by Rinelle Grey
So there were guards. But inside, so she wouldn’t see them. “They won't stop me,” Brianna growled, hand on her sword.
“Bri, they don't care about swords! They're mages! You can't do anything except get yourself killed too.” Mianna’s voice held a note of panic.
“I'm not afraid of them,” Brianna said. But she couldn’t explain why. “You and Ryla wait here. The guys are at the back window, go let them in. I'll be back soon.” And before Mianna could protest again, she headed for the front door.
As Mia had warned her, two guards stepped in front of her as soon as she walked into the living room. “I'm afraid Prince Balen gave orders that you weren't to leave, ma’am.”
The name dispelled any last doubts she had as to who was here. It was Lyall, but what on earth was he doing? “Prince Balen will want to hear what I have to say,” she said flatly. And she took a step towards the door, ready to push through them if she had to.
They exchanged a glance. “I'll take you to him,” one of them said.
“I know my way.” This time, Brianna did push past them and headed for the front gates at a run, not bothering to see if they followed or not.
If Lyall knew who Terion was...
She shook her head. The Lyall she knew would never hurt Terion.
But then, he wouldn't have invaded her village either.
There were half a dozen more men at the gates, and they stepped up to bar her way.
“Let me through,” she demanded.
“Well, well. What have we here?”
Brianna recognised the king’s advisor as he stepped forwards to stare at her. What was his name again?
“Urster, let me through. I need to speak to Ly... Prince Balen, before he does something he is going to regret.”
The man regarded her thoughtfully for a few moments. “Or do you just want a chance to attack him outside the castle walls? You know, I never believed you didn’t know how to use your magic. Someone that powerful doesn’t just appear out of nowhere.”
Brianna winced. “He's making a mistake.” She glanced over his shoulder to where Lyall stood in front of Terion. Several men stood behind Terion, preventing his escape. Brianna didn't even have to measure with her eyes to know he stood just outside the strange barrier that prevented magic use. “Please,” she said to Urster. “I know how this looks, but you can make sure I stay on this side of where he stands.”
Urster raised an eyebrow. He would know about the barrier, and understand why she made the concession. He stared at her for a long moment, then glanced back towards Lyall. Then he nodded to the other men. “She comes with me.”
It took all her willpower to walk at a measured pace beside Urster while Lyall stared at Terion. From where she stood, inside the barrier, she couldn’t even tell if there was any magic being used. Slowly, the men standing around noticed her, and they all stared silently. Lyall was the last to look up.
His eyes met hers, flashing with fire, dark with desire. She had wondered, after all this time, how she would feel if she saw him again. Now she knew. She was suddenly intensely conscious of how her thighs rubbed together. As he stared at her, heat stole over her whole body, bit by bit.
She wanted to run to him and throw herself into his arms.
She was also furious at him. Furious at the fact that he had taken Terion, and frightened her sister. The Lyall she had known would never hurt anyone. And surely he wouldn’t, once he knew the true situation?
“Let him go,” she said quietly to Lyall.
Lyall’s eyes bored into her for a second. Then he glanced around at the men staring at them. “Give me one good reason why I should?”
Hell. How could she tell him without making it blatantly obvious to Terion? She glanced down at the man her sister had married, who she had known since childhood, then back to Lyall. “You have no argument with this man.”
Lyall stared at her, his gaze so intense she almost felt the need to look away. But she didn't dare. After several agonising moments, he took a step towards her. A step away from Terion. “Take him back to the house,” he said abruptly, not looking back. “You come with me,” he said to Brianna.
“Brianna, you don't have to do this,” Terion said desperately, as the men pulled him to his feet.
Lyall took Brianna’s arm, but he didn't pull. She looked over at Terion and tried to give him a reassuring smile. “I’ll be fine. Look after Mia.”
Terion tried to protest. He struggled against the two men holding him, but they pulled him away as if he were a child. Brianna swallowed. Then she turned and let Lyall lead her deep into the mages camp.
