The Heart of Arima.

by Emma V. Leech

  I watched nervously as Corin moved about the room and went to a big dresser, larger and grander than the one at the cottage. There was a bottle and some glasses set out and Corin poured himself a drink and turned to smile at me.

  “I’ll have one of those,” I said, pointing vaguely at the bottle. If it was like the stuff Corvus drank with any luck I’d pass out. He chuckled and shook his head.

  “I don’t think so, my dear. I would say you have had more than enough. In fact ...” He crossed the room and stood close to me and took my hand. “I think we’d best sober you up a little.”

  I gasped as I felt the alcohol disperse and suddenly ... I really was sober again.

  “What the hell did you do that for?” I demanded.

  He fixed me with those golden eyes. “Just in case you were thinking of suggesting you didn’t know what you were doing tonight, that it was the alcohol that was to blame and you would never have acted so had you been sober.” He paused and smiled at me. “I’m sure such a thought never crossed your mind though ...did it?”

  I blushed, furious and embarrassed that he should have known that. I went to turn away from him but he caught my wrist again and made me turn back. “It’s alright, Jéhenne. I can’t begin to understand what is going on but I know that this is difficult for you. I have no desire to make it any harder believe me but ...” He stepped closer and brushed my cheek with his hand. “But if you do come to my bed you do it of your own accord. I would not have you say you’d been coerced.”

  I snorted and stepped away from him. “Not by you perhaps,” I said bitterly.

  He frowned. “Whatever do you mean?”

  I stood beside the fire, my hand on the mantel piece. It was cool against my skin, the dressed stone smooth under my hand. I wondered how many people had stood here over the centuries, making decisions, revealing secrets. Would any of them have been as enormous as the one I was about to reveal? Maybe to them ... Who knew?

  “Jéhenne?”

  I looked up and took a deep breath. There was no point in delaying, he had to know.

  “I ... I’m going to have a baby.”

  His eyes drifted to my stomach and as he shook his head I remembered that was one of his gifts, he could see fertility. He would know if I was pregnant or not.

  “No, you’re not.”

  “I don’t mean I am I mean I will be ...shortly.”

  His eyebrows rose and I felt a flicker of satisfaction that I’d actually taken the wind from his sails for once. He swallowed the rest of his drink in one gulp. “You mean to say you have come here because you want me to give you a child?” I nodded and he took a deep breath before he spoke again. “I know I told you this was a decision you might come to one day but ... I admit I never expected you to come to it so quickly!”

  I shook my head. “You don’t understand. It isn’t just any child. I’ve been having visions about him for weeks now. He’s terribly important in some way, not just to us but--but I don’t know how or why, just that he must be born and ...” I swallowed, feeling tears prick at my eyes. “He’s your son.”

  His eyes widened. “My ...son?” He sounded kind of breathless.

  "I don't know why the timing is so important." I felt dull, dead inside as I explained to him. "For some reason it has to be now, this weekend ... It's stupid, I know ..."

  He reached forward and laid his hand gently on my stomach. "No, you're fertile, you would fall pregnant easily."

  I felt my cheeks burn and I pushed his hand away feeling embarrassed. He smiled affectionately. "Oh, Jéhenne, so powerful and so very coy. It is really very appealing."

  "Don't." I looked away and then sank to my knees in front of the fire and motioned for him to join me. He knelt beside me as I stoked the fire until the flames leaped high up the chimney.

  “Show us,” I said softly. "Show us our child."

  The pictures arrived in the flames, just as they had before, pictures of me nursing a new born baby, of him a little older, chubbier, laughing in my arms, golden eyes alight with happiness ...with Corin squealing as he threw him high in the air.

  I felt him take my hand and looked around to see him gazing at the flames. I had been prepared for him to be smug, had expected to see that triumphant gleam in his eyes when I told him but ... I hadn’t expected this. His eyes were shining and when he looked at me it was with such wonder that I felt my heart twist.

