“I’ve got the water!” he cried out, in a breathless voice.
A few moments later, he appeared in the doorway holding a bucket.
Brenn smiled and stood back up, helping his nephew pour some of the cold creek water into a pitcher by the table. Brennon then transferred some to a cup and offered it to Seren. She took it eagerly, drinking deeply of the clean, cool liquid. Almost immediately, her headache lessened its pounding fury.
“More?” Brenn asked, already reaching for the pitcher.
Seren downed two more glasses before he proclaimed she had had enough for the time being.
Rori, to Seren’s delight, sat at the foot of the bed and beamed at her. He looked the picture of youth and vitality, and his pale blue eyes were fixed on her face, this time by no accident.
“How is your eyesight?” she couldn’t help but ask.
The boy’s smile grew wider. “I can see most objects and get a sense of what color they might be,” he proclaimed. “But they are still very fuzzy.”
Seren’s own vision grew blurry. Taking a long breath through her nose, she said, “When I am better, we will try to heal your eyes some more.”
The look on Rori’s face was worth all the pain and suffering she had gone through in the past week.
After that, Brenn gave his nephew a look and said, “Rori, could you go check on the animals in the barn? Make sure there is plenty of hay for them. The sky’s clear now, but the clouds on the horizon promise more snow tonight.”
Rori looked as if he was ready to pout, but a gentle warning from his uncle made him hold whatever complaint he had been meaning to make to himself.
“Okay, but I’ll be back as quick as I can. I want to try to make out the words on the page of my favorite book again. Maybe I can read to Seren.”
And just like that, he was gone. For several moments, Seren, reclining in her bed and Brennon, sitting on its edge beside her, simply let the quiet stretch between them. But it wasn’t entirely silent, Seren realized. Subtle noises and faded, yet familiar scents crept up on her. The movement and muffled snores of the hounds downstairs, the faint smell of dust and old, dried lavender hanging in the air. The occasional whinny of one of the horses down in the barn and the comforting tang of wood smoke coming from the fireplace. All of these things made her think of warmth and comfort and happiness, but she simply couldn’t shake the feeling something loomed on that perfect horizon, and not just the clouds promising more snow. Before she could let her mind dwell on it for too long, however, the atmosphere changed again, the light waning ever so subtly and the temperature growing a fraction cooler.
Brenn shifted on the bed so he faced her at a better angle, then stretched out his arm. Without looking at her face, he took Seren’s hand in his own, lacing his fingers delicately through hers. Only when he had studied their linked hands for a few moments did he glance back up at her. Finally, he allowed some of his soul to return to his eyes. Seren felt her heart skip a beat. This was how he’d looked at her the night he’d tracked her down in the forest.
“Ardun is no longer safe for Rori,” he said quietly. “When Baird and Uscias took him, the geis protecting him broke. I noticed its absence when we returned after the fight, when you were still unconscious. And I’ve no doubt the Morrigan felt it shatter the moment Rori passed beyond the boundary. She doesn’t suffer those who cross her, no matter how insignificant they are. Now that she has a way to get to me, she, or one of her minions, will be coming for me. And Rori.”
Seren swallowed against the sudden lump in her throat. So, there would be no happy ending, after all. Funny thing was, when she pictured leaving Ardun behind, those many months ago, she thought of the relief she would feel when she finally got to return to her home, to get away from this strange Faelorehn man and his archaic and barbaric blood rituals. But that was before she got to know Brennon, and Rori. Before she came to care for the boy and learned to love his uncle. And now, because of her carelessness, they were no longer safe in their own home. If not for the Druid’s interest in her, Rori would never have been taken. The protective spells surrounding Ardun would still stand. She tried not to sigh in despair.
“I-I understand,” she managed, dropping her gaze. She drew in a deep, shuddering breath. “As soon as I am well and able to shift, I’ll return to the Weald.”
