of her own identity, including all personal memories prior to her fall. However, she appears to have retained her worldly memories, those functions of the mind that provide an understanding of how things work and how she should interact with the world. A very serious condition, indeed.”
That was the second time Giles had used the word serious. “Will it worsen? Will her memory ever return? Tell me all.”
“I can only guess, unfortunately.” Giles replaced his spectacles. “The good news is that there is no sign of trauma to the head. Her physical healing appears complete. Remarkable, considering what you told me of her fall.” He inclined his head, acknowledging the miracle.
Magnus took heart. Seona was not injured. She suffered no physical consequences of the fall. Thank You, Danu!
“It is unlikely her memory loss will worsen,” Giles went on to say. “In fact, it is a good sign that she was able to tell me all that has transpired since her fall. This means she can create new memories. As to whether she will regain those memories she lost—” Sucking in a breath between his teeth, he rocked back on his heels. “That is uncertain. I have never encountered such a condition in a woman, let alone a human woman.”
Magnus recalled the detailed medical reports Giles and his two most experienced apprentices had written about the twelve rescued women from Saroc. Malnourishment and trauma of the mind had featured prominently in each report, but there had been no mention of memory loss.
“Of the men I’ve seen with memory loss, some regained their memories once their injuries had healed. Others were not so lucky.” He peered over his spectacles, his expression grave. “I am afraid there is no telling when—or whether—she might regain her lost sense of self.”
Magnus let the physician’s assessment sink in. Seona might never again be...Seona. This should pain him, for it was like a death in a way. Without her memories, she was not whole. She was only a shadow of herself.
But this new Seona did not feel like a shadow. The woman in the chamber down the corridor radiated vibrancy and life. She marveled at the simplest things, like tinkling bathwater. She found joy in the presence of children. Her reactions to things he took for granted made him see the world through the eyes of innocence. And, heavens, her kiss was nourishment for his moonsoul. Her embrace lightened the burden of ruling a dying people, made him forget how little sleep he’d had of late. She made him feel whole and alive as no other creature on Danu’s green Earth ever had, most especially not the Seona she had been.
Perhaps it was perverse of him, but in Giles’s diagnosis, he found relief. Not only was Seona physically healthy, but she had no recollection of the horrors she had suffered in Larna. Furthermore, she no longer loathed him. For the first time since learning of her existence, he had a chance to spend time with her. To woo her. Perhaps to entice her to feel for him the depth of love he’d felt for her since laying eyes on her in the canyon.
Best of all, he no longer needed to worry she was playing him for a fool. Giles’s diagnosis confirmed it. She was not pretending to be something she was not in order to lure him into trusting her. She was not planning to run from him again. Her guilelessness was no act. It was simply her, the way she would have been, perhaps, without the suffering she’d endured in Larna. Perhaps even without the hard, uncertain life Anya had described from the human real
m.
Seona’s memory loss might actually be a blessing in disguise. Perhaps this was Danu’s way of protecting her from all she’d suffered in the past. And her way of making a path forward for his courtship of her.
With new hope in his heart, he thanked Giles and strode back to Seona’s chamber. “Summon Daly for me,” he told the guard at the door. “The lady and I will be attending Temple this afternoon.” He intended to thank Danu properly for this miracle within a miracle. And spend quality time with a Seona who not only tolerated his presence but seemed to find some pleasure in it.
But first, he was going to kiss the woman senseless, this time without pulling back out of suspicion. This time, he would show her what he felt for her, and nothing was going to stop him.
Chapter 9
“Why in bloody damnation did you nay tell me what happened to my sister?” No sooner had Magnus lain his hand upon the door latch than Anya’s shouts rang in the corridor.
So much for nothing stopping him. Grinding his teeth, he faced the irate little human barreling toward him. “Lady Anya, how good to see you.”
He’d barely gotten the words out when she launched into another tirade. “Good to see me my red arse! You good for nothing son of a—”
“Anya!” Riggs’s bellow preceded him as caught up to her and swept her behind him. “Your Majesty,” he said breathlessly, as though he’d been running full out. “Forgive her. She is distraught over Lady Seona.”
“Distraught? Dis-traught?” Anya pounded Riggs with her fists in an attempt to escape the arm that pinned her behind him. “I’ll show you distraught, you overgrown boar! ’Tis Seona who ought to be distraught after being thrown from a bloody cliff and living to tell the tale!”
The guard outside Seona’s chamber put his body between Magnus and the arguing lifemates. At the same time the door cracked open.
“Sire,” said the guard he’d posted inside. “Do you need me?”
“No. Stay with Lady Seona.”
With a nod the guard sealed the door. The sound of the lock tumbling satisfied him. At least Seona was safe from this commotion.
During his exchange with the guard, Anya and Riggs had come toe to toe. “—not good for our baby,” Riggs was saying.
“I’ll tell you what’s good for our bairn,” Anya spat. “And that’s for me to see. My. Sister!”
Anya was right. He loved Seona, truly and dearly, but Anya did as well. His plans to spend time alone with her would have to wait, because Anya had as much claim to her time as he did. He would see the sisters reunited as soon as possible. But not yet.
Before he could address Anya, his war chieftain, Cathal, strode toward them. “Sire, I heard a commotion. Is all well? We’ve been waiting in the solar for the conference you promised. We have information about the prisoner Bilkes.”
Ah, yes. Bilkes. So many things required his immediate attention. There was also the matter of Hyrk. There was no telling where the vile being was or when he would strike again.
“And there’s another thing!” Anya rounded on him. “When were you intending to inform me that good for nothing messenger had escaped? And absconded with Seona?”
His temper could bear no more. “Enough!”
Instantly, the corridor fell silent.
Anya blinked at him with startled eyes. Cathal assumed a stance of respectful attention beside the door guard. Riggs’s jaw clenched.