He didn't say a word as he led her past rows of tents and tethered horses to the middle of the camp where a larger tent stood. Lyall pulled back the flap, glanced briefly inside, then waved her in. He followed her, letting the flap fall behind him, then stared at her.
“Lyall, I...”
“Is that man your husband?” Lyall demanded.
Brianna bit her lip. Was this really the man she had fallen in love with? That she had achingly missed for the last two years? It was hard to believe this was her gentle, sweet Lyall.
“Sort of, yes.”
His hands clenched into fists. “Is he the man you talked about, the one you said you were supposed to marry? How could you? After all we had together? How could you come back here and marry someone else?”
Brianna winced. It must look bad in his eyes. How could she even begin to explain? “It wasn’t like that... I didn’t mean it to happen.”
Lyall stared down at her. “How can you marry someone without meaning to?” His voice was rough.
“I didn't marry him. Mianna did, after I left the village. Everyone here thought I was dead. When I came back, they had a dilemma. The law says twins marry together, so they decided that that meant that I was married to him as well, even though I wasn’t even here when the wedding occurred.”
“And what happened then?” Lyall’s voice was hard. His implications were obvious.
Brianna blushed and heat stole through her again. “I haven't slept with him. And both he and Mia understand that I won't. But there is no way around the law. I tried to explain, Lyall, that I could never marry you. This is why,” she said simply. “It doesn't change anything.”
“When?” Lyall demanded.
“When what?” Brianna asked, confused.
“When did your sister marry him?”
“Two years ago,” Brianna said softly.
“The date?”
Why did it matter? Brianna sighed. “The day we were on your boat.”
“What time?”
Brianna shrugged. “I don't know. I wasn't there. Twilight I guess, that's when most marriages take place.”
To her surprise, Lyall smiled at her words. “Then I was first.”
Brianna didn't see that it mattered, but if it made him feel better. “Sure, probably.”
“Then that means you’re mine.”
His words sent a warm swirl through Brianna. But she shook her head. “Mia is married to Terion. The law is on their side, not ours.”
“You don't get it do you, Anna? You have no idea what it's about. The law isn't about marriage, it's about sex. If a man sleeps with one twin, he has the right to bon... sleep with both.”
She stared at him. “You think it’s that simple? That you can just turn up here and split up my sister’s marriage because the law is slightly different where you are? That’s not how it works here. Here, marriage is what’s important, and sex only comes afterwards.”
“Well, I control the village now, so my law is the one that matters.” Lyall’s voice was hard.
“You think you can just change everyone’s lives like that? And that I’ll just, what? Smile and agree? It doesn’t work like that, Lyall. You can’t just turn up and change the way everyone thinks. And even if you could, I won’t see Mianna and Terion split up. They love each other, and they deserve to be together. Mianna is never going to want to be wit
h you, she loves Terion.”
There was no way out, why couldn’t he see that as clearly as she did? She’d considered everything. Unless…
“The twin law. Can you change that?”
Lyall frowned, then he sighed. “The twin law is still law on Isla de Magi. I could, theoretically, declare it removed, but my father would overrule me as soon as I returned home.”
The small flame of hope that had burned brightly for a short while was extinguished by his words. Lyall wasn’t the sort to disobey his father. She shouldn’t be surprised. “Then there is nothing we can do. You have to accept that.”
“I can’t accept it. In every respect, other than the actual ceremony, you are my wife, Anna.”
“You shouldn't call me that,” Brianna mumbled, trying to ignore the fact that her heart was singing at his declaration. “It's not...”
“Don't tell me I don't have the right,” Lyall said roughly. He took a deep breath. “There's something I didn't tell you Brianna, something I should have. But I was afraid you wouldn’t sleep with me if I told you.”
Foreboding chilled Brianna. “What?”
