Wildfire: Book Two of the Everealm Series

by J. D. Wright

  When Finn wrapped his arms around her back and ran his hands up her neck and through her hair she completely forgot that there even was a carriage driver. They finished in just enough time to get dressed before the wheels of the carriage came to a stop. When the driver opened the door, Adelphie stuck her head out slowly and avoided making eye contact with him. When she and Finn were both outside, they walked into the seamstress’s shop as if nothing had happened, leaving the driver shaking his head.

  Adelphie was mostly done with her measurements and was choosing fabric when Sidonie walked in.

  “I am so sorry,” she said. “I completely lost focus and…” She trailed off and narrowed her eyes. “Did you and Finn, well, you know? Already?”

  “Whatever do you mean?” Adelphie replied, playing coy.

  “Adelphie, your shirt is on backward. And your hair is a mess.”

  “I’m not sorry.”

  “No, I wouldn’t be, either.” Sidonie laughed then stepped onto the stool to take her turn.

  When they were finished planning their dresses for the ball, Sidonie decided that she wasn’t quite ready to leave and turned to the seamstress.

  “Do you sew robes? For wizards?” she asked. The lady nodded. “Good. I would like to get a set of wizard robes made, for me.”

  “What color?” the lady asked.

  Sidonie smiled, remembering the cloak in Odustis.

  “Make them red.”

  ~*~

  Rowan was nervous. He had never done something like this before. Since returning to Junacave, he had done plenty of things that he hadn’t intended to do. Falling deeper in love with Bree was one of those things. Escorting the queen at last year’s winter ball was another. Becoming a knight, helping to rescue Cicilly, breaking Dahlia out of Sire, going to Anestas and speaking to the fairies…

  His entire life was different now. Before, his main focus had been surviving long enough to finish a mission. Now, his focus was on Bree and keeping her happy and protected. It wasn’t easy. She had a temper and stubborn streak. She also had a tendency to forgive too easily and trust too quickly. They would soon need to build another wing onto the castle to house all of the stray people she kept collecting.

  He heard footsteps behind him and turned around to see her standing there. She had a curious expression on her face.

  “Where are you going?” she asked, looking over at Dragon, who was saddled with a few bags attached.

  “You mean to say, ‘where are we going?’ because I don’t plan to go alone.

  “Rowan.” She frowned at him. “After the last time that we disappeared without telling anyone, I thought Sir Luthias was going skin you alive. We can’t do that again.”

  “We aren’t going far, and I have on good authority that you will be protected.”

  She raised her eyebrows, clearly disbelieving.

  “I agreed to let Sir Evan and Sir Tomas follow us,” he said. “Happy now?”

  She smirked at him. It seemed like he received more smirks than smiles from her, but he didn’t mind. It was just another thing he loved about her. He took her hand and led her over to Dragon. Then he helped her to climb onto the saddle and did so, himself. She reached out and gave Dragon a rub. The horse shook his mane and made Bree laugh. Rowan grabbed the reins and they took off into the forest.

  With the trees blocking the moonlight, she wasn’t sure how he could see where he was going in the darkness. But he had no problem staying on the trail. They didn’t ride long before he pulled Dragon’s reins and came to a stop. He swung his leg over and hopped to the ground. Then he pulled a lantern from one of the bags and lit it, glad he remembered to bring one this time.

  Bree followed him as he led his horse away from the trail until he came to a large tree with willowy branches that hung down to the ground.

  “What are we doing here? Did you bring me all this way to look at a tree?”

  “No, my queen. I brought you here for a different reason.”

  Rowan pulled a dagger from his belt and plunged it into the tree. Then he took out a small vial and splashed the contents onto the tree. Immediately, the tree began to expand and open a doorway. When Bree walked up to the tree, she stopped.

  “This is Dagan’s portal,” she said, and followed him inside.

  “Yes,” Rowan replied, removing a bag and blanket from Dragon’s saddle.

  “But why are we in Dagan’s portal?”

