"So, did you find a different perspective?"
"Not exactly. But I heard something interesting at the last tavern."
"If it's the ballad about The Friendliest Maiden in Thierra, you really shouldn't be frequenting those sorts of places."
Yve's smile was warm and genuine. He hadn't seen this side of her before. Playful and amused looked inviting on her. Maddyn stared a little too long, knowing that making her smile, making her relaxed and free, was something he was going to work to attain again and again.
"No, I didn't hear that particular ballad. You'll have to sing it for me sometime."
The pretty blush and shocked expression weren't quite as good as the smile, but Maddyn enjoyed it anyway.
"It was Tale of the Last King."
"But that's about the lost sword of King Mathias."
"Yes. I heard a dozen versions of it last night. But one had a little extra added at the end. After the overthrow of the usurper, the new prince takes the throne."
Maddyn paused, letting the memory settle in his mind so he could quote it properly.
"And the Kelan spoke. 'The Sword is gone. The Way is closed. For now. But when darkness creeps across the land again, a daughter of the Kelan's gift will stand at the center and know the Goddess again. The Way will open. And, in time, the prince will seek the Sword. If he survives, a king will once again rule Galwei.'"
"Oh." Yve breathed out a thoughtful sigh. "I've heard that tale a thousand times, but the focus is always on the king and the missing sword. I don't think anyone ever remembers the Kelan is even mentioned in it."
Yve fingered the medallion at her neck and repeated, "'Stand at the center and know the Goddess.'"
"Does it mean something to you?"
"If you'd asked me yesterday, I'd have said no." Yve let go of the medallion, hands slipping to the chain so she could take the necklace off. Turning it over in her hand, she showed Maddyn the inscription on the back.
"What's it say?"
"I don't know. It's written in the same ancient language as some of the more obscure prayers. Only the highest levels of Order members learn. I asked Brynna to teach me, but I didn't want to risk showing this to her. Not yet. So far, the only words I recognize are knowledge, sacred and Goddess."
She pointed to a word at the end of the inscription. "This is the word for knowledge and the word for Goddess run together like one word. I doubt anyone would forget to leave a space between words. But maybe its meaning is less literal."
"But you think it translates to something like 'know the Goddess'?"
Yve shrugged, biting her lip with uncertainty. "Maybe. I don't know enough to understand what any of this means. I'm not trained or prepared for any of this. I'm not even sure I should be telling you what little I've learned. Mother Orra had to know what this said. She could have told you at any time. But she didn't. Maybe I shouldn't be, either."
Her hand clenched around the medallion in her hand, knuckles whitening at the desperation in her grip.
Her anger and fear and distress hit Maddyn in waves, and he couldn't let her endure the flood of anguish alone.
He cupped her hand with both of his, keeping his hold light and easily broken if the was what she wanted.
"The matriarch told you to trust the gift and trust in yourself. What are your instincts telling you?"
She took a deep breath and stared hard into his eyes, but the hand under his relaxed.
"Is it instinct telling me to trust you? Or is it the bond?"
"Does it matter? I can't hide my reactions or emotions from the bond. If I was being duplicitous, you'd feel something off. And, despite what it feels like lately, moon-bonds are rare. The Goddess wouldn't have tied you to me if I was a threat to you or her. And she wouldn't have led Orra to make you Kelan if there wasn't a purpose to all of this."
They were so close, her hand tucked in his, her face tilted up, lips parted. Maddyn couldn't resist the pull of need echoing between them.
He closed the distance, mouth resting lightly against hers. Careful, gentle he pressed soft kisses until a sigh parted Yve's lips and she was moving closer, deepening the kiss and sinking her body against his.
In a heartbeat, the moment shifted from gentle exploration to heated, engulfing embrace. The medallion fell to the floor when Yve wrapped herself closer. Maddyn closed his eyes and lost himself in the joy consuming the bond until the world shrank down to just the two of them.