  “My son?” he asked, his voice thick with emotion, and I nodded and squeezed his hand. “I never ... Never expected ...” He stopped and brushed his eyes with his sleeve and took a breath. “I knew there would be children one day, it’s expected of me to provide an heir but--but I never considered what it would mean to be a father.” He looked back into the flames and I watched them dancing in his beautiful, catlike eyes. “I never considered what that would feel like.”

  “Now you know,” I whispered and he nodded and turned to me, lifting my hand to his lips and kissing my palm tenderly.

  “Thank you.” Too many emotions blazed in his eyes and I felt a lump in my own throat. “I know you wouldn’t be here if not for the child, Jéhenne. I know you don’t love me, and I will never ask you for that but ... But I swear I will do everything in my power to make you happy, both of you. Whatever you want, you need only name it. I will always be there for you, for him. I will protect you both with my life, I give you my word.”

  I swallowed down the emotions that were making my chest tight; he had to know what he was risking, what the price might really be. “He’ll come for you, you know that?”

  He nodded. “I know. It doesn’t change anything.” He squeezed my hand. "I would risk anything for this."

  “Rodney was right though, he’ll kill you. He’ll know, you see.” I raised my wrists so he could see the feather tattoos that marked me as belonging to Corvus. “Cyd told me, if I was ever ...” I took a breath, unwilling to say it out loud. “If I was ever unfaithful he would get tattoos on his wrists too, that they would burn him. So you see, he’ll know. He’ll know when it happens and ...he will come and find us.”

  Chapter 26

  Corin’s eyes flashed with anger. “And what would you have me do? Run?” he said in disgust. “I am not exactly defenceless as you now know.”

  I rolled my eyes and grabbed his arms, wanting to give him a shake. “I would have you live! He’s nearly two thousand years old, Corin, don’t be an idiot!”

  He looked at where my hands grasped his arm and sighed, shaking his head. “Thank you so much for the vote of confidence. This is the problem with hiding what you really are, everyone constantly underestimating you.” He sounded really ticked off now but I didn’t care about his wounded pride; our son would need a father and it was his responsibility to live.

  I let him go and rolled my eyes. “Oh, get over yourself. You don’t know what you’re up against.”

  He got to his feet and stalked over to pour himself another drink, rigid with anger. “Of course I know, Jéhenne, I really am not as foolish as you would like to believe. It is true that in this world I can claim only a fraction of my power.” He scowled into his glass. “If he came to the fae lands it would be a different story but I concede, if he were to lay hands on me here I would be unlikely to survive. However, it is you who doesn’t understand. He is unlikely to ever get that close to me. You had a taste of my power earlier, my dear, even here as limited as it is. I do not over estimate my abilities believe me, so a little less fatalism about my immediate demise would be appreciated.”

  He gave me a haughty look that obviously came from years of being treated as Royalty and I snorted in amusement. I'd obviously pricked his ego. “There’s no need to be so touchy.”

  Indignation blazed in his eyes and he took a deep breath. “I am not being touchy!'"

  I rolled my eyes. “Could've fooled me,” I muttered.

  He opened his mouth to reply when the fire crackled and leapt high behind me and his gaze was drawn towards the flames. He drew in a bre
ath and I saw his eyes darken. I cursed as I realised what he was seeing. I felt my heart rate speed up as I turned towards the flames and saw the image of the two of us entwined intimately together. “Shit!” I grabbed the poker and was about to rake the fire in the hope the image would go when I felt Corin kneel behind me. He reached forward, and caught my arms, pulling me back against him.

  “No! Leave it.”

  I could feel his heart beating fast against my back; it seemed to be keeping time with my own. So strange to feel another’s heartbeat. His breath was warm against my shoulder and I ducked my head, looking away in embarrassment as the images became increasingly intense. His hand went to my neck and smoothed up under my chin. “No, I want you to watch with me.”

  In the flames we could see ourselves, lost in the moment, bodies slick with sweat and desire, hear the desperate sounds of our passion. “I’ve seen it before,” I said, unnerved to hear my voice so breathless.