“For a mage, it's different. That's why I was still a virgin. The first person you sleep with, well, you bond with, magically. So you don't want to make a mistake and be stuck with someone you can't stand.”
Brianna stared at him. “Bond with?” she said faintly. “What does that mean?”
“It means we are magically linked. Forever. More solid than even ’till death do us part’, because even death doesn't part bonded mages. If one dies, they usually both do.”
Brianna stared at him. He had to be making it up. But his expression was completely serious. “But Mia isn't... bonded... to you. She’s bonded, uh, to Terion? You can’t change that, can you?” She looked at him for confirmation.
Lyall sighed. “No, a bonding is permanent. I thought, when she first mentioned him, that he might not be a mage. Sleeping with someone who isn't a mage doesn't trigger the bond. But he is.”
Brianna stared at him. “Terion is a mage?”
Lyall nodded. He gave an amused smile, reminding her achingly of how he used to be. “That’s why I took him outside the wall. It was the only way to find out. I'm beginning to suspect there are quite a few mages in your village. Want to tell me why?”
“Me? How would I know? I didn't even know I was one until you told me!” she said indignantly.
Lyall raised an eyebrow. “Come on, Anna.” He looked at her challengingly when he said the name. She let it pass, so he continued, “I was standing in my father’s office overlooking the harbour when you left. For someone who didn't know she was a mage, and who couldn't even manage basic magic exercise, how did you summon a wind like that? Why did you lie to me?”
“I didn't lie,” Brianna said hotly. “I didn't know I was a mage. I don't know how I made that wind. I just… I thought about my village, and Mianna. I had to get home. And it just happened.”
Lyall stared at her with narrowed eyes. Then he relaxed, and nodded. “The twin bond. Stranger things have happened.”
“Twin bond? Is that another fancy mage term?”
Lyall shrugged. “It's essentially the same thing, only twins are born with it. It’s the only occurrence of people bonding twice.” He looked at her intently. “That is the reason for the law. A set of twins bonded to the same person... Well, there’s nothing more powerful.”
“That's what this is about? You want to be more powerful?”
“Brianna! Will you stop misunderstanding everything I say?” He grabbed her arm and turned her towards him. “I love you, I told you that. I couldn't care less about your sister, or the power. I was already the most powerful mage on Isla de Magi, bonding with you only cemented it. I don't want Mianna. It’s you I want.”
“Well I'm not going to stand by and see Mianna and Terion torn apart.” Brianna put her hands on her hips, challenging him to object.
Lyall frowned. “Then what do we do? Because I'm not willing to lose you again.”
Brianna tried to imagine him staying here, living in her village, sharing a house with her and Mianna and Terion, or even living next door. But it wouldn't work. It couldn't. Nor could she imagine leaving. What would it do to Mianna, if she left? The village would always see her marriage as incomplete, and Brianna as an outlaw. She couldn’t do that to her sister.
And what about Lylis? She glanced at Lyall. She had wanted to tell him about his daughter from the moment she’d found out she was pregnant. She’d even considered writing him a letter just so he knew, but she was too afraid he’d use it to find them. And she couldn’t tell him now, no matter how much she wanted to confess all. It would only make him more determined.
Lylis thought of Terion as her father, and Mianna as a second mother. And even though she fought frequently with her cousin, Brianna could also see a bond developing between them, similar to the one she and Mianna had shared as babies.
She had thought, after all this time, that Lyall would never return. But here he was. And the reunion was nothing like she had imagined. “Why did you invade my village?” she demanded.
Lyall frowned. “If you’re so ignorant of magic, explain how there is a very powerful barrier around your small country village?”
“Is that why you attacked us? Because of the barrier? I have no idea why it's there. It has nothing to do with us, and even though I've searched all the village records, I can't find any mention of it.”
Lyall looked at her in disbelief. And Brianna couldn't say she blamed him. It seemed too impossible to be true.
“And yet, you know about it,” Lyall said flatly.
