Mara gave him a tender smile and squeezed his hands. “No. I am very real.” Her whole body seemed to warm when he put a hand on her hip, bent down and brushed his lips against hers. The thrill of his touch and the rush of energy made her legs shake when Corbin’s lips grazed her cheek, and then her neck. She could smell the ale on his lips.
“She is real,” he whispered into her ear, lifting her chin to kiss her and sending shivers down her back. His arms wrapped around her, gently exploring her body, and it seemed a magnetic force enclosed around them, like the circle of wind in the forest. “I want you,” she breathed. “I only want you.” A soft moan escaped her lips when she lifted his hand to her breast. It was an incredible feeling to be so vulnerable and so trusting of another person. She let her fingers glide across the smooth skin of his neck and shoulders and her mind whirled her into a trance.
Corbin’s fingers ran through her hair and then he firmly grasped a handful of it and drew her in to kiss her passionately, more so than he ever had before. She thought her legs might collapse beneath her. When he pulled away, a delicious smile played across his lips, and she knew it was her turn to touch him. He dropped his arms to his side and watched her, letting her trace her fingers down the curve of his arms, and the firm muscle of his chest. He shivered at the sensation of her touch, and tiny goose bumps formed on his skin. She almost gasped when his hand shot up and clutched hers to his heart. The look in his eyes was that of complete and absolute fixation. Never before had anyone looked at her this way.
He breathed out a long shush of air. “Is this really what you want?” he asked. She could see the apprehension in his eyes. Did he think she would refuse him? Change her mind?
She nodded. “Yes,” she said simply. Her lip coiled into a nervous smile and she continued to follow the contours of his body until she reached the top of his trousers. Mara undid the string of his belt and took in a sharp breath when they fell to the floor. She stared at his manhood. Gathering her courage, she touched it gently and looked up in shock when Corbin’s head fell back with a moan. She had never seen this part of a man before. It was impossibly hard, and she found that it amazed her almost as much as it frightened her. For an instant, she stilled, but when she looked up at Corbin and saw the hunger in his eyes, any doubts or fears washed away.
She could see it. She could feel it. Without uttering a word she knew – he loved her.
As if sensing her trepidation, he grinned, lifted her into his arms and placed her on the bed. He leaned over her and kissed her again, sucking her bottom lip while his hands ran along her body. Mara exhaled with a smile when Corbin pulled back and looked down at her. He lingered for a moment, staring into her and said, “Sometimes I feel like you can see right through me with those eyes. Like you can see right into my soul,” he whispered. “Can you, Mara?” he softly breathed her name.
Mara nodded with a smile. “I can see you, Corbin. I can see you,” she said, bringing him back towards her. His hands continued to wander until they came to the spot between her legs. She held her breath, squeezed her eyes shut, and fought the urge to cover her face as he touched her. But to her astonishment, it felt wonderful, and her embarrassment was soon forgotten.
When she opened her eyes, Corbin was watching her with a smile on his handsome face. She could feel the heat rise to her cheeks and she licked her lips, touched the back of his neck and raised herself up to kiss his jaw. He moved over her and lowered his body on top of hers, positioning himself between her legs. He looked at her questioningly, giving her one last chance to say no. But she nodded with a smile.
His eyes remained fixed on her as his manhood entered her, gently pushing by degrees until it reached her maidenhead. Instinctively, she bit down on his shoulder, anticipating the pain that would accompany such a welcome invasion. And she was right. When he finally pushed through it, she winced and lost her breath.
Corbin remained still for a moment. “I’m sorry if I hurt you,” he said, and then from his hand he drew a faint blue light that mirrored the color of his eyes. He held it to her skin, warming her with his healing touch, and swiftly the pain subsided.
He smiled and kissed her lips, beginning to move himself rhythmically inside her. Relieved from the pain of her sexual initiation, she raised herself into him, becoming lost in him, and the vibration of Light that held them together. She dug her fingernails into the flesh of his back when she began to shake, giving in to the sudden waves of passion that seemed to envelop them completely.
