by Lynn Lorenz
"There! That's the one!" Sarah pointed to a ring. Set in a wide gold band were a series of raised crosses, with black enamel between the spaces.
Stefan nodded. "Oh, aye, it's very fine."
The man pulled it out and held it on his hand.
"It's self-fitting, of course, and a very good piece."
She touched the ring with her finger and nodded. "It's perfect. We'll take it."
"One hundred gold, please." The man waited.
Sarah reached for her purse at her waist, but Stefan put out his hand to stop her. "Sarah, that's too dear."
"It's mine to give to you. You have no say about the cost." She fixed him with a stare as she counted out the money from her purse.
He'd paid five times that for her ring and never thought twice about the price. Recognizing her look of determination to have the ring for him, he decided it was best not to argue. Maybe he wasn't such a fool after all.
The shopkeeper placed the ring in a small box and handed it to Sarah. "Madam's ring."
"Thank you, sir." She turned to Stefan. "Here, try it on."
Stefan opened the box, took the jewelry out, and slipped the ring on his finger. As the gold warmed to his body heat, it adjusted to fit him. "It's perfect, Sarah." He looked up and smiled at her.
They left the shop and went down the street to find a priest.
* * * *
Rolf stood in the lane leading to yet another small farm. This was the third he'd been to that day. At the first one, there was no young girl in the family, only three sons. The second had a daughter, but she was married and living there with her husband.
As he approached, a black-and-white sheep dog came bounding down the lane, barking at him. As it neared, Rolf gave it a growl, and the creature froze, then cowered. He had that affect on dogs now. It was a shame because, when he was younger, he'd always kept a dog and he missed the companionship.
The dog followed him, tail down in wary submission, to the cottage. In the garden, a woman tended the vegetables. She looked up when he called to her.
"Aye, Inspector, can I help you?"
"Perhaps. Tell me, who lives here with you?"
"My good husband, my son, and two daughters."
Two, Rolf thought. "And the ages of the girls?"
"Why, that's a strange question to ask, sir. Why do you need to know?" Her eyes held suspicion.
He cursed the rash of crime that had befallen their district for her attitude of distrust of an inspector of the patrol. "There have been several attacks in the area. We're out warning the nearby farms."
"Attacks, you say? Why, my girls are eight and fourteen," she answered readily now, fear in her eyes.
"Then I should warn you to keep them at home, madam. Don't let them wander or do their chores alone. Keep yourself, your son or husband with them at all times."
"For how long? Do you have hopes of catching this villain?" She wiped her hands on her apron and came to the garden gate.
"We have hopes, but can't say how soon. Just take care with them."
"Aye, sir. I'll tell my man as soon as he's back from the field. Thank you for the warning." She nodded, looking back toward the house.
Rolf turned and walked back down the lane as the dog followed. Turning, he crouched down and held out his hand to call the dog to him, knowing the effort was futile. Still, he couldn't help but reach out for the dog's acceptance.
"Come, boy."
The dog sat down, regarded him, but came no closer. Rolf stood, sighed, and pulled out his map. That was the last farm in the area of the final star point. He hoped he and Stefan were right about this. He'd found the villain's lair, and it looked as if this farm might have been his next target.
Rolf walked a little ways farther until he was within range, then 'ported back to Avalon.
* * * *
Sarah and Stefan stepped into the small chapel. The priest came toward them and made the sacred signs representing mind, heart, faith, strength.
"Sarah, you've returned! Who is this?" He looked at Stefan with raised eyebrows.
"We wish to take vows," Stefan said.
The priest's head tilted as he looked at Stefan.
"This is Inspector Stefan Bane, Holy One, the man we spoke about earlier. He's asked me to marry him, and I have accepted."
"There's no one else with you?" The priest leaned forward and looked around them, as if expecting to see well-wishers or family.
"No, just us." Sarah's eyes flicked to Stefan.