Brenn’s grip on Seren’s fingers tightened so quickly it drew a gasp from her lips. Even though she didn’t want to, she lifted her eyes to his face. What she saw there was a look she couldn’t quite describe: anger, sorrow, fear … The fear was the strongest; she could tell by the way his changeable eyes darkened to near obsidian.
“I do not want you to leave,” Brenn growled with such conviction Seren felt that, even if she had wanted to walk away from him and his nephew, he would not allow it. “I love you, Seren. Those were not frivolous words I spoke to you the night I came after you, and if you were to run from me now, I would give chase again. I would follow you to the ends of this world, if that is what it would take, to convince you to stay by my side. I will go wherever you wish to go, and I would spend my immortal life doing whatever I had to do to win your heart.”
Tears pooled in Seren’s eyes. She wanted to cry out; to tell him he needn’t do any of that, but she couldn’t speak. Her throat was far too swollen with emotion to allow any words to escape.
Brennon continued his speech, his eyes transforming from hard, dark slate into a smoky, sultry grey. “I am not the man I imagined I would grow up to be, and I have a darkness about me that refuses to leave. I am damaged in mind, body and spirit, but when I am with you, that darkness retreats a little. Your spirit shines a brilliant light into those dim corners of my soul and chases away the fear and doubt, making the nightmares and terrible memories more bearable. I would never hold you against your will, Seren,” he reached out his free hand to caress her cheek, his voice softening even more, “but you must know that to leave me would mean my undoing. To have shown me what living can mean, that I can experience happiness again, and then deny me your companionship would be like cutting the rope that keeps me from falling into that abyss that awaits me.”
The tears spilled from Seren’s eyes, and she pressed her face into Brenn’s open palm.
“Oh, Brenn,” she finally said, her voice catching a little. When she was able to speak clearly, she lifted her eyes back to his, wondering what earthly shade they had taken on now. “I want nothing else but to remain near you and Rori. I know you said as much the other night, but that had been before Rori was taken from Ardun and the geis was broken. I don’t know what I’ve done in my life to deserve the happiness you have given me, but I will stay with you for as long as you wish it. I love you, my fierce, troubled warrior. I love everything about you, even those dark corners where you so often hide your soul. Someday, I will find a way to bring the light back to you, Brenn. Until then, I’ll gladly lend you mine.”
She smiled, noting Brennon’s eyes were shining once again. He leaned in then, taking her lips with his, pressing her into the bed, his hands pinning hers against the small mountain of pillows, and kissing her as if doing so could chase away all his doubts and fears. In a way, it did. As Seren reveled in the sensation of Brenn’s mouth moving over hers, she pulled her hands free of his and placed them against his chest, her fingers working to unbutton his shirt so that her palms touched his bare skin. She let her recovering glamour flow free, encouraging it to seek out the darkness lingering in him and chase it from his spirit.
When the two of them finally came up for air, Rori had returned. They could hear him bustling around downstairs as he called out for them.
“I suppose we had better stop,” Brenn said, sighing in abject disappointment.
Seren bit her bottom lip, trying desperately not to laugh, her hands still pressed to Brenn’s chest. “I suppose so. I am feeling much better. Perhaps, I can come downstairs and share a meal with you two? And by the way,” she added as Rori’s footsteps echoed up the stairs, “it
would have been just as hard for me to leave Rori behind as it would be for me to leave you.”
Brenn let go of his disappointment at his nephew’s interruption and smiled fully at her, forcing an appreciative gasp from her lips. He was such a beautiful man, especially when the brighter parts of his soul broke through, like in that very moment. Seren wondered if there would ever be a time when she didn’t think so.
“I am glad to hear it,” he murmured softly, kissing her one last time.
“Can Seren come out of her room now?” Rori called from the doorway.
Brenn gave another sigh and pushed up from the bed. “She’ll be down in a minute,” he responded.
He stood up and headed toward the door, placing a hand on his nephew’s shoulder. “Come along. Let’s give her some privacy, so she can get dressed.”
