by Rinelle Grey
Why? Why did she feel bad? It wasn’t like Brianna hadn’t slept with the mage prince before. Had a child with him as well. They were all but married. They would be if it wasn’t for that stupid law. A law that was probably made out of spite or jealousy or power grabbing. A law that had caused so much misery, and not just for them. It was a law that should be overturned.
“Don’t be silly. You and Brianna can have the bed. Terion and I can sleep in with the girls for a night. Poor Brianna gets child duty often enough,” she said firmly.
Brianna stared at her, then threw her arms around her, half strangling her. “Thank you!” she mumbled into her hair.
“Don’t be silly,” Mianna said roughly. “It’s no different than what you’ve done for me all these years. The two of you deserve to be together as much as Terion and I do.”
“Thank you,” Lyall said seriously. And he smiled.
It was easy to see what Brianna saw in him. He was certainly handsome enough, even worn and blood-spattered as he was. But her sister wasn’t one to be won over by a pretty face. It would have been his sensitivity, and his willingness to accept change and uncertainty that had convinced Brianna he was the one for her. He was like Kylis had been, in some ways, though a lot more mature.
Perfect for Brianna.
But not for her. He was too intense, too wild, for what she wanted. She turned and smiled at Terion. She already had the perfect husband.
*****
Brianna helped Lyall into one of Terion’s spare shirts and then insisted he lay back on the pillows. His colour was better now, but she still didn’t trust it. He had been dead, his breath and heartbeat had stopped. That he was alive at all was a miracle.
That he was here, in bed, and she was about to climb in beside him, was impossible to take in. She hadn’t expected this to ever happen, especially not with her twin’s knowledge and acceptance. She had no idea where things would go tomorrow, and didn’t even want to think of the coming battle and the possibility that none of them would make it out alive. For now, she intended to enjoy this one night. To pretend that she and Lyall were husband and wife and were entitled to do things like sleep in the same bed together.
Not that anything would happen tonight. With the impending threat of the trolls, and his weakened state, they needed to sleep. Snuggling next to him would be enough.
If they defeated the trolls, there would be plenty of time for everything else later. She ignored the presence of Lyall’s father and his mages outside the village walls. She could only deal with one problem at a time, and right now, the trolls were more of a threat.
“It was kind of your sister, suggesting we share a bed tonight,” Lyall said softly.
Gratitude towards Mianna overflowed Brianna’s heart. “Yes, it was. She’s the best.” She pulled back the covers and slid in beside Lyall, a tingle running through her where her leg touched his.
Lyall opened his arms, and she snuggled into them. He pulled her tightly against his chest and kissed her hair.
Despite her insistence that tonight would be about nothing but snuggling, every place her body touched his felt like it was on fire. There was something intimate about sharing the soft feather bed with Lyall, even though they were both still fully clothed. His lips on her forehead were soft and warm, and his hand drifted down to the curve of her buttocks, reawakening feelings she hadn’t experienced since she’d left.
“I want you,” Lyall breathed into her hair. His voice was uncertain, as though asking her permission.
“We should sleep, you were dead earlier,” Brianna joked, but her breath caught on the words.
“I feel fine now. More than fine.” Lyall nudged his hips against hers.
Brianna groaned. She wanted nothing more than to forget about talking and just experience this moment. But that moment of fear, when she had thought he was dead and she’d never see him again, wouldn’t leave her. “Are you sure it won’t… well… hurt you?”
Lyall laughed softly, one hand caressing her hair, the other her thigh. “You’ve done an excellent job of healing me. I promise I’m fully functional.”
Still she hesitated. It seemed so impossible that he could have recovered so completely from the wounds he had received. That she could have been the one who had done it. “But what if I made a mistake? What if I did something wrong?”
“Then I wouldn’t be here,” Lyall said simply.
That thought started the tears flowing. “I thought you weren’t going to be,” Brianna sobbed, clutching at him as though she never wanted to let him go. “I thought you were dead.”