Mara wondered if it felt this way for everyone, or if it was the mysterious exchange of power that gripped her. In that moment, she didn’t care. All she knew was that she wanted Corbin, and now she had him.
When the reverberations between the two finally faded, they both stayed completely still. Corbin remained on top of her, breathing heavily and softly kissing her forehead and face. Then he rolled over to lay next to her.
Mara didn’t move for some time, almost in a daze over what she had just done, but loving the memory of it. When she was finally composed, she raised herself onto her elbow and looked down at him, touching his face and running her fingers over his eyelids.
Corbin let out a long sigh. “I love you. You know that, don’t you?”
Mara froze. Hearing the words spoken was much more profound than simply knowing them.
“I love you too,” she said, her heart beating faster.
Corbin placed a hand on her cheek. “I didn’t want to admit it, but I’ve loved you from the moment I healed you that day in the gorge.” He stroked her face and touched her hair. “That was when I first felt the power of your Light.”
“What is this power between us?” she asked. “I haven’t felt anything like it with the others.”
Corbin shook his head. “I don’t know. I haven’t asked Rowan about it. I didn’t want to share our secret.”
Mara bit her lip and the events from earlier sprang to her mind. She wanted to tell Corbin about Malcolm, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. “Do you think we will leave here someday?” she asked.
He smiled. “Maybe. If Rowan thinks we’d be better off somewhere else.”
“No. I mean, leave Rowan. Leave the group. Go off on our own.”
Corbin tilted his head with a frown. “Why would you want to do that? You would leave Isa and Annora behind?” He exhaled contemplatively. “Is this because of what happened today? Malcolm is just impulsive. I’m sure Rowan will sort him out.”
“No, no,” she protested. “I just don’t know if I want to live this life, always wondering if we are in danger. I thought it would be easier than this.”
Corbin seemed to consider her words carefully. “But what is the alternative?” he asked. “Besides, I think Rowan would be hurt if you left him.” Corbin brushed the wisps of hair from her face. “I know I wouldn’t want to let you go.”
Mara jerked her head to the side. “What has Rowan said to you about me?”
“He told me how strong your Light is. And that you might be the only true Dia princess left to the world.” Corbin smiled. “And how lucky am I to have her to myself in this very moment?”
Mara pressed her lips together. “Has he mentioned the coire to you? Or that he thinks I’m the Keeper?”
Corbin shook his head. “He has never mentioned it to me. But you said yourself that he didn’t know for sure.”
“Right,” Mara said. She could feel her stomach churn with the familiar warning of caution, but the gentle caress of Corbin’s hand on her shoulder brought her back in the moment. He pulled her close to his warm, bare skin and tucked her into the nook of his arm. Mara settled into the subtle vibration that flowed between them and her eyelids became heavy. Maybe tonight would be the first of many nights that her mind would finally allow her to sleep.
Mara’s eyes opened just as the sun began to creep into the sky, lighting Corbin’s room with a clean, warm light. She felt his arms around her before she even opened her eyes. She wiggled around to fac
e him and trailed her finger between his eyebrows down to his nose. He opened his lucent blue eyes and gazed at her before giving her a tired smile. Then he tightened his hold. “Go back to sleep,” he breathed. “I don’t want to let you get up just yet.”
Mara laughed. “I should probably get back to my room before Isa comes looking for me.”
Corbin shook his head and closed his eyes. “No,” he said, kissing her forehead. “Just stay here.”
Mara closed her eyes and nuzzled into his neck, feeling their hearts beat against one another with the seductive rhythm of their combined powers. She didn’t want to go either, but she didn’t want to answer any questions should she be discovered in Corbin’s chamber. Several moments passed as she lay there kissing his neck, feeling his body begin to respond to her, and with a sigh of regret, she pulled away. “I have to go,” she said.