Brennon glanced over his shoulder, his eyes trailing over Seren and making her blush. She was covered from the waist down by the thick quilt on the bed, and she had on one of the old shirts from the closet, but by the way Brenn studied her, she knew his thoughts had returned to their evening spent in Dorcha Forest.
“I’ll be down soon,” she promised Rori, her voice a little tighter than she’d like.
Brenn nodded once, and the two of them left, closing the door gently behind them.
Before making the effort to climb out of bed, Seren released a great sigh and melted back against the pillows. Never in all her life had she been so happy as she was at that moment.
We’ll have to leave Ardun, she reminded herself with a bit of sadness, but at least we’ll all be together.
Smiling once again, she got up and quickly got dressed so she could join Brennon and Rori, her family, for dinner.
* * *
That evening, while savoring a vegetable stew in the warmth of the kitchen, Brennon told Rori about the broken geis and their need to flee their home. To his great relief, the boy took the news well. His bottom lip stuck out and trembled ever so slightly, but he held his head high and made no arguments or complaints.
“But, Seren will be going with us, right?” he pleaded, his eyes falling on the Fahndi woman sitting across from him.
Brenn glanced up as well, his face placid yet entreating.
Seren nodded once and gave a sad smile. “Yes, Rori. We will all be going together.”
Rori visibly relaxed at that, smiling and plunging his spoon into his stew. After a few moments, he froze.
“What about the animals? The sheep and goats? The cows and horses? What about the dogs and Nola? And the chickens? Oh, please don’t say we must leave them all behind!”
Brennon adopted a troubled look and glanced at Seren. Her own expression was a grim one. How could they take all the animals with them?
“We’ll take Dermot for sure, and the dogs can travel along with us. Having them will be a benefit, actually. They can help protect us and hunt for food during our journey. I’m afraid we’ll have to give up the rest of the animals. Perhaps I can convince Artur and Creidne to move into the house and look after the farm for us. Maybe they could turn it into an inn like the Black Boar.”
Brenn smiled at Seren, and she returned the gesture. That sounded like a lovely plan to her.
Rori, unfortunately, had gone quiet, his eyes shining brightly. He gave a few sniffles, then the tears began streaming down his face.
Seren’s heart immediately clenched. She set down her own spoon and moved closer to the boy, crouched down before him and took his hands.
“I have an idea,” she said. “If it is okay with your uncle,” she cast Brenn a questioning look. He nodded for her to go on. Seren drew in a deep breath. “I am thinking it will take your uncle a few days to inform his friends of our plans to leave and to pack up all that we’ll need for the journey. He’ll need our help, Rori, but I propose you and I spend some of that time making travel pens for the chickens. One large one for the hens and Ruan, and one smaller one for Nola. We wouldn’t want to leave her behind, either.”
She paused and glanced up at Brenn. He was studying her, his face cast partially in shadows from the dying oven fire. But his eyes were bright and focused entirely on her. A warm, welcome joy started in the pit of her stomach and spread through her blood. He approved of her plan.
Rori’s eyes widened, and his tears dried. He sat up straighter, squinting in Brenn’s direction, trying to see his uncle through the fog that still hindered his vision.
“Can we, Uncle? Can we bring Ruan and the hens and Nola along?”
“I don’t see why not,” Brennon answered. “We may need eggs and new chicks wherever we end up, and there is no guarantee there will be any when we get there.” He gave Seren a mischievous grin. “And I doubt Nola will let Seren leave without her.”
Rori cried out in joy, throwing his arms around Seren and hugging her tight.
No one seemed hungry after that, so the three of them cleaned up early. Rori, still recovering from his brush with death, yawned and sought his bed early, leaving Brenn and Seren alone. The two of them sat in silence for a long while, Brenn reading a book and Seren working on a new knitting project. Eventually, Seren’s eyes grew heavy, and she stood to go to bed.
“Wait,” Brenn said, his voice pitched low.