The priest seemed to mull it over, then he nodded and led them into his small office off the foyer. He motioned them to sit in the chairs, as he pulled out the necessary papers.
"Fill these out, please, for the records." He passed them to Stefan over his desk, along with a pen.
Stefan worked on them for several minutes, writing all the information he knew down as Sarah watched over his shoulder.
"I didn't know you were from around Heath," she said.
"We used to live in the northern district and moved when I was small." He continued writing as he began the second page. "Where did you live when you were with your family?"
Sarah paused. "In the south near Bastrop."
He wrote it down. Finished at last, he handed the forms back to the priest, who looked them over.
"They seem to be all in proper order." The priest looked at Stefan. "Is there a reason you are here with no one to stand for you? None of your fellow officers? No parents or friends? Not even Luci?"
Sarah and Stefan exchanged glances.
"She's visiting her parents. We wanted to marry right away," Sarah said.
The old man sat back, clasped his hands together, and paused as he thought. "You're both too old to be forbidden by parents to marry."
"Neither of us has any family to speak of," Stefan added.
The old priest looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes, seeming deep in thought as they waited. At last, he opened his eyes and looked at Sarah closely. His eyes and his voice demanded the truth. "When we spoke before, I had not thought if it. Have you been compromised, Sarah?"
"No, Holy One!" Sarah looked him in the eye, her chin up as her grip on Stefan's hand tightened.
"I see. Perhaps you rush to marry before you are compromised?" He raised his eyebrow.
Sarah's blush answered his question. Stefan looked at his boots.
"I must remind you marriage was designed by the One God to bind a man to a woman and her to him in order to create life not just to the practice." The priest spoke in a clear voice.
They nodded their understanding.
"Good. While the practice is a means, and a pleasurable one, I must remind you it is not the end. Are you both prepared to uphold your duty?" He held up his hand.
A husband and marriage had never been in her plans, much less children. If she was ready to marry, was she ready for the result of that marriage? Sarah turned to look at Stefan. She had no idea how he felt about having children. They'd discussed so little.
Stefan's grip on her hand tightened and he looked into her eyes. "I'd never hoped for a wife, Sarah, much less let myself dream of children." He swallowed. "A child would mean much to me, even at this late age. Perhaps, even more."
"Me, too." She laughed. "But, if you're willing, so am I. I want a life with you, with or without children."
They turned to the priest and nodded.
"I'm glad you came to your senses, Inspector." The priest nodded his head toward Sarah.
"I am, too, Holy One." Stefan gave a brief smile, then resumed his sober expression.
"And you, Sarah, are you certain of this man?" The priest leaned forward. "All your doubts have been answered?"
She took her time answering. "I'm certain. There is no other man for me, Holy One."
The priest stood, rubbing his hands together. "Let us proceed then."
They followed him to the front of the chapel to stand before the altar.
"You have rings to signify your belonging?"
Sarah removed her ring and gave it to Stefan and he removed his and gave it to her.
"Since there's no audience, and I'm sure you both will appreciate brevity, I'll speak just the important part of the ceremony. Hold hands, please." The priest waited until they faced each other and Stefan took both of Sarah's hands in his.
"Sarah Tallow, do you take this man freely and swear your wife's vow to him? To keep him in love, to hold his home, to guard over him in sickness, until death parts you from him?"
"I do so vow." Sarah held out her hand. Stefan slipped the ring on her finger and squeezed her hand.
"Stefan Bane, do you take this woman freely and swear your husband's vow to her? To keep her in love, to build a home for her, to guard over her in sickness, until death parts you from her?"
"I do so vow." Stefan's voice was strong and sure.
Sarah took his hand as she slipped the ring onto his finger. He looked down at their hands as his face struggled with emotion for a moment, then recovered. Raising his head, he met her gaze as she squeezed his hand.
"Then, I will declare you married and under the protection of the One God. You may go now in faith and heart as husband and wife, and mind and strength as warlock and witch."
Sarah and Stefan joined the priest in making the sacred signs.