  “He has graciously allowed us to borrow it. For some privacy.”

  He took the blanket, spread it out next to the creek, and sat the lantern down beside it. Then he removed a bottle of wine and two goblets from the bag. He sat on the blanket and looked up at her.

  Bree’s stomach began to tighten and her heartbeat increased. She couldn’t help but feel like a fourteen year old girl again. He had a way of doing that to her. When he held his hand out, she took it and sat down on the blanket. He poured some wine and they sat for a long time, talking about the Harvest Festival, Reeve and Rhea’s surprise marriage, among other things.

  Bree reminded him of the time they caught Finn kissing Penelope in the gardens. And how his face turned as red as his hair. Penelope was embarrassed and ran away when Bree made fun of her for kissing a boy. Penelope, the late Sir Colbert’s daughter, was a few years older, like Finnley. Bree was still too young at that time to understand why any girl would want to kiss a boy, especially Finn. She would never entertain the idea of kissing Finn. He was like her brother. After that day, Penelope never spoke to her again until Bree went to give the family her condolences last year. Even then, their words were few.

  “Life was so much easier back then, Rowan,” she said, resting her head on his leg. He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

  “Yes, but you have a lot to be grateful for, Bree. We both do.”

  “You’re certainly right about that.” She couldn’t suppress a yawn.

  “Oh, no. You can’t go to sleep just yet. I brought dessert.”

  Rowan reached into the bag and pulled out a pan. Bree didn’t need to look at it to know what it was. Her nose told her everything.

  “Mmmm… Apple tart. My favorite.”

  “I know.”

  They didn’t bother with plates since it was just the two of them. Bree moaned on the first bite. Miss Delray’s apple tarts were the best part of being a queen. She could have one any time she wanted. But knowing that Rowan brought this one made it taste even better.

  “Why are you only eating the crust?” she asked.

  “It’s the best part,” he lied.

  “Your loss,” she said taking another bite. But when she bit down, something hard hit her teeth. “Ow!” A kitchen maid must have dropped a piece of an acorn in or something…

  She pulled the piece out of her mouth, but it wasn’t an acorn. It was shiny as the lantern light reflected off of it.

  “Oh, my heavens!” she exclaimed, snapping her eyes up to look at Rowan, who had somehow risen up to kneel in front of her without her noticing. Her mouth dropped open and a small whimper escaped.

  “Breestlin…” he began. Her heart went absolutely crazy, pounding in her chest. If she weren’t in shock, she might have been able to enjoy the fact that she was holding a ring and he was kneeling before her in the moonlight with his gorgeous brown eyes looking at her.

  “I have loved you since long before our kiss in the gardens,” he said. He paused to steady his breathing, but he knew if he stopped talking for too long, he would never finish. “And I know that you could have your choice of literally any available man in the realm. But I—“

  “YES!”

  “Wait, let me finish,” he laughed and tried to remember what point he was at in his speech. He had practiced the damn thing for weeks now.

  The anxiousness on her face was distracting and he completely forgot what he had meant to say.

  “Oh, hell. Just forget about it. The rest wasn’t that important anyway�
��”

  She squealed and jumped into his arms, knocking him onto the blanket. Their first kiss as an engaged couple was intense and glorious. She had never felt as close to him as she did at that very moment. He wrapped his arms around her and rolled her over so that he was above her. Then he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it to the side.

  Bree ran her hands over his chest and bit her lip. The glow of the lantern made his body even more appealing than usual. Her heart was about to burst, but the heat between her legs was even stronger. She couldn’t think of a time that she had ever been more aroused. She was also thankful that she was wearing a gown that buttoned down the front. She flicked the first button open and saw the corner of his mouth twitch. He was smiling completely by the time she opened the third button and his mouth found her chest shortly after.

  He trailed kisses over her breasts and down to her stomach. Her knees were shaking against his thighs, anticipating what was about to come. And when he finally removed his trousers and slipped inside her, it felt like everything was right in the realm. Nothing could ever be better than this.