“You will remember to whom you are speaking, Lady Anya,” he said as he pinned his shoulders back. “And you will refrain from shouting at the top of your lungs about the miracle your lifemate and I witnessed this day.”
Anya opened her mouth, no doubt to protest. He cut her off with a slice of his hand. “Unless you have an apology on your tongue for raising your voice to me, you will hold it in check. I am yet gathering information about today’s events. I understand your desire to reunite with Lady Seona. You will have your time with her. For now, be assured Giles has found her to be in perfect physical health.”
He was not surprised Anya cocked her head at his emphasis on the word physical. The little human’s intuition would yank them all off course if he allowed it. Before she could give voice to the myriad questions in her eyes, he began issuing commands.
“Riggs, you will escort Lady Anya to my solar and wait for me there.” He turned to Cathal. “I will meet you there as well, but first summon Maedoc and Clem.” The captain of his knights and the head of his royal council must be included. “You will tell me all you have discovered, and we will discuss what must be done.”
Cathal bowed his head in acknowledgement and departed.
“Daly,” he greeted his head servant as he approached with his ever-efficient gait. “Have refreshments brought to the solar. Lady Anya and Lady Seona will require their midday meal.”
“Of course, Sire.” Daly followed in Cathal’s wake.
Anya was not so quick to be dismissed. “You’ll bring Seona to your solar? You’ll allow me to see her?”
“Of course, Lady Anya. I have told you as much. Your lifemate is correct.” Riggs seemed to have forgotten their argument. He held her against his side with a possessive arm. Magnus met the knight’s eyes with a meaningful look before returning his attention to Anya. “I have not forgotten the treasure you carry, dear lady.” Her womb held the first child conceived in nearly twelve years. He would be not only heartless but a witless fool to allow her stress to continue.
Anya placed a hand over her still-flat abdomen. Indeed, their people’s latest blessing was still new and at its most fragile. Riggs settled his hand over hers and gazed lovingly at her.
“I would not have you fret for Lady Seona a moment longer,” Magnus assured her. “All your inquiries will be addressed, and you will have your time with her. But be warned. I shall deal with the threat to my kingdom before all else.” Because he knew Anya was not one to be convinced easily, he took a step closer and grasped her shoulder in an affectionate hold. “At your request, I remained patient where your sister was concerned. Now you will do the same for me. Yes?”
Anya thinned her lips but managed to say, “Aye, Your Highness.”
“Thank you, Sire,” Riggs said, and he guided Anya toward the solar.
Hoping Anya would not become a distraction during the impending meeting, he returned to the Orange Blossom chamber. Too long had he been separated from Seona. His chest felt tight, and only laying eyes on her again could loosen the sensation.
If he hadn’t already decided she would remain by his side for all that must take place today, the empty feeling her absence caused would have sealed it. He needed her with him. Not only that, but he wanted her with him with a desperation he could scarcely comprehend.
Anya’s request that he give Seona time and space had affronted him, but only because it grated to have his actions dictated by another. Not because he longed to bask in Seona’s nearness and shower her with affection as he did now.
That was not all he longed for. This new Seona might have no memories, but she possessed intelligence and curiosity in abundance. He had not forgotten the question she’d asked during their return to the castle this morning. She’d wanted to know what dangers they faced. Beneath her wonder at experiencing everything as if for the first time, she had the desire and courage to face what needed facing. He longed to encourage those queenly qualities by including her, especially when she, herself, would be one of the subjects of discussion.
If he was honest, he also coveted her admiration. He wished for her to witness the command he wielded. He wanted to impress her with his ability to rule justly and act swiftly. Never before had he experienced the desire to be observed by another whilst conducting kingdom affairs.
Marveling at these new feelings, he entered the chamber and sent his guard back to his post outside. Pulling the door closed, he searched for Seona. Warmth like sunlight replaced the empty ache in his chest when he found her before the armoire, fingering the fine gowns within. Her lavender dressing gown s
himmered in the light of the ornate sconces. The silken fabric highlighted the too-sharp angle of her hip. Even thinner than she ought to be, she stole his breath with her beauty. From her crown of walnut waves to the creamy length of her legs to her grace as she lifted a sleeve to test its softness against her cheek, she beckoned to everything male in him.
He stalked to her, humming appreciatively in his throat. Stopping a breath away from her back, he said, “Do they please you, my lady?”
He’d commissioned the gowns shortly after her rescue, but she had yet to wear a single one, refusing them, according to Anya, as “the trappings of those vile wolf people.” She did not seem to find them distasteful now.
“They are exquisite,” she said, confirming his suspicion.
“As is the one they were created for.” He dared to kiss her silk-clad shoulder, a brief, almost chaste brushing of his lips.
She did not protest. Rather, she turned her head just enough that he could glimpse the coy smile dimpling her cheek.
How had he not noticed before just how alluring she was? He drew in a deep breath, filling his lungs with the freshly-washed scent of her. Lavender, orange blossoms, and vanilla danced in his senses with a hint of female musk. Intoxicating.
“May I recommend the forest green?” He reached past her to lower the dress in question from its place. The act pressed him snug into her so her rounded backside cradled his swelling cock. Yes, lady. Feel what I have for you, if you’ll only accept it, accept me. Goddess, accept me!
“You may,” she said, easing backward to mold herself even tighter to him. The motion put delightful pressure on his length as it thickened and hardened. “But who shall dress me? I see no servants near at hand.”
The gown filled both his hands. Turning it just so, he held it against her, one hand supporting the ruffled collar near her throat, the other flattening the V of the garment’s waist to her flat stomach. “Hm. Daly was up a moment ago, but I sent him to see to your midday meal.” He could not help edging his hips forward. “And I have not seen any of the servant pups since your bath.”