With Dreams Only of You
Page 52
The one thing she wanted was the one thing he truly didn’t want to give.
Did he risk it? Did he risk keeping the sword to keep the woman he’d fallen in love with so impulsively and so powerfully? He wiped a hand over his face. There was really only one answer to that.
And he’d been a fool to not see it all along.
Chapter Twelve
Mac stared at the beautiful Elgin Marbles that lined the wall. They were something out of time. Stunning bodies captured in stone as if they’d been flesh. Frankly, it was like magic they were so lifelike. She almost expected one of the men to step down from his resting position and speak in ancient Greek. Jeez she needed to sleep.
She sat on the bench and stared. The marbles were a long way from home. It was impossible to look at them without thinking about the conflict. How’d they been carved out of the Parthenon about two hundred years ago and brought across Europe to this new home.
The Greeks were still trying to get them back and the British were having none of that.
It was hard to blame them. How could anyone let something so beautiful go?
Is that what was really happening with her and the ring? Maybe the sword too? They’d had such a profound effect on her that she couldn’t let them go?
No. It had to be more than that. There was something ancient at work here. Something she and James didn’t understand.
She closed her eyes, which was a mistake. Immediately, she could see the pain in his own gaze as he’d asked her if he was nothing compared to the sword and ring?
It hadn’t been what she’d meant to imply. But she had.
Someone sat beside her. No, not someone. Him.
She didn’t need to know it was James. Her body recognized just his presence. She didn’t know how. Maybe it didn’t matter, but every part of her cried out to be in his arms and for them to end this argument.
“Can you accept my apologies?” he asked.
She opened her eyes. “What?”
He folded his hands in his lap. “What you said about me? All too true. I tried to woo you the only way I know how and it was rather hollow wasn’t it?”
“No!” she cried out. “I’m the one who needs to apologize, now.”
His brows drew together, his face a map of confusion. “I don’t understand.”
“Look, last night meant so much to me. It did really and I don’t want you to think it didn’t.”
“But it was. . . Easy for me,” he said, facing her. “I thought I could awe you into loving me, I suppose.”
“Loving you?” she echoed softly.
He stared down at her, his hard face gentle with vulnerability. “Yes, MacKenzie O’Neil. Loving me.”
“We just met,” she protested.
He shrugged. “What of it. To quote your favorite poet, ‘Who ever loved that loved not at first sight?’.”
She let out an exasperated groan. “You’re quoting Shakespeare?”
“I can quote him all day long if you desire Mac. You do something to me I can’t explain. I recognize something in you, like a reflection of myself. I’ve never experienced this and I refuse to deny it. I think you feel it too.”
“I—James, it’s all so—”
His phone started to ring and she clamped her mouth shut.
He ignored the ringing. “What, Mac?”
She shook her head. “Check who it is.”
He studied her for a long moment, unyielding, but then he sighed. “If you insist.”
She licked her lips. “I do.”
He whipped his slim phone from his pocket then lifted it to his ear. “Dr. Welsh that was remarkably fast.”
Mac nearly jumped. She’d hoped it might be about the sword but she hadn’t quite believed it could be.
His eyes widened. “We’ll be up in a moment.”
“What?” Mac demanded.
James slid his phone back into his pocket, his face strangely pale. “I think I know why you’ve been dreaming about the sword.”
“Why?” she whispered.
“The ring, Mac.”
“I know my dreams are because of the ring,” she said simply.
He leveled her with a blunt look. “Did you know the ring and the sword belong together?”
The words hit her, making her feel as though her stomach had dropped to the floor. “What?”
“Come on. Dr. Welsh wouldn’t say more.”
Mac jumped to her feet and they both headed for the stairs.
“Finally,” she whispered.
And without even thinking, she took his arm and squeezed. They were going to figure this out together and that was the most wonderful feeling she’d known in a long time.
* * *
Dr. Welsh sat before her desk, staring down at the Gladius. She looked shell shocked.