  He lowered down and propped himself up on his elbows so he could run his hand through her hair. When he started to rock back and forth, she groaned. He covered her mouth with his and could feel the vibration of her moans under his lips. He drew back to give her room to breathe, but she grabbed his neck and pulled him back down. He stayed there, hovering beside her ear, and kept a steady rhythm. There was no hurry. They had all night, if necessary, to enjoy this moment.

  But as much as he tried to make it last longer, the feeling of her, moist and hot, was too much for him. To make matters worse, she whispered his name in his ear and he lost control. Shuddering, he collapsed on top of her, his head between her breasts. He laid there, listening to her heartbeat. Sensing he was becoming too heavy for her, he rolled over and pulled her close. She fell asleep in the crook of his arm, listening to the creek flowing behind her.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Rowan stood in front of the mirror and sighed. He hated to dress this way. Knights could wear their formal attire or their armor to the Winter Ball. However, since he hated wearing bulky and heavy armor even more, he decided to deal with the stockings, instead. Bree had his clothing made to match hers. And though he hadn’t seen her dress, he could tell from his tunic that her dress was green and gold. He couldn’t wait to see her in it. And even more, he couldn’t wait to peel it off of her.

  He met Dagan in the hallway of the guest wing. The wizard was wearing his usual ceremonial wizard robes, which were blue. He had his hair down tonight, as well, which was rare.

  “Why do you get to wear that, which looks comfortable and sophisticated, and I am stuck in stockings?” Rowan asked, huffing.

  Dagan’s robes were long and had a silver trim. They had no sleeves, so his arms were bare.

  “Perk of being a wizard,” Dagan said, smugly. “Actually, I do have to make one change.” He placed a hand on his robes and said something Rowan didn’t understand. The robes turned red.

  “Sid’s dress is red. At least, I think she said red.”

  Dagan would be escorting Sidonie this year, so they went down to the hall alone. Like before, they would wait until their ladies arrived and meet them in the doorway to lead them into the hall. It was a tradition that began with the first Winter Ball that Bree’s grandparents held many years ago.

  Finn was waiting near the throne when they walked in.

  “Aww… You two look so pretty…” he said, grinning.

  “Go to hell,” Rowan muttered. “Where is Adelphie?”

  “I am waiting for her, the same as you.”

  As if on cue, Adelphie appeared in the doorway. Finn smiled. She was wearing a dress made of burlap that came only to her knees. It had a fur trim that skimmed the top of her breasts and exposing her shoulders. Her blonde hair had a few small braids on each side and she had tall brown boots with fur trim to match. She certainly looked like a ceremonial Sabra. Finn approached her, dressed elegantly, as usual. She held her hand out. He took it and kissed it.

  “I want to take you outside and have my way with you, m’lady,” he said, leading her into the room. “You can even leave the boots on.”

  “Finnley!” She pretended to be offended. “How dare you speak to me in such a scandalous manner!”

  Celeste came next, dressed in a tight black gown that somehow made her look even taller than she already was. Sir Raymun met her at the door. He had also been the one to escort her last year. Finn was becoming curious now if something was developing between them. He would have to interrogate his father later and find out.

  Celeste was followed by Cicilly, in a burgundy gown. To no one’s surprise, Sir Nicholas was her escort. Dagan looked up to see Sidonie. She was definitely dressed in red, but it wasn’t a gown. She was wearing robes similar to his only hers were more fitted and had sleeves. She looked enchanting, every bit like the sorceress she was. He was pleased to see that she still found ways to surprise him.

  “Impressive,” he said, bowing and taking her hand.

  “Oh, this is just the beginning. Wait until you see what I have on underneath.”

  His mind was reeling with the possibilities, making it hard to speak. She laughed and took his arm, letting him lead her into the room. He started to ask her just what she meant, but she wasn’t paying any attention to him. Her eyes were focused on something behind him. He looked over and saw Rhea in the doorway.

