She laid her hands on his chest. “For me, my warrior. Do him no harm. I cannot take the thought of being the cause of a conflict.”
Slowly, he lowered his gaze. “For you, I won’t act.”
The tension eased. Kela took a deep breath.
As sudden as a sandstorm, Falco came upon her. He flew into the open stable doors, accompanied with two of his Wings and Johannes.
“You dare, Prince Pieter, to take the lady without permission!” Falco attacked the foreigner. His face flushed with his own anger.
Undaunted, Pieter snapped, “It is not I who needs to ask permission. May I remind you…”
“You are mistaken, Prince,” Falco said in a manner not to be questioned. He waved to his Wings. “Escort our guest back to the castle. The wedding feast will begin shortly. His presence is expected.”
Prince Pieter smiled for a long moment and then nodded. “I’m honored to hold such importance to my presence, young prince.” He stepped forward, halting before Kela. He bowed his head. “Until we meet again.”
Fraught with the tension in the air, Kela said nothing. She felt Cono’s grasp tighten.
Her anxiety eased when Prince Pieter disappeared from sight.
Finally, she was with Cono.
Falco moved toward Kela. Fear reemerged within her.
Cono stepped between her and her brother. “Sire, I plead with you. What more can be expected from her? You can’t…”
His words blurred. In a flash of light, Kela felt her body torn from her warrior.
No! Kela cried. Instantly, she realized Falco had called for Sareta.
There is no dealing with you two at the moment. Calm down and all will be settled.
And then nothing.
The whole of her body trembled.
Lying on the soft ground, she pushed up on her hands. She needed not look around. She knew exactly where she was.
Back in her prison...the Forbidden Forest.
The Mark of Love
Never had Kela felt so alone. Tears came unbidden to her eyes as she walked slowly back to the cottage in the moonlight.
Her stomach roiled. Her body ached.
She gave herself only a brief moment to lament her fate. Guilda waited for her. She realized her old companion expected to hear of Kela’s triumphant return.
How am I to tell her?
Guilda’s hopes would be crushed.
Kela took a deep breath in a vain attempt to compose herself. She had no need to worry. Guilda had already gone to bed.
For a time, Kela watched Guilda sleep. Breathing in rhythm, the woman’s tired body seemed to be resting comfortably. She would not wake Guilda. The tale would keep until morning.
“Kela, is that you?” Guilda mumbled in her sleep. “I told you your time had come.”
Pulling the covers higher about her aged nurse, she whispered, “You did, dear one. It is late.”
Guilda smiled and closed her eyes.
Kela tried to lie down. Sleep did not come. The whole of her being cried until there was no more tears to cry.
She was tired of her calling…her destiny…her fate.
She rose once more, grabbed her cloak and walked outside.
Under the stars, she wandered aimlessly. She found herself by the Shimmering Pool. The water was calm and unmoving. The pool showed no scenes.
Staring down at the water, she relived the events of the day. She shivered remembering the way Cono looked at her in the gown.
He wanted me…said he loved me.
Her heart ached without measure.
She chastised herself for the pity swelling within her. She told herself she should take satisfaction with the knowledge she had done what she was born to do.
Nothing had been promised to her…only a life of sacrifice.
In all, she was doomed to spend her life in the shadows of the world she protected.
Gone now were the dreams she had lived within, a fantasy world in which she would find some semblance of happiness. The cruel reality of her life was there would be no happiness.
Her heart broke at her foolishness.
She needed only to come to grips with the truth of her life. Fend back her emotions. She was a child no longer.
I have no time to cry about my siblings’ desertion. Who was I to them? An annoyance, much like a fly on served food.
What of Cono?
The night was warm. She wondered briefly what time it was. Was her nameday over?
Her eighteenth year. A mark of a beginning or an end, she thought bitterly. At the start of the day, she had believed the whole world was before her.
She knew now that the world spins, never-ending, whether she was there or not.
“I thought you might be here.”
Her heartbeat quickened.
She turned quickly. He stood as a shadow in the dark…a shadow that moved slowly toward her.
She could neither move nor breathe.
Is it a dream? But I am not sleeping.
“Cono.”
His name lingered in the still air as she stood there in disbelief.
Before she could take another breath, Cono swept her into his arms. He made no utterances. His lips captured hers, taking her prisoner.
Each kiss deepened, demanding a response. Her body answered. Exploding sensations surged through her until she lost herself in the essence of his being.
“How?” she whispered against his lips. “How is it that you are here?”
“King Edulf gave me permission to come to you,” Cono told her. “The king holds to what he feels best for Scarladin. Nothing more. I have no desire to hurt you by repeating his words. Know only he knows your importance.”
“I don’t need to be told what I was born to do but, in all, Cono…” Her voice quivered. “Do not doubt me. I will hold to my duty.”
“Our duty,” he corrected her. “I was allowed to use Twiten’s portal in the castle to send me through for the night. I leave in the morrow, Kela, for the Payelaga Desert. King Edulf fears the Arachnidans are readying.”
“Am I to go?”
“Nay.” He lifted her face and kissed her. “When I return, he has promised you will be by my side.”
