Blood From a Stone

by Cynthia Lucas

  “Well, when we get back to the States next week, I am taking some of your blood whether you like it or not. It may be the only way to find a cure. If I can test it and at least see if there’s any abnormalities, maybe that will give me some clues as to how we might create some kind of antidote.”

  He smiled. “I thought we already agreed we were going to not worry about next week and instead enjoy right now?” He reached over and took her hand in his own.

  “Stop trying to avoid the subject of giving me some blood samples!” she said firmly.

  He stared at her for a long moment. “Okay.”

  “Okay what? You’ll stop trying to avoid it, or you’ll give me the samples?”

  “I’ll give you some samples,” he said very quietly. She smiled. “Really?”

  He nodded.

  The waitress came back with a large pitcher of dark ale and two mugs, and quickly took their order for some roast lamb with potatoes and leeks, as they nibbled on hot homemade bread, fresh from the oven.

  “Have you told your family you’re here in Wales…with ‘some guy you met at a bar’ yet?” He laughed lightly.

  “Sort of. I told them I’d met someone that I’d been dating for a while now….which is of course a lie, and that you’d asked me to come over here on a trip with you.” She shrugged. “I just didn’t want to worry them. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “I don’t mind at all, in fact, I wish I was able to meet them and get to know them,” he said quietly.

  She sighed. “Now of course they are nagging me to meet you. And I can’t help but hope that maybe someday you will.”

  His expression conveyed everything he didn’t say….such as ‘don’t count on it.’

  “Okay…so, here’s a completely non-serious question,” he smiled. “What do you want to do with your life? Are you planning to go to school again, or do you want to travel? If you meet the right guy…maybe get married and have some kids of your own?”

  She gasped. “How can you ask me something like that when I’m sitting here with you? When we’re supposed to be here enjoying this trip as a couple.”

  He shrugged. “I’m just being sensible. It doesn’t change anything. Not the way I feel for you, or all that I wish I could be there to share with you. But it does bring me closer to you, knowing the things you want out of life.” He reached over and traced the curve of her cheek with his finger.

  She swallowed hard, trying to accept his words, knowing that they were true. “Well,” she paused. “I would maybe go back to school someday. I don’t know. I like being a nurse, but who knows…maybe I would put myself all the way through med school if I had the money. Become a doctor. And yes, I could see myself married someday. With a couple of kids of my own. I love children.” She smiled. “And of course my mother would be thrilled. She’s always nagging about wanting grandkids. And I‘d like to have my house paid off, or maybe sell it and buy a bigger one so I could raise a family in it someday. Besides, Cisco is going to need a bigger yard.”

  She took a sip of her ale and grabbed his hand. “What about you? What if you….” her voice trailed off. “Never mind. I know it’s probably painful to think about it.”

  “No, it’s okay,” he chuckled, popping a piece of warm bread and butter into his mouth. “You think I haven’t thought about what I’d want to do if I didn’t have this little commitment of mine that I must keep for fifty years at a time?”

  She smiled. “Okay. So what do you…would you want out of life?”

  “Well first off, I’d start an antiques business. A real one. I know enough about them. Estate jewelry….old books, coins and even furniture. Maybe I’d open a small museum and keep collections for people to enjoy these little pieces of history and educate kids about what once was.”

  “That would be amazing,“ she smiled. “But a museum? My god. I don’t know….where on earth would you ever get the money for something like that? I guess you could apply for some government grants.”

  He stared at her as a realization hit him in that moment. Unlike all the ladies of court, and the noble’s daughters who’d fawned over him or that his parents had tried to tie him down to, or even Dania….unlike everyone he’d ever known in his former life or his past Awakenings, where money brought out women like dogs in heat, Willow Dalton didn’t know that he was rich beyond her imagination.

  Yes, she knew he’d been the son of a wealthy lord at one time in his past…a past that was now dead and gone to him. But she knew nothing of where or how he’d come into money on his own, or that between his cash, countless tens of thousands of dollars in bonds, his collection of priceless old coins, estate jewels and gold, he was worth millions in today’s market. She’d even offered to pay for part of the trip.

  He was overwhelmed with the realization that she had no idea of any of it. And with that came the one simple truth: that she didn’t love him for any past titles he’d held, or his money…or anything else. She simply loved him. And that thought warmed him to the very core of his being.

  “When we get back home,” she began, but he quickly silenced her with his fingers to her lips.

  “NO talking about when we get home. Tonight…it’s just you and me. We’re here in Europe together and as far as we’re concerned there is nothing else. Deal?”

  She paused for a moment, smiled and finally nodded. “Deal.”

  The waitress brought their food and they laughed and talked for the better part of another two hours about everything from personal tastes to childhood memories, to current affairs, before they got up and headed out into the chilly night air, hand in hand.

  “Well, Miss Dalton…I’d say I’ve gotten to know you quite a bit better in the past couple of hours. Would you like to walk along the bay? I know it’s cold, but the lights are beautiful and the sky’s clear.”

  “Absolutely. But I may have to ask you to keep me warm,” she laughed.

  “That is no problem whatsoever, my lady,” he said, wryly, pulling her next to him as they walked along for a good quarter mile before finally slowing down a bit to take in the view of the lights on the water.

