by Jade White
“Oh,” Eleri said, blinking in surprise. That was not exactly what she had expected to hear. “What kind of apple it that?”
“Love, of course. People seek out this apple to win the object of their desire. It can make anyone fall deeply in love with whomever gifts it to them.”
“That seems.... evil. To trick someone into loving someone else, with magic,” Eleri said, shuddering. “Besides, I don’t need that. I already know that Carwin loves me, and I him. It won’t change anything.”
“Of course. I agree on both counts,” Rhiannon said. “But though that is what this apple is famed for, that is not its true use. The apple of love is meant to be shared. And when two people who love each other share this apple, it seals their bond, to death and beyond.”
“I don’t understand,” Eleri said, still frowning.
“It would be foolish to oppose Ceridwen directly, as I’m sure you are aware. For one thing, she is quite powerful, and for another, Carwin gave himself to her willingly. Oaths have power, and oath breakers often find that the world has turned against them. However, if you and Carwin are bound by the power of the apple, she will not be able to separate you. She can still take his life, but this way, you know he will be waiting for you when you go to the Ancestors, and in every life you choose to live thereafter.”
Eleri sighed. It wasn’t what she wanted to hear, but it certainly wasn’t nothing. “Thank you, Lady Rhiannon. It is an amazing gift.”
The goddess smiled again. “It will aid you in this life as well. No matter where you go, you will always be able to find each other. And even when you are apart, you will be together in dreams. However, that is not the only gift I have for you.” She held up two more apples, one bright red and one gold. “These are the apples of health and life. Although I still believe it would be foolish to attempt to interfere with Carwin’s oath, you may find a use for them.”
Eleri was too dumbfounded to speak. When she composed herself enough to talk again, Rhiannon explained the finer details of using these special apples, and around sunset, one of the handmaidens led her out of the orchard and back to the palace gate. “Do you know your way back, my Lady?” she asked, with a voice high and clear as a bell. “I believe your companion is waiting on the beach.”
Carwin. Eleri’s heart swelled with emotion at the thought of seeing him again. They had only been separated a few hours, but it felt like much longer. “Thank you. I think I remember the way.” She went as fast as she could without actually running, and just as the handmaiden had reported, Carwin was standing on the beach, just outside the reach of the waves. His back was to her, but she could see the tension in his posture. Whatever he was thinking about, it was so absorbing he didn’t notice her approach until she laid her hand on his shoulder.
He drew in a startled breath but immediately turned and pulled her into his arms. “Beloved, I am so sorry.”
CHAPTER 12
He was holding her so tightly it was almost uncomfortable. “Carwin, what...?” Eleri didn’t know what he thought he had to apologize for.
“I saw them,” he said, tears shining in his eyes. “Our children. They were beautiful, Eleri. We grew old together; we had grandchildren. It was everything I ever wanted, and I turned away.”
Eleri sighed and kissed his cheek. What could she say? Reliving the memory felt like a knife to her heart. “I saw them too, Carwin. The Well must have offered us the very same thing.”
He pulled back to look her in the eyes. “You refused, too. I...” He turned away again, facing the sea but holding her tight against his side. “I assumed the Well was lying, tricking me. That’s the only reason I said no. They only reason I could bear it. But Manwydan told me afterward that it was true. They would have sheltered us, but I gave up that chance. I suppose it was the same for you.”
She hesitated, wondering if hearing the answer would be more helpful than it was hurtful, but after a moment of consideration, she decided on the truth. “I knew it wasn’t a trick,” she admitted. Carwin gaped at her.
“But why? Didn’t you want...?” He shut his mouth rather abruptly, perhaps seeing her expression turning stormy.
“Of course, I want that, Carwin. Don’t be daft,” she said with a scowl. “But I don’t think you really would have chosen to give up if you were given a moment to think about it. We could stay here and be happy and safe, but think about all the innocent people back home, like our friends at the temple. You know Dywell isn’t just going to sit in my lands and take a holiday. Probably someone else could stop him, eventually, but you have been granted power that most people don’t have. If you didn’t use it to stop that monster, I think you would regret it.”
He let out a long, slow, breath. “You’re right, of course. Sometimes I forget how strong you are, how selfless. You say I would have chosen the same, but I’m not sure. I don’t want others to get hurt. I don’t want to be the cause of some magical war either, but when I look at you, none of those other things seem important. It hurts to know that I gave up the one chance we might have had.”
Eleri turned into his arms, reaching up to caress his cheek. “I love you, Carwin, and I’m not going to give up just yet. In fact, I have something for you.” She took the apple of love out of her pocket. This close, the enticing smell made it difficult to think.
“Where did you get that?” Carwin said, his voice suddenly hoarse, and his pupils widening in response to the power of the apple.
She took a small step back, putting some space between them in the hopes of allowing him to think clearly while she explained further. “Rhiannon gave it to me. If we share it...” She swallowed. What if Carwin didn’t want to be bound to her this way? Before she could react, he snatched the apple right out of her hand. She cried out in surprise, afraid of what would happen. If he ate the whole apple, it would all be for naught.
