by Lisa Rector
“Oh, really?”
“It did not end well. Rhianu was so angry, she killed Caedryn’s dragon. That’s why I was shocked she fell in love with Einion. She had sworn never to do so again. Love was a threat to her power.”
Meuric had gone statuesque. Rhianu was such a sore topic for him. Catrin wrapped her petite hands around his flexed and bulging bicep. Her fingers didn’t touch on either side. He was massive.
Even though she didn’t want to sympathize with Meuric over Rhianu, she said. “You’re worried about her.”
“I don’t want to dwell on it. I can’t do anything to help her. Let’s focus on what we can do.”
Catrin dropped her hands, confused over why she had grabbed Meuric in the first place. “Fine. Have you tried to ether jump through time again?”
“I tried two days ago. Nothing happened.”
“When? Without me?”
“No, you were sleeping. I held your hand. I didn’t want you to distract me while I tried.”
Catrin scoffed. “Well, at least we have that settled.” What if Meuric had too much light to ether jump any more? She was so conflicted. Did she want Meuric to use his light or darkness? If she wanted to get home…
“I told you, I’m not leaving you.”
She sighed. “All right. I believe you.”
They reached a spot far enough from the waterfall that its pounding had diminished. Catrin estimated the swim might take four or five minutes, and the current would carry her farther than the river was wide. With debris churning around, the river was dangerous.
“I don’t like this,” Meuric said.
“Like what?”
“You—swimming the river.”
“You never like anything.” Catrin stripped off her pack, cloak, and tunic until she wore just her chemise and leggings. She unlaced her boots and pulled off her socks. “Make sure you don’t forget my boots.”
Meuric looked amused.
“What? These are great boots.”
He gathered everything into a pile and shoved as much as he could into the packs. “You’re doing this? Now? At least rest. Eat.”
“No, that will make me cramp up.” Catrin stretched into a lunge.
“I should do this, not you.”
She ignored his wringing hands. “I’m as strong as you are. Besides, my muscles aren’t what’ll help me across. My abilities will. You haven’t seen me use my light in such a way. I’ll be fine. Besides, your shoulder needs more time.”
“Don’t be cocky.”
Catrin raised her arms over her head. “Relax.”
“I worry about you.”
Catrin stopped stretching. He worries about me? “Meuric, sometimes I’m amazed by what comes out of your mouth.” She leaned close to study his blue eyes and was shocked when he traced his finger carefully along her jaw.
“I’m following you downstream,” he said. “I’ll leave the gear and come back for it. I want my eyes on you the whole time.”
His mouth moved, but she hardly heard the words as her jaw tingled. Catrin shook her head. “All right. I’m going now.”
Catrin waded into the water.
Before she shifted her focus, she dwelled on Meuric’s caress. She missed touch like that. Fleetingly, Einion came to her mind. His touch had both calmed her and thrilled her. Meuric’s does too. She thought she’d never say the same for any other man besides Einion, but here she was. If I can’t go home, I’ll be all right with Meuric. She trusted him. Her enemy had become her friend—a close companion.
The current slapped against her calves, forcing her attention to the task at hand.
Pushing her light throughout her body, Catrin willed the power to strengthen her. She was ready. Glide through the water like a dragon in the sky—like a fish in the sea. Swim fast, and swim hard. I am the water. It’s a part of me, and I with it. I’m one with the element. When the water was mid-thigh, she dove under before the current knocked her over.
She surfaced and gasped for air. The current forced her down the river with unparalleled speed. Stroking hard, Catrin pushed forward through the water rushing over her face. She flowed her light’s power into her lungs, increasing their capacity, and with an extensive breath, she dove away from the swirling surface, parting the water more easily with her limbs this way.
I am a fish.
Catrin couldn’t tell how far the river carried her, but despite the current, she made progress. After a minute she surfaced—
A quarter of the way.
She dove again. Catrin swam over rocks and under surface rubbish. Water roared in her ears. When she came up for air, she swore she was two thirds of the way across and rounding a bend.