-8-
YVE woke slowly, languid and rested and content in a way she hadn't been for days. Strong arms wrapped her in a cocoon of respite and safety. The warmth of Maddyn's slow, even breaths was soothing on her neck, the rhythm lulling her into a sweet, easy half-sleep.
For the first time, Yve felt as if she was where she belonged. No doubt, no comparisons, no recriminations.
A worm of reality crawled through the cloud of contentment, however. The happiness, the closeness, the acceptance, probably even the attraction Maddyn felt for her must come from the bond. And when they didn't complete it, when they allowed the connection to fade and fail, all of those warm, peaceful feelings would disappear.
For a moment, Yve let her mind wander, let the lassitude allow her to daydream. Imagined what it would be like if Maddyn stayed. If he chose to meet her in the Centrum, with the moon shining in on them and allowed the bond to tie them together forever.
But he couldn't stay, any more than she could go. She had made a promise to Mother Orra and she would keep it. He had a mission, one that could see the world plunged into war, or worse, if he failed.
With a sigh, Yve pushed back the last of the reverie along with the blankets and slid out of bed.
Padding as silently as possible across the floor, Yve found her discarded nightgown first and slipped it on. On the way to her wardrobe for a robe, her toe bumped into the cold metal of the medallion, stopping her in her tracks.
She clutched at her bare neck, heart hammering with the realization that the pendant wasn't where it was supposed to be. Frantically scooping it up, she slipped the chain over her head, allowing its already familiar weight to strengthen her resolve. Maddyn and their connection were too tempting, too distracting. That she could treat the most important artifact of the Order so cavalierly was proof that she couldn't allow herself to be distracted by Maddyn or the bond. Or her own growing feelings.
"Yve?"
Maddyn's voice rumbled sleepily, his arm stretching out toward her in clear invitation back to bed. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, steeling herself against the impulse to do just that.
"You have to get up and get dressed. You have to go. Now."
Stubbornness chased away sleepy confusion from his eyes and he sat up, letting the blankets fall away without shame.
"Why?"
Yve stared at the sleek, smooth muscle. Remembered the feel of him under her hands. The taste of his skin on her lips.
Turning away from the temptation she reached for her robe.
"It's almost dawn, and some of the Elders will be heading for breakfast soon."
"So? Your Order isn't a chaste one. I've heard plenty of intriguing stories about Seryts and Kelans since I've been here."
The amusement in his voice echoed along the bond and sparked a flame of anger in her. Yve pulled the robe tight around her like a shield and turned to glare at Maddyn.
"None of those Kelans went straight from novitiate to leading the Order with no training," Yve snapped. "And I bet none of those stories involved inviting a foreign man she barely knew into the heart of the Temple. Against one of our oldest rules."
"You do know me," he insisted, and it took all of her resolve to soften at the hint of hurt in his voice. To stay still and unmoved when he stood up and crossed the room to plant himself in front of her.
"You know me," he repeated. "You can feel what I feel. You've heard me talk about my family. I know your grief. We share a moon-bond."
Yve sighed and let herself lean into him, for just one
more moment. "Yes. I know. But they don't know that. They can't know that. They can't know about this."
She waved her hand, encompassing the rumpled bed and Maddyn's still gloriously naked body.
"They don't respect me. They don't trust me. I need their loyalty and faith if I'm going to keep my promise to Mother Orra. If they find out we have a bond, they'll question even more if I am acting for the good of the Order or if I'm acting because of my connection to you. If they find out you're here, where you should never have been, they'll never trust my judgment."
He stared, silent and assessing, for so long, she braced herself for another argument.
Instead, he stroked his hand along her jaw, tilting her face to press a soft, promising kiss.
"I'll go," he murmured, shifting away to gather his clothes where they were scattered across the floor.
Yve dropped her eyes but indulged in a peek or two as he dressed. The sinking disappointment was ridiculous since she was the one who told him to go. But what she said and what she wanted were two separate things.
Finished dressing, Maddyn stopped moving, standing still and tense next to the bed, head tilted like he was listening. Or waiting for Yve to change her mind. To tell him to stay.