She paused, her heart thrumming against her ribcage. That tone of voice was very familiar to her now, and it had her body humming in response.
Brennon set his book down and crossed the room, coming to stand behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned in to kiss the side of her neck. Seren’s breath caught, and she tilted her head back to give him better access, her eyes drifting shut.
“Will you sleep in my bed tonight? I have missed being near you.”
His voice was low and rough, and Seren felt her knees weaken as his breath brushed over her skin.
“Yes,” she answered, just as breathlessly.
Brenn led her upstairs then, turning left on the landing and going straight for his room. He closed the door to keep Rori and the cat out, and then drew Seren in close to him, his attention captured by every detail and nuance of the woman he’d lost his heart to. Seren followed his lead, trailing her fingers over his warm skin and healing the tiny wounds she still found in places, her golden green glamour flowing like liquid light from her fingertips as she worked. The small effort drained her a little, but she could not help it.
They spent the long hours of the night reacquainting themselves with one another, discovering new and breathtaking sensations together. When weariness finally settled upon them both, Seren lay in Brennon’s arms, her heart and soul happy and content. Before she could drift off, however, she tilted her head up to ask Brenn a question.
“Where will we go when it is time to leave?”
Brenn, who had been busy carding his fingers through her hair, drew in a breath and answered truthfully, “I don’t know.”
“We could head west,” she offered shyly. “Travel through the mountains and the woods until we reach the Weald. We would be harder to track that way, and once we arrive at the great forest, we could disappear deep within its heart.”
“And perhaps you could rejoin your mother,” Brenn murmured against her hair.
Seren stiffened in slight guilt. She had been thinking that exact thing. She missed her mother dearly and hoped to at least find out if she was well. Seren hated the idea of her mother wasting away in sorrow for the loss of her daughter. But, if it was too dangerous for them to take that route, she would have to believe her mother was better off without her.
“I’m sorry, Brenn,” she whispered, pulling her arms and legs in tighter and putting a slight barrier between him and herself.
“Seren,” he said, smoothing a hand down her back and using the other to tilt her chin up. “I must make the right decision for Rori, but if we do end up venturing to the west, we will do everything we can to find your mother, so that you might see her again. In fact,” he continued, his eyes glittering with affection, “do you think she migh
t want to join us? If we settle in the Weald, and if our final destination is far from your tribe’s village?”
Seren cried out and immediately wrapped her arms and legs around him, pulling him into a tight embrace as she kissed him with all the strength she possessed.
Brennon, surprised by her sudden fervor, took a second to react, returning her kiss and tightening his own arms about her.
When they finally broke apart, Seren was crying. But they were tears of joy that streamed down her face.
“Whatever did I do to deserve you, Brennon Roarke? I thank the gods every day for driving me into your path, even if our first meeting nearly ended in tragedy.”
Brenn gave a small laugh at that, then winced at the memory. “I do not know what you did either, Seren. But whatever it was, I, too, am grateful. Now, I suggest we get some sleep. We have a busy few days ahead of us.”
He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “I’ll go speak with Artur and Creidne tomorrow about taking over the farm, and you and Rori can get started on the pens for the chickens.”
They spent the next several minutes enjoying one another’s touch and sharing their dreams, joys, fears and sorrows about the future using shil-sciar. Although both Brennon and Seren acknowledged the road ahead would be difficult, they knew they had one another and Rori to keep their spirits bright and hopeful.
Chapter Thirty
Hindrance
Brennon was gone when Seren woke up just after dawn. For a few glorious minutes, she contemplated staying in bed for another hour or two, but the sound of Rori shuffling around downstairs and calling up the stairwell that he needed help with breakfast was enough to get her stirring. Seren slipped back into her room and donned a fresh set of clothes, then joined Rori in the kitchen. They both polished off a large bowl of oatmeal before venturing outside to begin their project. The snow from the night before hadn’t been too heavy, and Seren could have sworn the temperature was warmer than the day before.
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