Lyall held her gently, stroking her hair. “It’s all right,” he said soothingly. “Let it all out.”
Brianna sobbed out the agony of the evening, the fear of the trolls and the worry about tomorrow morning. She’d never been one to cry, she’d always held it in, and even more so since returning to her village to find her mother dead. She’d needed to be strong for Mianna, not to let those fears and weakness show, or her twin would fall apart.
But she didn’t need to be strong for Lyall. He was strong enough for both of them. He was a powerful mage, and he didn’t seem to be afraid of anything, even the thought of dying. That thought brought fresh tears. What if she were to lose him, now, after just winning her sister’s support for the relationship? Or what if they made it through this battle only to have her village, or his father, insist that it was all or nothing—a twin marriage, or none?
“What are we going to do?” she sobbed, not having the energy to explain, her words encompassing all her fears at once.
“We’re going to get a good night’s sleep so that we have the energy to face those trolls in the morning.” Lyall’s voice was matter of fact, and it made Brianna smile. She probably would have used the same words on Mianna.
She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “What if we lose?”
Lyall’s arms stiffened around her, then relaxed. “Then there is nothing more we can do.”
Blunt. Honest. And terrifying. “What about the village? The rest of the world?”
“My father will have to deal with that, not us.”
Brianna drew in a shaky breath. She voiced her worst fear. “What if you die and I live? Like Kylis.”
There was a long pause. “Is Kylis the one you and Mianna were going to marry?”
Brianna nodded. Strangely enough, though a sadness filled her heart, the memory brought no fresh tears. “He died fighting the trolls. I wasn’t allowed to go, or I would have fought at his side. Mother said that since Mianna and I would rule the village if anything happened to her, that we needed to stay at home.”
Lyall’s hand reached up to stroke her cheek. “Do you miss him?” he asked softly.
“Every day. But it hurts a little less now.” She’d never forget Kylis. He’d been her best friend. They’d planned so many wonderful things together. Things that would have meant she’d never have met Lyall. Or if she had, that none of this would ever have happened.
Would things have been different if he’d lived long enough for her and Mianna to marry him? She would have still been here when the village was attacked, she wouldn’t have missed out on that battle, a thought that still haunted her. But could she really have changed the outcome? Or would she just have died trying, leaving her twin alone and her village defenceless?
She certainly wouldn’t be here with Lyall now. And she knew for a certainty that nothing but magic was ever going to stop the trolls for good.
Still, she shied away from the fact that Kylis’s death had been best in the long run. She didn’t want to think that thought.
“I promise you, I won’t leave you alone,” Lyall’s voice interrupted her thoughts. His hand still stroking her hair brought her back to the present, to her fears right now.
“I don’t think you actually get a choice in that,” she joked.
Lyall’s lips brushed her hair. “No, we don’t get a choice, not anymore.”
A fear stirr
ed at his words. “What do you mean?”
“We’re all connected now, all four of us. If one of us dies, I don’t think the rest of us will survive. The bond doesn’t work like that.”
Brianna remembered the stories about the twin bond. If one twin died, the other followed. Did the same hold true for the marriage bond? She tested the strength of her feelings for Lyall, remembering the moment she had thought he was dead. The moment he had been dead. She’d been frantic, devastated, but she hadn’t felt like dying.
“I don’t think it works like that. Not when we’re all separate like this,” she mussed.
“What do you mean?” Lyall asked sharply.
Brianna reached up a hand to cup his cheek. “If you died, I’d miss you terribly, and it would leave a huge hole in my heart.” She paused, considering, but the truth was inescapable. “A much bigger one than when Kylis died. But even so, I don’t think I’d die. I didn’t feel that way when you died tonight. I think it might be because of Mianna. Our bond would hold me together.”