“Dr. Welsh?” Mac prompted. Her own insides were still in absolute knots. She’d thought they’d have to wait all day, not just a few hours. Now, Dr. Welsh seemed to be absolutely tight lipped.
James sat down in the chair beside Mac and leaned forward. “Dr. Welsh are you unwell?”
“I’m not used to such synchronicity. It is exceptionally strange in my line of work.”
“How do you mean,” Mac prompted. She’d gotten used to the idea of weird celestial line-ups as soon as she’d shown up at James’ castle and seen Sir Eryx and Lady Frederica’s grave.
“Your ring. Its engraving says With Dreams Only of You.”
Mac nodded. “What of it?”
“You bring me a Roman Gladius and say you have no idea as to the engraving.” Dr. Welsh narrowed her eyes. “I don’t like to be made a fool of.”
James grew still, his voice low. “Dr. Welsh we are not playing you for any sort of fool. We’ve come here seeking answers.”
“Then I must tell you that this is what the Gladius’ markings reveal.” She shoved a piece of paper across the table. Large Times New Roman font filled the page.
Crimson and embers, my love for thee,
For eternity will it bind us.
In Elysium will I wait, my heart of fragile stars,
With dreams only of you.
Mac couldn’t catch her breath. Her fingers dug into her thighs and, for once, she felt as if the ring was burning into her skin, burning a hole into her chest. That wasn’t real. There was no burning hole in her skin. It was imagined and yet. . . Good God. Was that why she was here? A thousand plus year old memory?
With Dreams Only of You.
Dr. Welsh folded her hands together. “The saying is not common. It wasn’t as if the Romans used it. And you come in here with the ring and the sword. Both have one line in common engraved on them.”
“You’re saying they’re linked?” James said blankly.
“I could never make such a claim without much more investigation but I’m saying that this sort of coincidence is not normal.”
“They are linked,” Mac said suddenly.
James looked at her, his gaze penetrating.
“It explains everything. This is a woman’s ring, isn’t it Dr. Welsh?”
“That’s not my field, but given its size and delicacy, I would agree that, yes, it was made for a woman.”
“The Gladius was a soldier’s?”
Dr. Welsh nodded.
“These two things belonged to two people separated by thousands of miles.”
“Two people?” James echoed.
“A woman and a man.”
Dr. Welsh leaned back in her chair. “We don’t know if they’re from the same period—”
“I don’t need to know any more official things,” Mac broke in. “Thank you for your time, Dr. Welsh.”
Mac jumped up. “Bring the sword, please, James.”
“But I’d like to do further tests!” protested Dr. Welsh.
“That’s not necessary,” Mac said, heading for the door. “Come on James, we’re going home.”
A slow smile tilted James lips.
She knew why.
And despite what seemed like utter lunacy, in her bones, she knew it was true. His home was hers. Just like the ring’s home was with the sword.
Chapter Thirteen
It had taken them a week of intense work and calls to some of the world’s best craftsmen. Mac cupped the ring in her hand, waiting for James.
Just beside Sir Eryx and Lady Frederica’s tomb, they’d placed a simply carved, marble pedestal. On top of it was an inlaid, rosewood box lined with black velvet. James had flown it in from Positano, Italy.
It had been created specifically to the dimensions of the Gladius.
“Are you ready?” he asked. Each word seemed to echo off the stones of the crypt.
“Yes.” She’d never been more ready for anything in her entire life.
James stepped forward and gently placed the Gladius into the box. He glanced back at her.
Mac took in a shaking breath then stepped forward. She closed her eyes for a moment, embedding the feel of the ring in her mind. It had led her on an impossible and life changing journey.
Reverently, she placed it over the word Theodosia on the blade.
There was no thunder or lighting or songs from heaven, but the moment she released the ring onto the sword, her entire body lightened. She felt like she could take her first full breath in months.