  “So then, where do we go tomorrow?”

  “Well, we can visit Cardiff Castle here in town and the National Museum….or rent a car and drive over to Stonehenge if the weather’s good. It’s a few hours from here. There’s no shortage of things to do, although I’d say none of them can compare to what I have in mind back in our room.” He winked at her playfully and then stopped suddenly as a serious look crossed his features. “That in mind…I have something for you.”

  He reached in his pocket and pulled out a small velvet pouch and handed it to her.

  “What’s this?”

  “Just open it,” he said quietly.

  Willow pulled the strings on the pouch and tipped it as she reached in to discover a ring. It was a perfect heart shaped blue sapphire trimmed with tiny diamonds, set in solid gold.

  “It was my mother’s,” he said as he took the ring from her hand and slipped it on her left hand ring finger. He swallowed hard. “She gave it to me in the hopes that I would settle on one of the noble’s daughters they’d hoped I’d marry, but that never happened. I wasn’t ready and I wasn’t in love. I couldn’t even fathom what that word really meant until now. I want you to have it.”

  Willow shook her head. “Samson, this is priceless. I can’t accept this.”

  “Willow, if I were free….” he sighed. “And if I had all the time in the world to woo you and do this right, I’d have asked you to marry me. Enjoyed a time of being engaged…planned a beautiful wedding for you. But I don’t have all the time in the world. And marriage is something I can’t give you. Not legally anyway, because of the problems it would cause you.”

  Her eyes began to well with tears as he got down on one knee. “And I know it’s too soon for a proposal, but I….don’t have much in the way of options when it comes to waiting some proper amount of time. So, well…from this moment on, if you’ll ac
cept my mother‘s ring, then as far as I’m concerned, you are my wife. And you always will be. This curse may take me from you in a couple of weeks, but it can’t take away my love for you, or my promises. Please…wear it.” He took a deep breath. “And when and if the day comes when you find someone to spend your life with after I’m gone, take it off your ring finger and just wear it on the other hand and remember me and know that I still love you and I‘d be by your side if I could.”

  Tears began to stream down her face as she stared at him in disbelief. “I won’t ever take it off. I swear.”

  He stood up and pulled her close, holding her for a long time in his arms before finally capturing her lips with his as if kissing her for the last time. Her arms tightened around his neck as if she’d never let him go.

  When they finally came up for air, he pulled back from her, brushing a few stray hairs back from her forehead and wiping the tears from under her eyes with the pad of his thumb. “I love you, Willow Dalton.”

  “Call me Willow Bellmaine,” she said. “I’m changing my name.”

  He smiled. “Won’t your family be a bit upset with you? That will require some explaining, don’t you think?”

  “I don’t care. I’ll think of something,” she said laughing lightly and staring down at the ring on her left hand.

  “It’s beautiful,” she said softly. “I am so honored to wear it.”

  “Good,” he said softly and then smiling with just a bit of wickedness, he offered her his arm and added, “Now that was one of those ‘right reasons‘, and I think maybe we’d better go back to the hotel and take advantage of it, hmmm?” She laughed out loud, and grabbed his arm as they jogged back toward the hotel.

  When they arrived he smiled as they went inside, through the lobby and down the long hallway, past their room. “Wait! We’re going the wrong way.”

  He shook his head. “No actually we’re not. Since I couldn’t get us into the place I’d originally wanted I decided to rent out the best suite they have here. I had all our things moved up there while we were having dinner.”

  She smiled with disbelief as they stepped into the elevator and headed up to the top floor. A moment later they stepped out into a large foyer type area with a pair of large double doors and Samson reached in his pocket for the key.

  Willow gasped when she walked in to the huge suite. There were large windows where a beautiful view of the skyline was visible all around. A huge bouquet of fresh flowers stood on a table in the large kitchenette, and flameless candles glowed on the nightstands, tables and edges of the tub, bathing the entire suite in soft golden light.

  A huge draped bed with silk netting stood against the back wall of he room on a platform and fresh rose petals were strewn on the brocade duvet. In the bathroom was a huge sunken tub and open shower.

  “Oh, my god,” she said softly. “How did you manage this?”

  He smiled. “I told you I have a bit of savings put aside. And I told the management I was proposing to my girl today and needed to make sure she didn’t have any second thoughts. How am I doing? Is it working?” He laughed.

  “Hmmm. I don‘t know. I may need some more convincing,” she said playfully as she pushed him toward the bed.

  “Well then, let’s just see how adept my powers of persuasion are.” He picked her up in arms and carried her over to the edge of the bed setting her down as he knelt in front of her, sliding his body between her legs.

  He pushed her back on the bed sliding on top of her as he slowly unbuttoned her sweater, kissing his way down her cleavage and trailing a path down her stomach with each button he opened until he reached the last one at her waist, where he lingered for a few extra moments to taste the soft skin of her belly.

  He worked his way back up her body and she sat up as he removed her sweater, and bra and then knelt back down in front of her to do away with her jeans, and pulling her panties down with his teeth before tossing them aside.