But his eyes were clear, and he gave her a gentle smile as he pulled a small knife from his pocket. “I know what it does, Eleri. Or at least, I can guess.” He sliced the apple into neat quarters and held one out to her. “Will you share this apple with me, my love?”
Their fingers brushed as she took it from his hand, and she found it strange that even after everything they had been through, such a simple touch could send a tingle all the way to her toes. She brought it to her mouth, breathing in the heady aroma before sinking her teeth into the crisp, juicy fruit. The crunch echoed in her skull, and the taste exploded onto her tongue, sweeter than honey, more intoxicating than wine, yet all she could think about in that moment was Carwin.
Memories of their time together played in her mind as she looked into his eyes. She could feel magic flowing through her, humming in her blood, sparking along every nerve, and he held up another piece of the apple. His fingers touched her lips as she took the fruit directly from his hand, and a sensual thrill fluttered behind her navel. Her heart was pounding as she swallowed the last piece of apple, and then Carwin’s mouth met hers in a bruising kiss.
His lips were sweet and fierce, demanding her surrender but giving everything in return. Her hands wound around his neck and into his hair, holding on for dear life as his mouth moved along her jaw. She could still feel the magic; she almost felt she could see it winding around them, drawing them together, and she eagerly pulled Carwin’s shirt over his head when he started to unwind her dress.
Warm evening air whispered over her bare skin, but she was more interested in the heat of Carwin’s hands upon her. She ran her fingers over his chest, and their lips met again, this time less savage and more tender, but still full of passion. His tongue slid between her lips, and she sucked lightly on it, feeling an encouraging shiver travel down his body in response.
The rest of her dress fell to the ground, and Carwin’s hands slid up her sides, leaving trails of goosebumps and heat in their wake. She pressed herself against him, slipping her hands down the back of his trousers, and he let out a breathless chuckle, knowing that at any moment she would comment about the un
fairness of being nude while he was not.
They kicked their shoes aside, and his pants hit the sand with a muffled slither of fabric. Then he scooped her into his arms.
“Have you ever been in the ocean, Eleri?” he said in a rough voice, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
She frowned up at him. “You know I haven’t, Carwin. But this hardly seems like the time for...” She didn’t even finish her sentence before he was running into the waves, despite her shrieks of protest. But when the water actually touched her skin, she was surprised to find that it was warm.
“Did you think I was going to drop you in?” he asked, his soft laughter vibrating in his chest. “I would never let anything happen to you, Eleri,” he said, setting her on her feet and kissing the back of her neck.
“I thought it would be cold,” she retorted. “Besides, it was a rather abrupt change in mood.” The sunset tinted the clouds crimson, and as a wave rolled past, it seemed to pass over and through them, pushing her back against Carwin’s chest, his fingers flexing on her hips. She felt the magic between them flare in response, so intense and primal it nearly took her breath away.
“Do you think so?” he murmured against the curve of her shoulder, and his teeth grazed over her skin, making her gasp as she felt molten heat shooting right to the core of her. “The water can make some things easier,” he said, spinning her around so that she looked right his eyes, dark with need. She met his kiss halfway. Their tongues twined together, still tasting faintly of apple, and another wave flowed against them.
Magic and desire awakened every part of her and magnified each sensation. Every touch fanned the flames that burned for him alone. Eleri could feel his hard length against her stomach. When she reached down and caressed it, Carwin moaned against her mouth and gripped her by the hips, lifting her without any effort. She wrapped her legs around his waist, sighing as she felt him slide up into her, filling her perfectly.
The water pulled at them like a caress as the wave ebbed, and they moved with the flow, slow at first but quickening as the pleasure intensified. Eleri felt the waves responding to their need, push and pull, catch and release, the spell winding around and through them until she was hovering on the edge of bliss.
Another wave crashed into them, and she felt herself unravel in his arms, a spiral of pleasure unspooling from her center and overwhelming her until she could do nothing but moan in ecstasy and writhe in his arms. He cried out her name as he found his release, and she swore she could feel his seed inside her, heat upon heat. She held onto his neck while her body quivered with the fading bliss, and Carwin pressed his brow to hers, drops of seawater glistening on his forehead. The ocean was now as calm and smooth as glass.
“That was interesting,” she finally managed to say. Carwin laughed loudly as they staggered back to the shore. Of course, a pile of blankets appeared just when they needed them, and they wrapped themselves up together and sat and watched the moon rise over the water.
“I feel like I should apologize to you, my love, for being so selfish,” he murmured into her hair. “I shouldn’t have allowed you to bind yourself this way. You deserve so much more than I can give.”
Eleri reached back to cup his cheek in her hand, “It was my choice, Carwin. I love you, and no matter what happens in this life, I want to be with you.”