Corbin groaned and then smiled. “If you insist,” he said, sitting up and tilting his head. His eyes lit up. “Everyone is still asleep,” he said with a playful grin.
Mara shook her head. “But they won’t be for long.”
“Then let’s get out of here,” he said.
“And where do you suppose we should go?” she asked, intrigued by the glint in his eye.
Corbin stepped out of bed and pulled on his trousers. “Get dressed. There’s something I want to show you.”
Mara glanced at the door. “Perhaps I should get another dress from my room.”
Corbin grinned. “No. Wear that one. You won’t need it where we’re going anyway.”
Mara’s eyes widened. “And where are we going that I won’t need a dress?”
Corbin laughed. “Never mind that. Just put it on.”
When they were both ready, they tiptoed outside and took Findias out of his stall. Corbin was tight-lipped about their destination, not even giving a hint when she begged. They rode down the beach along the long stretch of golden sand and beyond the wave-cut platforms of rock. By the time the morning sun was high above them, Corbin veered off the beach and up a grassy embankment, steering Findias towards a loose mass of trees.
The farther they rode, the higher the moss-covered rocks became. Ferns surrounded by yellow wildflowers, and hawthorn bushes lined their path along a small creek that eventually expanded into a narrow river. Corbin followed the creek until Mara could hear the thunderous sound of falling water. She held onto Corbin as the ground became steeper until they finally came to the source of the sound. Mara gazed down the high cliff, marveling at the cascading waterfall that collected in a swirling pool of dark water below. Corbin held out his hands and lifted her from the horse. “Do you like it?” he asked, watching her expression.
Mara put a hand on his chest and leaned over the cliff. “It’s amazing,” she said.
The water flowed like white snow down different levels of rock, and the entire inlet was encased by smooth, moss-covered boulders. The pond below was deep, but Mara could still see the accumulation of small, yellowy-green stones that blanketed the bottom, giving it a magnificent glow.
Corbin squeezed her hand. “I used to come here when I wanted to get away from Malcolm and Rowan. It was the only place I could find any peace.”
“I can see why,” Mara said.
Corbin’s eyes smiled. “Do you want to go in?”
Mara looked back down the waterfall, trying not to let the memory of her jump into the gorge frighten her. She was different now, she knew how to use her powers, but still, the pinch of uncertainty taunted her. When would she ever accept the fact that she was a Dia and not a human?
“You won’t get hurt, I promise.” Corbin let go of her hand and removed his shirt.
Mara bit her lip and nodded, allowing Corbin to undo the lace at the back of her dress so that she was left in her thin linen shift.
Corbin grabbed her hand again and led her towards the edge of the waterfall so that their feet were in the cold water. “You don’t have to fall,” he said. “You can float, like you’re weightless. Imagine yourself riding a feather to the bottom.”
Mara peered down. It was a very long drop. It had to be at least the height of twenty grown men. As she made the decision in her mind to jump, she hoped Corbin was right. Still holding his hand, she could feel the energy of Light rise within him so that their powers were connected and strong. Then he looked at her with a wickedly playful grin. “Let’s go,” he said.
When they jumped from the edge, Mara felt the urge to close her eyes, but she forced them open when she realized she wasn’t really falling at all. They were slowly and steadily drifting through the air like birds gliding on the wind. When their feet met the icy water they both dropped in without so much as a splash. She let the water push her to the surface. Corbin emerged with a proud smile and shook the beads of water from his hair. “I’m impressed,” he said.
“Impressed by what?” she asked.
“That was your Light that carried us down, not mine.”
Mara laughed, feeling a bit of delight in her own strength. “I wish I knew I could do that when I jumped from the gorge.”
Corbin’s expression suddenly became earnest, and he swam towards her, pulling her close. “But then I would never have had the chance to heal you. To feel your power,” he said.