“And Terion would hold her together…” Lyall said slowly. “The more I look at this arrangement, the more I can see that we are far stronger this way. With the twin marriage, all an opponent had to do was take out one person and he took them all out. This way, we remain strong, even if one of us dies.”
A tiny fear eased its grip on her heart. “If one of us dies, the other three can still defend the village.”
Lyall nodded. “With any luck, the trolls will be able to see that strength and they’ll retreat. I’m not sure even their numbers can stand against the four of us.”
Was it possible? Did they really stand a chance of defeating the trolls? For good? The idea seemed impossible, but then, so did the idea that she would be here in bed with Lyall. And yet, here she was.
She reached out to feel his chest, firmer and harder than she remembered. He had changed in the last few years in more ways than one. Her hand explored his chest, the firmness sending slivers of excitement through her body. She found one hard, tight nipple, and she rubbed it gently.
He groaned softly and pulled her closer. His lips brushed her neck, then his tongue.
Brianna shuddered. A small part of her held back, responsibility telling her they had a big day tomorrow. But then, wasn’t this a part of their day? This bond she and Lyall shared could help them defeat the trolls. They should make sure it was good and strong.
Her lips curved into a smile. Yes, that was a much better thought. She bent and found Lyall’s lips and claimed them with her own, kissing him with all the years of pent up passion. How many nights had she imagined just this moment?
Lyall’s hand brushed her side as it travelled up, and Brianna pressed her body against his. She needed to be closer to him, but their clothes were in the way, keeping them apart.
Not letting her lips separate from his, Brianna wriggled out of the skirt she wore. Lyall smiled as she tossed it over her shoulder. She had to break contact just for a moment to divest herself of her shirt, but that gave her a moment to look down at him.
The lamplight flickered, reflected in his eyes as he stared back at her, and Brianna’s breath caught in her throat. She refused to think about the morning, or how fleeting this moment was. Instead, she bent and kissed him again, her breasts brushing against his chest. Lyall’s arms pulled her down until she rested against him and his hand tangled in her hair.
Then he pulled back and Brianna moaned a protest. Until she realised that he was removing his clothes as hastily as she’d removed hers. Then she murmured in approval.
He took his own moment to look down at her, a smile curving his lips. His hand stroked the side of her face, brushing her hair out of her eyes. He slid down beside her and pulled her close to him, his body now free to slide against hers, warm and hard.
Brianna’s breathing quickened. She wanted this to last all night, and she wanted him now, inside her. It was the only way to be close enough to fulfil the desire coursing through her. The only way to complete the connection she craved.
She tugged at his hips, urging him closer and he groaned. Lying side by side, she hooked one leg over his hips, opening herself to him, and tugged him closer.
Lyall accepted her invitation, sliding closer to her, his hardness nudging at her folds. Anticipation built in her, and she wriggled her hips to the perfect position, moaning softly when he slid into her.
It was an intimate position with their legs tangled together and their hands free to roam each other’s body. Lyall rocked back and forth, alternating between kissing her hungrily and pulling back to stare into her eyes. Brianna’s hands ran over every part of him. She wanted to memorise this moment, to imprint it into the very core of her being, just in case. She wanted it to last forever.
But the desire building in her had other ideas. It had its own need and it was very insistent. Brianna groaned and rocked back and forth in time with Lyall, her breathing coming in short, sharp gasps. A sheen of perspiration coated his chest now, and he stared into her eyes, his expression intense. One hand cupped her cheek, and he moaned her name as he thrust into her.
Brianna answered in kind, and the urgency built in her, mirroring his own until it overflowed in an intense wave. Lyall shuddered against her, pulling her close, his lips finding hers and kissing her desperately.
She felt it then, the magic tug at her senses, flowing through both of them, almost like an expression of their love.
“Anna,” Lyall whispered softly.
“Lyall,” she murmured back, pulling him close to her.
His lips on hers were gentle now, their urgency satisfied. For now.