  “Not with me.” I was terribly aware of the heat of his body against mine as he pulled me closer to him, of his breathing, heavy and hot against my skin as he watched us moving together in the flames. His arms wrapped around me as it got to the part I’d really hoped he wouldn’t see, which was kind of ridiculous as we were sharing the starring role.

  My cry filled the room as his hands moved over me and I felt him gasp. “Oh, gods, I want that,” he said, his voice rough with desire. “I want to hear my name on your lips. I want you to scream it like that.”

  His hands slid up my ribcage to my breasts and he squeezed, gently at first as he kissed my shoulder. I turned my head, opening my mouth to protest but his lips found mine before I could utter a word and my head began to spin as his magic wrapped around me. A moan escaped me and I felt guilt burning in my heart and soul that he could make me feel like that. I pulled away from him. “Stop it, don’t do that. None of your magic tricks please, Corin,” I begged him but he just chuckled, a wicked sound that made my pulse leap higher.

  “I told you before, Jéhenne, I’m not doing anything, not on purpose at least. This is how it is between us, how it will always be. Our magics are similar remember, and power calls to power. Your magic sings to mine. It wants us to join together, just as we do. It is why things are so ...heightened, between us. There is nothing either one of us can do about it, though I for one would not change it for any price.”

  His lips returned to mine and it would have been so very, very easy to let go, to just enjoy the moment but ... But Corvus’ face was in my mind and the feel of his pain when he discovered what we’d done, and I just wanted to weep. I had made him wait for so long and for what, so that I could turn around and betray him?

  “No ... No, no.” I pushed away from him and got to my feet. “I can’t ... Not yet ... Need some air,” I gasped. I grabbed his coat from the sofa and raced to the curtains, tearing them open and unlocking the door with trembling hands. I raced outside, feeling the sting of the cold air and rain against my heated skin. Corin was behind me but I ran farther into the garden.

  “Jéhenne, stop this foolishness. Now or later, a few minutes, a few hours, it won’t change anything. It will still hurt him, we cannot change that fact.”

  “But it’s wrong!” I screamed the words to the heavens. “It’s wrong. I know it is ... I feel it here.” I hit the place on my chest where my heart felt like it would explode with pain.

  He walked slowly towards me as the rain fell, his arms outstretched, palms open, like he was trying to calm a nervous horse. “But we both saw the images. You have had visions before, can’t you feel the truth of this one?” His voice was soothing, a balm to my fraying nerves and I tried to consider his words.

  “Yes, there is a child. I know it, I feel it but ...”

  He frowned at me. “But?”

  I looked up at the sky and closed my eyes, feeling the rain slide down my face and tried to focus. “I feel like I am always being pushed and pulled in different directions, Corin. I make decisions but half the time I have no real choice and ... And I feel like I’m being manipulated ...again.”

  He was getting closer and I backed away. “Why would anyone do such a thing, who could?” he demanded. I shivered clutching his jacket closer around me and felt bad that he was getting soaked without it.

  “I don’t know why but ... I know who. Well, kind of.” I knew it sounded vague, like I was making excuses, and maybe I was but it was true too.

  “Jéhenne, this is ridiculous, if there is something wrong come inside and we’ll talk about it.” He stepped closer and I shook my head, still moving away. I instinctively felt I was weaker indoors, enclosed with him; his magic was too much of a temptation whether he meant it to be or not and ... And I just couldn’t shake the feeling that something else was happening. I was playing to someone else’s agenda, we both were. I just couldn’t explain it. “For the love of the gods, this is foolishness!” he shouted, getting annoyed with me now, not that I could blame him. “You came to me, you’ve told me we’re to have a child together, a beautiful son, Jéhenne! I know you want that as much as I do and we’ve both seen the proof of it, what more do you want?”

  I opened my mouth to explain but found I simply didn’t have a rational explanation. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I heard the wolves howl in the trees behind me.

  “I have to go.” I took my heels off, throwing them to the ground and ran across the garden to where it met the woodland, hearing Corin calling behind me.