Brilliant. It shortened the distance. She should have entered the water at the river’s bend so the current pushed her straight at the far bank. No matter. The task was nearly over. She was closing in.
Catrin ducked beneath the surface for her final stretch. A submerged rock met her on her right, hidden by the curve in the river. The current shoved her, and she slammed hard against the rock’s side. The impact caused Catrin to draw breath, and water painfully flooded her lungs.
Wedged against the underside of the rock, Catrin kicked out, but the current sucked her back.
Her lungs burned—ached for fresh air.
As her vision became spotty, Catrin called on the light. Deian, I’m in your hands. Give me the light to propel myself from this hole!
Catrin clawed at the rock, pulling with every ounce of her light. I’m too weak. Panic gripped her. Deian, I’m drowning.
Her arms fell limp—as limp as her feeble light, which washed away in the river. Limp as her hopes for ever returning home. For ever seeing Einion again, and her mother, her father, and her siblings. Cerys… and Meuric. If she had known she’d never see him again…
As pain exploded in her chest from water-filled lungs, something clamped onto her arm and yanked her from her swirling tomb. Meuric tugged her practically lifeless body. She assumed they’d reappear on the shore, but they surfaced.
Catrin spewed water from her lungs in racking coughs as Meuric slung her over his back. He kicked toward the eastern shore, continuing on to Catrin’s original destination.
She couldn’t believe it. The bank was right there. The rock had been the only block to her progress.
Her death grip tightened around Meuric’s neck when they sank underwater. They rose, and Catrin garbled her terror, sputtering more water.
Meuric staggered and landed solidly. He had found footing!
“You did it, Meuric. By Deian’s light, you did it. I thought we were dead!” She pawed desperately at him, clinging to his torso, too afraid to let go.
When they were knee-deep, Meuric slid her off his back and wrapped his arms around her, smashing her to his chest. Water dripped off his nose and down red cheeks. Droplets hung on each eyelash. “Woman, you’re going to be the death of me.”
He was breathing hard from the swim, and Catrin felt every heave of his chest against hers. Daring to pull away, she looked up at a grimace on his face. “You hurt your shoulder again, didn’t you?”
“I might have torn something when I yanked you from the underside of the rock. I’m sure I’ll regret it in the morning.”
Catrin ran her fingers over his hair, and water sprayed off the ends. “Regret saving me? Meuric, you don’t know what you’d do without me.”
Meuric’s cheeks rose to meet his eyes.
She was well aware of his body pressed against hers and his intensely blue eyes staring into her emerald ones. A crescendo of tension diminished the river’s roar. Now would be good time for a real first kiss. A shiver raced over her. I shouldn’t have such thoughts. Or should I?
Meuric relaxed his grip and let go with one arm. He kept the other around her waist as he helped her to the shore. They stumbled on the rocks only once, but Meuric prevented Catrin from falling with his firm grip and… Oh, he’s shirtless.
Exhausted, they lim
ped onto the bank, and Meuric rolled Catrin into the grass.
She eyed his attire—nothing but pants. “You had time to take your clothes off. Were you expecting me to drown?”
“I’ve learned never to be too careful around you, Catrin. My first thought was, if I had to ether jump to you, I didn’t want to ruin my boots.”
“Ha ha.” Catrin grinned. “They are excellent boots.”
Meuric dropped beside her. He lounged on his good side, with his head supported by his arm. After Meuric wiped the wet hair out of her face, his hand lingered against her cheek. “You’re never doing anything like that again.”
“As you wish, Meuric,” Catrin whispered. Her fingers traced the muscular contours of his chest and a long pinkish scar over his heart. When had this happened? The wound might have been only a few weeks old. “Why didn’t you tell me about this so I could heal you? You didn’t say anything all this time.”
He remained silent while studying her face. His heart pounded under her palm.
The intensity of his expression was going to undo her. Catrin’s heart slammed against her ribs. She couldn’t read Meuric. What are you thinking? Let me in. Maybe he couldn’t think, not when she stroked his chest hairs, not with her fingers memorizing the rough, puckered edges of his scar.