The newlyweds stood holding hands tightly, neither of them believing what they had just done.
The priest leaned over to Stefan. "Kiss her, Stefan, and seal the vow."
Stefan took Sarah's face in his hands and kissed her tenderly. Then, he kissed her forehead, and she held his hand to her lips and kissed the back of it. They rested their foreheads against each other, too moved to speak.
Stefan reached into his pocket, pulled out five gold coins, and pressed them into the priest's hands.
"Well done, Inspector. All praise to Him!" The priest made the sacred signs and left them alone.
Stefan and Sarah each lit a candle, said a private prayer, then emerged from the chapel, arms and souls linked.
Chapter 24
Stefan followed Sarah into the rooms, shutting the door behind him. "Come here, my wife." He reached for her, took her hand, pulled her to him and kissed her. Sarah leaned against him, wrapping her arms around him. She was his, at last.
"I like the way that sounds, Stefan. Your wife." She smiled at him.
Stefan stroked her face with his fingers, marveling at her. "I can't believe we're married."
"Oh, no, there's going to be no backing out. You're my husband, and you better believe it."
He lowered his mouth to hers and lingered as he kissed her. No woman tasted like she did, and he wanted more with each tasting. Of all the women he'd been with, never had he thought about their needs, only his. Never had he made any attempt to please them, only himself.
Now, pleasing Sarah, satisfying her, was all he could think about. He burned with his desire for her, but for now, his needs would have to wait.
"I want to undress you, Sarah." He'd imagined it a hundred times since he'd first seen her in the hall at Avalon. Now, it was real.
She turned her back to him and lifted her hair for him to unbutton her dress. He slowly unfastened the buttons all the way to the small of her back, then slid the dress off her shoulders. It fell to her hips, hung for a breath, then dropped to the floor in a puddle around her feet. The curve of her hips and the smoothness of her skin fascinated him. It was, however, the mark on her shoulder that he wanted--no needed--to see.
"I want to see your mark." His hands ran over her shoulders, down her arms, feeling the soft texture of her skin. Bending his head, he kissed the place where her neck and shoulder met.
Reaching up and sweeping her hair to one side, Sarah exposed her shoulder and the mark to him. The breath caught in his throat and his heart seemed to stop. For a moment, he couldn't speak.
Then the air came rushing back into his lungs. "Sarah, your mark!" His grip tightened on her arms as he stared at her back in disbelief.
"Yes, I know. It's horrible," she whispered.
Unaware his grip had become tighter on her arms, he was forced to release her when she cried out, "Stefan, you're hurting me. What's wrong?"
Stefan spun her around and looked into her eyes. His fingers fumbled as he worked to remove his shirt, but the buttons frustrated him. With a growl, he stopped halfway down and pulled it over his head.
Turning his muscled back to her, he asked, "Does this look familiar?"
"They're the same!"
He felt her fingertip trace the pattern of the entwined snakes in his raised flesh. Stefan shuddered at her tender touch. Very few had ever seen his mark, and no one had ever touched him there. His loins tightened as she continued to trace it.
"What does this mean?" he whispered hoarsely.
"It means the man my father sold me to and your Sorcerer are one and the same."
He turned to her and took her face in his hands. "Sarah, I can't believe it. You might have been his. I can't stand the thought." Anguish etched his face.
"Perhaps. Instead, I think you and I were meant to be together. What are the odds that we both escaped him, only to find each other?" Sarah smiled up into his eyes. Leaning forward, he rested his head against hers.
"Perhaps the hand of the One God was in this?" Stefan offered.
"I don't doubt it." She kissed him again. "I've always felt something was leading me down the paths I chose all the way to this place and you."
He slid his hands around her, felt the smoothness of her skin, and sighed. For a long time, they held each other. Stefan moved his head and brushed his lips across her forehead. "I want you, Sarah."
He pulled her to him. Sweeping her up in his arms, he laid her on the bed, and stepped back.