“I realised it was there when I came home, after I knew about magic. How could I have known about it before then?”
This was silly, the fact that they were arguing. Besides her twin, Lyall was the one person she felt closest to. But he had changed so much. Or had he? They hadn't had enough time to really discover each other's true self.
Lyall must have been thinking the same thing. “I wish I could believe you, Brianna, but it all seems a little too convenient. You work out how to use your magic and rush away to a village protected by a magical barrier, just as a huge magic spike is detected from the other mages. How can you blame me for thinking that you are somehow involved with them?”
Brianna’s heart froze at his words. “The other mages,” she asked. “You mean the ones you were talking about, that destroyed cities?” Suddenly she was very glad of a barrier that prevented magic. “Are they coming here?”
Lyall ran a hand through his hair, frustration lining his face. “I don't know where they are! We've searched every village between here and the coast. This is pretty much the only one left.”
Brianna’s heart slowed back to its normal rhythm. “Well, they're not here, so you can leave.”
“It's not that simple, Anna. Not now. You know that. ” Lyall’s voice was soft, and sent a shiver right down to Brianna’s belly.
“No, you're right. It's not. It never was. I tried to tell you that from the beginning, Lyall. You knew I couldn't marry you. Now you know why.” Sadness threatened to overwhelm her. It had been easier to pretend that it didn't matter when Lyall hadn’t been here. Easier to be satisfied with Lylis, and the quiet life they shared.
Now, with Lyall achingly close, settling seemed impossible. And so was the alternative.
“It's not just that, Brianna,” Lyall said with regret. “I wish I could forget all the rest and just focus on sorting this out, but the truth is, I need to find out what is happening here. I've spent two years searching for those mages, and this barrier is the only magic I've found on the entire mainland. I can't leave until I know what caused it, and whether it has anything to do with the other mages.”
So it wasn't about her. Brianna felt relieved and disappointed at the same time. “I will help you if I can, but that is all I can offer you.”
“So what we had together, what you said at home about staying
, all that meant nothing?” Lyall demanded.
She couldn’t blame him for being angry. How could he understand? “I pretended to be dead when I left here, Lyall. When no one thought I was alive, I could ignore my responsibilities and the law. But now that I'm back, I can't just disappear again. I'm sorry.”
“No.” Lyall strode across the tent and stopped right in front of her. “I won't accept it. The law is on my side, our side, in this case. No one can object to our relationship.”
She refused to let his nearness intimidate her, or weaken her resolve. “And what about Mianna and Terion?”
Lyall shrugged. He actually shrugged as though it weren't important. “I told you, I don’t care about your sister. The same situation you have here can stand. She can pretend to be married to me and still sleep with that other man on the side for all I care.”
“Do you think the village is going to accept that? It’s not that simple,” Brianna said furiously. “I will not allow it.”
“It's not up to you.” Lyall’s words were quiet, but they shocked her nonetheless. “The law is clear.”
“Your law. Not ours,” Brianna retaliated.
“I have control of your village right now,” Lyall reminded her.
“Only because my people are scared of your magic. If I tell them the truth, that your magic won't work inside the village walls, then we’re on even footing again.” Brianna shook with anger, half hoping he would push her so she could show him.
“You think that you're a challenge for eighty trained soldiers, even without our magic?” Lyall said scornfully.
“Do you want to try us?” Brianna challenged. “Even if you do ultimately win, there are going to be losses. And none of that is going to help you figure out what is going on here.”
She hoped it would work, hoped Lyall hadn't changed so much that he wouldn't care about the loss of his men.
She was relieved to see him check. “How will you do that without admitting that you too, are a mage?”
Brianna shrugged. “I'll just tell them I overhead you talking about it.”
Lyall stared at her for a moment, and she stared firmly back.
“So that's how it's going to be?” Lyall asked. “If I tell them about us, you'll tell them about the shield?”