“I have heard those words before. Pray, release me,” Kela said, tired of the same assurance. She tried to wiggle free, but he was stronger. “I can take no more, Cono. Empty promises. By your side? How, when I don’t even know who I am? I have been stripped of my birthright.”
“You need nothing except me.”
She gave pause. His words filled her with hope.
He held her face gently in his hands. “The stars aligned when you were born for us to be together. You were made for me, as I was made for you.”
Kela clung to Cono with a desperate strength, as if all would be made right in the shelter of his arms.
“I have thought of nothing else since the battle in the desert. When we are apart, I do not feel whole. Tell me, Kela, you do not feel the same.”
She had listened to his words, knowing that she could not deny the draw they shared. Her misgivings vanished on his touch.
“I understand only that I love you, Cono.”
The night’s wind blew.
He embraced her, whispering, “Be my mate, Kela. Believe in our love. That we will survive all with each other. Be with me this night. Be with me always.”
His lips found hers. A flood of desire spilled through her.
Nothing else mattered but his mouth on hers, his hands on her body. He dispensed with her cloak, laying it down on the ground.
His hands moved over her, down to the hem of her tunic. He slipped the material off that separated him from her bare skin and tossed it aside.
She stood bare before him.
His eyes fixed on her as he undid his strapping and armor. His sword he placed carefully on the ground, then quickly disposed of his pants, throwing them somewhere in the dark.
Kela drank in the sight of her naked warrior, his own eye
s full of want. She reached for him. He took her in his arms.
Under the sparkles of the night’s stars, she laid down with her warrior.
She thought not of the consequences of their union, only that they were fated to be together. She needed him as she needed the air that she breathed.
Somewhere in the darkness, she heard him utter, “Let me teach you the ways of life...of love. I love you above all else.”
“Cono, do not make promises you cannot keep. I can take all, but not that. I am not weak, but...”
“This know true, Kela, I love you. I take you as my mate, to be by my side always.”
No more words did he utter.
She gave herself freely to his desire.
His mouth descended down upon hers. Biting kisses. Feverish, hard, and impatient. He scorched her neck, shoulder, causing a heated sensation from the core of her being to surge through her.
The air thickened. She had long lost all reason.
His hand prodded her and she responded. She wanted him, needed him.
She whimpered as he feathered an intimate stroke, repeating the touch more firmly. In the far recesses of her mind, she heard him murmur to her, lovingly, longingly.
The whole of her world had become Cono. Suspended in his control, she cried in the darkness, not knowing what she was asking for...no, demanding.
“Please, please. Oh, Cono!”
He took her then. He moved between her legs.
Feeling him enter, she gasped and gripped tight to his shoulder.
Unexpectedly, tears escaped her eyes, until his mouth found hers again. He held her trembling body close. He thrust again, taking her to a plane of pleasure she had never known existed.
Their bodies merged as one.
Exultation rushed through her when she felt his release.
Lying in that moment, endless in time, she loved him more than she thought possible. Such happiness she had never known.
He leaned down to kiss her.
A sudden, searing pain tore through her arm to her wrist.
Bolting upright, Cono swept her in his arms and rocked her gently. He whispered, “It will pass.”
Pain unexpected from their union so blessed, she gasped.
Pulling her left hand back, she stared up at Cono. Even in the dim light the night supplied, the lines were well seen.
She was branded. On the inside of her wrist, three small dark lines appeared, the top one waved. She was marked.
“Cono?” she cried. “What has happened?”
He pulled her tighter. “It only signals we are one.”
“I don’t understand,” Kela uttered, confused, for once more she showed her ignorance of the world.
He kissed her. “Only know it links us forever.”
* * * *
The pain subsided. Kela had long forgotten it when she felt him pull her to him. Under the moon and the stars, she lay with her warrior as one.
Cono held her and talked of his mother, confessing she was Brixtone. He told of his youth, growing up as a half-blood.
Mostly, he talked of their future.
In all her life, in this moment in time, she held to all that mattered to her. To her, Kela, the woman. Love for her warrior overwhelmed her totally and completely.
No doubt lived in her of his feelings.
Joy swelled within her.
“You are happy?”
“You know that I am. Tell me, my warrior, what are you going to do with me? I will be with you?”
“Always.” Running his hand through her hair, he kissed her lips. “My apartment is in the barracks. I will set you up there. Just you and I, but I will wait upon your every need.”
“I care not where it will be, Cono,” Kela said plainly, for she knew not how to do otherwise. “It matters not to me where we are if I’m with you. Turstan says his quarters are tight with only a bed. Do you have room enough for me? I won’t take much. In hopes Guilda could go to Sareta and make her finally happy? Do you think?”
His eyes fixated upon hers, softening. She continued with enthusiasm, for her heart soared with happiness.
“I will cook for you and take care of our home. In that, I can do. Can I go to the market and shop for our food? I would enjoy seeing all the people. I suppose I won’t be able to see my siblings openly, but perchance we could invite them over at times…”
“This is what you ask?” His voice faltered. “Know well, I love you, Kela.”
She gave no answer, for his lips descended back upon hers. He loved her once more.
They stayed until the light of the dawn could no longer be denied.