  She was beautiful in a white flowing gown. There were tiny pink flowers that started at the top and cascaded down to the bottom. Half of her hair was pulled up and more pink flowers sat on top.

  “What should we do?” Sidonie said, frantically.

  “What do you mean?” Dagan said. “Reeve will probably escort her in.”

  “No! They haven’t spoken since the day the fairies came.”

  “How can that be? They’ve shared the same living quarters for months now…”

  “Just go!” She shoved him forward and he didn’t argue. He met Rhea at the door and she gladly took his arm. He led her over to Sidonie, who immediately gushed at how beautiful her dress was. Dagan looked around and didn’t see Reeve. But he knew that it would soon be Gabby’s turn so Reeve would have to show up eventually.

  After a few more ladies made their entrances, Reeve finally entered the hall, sneaking in from the kitchens. He hoped to avoid seeing Rhea, but there was no way to do so. His sister was about to enter and he would have to be there for it. He waited until the last possible moment, however.

  When he saw Rhea, his heart broke. She was even more beautiful than he imagined. He had overheard her talking about her gown with Gabby and knew exactly what it would look like. But actually seeing her in it now hurt much worse than he expected.

  The past several months had been hell for him. His plan to have her share their suite had failed, miserably. Rhea stayed in the room she shared with Gabby until Reeve left each morning and didn’t return until after he went to sleep. He even tried to stay awake for a few nights, but she would always slip past him without him knowing. She made it a point to avoid him the entire time. If he even looked in her direction in the hall, she would find a reason to leave. It was obvious that she had no intention of forgiving him.

  He would just have to admit defeat and set her free. Nothing could prepare him for it so it made no sense to keep putting it off. He would tell her tonight that it was time to end the marriage.

  The color purple caught his attention. Gabrielle looked lovely in her dress. Her hair was up and he almost never saw her wear it that way. She certainly didn’t look like a little girl anymore. She was becoming a young woman. It was terrifying.

  He started to move toward the door but stopped when a young boy approached Gabby. His sister blushed which was something else he never saw her do. The boy bowed and took her hand. When the boy kissed it, Reeve moved forward. Gabby glanced up and saw him coming. S
he glared at him with eyes sharper than his sword. He stopped in his tracks. Then she smiled and pretended like nothing had happened as she took the boy’s arm. Reeve couldn’t believe his eyes, shaking his head at his sister as she was led past him.

  Rowan walked over and slapped a hand to Reeve’s back.

  “That was a surprising entrance,” he joked. “I didn’t know she liked Oliver.”

  “Neither did I,” Reeve said, frowning. “Who’s Oliver?”

  “Sir Ainsley’s squire, and son of Lord Hamon. He’s a nice boy.”

  “There is no such thing as a nice boy,” Reeve said, scowling. When Rowan laughed, Reeve shot him a look that said he wasn’t amused.

  “Oh, ease up. I’m sure you were harmless at that age.”

  “Were you harmless at—how old is he? Seventeen?”

  “Ooooh, no, no, no…” Rowan remembered what happened between him and Bree when he was seventeen. It’s the very thing that caused their separation.

  “And now you understand me perfectly… Though, I guess if he breaks her heart, I could always send you to take care of him.”

  “Funny. Why does everyone always joke about me killing people? I don’t enjoy doing it.”

  “Maybe not, but you certainly are good at it. I was with you in Sire. And speaking of protecting young girls…” Reeve trailed off and nodded toward Sarita, standing in the doorway.

  Rowan didn’t hesitate. He came forward and greeted the princess. She was wearing a light blue dress with white feathers in her hair, behind her silver crown. It reminded him of Bree’s gown from last year’s ball. She smiled when he approached and bowed to her.

  “You look lovely, tonight.”

  “Thank you, Rowan. You look nice, too.”

  He led her over to the throne.

  “Rowan?”

  “Yes?”

  “If my father were here, do you think he would like my dress?”

  Rowan’s heart skipped a beat. He wasn’t sure how to respond, but he squatted down and took her hands into his.