“Eleri,” he said, his voice hoarse with emotion, “I have no words to tell you what that means to me. I never imagined that I could feel such love.” There was little else that could be said, and neither of them felt like breaking the mood to speak about what would happen next. The stars blazed brightly overhead, and the sound of the waves was almost as soothing as the way their hearts beat in perfect time. Eleri only realized she’d gone to sleep when she felt Carwin lift her and carry her to bed.
******************************
It was difficult to get up the next morning. Eleri snuggled into the warmth of Carwin’s body, and he murmured quiet endearments into her hair, neither of them wanting to face the inevitable. But hunger finally drove them to greet the day, now well-advanced, and they were still eating breakfast when Dylan arrived.
“I should have guessed you’d be slow this morning,” he said with a toothy grin. “The waves were quite turbulent last night, were they not?” Eleri tried to hide her face behind her mug when she felt the heat rising in her cheeks, but Carwin only arched an eyebrow, attempting to feign innocence despite his satisfied smile.
“If you didn’t want me to know about your amorous exploits, you should avoid doing them in the ocean,” the brown-skinned youth replied, winking cheekily.
Eleri waved her cup at him threateningly. “You’d better quit before I throw something which tragically hits you in the face. I assume you came for a reason other than tasteless jokes.”
“Ancestor, you are a feisty one,” Dylan said, somewhat gleefully. “But yes. I came to summon you to see the Lord and Lady. You must all speak together about what is to come next. Since I doubt you two were speaking about much of anything yesterday.” He caught the cup as it sailed toward his head and grinned. “At your convenience, of course, though I wouldn’t advise keeping them waiting too long.”
They hurriedly dressed and made their way to the gate where Dylan was waiting for them. “What did you find out about Dywell?” Eleri asked Carwin as they walked hand in hand.
“I was planning on telling you, but something distracted me,” he said, squeezing her hand and flashing a lopsided smile. “The vision was a bit confused, but it seems that after his son died, Dywell summoned a pouca.”
“A pouca? Why? I thought they were friendly spirits? In tales, they’re always a little mischievous but harmless.”
“You’re right. It seems that initially, Dywell bargained with the pouca to fetch a magical item for him. A good idea. Pouca are shapeshifters and have some powerful magic of their own, but they’re weak-willed and have a tenuous grasp on morality. It’s only too easy for unscrupulous people to convince them to take things that would otherwise be unattainable.”
“So, did Dywell get the item? What was it?” she asked, frowning.
“The vision wasn’t clear about what the item was, though Manwydan seemed to know. The important thing is that Dywell did receive it, and then he used the magic of the item to bind the pouca. That’s how he’s extended his life and gained so much magical power; he’s using the pouca as a connection to the Otherworld.”
“That’s awful.” It was bad enough that Dywell had exploited the spirit’s naiveté to do his dirty work, but apparently, he had also betrayed and imprisoned it.
“Yes, but that isn’t the worst of it. Manwydan believes that the reason it took Dywell so long to do anything after he killed my family is because the man and the pouca have been fighting for control. They are basically two spirits sharing the same body, and they were in some disagreement about what should be done. I assume the pouca wanted to be freed. But now, either the pouca has lost the battle, or the two spirits have come to an agreement. Either way, so much time surrounded by evil has corrupted the pouca, and it is now as bad as a mad dog.”
“You’re saying we have to destroy it? That seems cruel, after everything it has been through. None of this is the pouca’s fault,” she said, a little fiercely.
Carwin raised an eyebrow. “It is tragic, but whatever it once was, it is evil now. The pouca killed your family and everyone in that keep, and we don’t even know why. If we don’t stop it, who knows what else it will do?” He squeezed her hand. “In any case, Manwydan gave me no advice on how to handle the matter, so I assume that’s what we’re going to discuss today.” Eleri sighed, her lips pursed in annoyance. If the pouca had killed her family... But it still felt wrong to punish the creature after how much it must have suffered.
Dylan led them to the throne room again but did not go inside with them. “I don’t want to have anything to do with the problems of the mortal world, thanks very much. I’ve had my fill.” So they approached the L
ord of the Sea and the Queen of the Land alone.
“I see you have already made good use of my gift,” Rhiannon said, and unlike Dylan, there was no mockery in her tone. Eleri smiled, even though the knowledge that everyone on Afallach knew what they’d been up to last night made her want to sink into the floor.
“Hmmm,” Manwydan said, gazing at them thoughtfully. “We’ll see what Ceridwen makes of that, but we have more pressing matters to discuss. I assume you both still intend to confront Dywell as soon as possible?” They practically tripped over each other’s words in their haste to answer, but their plans had not changed. “Very well,” Manwydan said, and Eleri thought she saw the ghost of a smile cross his stern features.
“In that case, my Lady and I have conferred, and we believe there are two options for defeating the creature known as Dywell once and for all. The obvious one is to destroy him. You will need a special blade for the task, which we will make for you here. Killing Dywell’s body with this enchanted dagger will sever the spirit from the body and destroy it so that it cannot inhabit another form. It is the surest way to prevent this creature from causing any more harm.”