"Take off your trousers, Stefan." Sarah lay on her side, her head on her hand, and watched him.
His muscled chest wore a dark scattering of hair running between his nipples and plunging down to his navel to disappear beneath the top button of his trousers. Her eyes watched as he flicked each button open and let his pants drop to the floor. Straining at his shorts, his manhood hinted its length and width. After he slipped them off, his staff was freed.
Sarah's eyes widened, then she smiled. He'd take that as a good sign--she didn't seem disappointed. Climbing in next to her, his body screamed at him to take her, to bury himself inside her and never emerge.
He kept his desires at bay and stretched out on his side next to her.
Sarah whispered, "I want you to know that I've waited for you my whole life. You told me you've been with other women, but you're the first man I've ever been with."
"You're telling me that you've never kissed any other man but me?" He reached out and ran his hand over her shoulder.
"Kissed, aye. I have kissed a few men." She tilted her head up to meet his eyes. "However, no one ever captured my heart as you have. And no one has ever touched my body as you will."
Stefan kissed her forehead. "There was no one I cared for and no one who cared for me."
She touched his face with her hands. "Not even Cordelia?"
Stefan looked away and then back at her. "Marsh, and later the Sorcerer, used Cordelia to tempt me to their side. I knew she never cared for me. I may have lusted for her, but I never loved her. I know the difference now."
She began to ask another question, but he covered her mouth in a kiss to silence her.
"Enough talk," he murmured, his lips moving against hers. "I want to touch you, Sarah, and learn every part of you." His fingers caressed her skin, marveling at its softness, and how he could feel her tremble beneath his hands.
"I don't think that's something you can do in only one night, Stefan," she said, laughing.
"Perhaps not," he said, as he looked into her eyes. "Perhaps it would take a lifetime to explore you and know all the ways I can please you." He continued to run his hands over her body and fought to keep himself reined in as his manhood jerked tight against his stomach.
"Two lifetimes, to learn each other." She relaxed into the constant touch of his hand sliding over her shoulders, to her hip, and then to her thigh.
"Stefan, when you were with those other women, did you touch them like this?"
"They were paid women, Sarah." He shook his head. "I was only interested in my own pleasure, not in pleasing them."
"And now? You wish to please me?" She looked at him from under her long lashes.
He felt his manhood ache. It throbbed, demanding attention. He wanted to stroke himself, but knew if he did, there was a very good chance he'd spill his seed too soon.
"I want to take my time. I may have bedded many women, Sarah, but I've never made love to anyone," he confessed, lowering his lips to her neck. "I want to explore you."
"You do? All of me?"
"Every inch. I long to hear you call my name." Stefan laved her neck with his tongue and moved toward her earlobe. "I intend to satisfy you." Taking her ear between his teeth, his tongue flicked her and she shuddered.
"I'll hold you to that, husband." She moaned as her body arched toward him.
He released her ear and chuckled. "I love the way that sounds--husband."
"So do I. I may never tire of saying it."
After caressing from her hip down to her thigh, Stefan's hand rested on the silken skin. He kissed her and pushed her back against the sheets. Her black hair fanned out behind her on the pillow, and he leaned back to look at her beauty.
Her full breasts, rosy nipples rising peaked and hard, cried out to him to take them in his mouth. Lowering his lips, his tongue laved the ring of rose around its hard point.
Her body arched, thrusting her breasts farther into his mouth, and she cried out, "Stefan, how did you know I ached for the touch of your tongue?"
Capturing her nipple, Stefan suckled as his hand massaged her breast, squeezing it, to take more into his mouth. Entwining her fingers in his ebony hair, her hands guided his mouth to her other breast. He took the precious pebble in his mouth, and she moaned.
"Where else does it ache?" he asked, his voice deep in his throat. He ran his tongue around the sweet outer circle of her hardened nipple, feeling its wrinkles. His other hand traveled lower, down her belly, then lower, his fingertips just brushing her mound.