She wanted to. And the longer he stayed, the more her resolve weakened
He had to go.
Now.
Unwilling to risk giving into temptation another moment, Yve hurried to the door.
"Yve, wait," Maddyn moved to stop her, but her hand was already on the latch.
With a swift tug, she pulled the door open wide.
And froze.
Elder Seryt Gyrt and another Seryt stood on the landing of the stairs. Both heads swiveled toward the sound of the door. Identical expressions of shock bloomed when they saw Maddyn looming behind her. The situation would have been comical if it were happening to anyone else.
Instead, Yve’s stomach churned in anticipation of the scene to come.
Gyrt's expression stretched from shocked surprise to a scowl that pulled the lines of her face nearly straight.
Sending a silent prayer to the Goddess for patience and restraint, Yve squared her shoulders and stepped to the side. Schooling her features into her best imitation of haughty and unconcerned, she waved Maddyn through with an imperious gesture.
"How dare you?" Gyrt demanded in a scandalized screech. "It's bad enough you usurp the Kelan's title and poorly imitate your betters, but this? Now you flaunt your utter ignorance of your position. Parade your unsuitability like a common--"
Maddyn growled, pushing past Yve with fury in his eyes.
The elder's mouth snapped shut, fear replacing her disgusted disdain.
Yve put her hand on his arm and pulsed her desperate need to deal with this herself along the bond. For a moment, she worried he'd ignore her and make things worse in his chivalrous duty to protect her.
But he surprised her by reining in his temper. With a delicate touch, he brushed his fingers over hers and gave her a soft smile.
Then he turned, heated glare cowing even Gyrt as he walked passed the Seryts and swept regally down the stairs.
"If you’re finished screeching like a harridan, we'll have breakfast then an Order meeting in the meditation chamber."
Before the elder broke into full voice again, Yve swirled back into her room and closed the door firmly behind her.
Then leaned hard against it, breath coming in great gasping gulps as she tried to figure out what she could possibly say or do to mitigate the impending showdown.
*****
Maddyn kept a cold glare focused on Gyrt and the other Seryt until he brushed passed them and descended the stairs with deliberate, unhurried steps.
Once beyond the Temple and into the relative privacy of the gardens, however, the disdain fell away. Maddyn's head dropped forward, and his hand rubbed hard at the back of his neck. This wasn't how any of this was supposed to go.
He was supposed to come to Galwei, make sure Daen was aware of Hafgan and Tresk's designs on the shrine and move on.
There wasn't supposed to be a debate about whether or not there even was a shrine. There wasn't supposed to be an assassin.
There wasn't supposed to be a moon-bond.
There wasn't supposed to be Yve.
He'd never expected to long for love or permanence. To want her. To want the bond.
Maddyn had been happy for Caer when the bond struck him. He'd encouraged his foster brother to go back, to make things right with Lia. Underneath Caerwyn's long quest for revenge, there had always been an underlying longing for something more. Lia fit the space perfectly.
Maddyn had never expected to find that empty yearning in himself. Maddyn had spent his entire life focused on protecting and caring for his brothers. It had been his responsibility to keep them safe and happy. He always figured they'd settle down one day, and he'd continue to watch over them. Be a favorite uncle. Continue to be the big brother, always there to lean on, no matter how old they got.
He considered it his job to be their foundation. He never expected to find someone he longed to share his burdens with.
He didn't need to. He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, his family, and the whole continent if it came to that. He didn't need, didn't want, the vulnerability of sharing his life with someone else.
That Yve felt the same way should be a relief. It shouldn't be a knife in his heart.
Getting out of her room before being discovered should have been Maddyn's first priority, too. Instead, he'd only been thinking about seducing her back to bed. He'd been so focused on her and the turmoil of his feelings, he missed all the evidence of his senses. He should have known the others were in the hall long before it was too late.