Brianna ran her hands over him, wishing she could preserve this moment, to hold it close to her, to keep her warm in future nights. Whatever they might bring.
“You can’t let her go in there, not when they’re both in the same bed.”
“Of course I can. He’s her father, remember?”
The whispered conversation outside his door pulled Lyall from sleep. Slivers of early morning light passed into the room through the closed shutter. He was aware of Brianna’s body curled around his. As the door creaked open, he had just enough time to be glad that they’d decided it was best to be dressed in case the trolls came.
Tiny feet pattered across the wooden floor, then Lylis heaved herself up on the end of the bed and regarded him solemnly.
Lyall couldn’t stop a slow smile spreading across his face. His daughter, named for him, even though he hadn’t been here at her birth. The thought caused a stab of guilt, but he had to remind himself that it hadn’t been by choice. If he had known…
“Wha you doin in bed wit my Mama?” The little stare was accusing and Lyall shifted uncomfortably.
“I… We…” Words failed him. How did you explain this to a child?
He was relieved when Brianna rolled over beside him and held out her arms to their daughter. “Lyall was hurt by the trolls, and I was just making sure he was alright while he slept,” she said.
Lylis gave him one last accusing stare and then threw herself into her mother’s arms, snuggling into the bed between them. Lyall smiled at Brianna over her head, and she smiled back.
“I’m going down to cook breakfast.” Mianna’s voice sounded totally normal through the partially ajar door.
It was almost possible to forget that there was a deadly threat, preparing for invasion just over the ridge. Lyall looked down at his family, the image warming him and sending him cold at the same time.
Could he keep them safe?
Never, in all his twenty-seven years, had he doubted his magic could protect him. But then again, he’d never seen a threat like these mages. The other mages had always seemed like a fairy tale, a story to frighten children at bedtime. He’d always half thought that they must have died or never existed in the first place.
Even when his father had said they’d sensed their magic, and that they were coming, he’d been sure they would be able to be reasoned with, n
egotiated with. But how did you negotiate with trolls? They didn’t even speak the same language.
A door crashed open below them. Mianna’s scream carried through the floorboards, followed by the childish scream of Kylis. Lyall’s heart froze. They’d be too late. By the time they made it down the stairs, Mianna, Terion and Kylis would be dead.
Brianna threw back the covers and jumped out of bed, grabbing the sword that stood against the wall. “Stay here,” she ordered Lylis. She turned and threw the gem to Lyall. No other screams followed the first. Had it really happened that fast?
Pausing just long enough to throw the blankets over the terrified child, Lyall raced down the stairs after Brianna, his heart thumping.
“Where is my son!” His father’s voice echoed through the small house.
Lyall froze, one foot half way down to the next step. Brianna turned to glare at him, her face pale.
Not trolls then.
“How dare you barge into my house like that and scare my daughter.” Mianna’s indignant voice made Lyall smile. She wasn’t any more afraid of his father than Brianna had been. And who would be, when the alternative was a troll?
He took in a shaky breath, trying to take in the fact that no one was in imminent danger of death. “You’d better go get Lylis, she’s probably scared to death,” he said quietly.
Brianna’s eyes widened, and she turned and took the stairs two at a time.
Lyall tucked the gem into his pocket and continued down the stairs at a more sedate pace this time.
By the time he reached the kitchen door, Brianna had joined him again, a scared looking Lylis clutching her around the neck. They exchanged one look before Lyall pushed open the kitchen door and stepped inside.
The scene made him grin. Mianna stood there, hands on her hips, a wooden spatula still held in one , glaring at his father who looked at a loss for words.
As soon as he saw Lyall though, his expression changed. “Just what do you think you’re doing, bedding women at a time like this? I gave you some time, because I thought this little temper tantrum of yours might give you an opportunity to get that gem, but you didn’t need all night. You should have been back at camp planning for the coming invasion. Do you want everyone in this village to die, followed by everyone on the mainland?”