  She laughed playfully as he kissed his way back up the insides of her thighs, pausing to taste the sweetness at their juncture for some time, before finishing his path back up across her body and taking her lips with his own.

  His tongue was soft and warm against her own as he deepened his kiss, finally pulling back with a deep intake of breathe as he began working on a delicious erogenous zone behind her ear. His fingers found their way down into her dampness and he began teasing her as he tasted the soft skin of her neck and drowned himself in the sweet smell of her hair.

  She gasped with pleasure as he continued on his mission until she finally pulled back from him and slid his shirt and sweater up over his head, running her fingers up and down the length of his muscular torso before licking a path up his belly.

  She could feel his pulse beating beneath her tongue as she tasted the skin on his neck and then moved back to his lips as she wound her fingers into his hair.

  He stood up and quickly did away with the rest of his clothes and then slid up onto the bed next to her, picking up her left hand where his ring sparkled in the dim light. He kissed her fingers and then took them one after another into his mouth, before kissing a trail up her wrist and arm to the peak of her breast where he lingered for a time before trailing a path up her neck.

  “I wish that tonight could have been our wedding night….I hope that you’ll remember it as if it was,” he whispered. He kissed her deeply as he moved over her.

  “It is to me,” she whispered back.

  He smiled and then quickly slid down between her legs, weaving a magical spell of his own with his tongue until she was sweating and making enough noise that security might show up at their door.

  She finally caught her breath and he marveled at how she looked like a beautiful nymph lying naked there before him in the soft glow of the room as he moved upwards and slid into the warmth of her body, where he stayed…moving slowly and gracefully for some time, until the white heat had built into a raging inferno that he couldn’t contain any longer.

  Her legs wound around his waist and her fingers dug into the thick muscles of his back as their urgency grew. She could feel his fingers teasing her as he moved, and the warmth of his lips on her neck as he breathed the words “I love you” against her skin. Unable to hold back any longer she felt herself drowning in the pool of delicious whirling sensation that he’d created. He wasn’t far behind and just as her mind began to clear enough to look up at him she saw that he too had sunken into the erotic depths from which she‘d just emerged, as the cords of muscle stood out in his neck and his breath came in deep gasps.

  A moment later his body relaxed over hers and he looked down at her, lying there beneath him damp with sweat and warm with the heat their bodies had generated.

  “And…speaking of wishes,” he said softly. “Never mind.” He smiled as he brushed her damp hair back off her forehead and kissed the end of her nose.

  “You wish what else?” she said. “Tell me.”

  He sighed. “I wish that I could be the man that did this with you every night….in our own bed…in a home that we‘d share. To help you raise children someday. To just enjoy the simple pleasures of every day life, for the rest of our lives. If I could give that to you, you know I would.”

  She nodded, her eyes misty with unshed tears as he rolled over onto his side and lay next to her, occasionally tracing the curves of her body with his fingers, and tasting each place they’d been with his lips.

  She propped herself up on an elbow and looked him in the eye. “You know….maybe we will do all those things. I am not giving up and you’re not either.”

  “Alright Ms. Capricorn. Stubborn goat,” he smiled. “I’d definitely say it’s not over….and neither is this night. Not by a long shot.” His turquoise eyes sparkled with devilish charm.

  She smiled as his lips captured hers and he pulled her in, crushing her in the warmth of his arms and body. He traced every curve of her with his hands and his velvety tongue, and she in return, as they began a continued e
xploration of their senses that would go on into the wee hours of the morning, until they lay damp with sweat, and exhilarated in the afterglow of their love.

  C HAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  The rest of the week flew by in a whirlwind as they enjoyed quiet dinners, walks along the bay and trips out into the country side to explore the many castes, historical landmarks, ancient ruins, Stonehenge and the varied landscapes all around of hills, valleys and mountains near the National Park.

  They decided to stay two extra days after Willow found a great deal on cheap return flights and on the last day of their trip, Samson rented a car and they headed out into the countryside along a winding road bordered on each side by open fields, blanketed in a light coat of snow.

  They drove along the rural route for some time before he finally came to a stop at the peak of a large hill. Out across the field on their right stood a barn, two ponds that were frozen over and a breathtaking view of the Black Mountains off in the distance.

  Samson got out and opened her door, offering his hand as she stepped out.

  “Where are we?” she said. “It’s beautiful.”

  “You said you wanted to see where this all started.” He pointed to a large hill that peeked up from behind a wooded area probably a good three or four miles from where they stood.

  “That is where my story began,” he said softly. “I was born here in those hills. The ruins of what’s left of the estate are back there…but time…maybe local skirmishes and who knows what else took their toll and only a remnant of what it was still stands. My parents are laid to rest close by I‘m sure, though it would be difficult, if even possible at all, to locate their grave markers after all these centuries out in the open air and elements.”

  Willow moved in closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder and hugging his body close to his and they stood there together for some time in silence.

  Finally he cleared his throat. “I guess we’d better go get packed up. Our flight leaves around dinner time.”

  She nodded as she turned to him. “Thank you,’ she said gently. “Thank you for bringing me here and sharing this place with me, and for giving me the best ten days I’ve ever known in all of my life.”