Mara put her hands around his neck and kissed his wet lips. “I suppose you’re right.” She kissed him again, becoming lost as she let his tongue tangle with hers. He held her tight, his hands fanning across her back. She wondered how anything could ever feel better than this.
Corbin pulled away and looked up to the top of the fall. “Do you want to jump again?”
She followed his gaze and shook her head with a smile. “No. But I can think of something else I’d like to do again.”
The final days of summer passed with a sense of contentment Corbin had never known. His early attempts to resist his desire for Mara had been abandoned. Now he’d come to accept the fact that he loved her. Indeed she wasn’t the first woman he bedded, but she was certainly the first to raise within him a keen and sometimes startling awareness that he needed her, and she needed him as well.
Mara had lain with him every night since that first time she came to him. It was their secret. And every day the sun set ushered in another night she would give herself to him, and he would once again feel her soft, sweet breath on his neck as he held her in his arms.
The sense of peace at Valenia was further aided by Malcolm’s absence. His outburst was enough to change Rowan’s mind about leaving him as the guardian of Valenia. So instead of sending Corbin, Barrett, and Ailwen out to hunt the magistrate and the unknown Dia, Rowan and Malcolm set out to search the realm.
The cool autumn air had begun to turn the trees shades of yellow, orange, and red; they would soon trade in their leaves for the icy sheath of winter. Rowan and his progeny were set to return to Valenia that afternoon. But it wasn’t the season that brought them back. It was the event that all of them had been waiting for – Mara’s twentieth birthday.
The following day would bring about the much-anticipated occasion, and in preparation for the celebration, Annora insisted Corbin go to Dunport and purchase expensive spices, such as cinnamon, saffron, and garlic, for the feast. Though there was a crisp chill in the air, the warm autumn sun shone down on Corbin, Mara, and Isa as they walked back to Valenia. Isa trailed behind them, playing with a baby chick she had charmed from an elderly man in the village. It was her first time in Dunport. She had begged Corbin to take her, and he couldn’t see the harm now that she’d begun to control her childish inclinations.
As he’d expected, Isa was wide-eyed when they walked into Dunport, fascinated by the many people of varying sizes, ages, and ranks. All of these things were new to her young senses. She gaped at the imposing parsonage house and the manor house that rivaled any other structure in the bustling town. Her attentions seemed drawn in every direction as she observed the merchants, beggars, craftsman, and brown-cloaked monks all around her. Corbin feared s
he might burst with excitement when they came upon a group of children playing hoodman’s blind. It was a game he’d often played as a child, in which one blindfolded child tries to capture the others. Isa pulled on the hems of Corbin and Mara’s cloaks with pleading eyes, but they couldn’t let her play with the mortal children for fear she might reveal something of their true nature.
Isa pouted for a moment, but quickly forgot her troubles when she spotted the wooden pen of chicks near the butcher’s stall. It didn’t take much charming from Isa to convince the old man to give her one. And when Corbin offered to pay him, the old man refused, still under the little imp’s spell.
As they walked through the forest, Corbin could hear Isa cooing at the little bird, then she said, “I think I’m going to call it Bee.”
Corbin stopped and turned to her. “Why did you choose that name?”
Her tiny shoulders shrugged beneath her cloak. “Because she’s yellow, like a bee.”
Corbin put his hands on his legs and bent down to her level. “A she? How do you know it’s not a he?” Corbin winked at Mara.
Isa gasped. “You don’t think it’s a boy, do you?” She held up the chick to examine it closer.
Corbin laughed. “And what’s wrong with it being a boy?”
Isa scrunched up her nose. “Well, I don’t want a boy, and my little Bee is pretty. Only girls can be pretty.”
Corbin pretended to look hurt. “I guess that means I’m not very pretty then.”
Isa eyed him for a long moment, looking like she had indeed hurt his feelings, but began to giggle when Corbin broke into a smile.
Mara laughed as they resumed their walk. “Well I guess it’s settled then. It’s a girl and her name is Bee,” she said.
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