  “I will not chase you through the woods again! You come back when you’re ready and you’ve nowhere else to run and I’ll be here, but remember ...your time is running out.” I could hear the frustration and anger in his voice but there was nothing I could do about it. I had enough of my own to deal with; he would just have to wait until I came back, if I came back.

  I plunged into the woodland, following the howls of the wolves, ignoring the pain of stones and branches, and the freezing earth under my feet. Would I go back? What choice did I have? Cain had said I had choices but with each choice was a consequence. Which consequence would be easier to live with? Maybe neither. I cried inwardly, each was unbearable. I couldn’t think straight and I ran on deeper in the darkness. I needed the wolves, needed their solid presence and the peace they brought me. I heard their cries getting louder and stopped in my tracks. I had thought they were calling to me but I hadn’t been really listening, too wrapped up in my own emotions to hear the warning they were giving me.

  Run, run, run!

  I gasped as I heard their cries clearly now and felt the presence of whatever it was they were warning me of. I turned and fled but something unseen swept out of the darkness and picked me up like I was a leaf caught in a gust of wind. It threw me high in the air, twisting and turning me with abandon. I felt the anger behind the movements and caught the scent of spices on the damp air before I was raised once more and flung down, carelessly, like a child throwing it’s favourite toy in a tantrum.

  I gasped, the air ripping from my lungs as I plummeted. I heard Corin cry out, saw a flash of white sear the sky and then my body hit the ground, and pain overwhelmed me.

  I came to, slowly, lying in the mud, fighting for breath past the pain in my lungs. My shoulder and hip were ablaze despite the fact I was lying in water so cold there was a rim of ice around the edge.

  “Jéhenne!” Corin was beside me, cold hands sweeping my hair off my face and then laying across my forehead. He closed his eyes and I felt the thrill of magic sweep over me. The golden eyes opened again and they were full of concern. “You have broken bones, I can heal you but I need to get you indoors out of this weather. I must pick you up.”

  I cried at the very idea, hot tears streaming down my face, the thought of moving was too much to bear but before I could protest he had pressed his thumb against my forehead and his magic flew through me.

  I woke up with a scream as the sound and agony of a bone snapping back into place pierced my consciousness. I gasped as the pain l
eft, replaced by warmth that swept over my shoulder, smoothed over my breast and moved along my ribs with a delicate touch. Air rushed into my lungs as I could breathe easy once more, and I relaxed a little, until I became aware of a searing pain in my left hip that radiated down my thigh. I gritted my teeth and then yelped as I felt Corin take off my ruined stockings, removing them one after the other with deft movements. I looked down to find I was lying on his bed, in his room, with the stone pendant glowing a deep blood red, warm against my chest, and then the fact registered ... I was in my underwear.

  “What the fuck? Corin!”

  “Jéhenne, I told you I can heal you but I need to touch the wounds, skin to skin.”

  I looked at him skeptically. “And what about your clothes?” I demanded, as I took in the sight of him in black underwear that sat low on his hips, and nothing else. I tried to keep my expression furious and not be distracted by the expanse of beautifully toned and muscled flesh in front of me but it really wasn’t as easy as I would have hoped.

  “I was soaked to the bone and freezing cold!” He sounded reproachful and gave me an innocent expression which I wasn’t buying for a moment. He leaned over the bed and reached his hand out to stroke my cheek. “Let me help you.”

  I smacked his hand away and then yelled out as pain seared out from my hip.

  He sighed heavily and waited for a moment. “Can I help you now?”

  I didn’t answer, I couldn’t without crying, and he took my silence for consent. He knelt on the floor beside the bed and eased one hand under my hip as I whimpered in pain. “I’m sorry, Jéhenne. I'm so sorry,” he said softly. “I said I would protect you. I should have been there.”

  I shook my head. “You did. I’d probably be dead if you hadn’t come back.”

  “I should never have left. I should have followed you.”

  I was touched by the real regret in his voice but laughed, though it sounded more like a moan of pain. “You can’t think like that, Corin, not where I’m concerned, believe me, you’ll go mad.”