Warning Given
In the early morning sun, Kela lay in her lover’s arms. She could feel Cono’s heart beat in rhythm with her own. She had no desire to rise, but rise she must.
Soon, Cono would be recalled to Yucca. She feared without warning.
Cono stroked her disheveled hair and rose. He collected their clothing, handing Kela back her tunic to cover her nakedness.
Reluctantly, she dressed. There was not much to be done with her hair. Guilda would notice that, she was certain. Though in truth, her worry lay only with Cono’s departure.
She watched Cono prepare to leave. He snapped his leather strapping around his broad shoulders. Once more, his sword sat on his hip.
“I would rather stay here and hold you until the call comes.”
Kela shook her head. “It is your duty to acknowledge Guilda. It need only be a moment. Already we have gone against custom…”
The words hung in the air.
She regretted the utterance. Pain crossed Cono’s face.
He took her hand. “Never was it my intention to dishonor you. I will go to Guilda. She will know my intention.”
“It will take but a moment,” Kela assured him. “She has grown frail.”
“Let us do this quickly,” he said. “Time is waning.”
His arm rounded her as they made their way to the cottage. All was quiet when they entered.
Kela had not expected less. Guilda seldom left her bed and had not done so this morning.
Leaning over Guilda’s bed, she woke her nurse.
“Guilda, Cono came in the night, but has to leave this morn. He wanted to give his respects.”
Her eyes opened and stared at Kela. Then, she turned her attention to Cono. “What words have you filled her with, Sordarin?”
“Guilda!” Kela cried. “Cono came to comfort me last night for yesterday. In all, much happened I haven’t told to you.”
“Comfort,” she said with an edge to her voice. Pushing against her pillow, she exerted all her energy to sit upright. She wore no coif; her thinning gray hair hung over her shoulders. Her face was gaunt and her white under-tunic seemed overly large on her.
Kela felt a warmth creep into her cheeks, for in Guilda’s tone Kela realized Guilda knew. She saw Guilda glance at her hands.
Instinctively, Kela turned her hand so Guilda couldn’t see the mark, but Kela didn’t believe Guilda needed to see.
“I need to say what is needed, for I will not see your warrior in this lifetime again.”
“Guilda, do not talk that way. We are to leave. Cono has promised me…us.”
Shaking her head, Guilda turned to Cono. She made no effort to hide her anger. “The child does not understand, but I see. It was a gift bestowed upon me before my death. You, warrior, are full of words. It is deeds that are needed. I have been hard upon her, also. She does not deserve any of what has befallen her. I see, Sordarin, what you have planned…”
“You talk nonsense.” Cono stepped forward. “Kela and I are bonded.”
Guilda raised her hand to halt his words. “I say this to you, Cono Lothar. You will live to regret what you will offer. Remember my words.”
“I have no understanding of what you are trying to say.” Kela sat on the bed, trying to calm her old nurse. “What is so wrong, Guilda? Cono has promised to take us back to Yucca. Is that not what you
want also?”
“He knows well what my words mean.” Guilda looked away from Cono, disgusted. “Sordarins! Tell me why we have been banished so long? There are secrets that have not been told to you, Kela. You have been hidden away from everything you hold dear. Your siblings have forgotten me as well. You try to cover for them so not to hurt me.”
Guilda drew in a deep breath, turning back to Cono. “But it is Kela who has been hurt. Where were you, Sordarin?”
“I am here,” he answered.
“Ah, yes. You are bonded with the great Euchoun.” Her mouth grew taut with anger. “She has given her protection freely. She does not deserve to be treated in this manner. Where are her siblings? Her grandfather? I tell you, Sordarin, I see you celebrate, but only for a short time. Heed my warning. I see a harsh winter in front of her. What provisions have been made? In that, I see—I see her forgotten. Your words mean little to me, Sordarin!”
Kela had never seen such venom come from Guilda. She knew not what to do. Her old nurse’s mutterings made little sense. In all her years, Kela had only heard Guilda utter concern for Sareta.
Cono bowed his head. “I understand your frustration, but I give you my word I will see to all, Guilda. Do not fret. You are wrong about me. I love Kela and will put nothing above caring for her.”
Kela’s heart soared as if she were in flight. Cono had declared himself in front of Guilda.
He reached for Kela’s hand and led her from the cottage.
“Take care of her in a moment.” He heaved a sigh. “I can only abide that woman so long. Her words, though, bother me. Have you not gotten your provisions for the winter?”
“I’m not certain. We have not lacked in supplies as of late. Moreover, Silas spoke that we were to be moved into the castle. It is strange that Guilda is concerned. We had had less in the past.”
“Guilda speaks the truth. I do know you have not had much.” Cono took her in his arms. “It is my hope that you will be gone well before winter. I hate to leave you, but when you come to Yucca, I will take care of all your needs. I will give you…”
She placed her finger upon his lips. “I have all I need with you.”
“While I’m gone, do not doubt me. Realize you are not the only one who has to appease all around them. My grandfather and I have differing views and are in the midst of clashing over such. I have responsibilities and obligations that have to be honored, whether my heart is within them or not.
The Path Now Turned Page 5