And that complete and total lack of awareness shook him to the core. Phelan was out of touch. Ranulf was in the Isle, his only aid a man who'd despised the Hounds since they were children. Caerwyn should be safe with Lia in Hara Dale, but Hafgan had already infiltrated the valley once.
The sorcerer could have spies anywhere. And Maddyn was stuck here, in Galwei. He couldn't afford to be tied here for long. He needed to find a way to complete his mission soon. Before he failed his family.
It had been his self-imposed role to protect and watch over his brothers from the time they were children. He couldn't look after them if he anchored himself here.
A rush of nerves and irritation shivered through him when he stepped into the Keep, making Maddyn growl. It was so real, so powerful, he would have sworn it was his own emotion if it didn't have a distinctly Yve essence to it. The bond was getting stronger.
Moving deeper into the Keep, he headed to Daen's study with single-minded determination. He needed to see Daen, figure out the irritating enigma of the Labyrinth and then get out of Galwei altogether. Before he found himself so attached, he never wanted to go.
Maddyn growled again, louder, and a passing page startled at the sound. Then the boy did a double-take, staring at the rumpled, coarse workmen's clothes from the night before. Made worse by having been hastily thrown on as he was all but pushed out of Yve's door.
With a sigh, Maddyn shifted his destination to the east wing and his temporary quarters. He needed to clean up and change, or Daen's fussy, fastidious seneschal wasn't going to let him anywhere near the prince.
*****
Yve took her time getting ready. She carefully shook out her favorite dress, double checked her shoes for scuffs and tugged at her hair until it looked somewhat tame. She used the reprieve to take deep, calming breaths. No matter how hard she tried, though, she couldn't come up with a reasonable explanation for a having a man, a stranger to Galwei, in the sacred inner sanctum of the Temple.
Elder Seryt Gyrt was right. The gift and the title of Kelan was wasted on her. But she needed to keep her promise anyway.
The bed, still rumpled and unmade, mocked her from the center of the room. The more she tried to ignore it, the more her eyes were drawn to it. The mor
e the memories of the night before swamped her. Every gentle touch. Every soft whisper. Every searing kiss.
It was all burned into memory. Into her heart. As much as she knew she should, Yve couldn't bring herself to regret a moment of it. Whatever she faced when she walked out her bedroom door, it was worth it to have those memories. To have the reminiscence of heat, devotion, reverence, and pleasure to hold onto long after he was gone.
But she joined the Order to make a difference, even knowing the stories her gran told her were nothing like the reality of a Seryt's life, now. It had been both a fulfilling joy and depressing frustration to be allowed to join and yet never quite fit in. To brush against the dreams of her childhood yet not quite find them in her life.
Now, though, as Kelan, Yve actually had a chance to do something important. To make a difference to her kingdom. To serve her people as more than spiritual guide or educator. So, as breathtaking as her one night with Maddyn was, it was all she could allow herself.
With a final sigh, Yve lifted her chin, squared her shoulders. Ready to deal with the fallout, she walked out of her bedroom. And immediately stumbled over the threshold.
Righting herself, Yve twisted to look around her. Of course, Brynna and two other Seryts stood at the head of the stairs, all eyes on her.
"Are you all right, Mother Yve?" Brynna asked politely.
Yve still wasn't used to hearing the honorific applied to her. From the titter of unease, neither were the other Seryts.
"Fine, thank you," she answered firmly and tried not to see the various looks of doubt, amusement, and apprehension.
Tension ran through breakfast, eyes darting toward her only to skitter away when she saw them looking.
Conversation had stopped when she'd walked into the room, and hardly a murmur had been uttered since. Obviously, Gyrt hadn't wasted any time in spreading the most recent, salacious gossip proving Yve unfit for the role she'd usurped.
Enna sat next to her in silent support and Yve was grateful for it. With all that had happened in a few short days, she'd barely seen her best friend. Yve really hoped that wasn't a sign of life to come as the Kelan. Alone and constantly aware of her position and the expectations of others.
By Destiny Bound (The Lost Shrines Book 2) Page 10