She wanted to kiss him, but she was afraid to move. Don’t think. Just act. Catrin leaned closer to him, but Meuric grabbed the hand exploring his chest.
“Catrin…” He placed her hand on the grass between them, but his eyes stayed steady on her face. There was pain behind them—and not from his shoulder.
Oh—I should have known. He doesn’t want to kiss me.
Meuric cleared his throat. “Stay here. I’m going back for our belongings.”
Catrin didn’t have a chance to reply. Meuric had disappeared. She rolled onto her back and groaned skyward.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
GROWING FIRE
Meuric pictured the spot where he left his belongings. When he appeared, he swayed, dropping to one knee. The swim had taken its toll. Meuric wanted to collapse and fall into an undisturbed sleep, but he told Catrin he’d be right back.
His body shivered. He was too inept to use his light to warm himself. Unrolling a blanket, he rubbed his frozen body, doing a clumsy job of drying. Meuric paused long enough to trail his finger down his scar. Catrin hadn’t balked at it. He knew she’d chastise him for not telling her. That was why he didn’t mention it. She had been so focused on his shoulder that she never scanned for other injuries on him. What would Catrin think if she knew why he had the wound? If she knew why he let it scar rather than use his light to smooth the skin over?
With shaking hands, Meuric lifted his shirt over his head, then his overcoat, and secured his cloak. Thankfully, his shoulder was too cold to feel any injury. He knew he tore a ligament. The bone might be healed and his shoulder, no longer deformed, but further recovery would take time.
After grabbing his boots and the packs, Meuric ether jumped and reappeared beside Catrin. She was dry and waiting for him. She immediately curled her hands around his neck and pressed her forehead to his, sending heat through his body before he even asked and before he could even think of stopping her.
Her touch was heaven.
Meuric breathed her in. She smelled like mud and rain and dead fish. He didn’t care. He pressed his hands over hers, holding their foreheads together long after they should have parted.
He should say something to her, but he was at a loss for words. And exhausted. He also wasn’t blind. She was going to kiss him before he left. Why didn’t I follow through and meet her halfway? Any other time and with any other woman, he would have. But Catrin was different from any other woman.
When Catrin had thoroughly dried him, Meuric dropped the packs and slumped down beside them. He pulled his stockings and boots on. He felt Catrin’s eyes on him, but she stayed silent as she redressed.
Once she had her boots on, they moved away from the shore, into the protection of the trees.
“Catrin, can we just—”
“Meuric, do you think we could—”
“—sleep?” they asked together.
“Yes,” he said. By the stars, yes. He couldn’t take another step.
They dropped to the ground, not even unrolling their blankets. Catrin laid her head on Meuric’s shoulder, and he draped his arms around her.
That’s all he wanted more than anything in the world. Blessed sleep… with Catrin in his arms.
***
“Owww, Cat…” Meuric growled.
She was wrapping his arm in the sling. “You’re not using your arm for the next five days.”
For days after the river, Meuric hid the fact his shoulder was swollen. He continued to use it, pretending nothing was wrong… until Catrin whacked him in one of her lighthearted retaliations over a snide remark he made that she was growing too thin. Meuric roared with agony, twisting her arm until she cried out and dropped to her knees.
Horrified, he released his grip and sank beside her, cradling Catrin in his arms. “Forgive me. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
She swiped at a tear pooling in the corner of her eye. “Why didn’t you tell me you hurt this badly?”
“Because there’s something wrong with you, and you’re not telling me. I’m watching you grow weaker day by day. You’ll not heal me. I’ll recover on my own. That’s how mortals do it, do they not?”
“Yes, you’re right. Fine!” Catrin squirmed out of Meuric’s embrace and threw her hands up. “Be. In. Pain.”
“You’re still in emotional pain. It’s Einion. Isn’t it? He loves Rhianu! Forget him. Get over him!”
“It’s not just Einion.”
“Then what is it?”
“Nothing!” That’s when Catrin rummaged through a pack until she found the well-used sling.
“Not so tight!”
“This is how we’ll compromise to deal with your stubbornness.” She finished binding him and turned away, shouldering their supplies.
“My stubbornness?”
Catrin whirled around and pointed an accusing finger at him. As her fingertip became white hot, Meuric flashed back to the day she attacked him in the ocean. He stifled a laugh.
“What?”
“I’m pleased I’ve met a woman with enough fire to handle what I dish out.”
Catrin smiled and shook her head. “I’m too much fire for you.”
***
They made continual progress as the days faded into memory. The lower gap drew closer, and the trees of the forest thinned out. On the fifth night since crossing the river, they huddled together on a log, taking in a vista of campfires in a meadow below them.
“A small settlement. Looks primitive, like the men we faced in the forest.” Catrin had unbraided her hair, and she was ironing it out. Meuric fingered one of the smooth tresses as he watched her progress.
Rhythmic drumbeats carried fluting music to them. Fur-clad men with shorn heads lounged while their scantily dressed women danced around the fire. The playful and melodic beat was interspersed with drunken laughter.
“I’m glad we’re not headed in that direction,” Meuric said.
“I agree. You can’t take another beating.”
He elbowed her.
“They must be celebrating a dry night—finally,” she said.
The rains had come again with greater fury. Meuric was tired of scraping mud off his trusty boots and picking wet leaves off his clothes in the mornings. “Probably. We should celebrate too.”
Catrin stopped her primping and leaned her head against Meuric’s shoulder. Her rain-softened hair tickled his nose, and he took a curious breath. Her hair had acquired an earthen scent. Not unpleasant, even though they hadn’t bathed since the dip in the river. Continual rain showers had provided all the water Meuric could endure.
She had become quite close to him lately, stroking his arm, brushing his arm hairs left and right. Meuric didn’t
mind. He enjoyed the contact. Her inner light shone brighter, so he let her. She didn’t kiss him again, but her behavior was like a lovesick dragon’s.
Lifting her head, Catrin stared up at him with her almond eyes. “Your hair is spiky.” Her voice was dreamy, and Meuric could tell she was tired. Catrin ran her hands up his neck to the base of his skull and tugged at the short strands.
Unease rushed through him. Only one other person ever touched him in the same way—Mara with her electric caress. Meuric stiffened. Was the full moon rising tonight? The hypnotic beat of the music messed with him. Determined to break the peculiarity, he stood and held out his arm to Catrin.
“What?” A puzzled expression fell over her face.
“Dance with me.”
Catrin stared at him long enough for a smile to spread across her face. She grabbed his hand, and Meuric pulled them together, but not close enough to crush his slung arm. Catrin still hadn’t given him permission to take the sling off.
“Do you know any steps?” Not waiting for a reply, his feet adopted the rhythm of the drums, creating a lively pattern as he twirled Catrin with him.
She laughed, throwing her head back, letting her hair flow free. Catrin was gorgeous in the dimness under an emerging canopy of stars. As an emrys, she should have been glowing more from her internal light, but Meuric wasn’t used to his women glowing. Full of mystery and allure, they were usually dark-skinned mortals with deeply haunting eyes and strong noses. Catrin’s green eyes shimmered, and her nose wiggled when she laughed. She was petite and atypical of the enigmatic woman he’d ever been with.
The music slowed to a steady drum pace and soothing flute melody. An owl hooted nearby as crickets hummed. The band of rugged dancers was winding down.
Meuric pulled Catrin to himself, cuddling her to his chest as they turned slower. He was helpless to avoid the spell cast over him. Helpless to hide from the truth he’d been denying for days. He was falling in love again. He knew it.
This after barely over a month alone in the woods with her. He sighed. What if his feelings resulted from circumstance? Meuric smiled down at Catrin. He was amazed he lasted a month without pursuing Catrin further than the one unexpected kiss she had planted on him. He constantly thought about it, how it pulled him from his tortured state and grounded him, giving him something to hold desperately on to. Maybe her kiss was why he hadn’t had a time slip since then.