James slid his hands about her waist and began, “Crimson and embers, my love for thee, For eternity will it bind us. In Elysium will I wait, my heart of fragile stars,”
A smile of contentment played at her lips as she joined him with the last phrase, “With dreams only of you.”
Together, they lifted the rosewood lid and gently set it atop the box.
After centuries, no millennia, apart, the Gladius and ring would rest together for as long as the castle stood. For as long as a de Reyne drew breath. Mac knew it in her heart.
She glanced to Sir Eryx and Lady Frederica holding hands. That’s where it had begun for James’ ancestors and she was so glad that the ring had brought her to him. If Sir Eryx hadn’t found the Gladius, she never would have met James. It was an astonishing thought.
Because even after just a few short days, it was impossible to imagine her life without him.
For years, she’d never let herself really trust anyone. She’d barely trusted Isabel, always waiting to be abandoned. But that had to end.
If Sir Eryx and Lady Frederica could love each other enough to change the lives of so many people so many hundreds of years later, and if this Roman couple that they would never truly know could bring all of them together in love, how could she ignore it?
She couldn’t.
It would be a betrayal of their memory. And for once, she was just going to have to trust that this was all meant to be.
So, she leaned her head back against James’ chest and there, in the presence of ancient, true love, she said, “I love you James, Lord Reign.”
He circled his arms tighter about her waist, pulling her against him until she gasped for breath.
“I love you, MacKenzie O’Neil. I love everything about you and you’re never going to leave my side. Ever.”
She smiled. “Just like them,” she agreed.
“Yes,” he replied “They’ve taught us something, haven’t they?”
She turned in his arms, sliding her hands up his strong shoulders. “True love cannot be denied.”
He leaned his head down, his lips lingering just above hers. “True love never ends.”
And as they kissed, she could feel the love of centuries bonding them and the blessings of the lovers that had carved the same path before.
Epilogue
One Year Later
“Good morning, my lady wife.”
Mac stretched and rubbed her face against James’ fantastically hard chest. She was in a massive, four poster bed, in a huge chamber, in their ancient castle, in England, married to the man she loved. Could life be any better? No. It couldn’t.
“How did you sleep?” he asked as he stroked his fingers through her sleep mussed hair.
She propped herself up and grinned. “Beautifully.”
“I wore you out, did I?”
She punched him lightly on the shoulder. “Hey now. Arrogance isn’t cute.”
“Arrogant?” he arched a black brow at her. “I am supremely confident. That is all.”
She laughed. He had good reason to be confident. She’d never been so happy to go to bed every night since that day a year ago when they interred the sword and ring.
Ever since then, she and James had been united in everything. Sure, they had arguments, and culture clashes, but nothing got in the way of their passion or love. Not for long.
The dreams had stopped but not before she’d had one last one.
The woman in her dream? She hadn’t been sobbing. She’d been walking through waving fields of grain, holding a broad shouldered man’s hand.
Elysium.
The woman and her lover, the ring and the sword, they were at peace in paradise.
After that, Mac had slept like a baby in James’ arms every night.
“Time to get up!” he said.
“Noooooo,” she groaned. She loved to loll about with him. She’d never realized what a cuddler she actually was.
He stroked his hands down her back. “Well, I suppose you might convince me to stay a little while longer.”
“Oh really?” she teased. “And how’s that?”
He grabbed her and rolled her onto her back in one swift move. As he gazed down at her, love shone from his eyes. “My darling Mac,” he said, “I’m sure you can think of something.”
The End
About the Authors
Thank you for reading this collection, WITH DREAMS ONLY OF YOU. We sincerely hope you enjoyed it. All of the contributing authors are bestselling in their genre and most are USA Today and/or NYT Bestsellers.
This collection was the brainchild of Regency Romance author Christi Caldwell. She approached Medieval Romance author Kathryn Le Veque with the idea of a multi-genre collection based on the same theme, but she left it up to Kathryn to come up with the theme. Kathryn developed the concept of the Gladius, wrote the prologue, and the poem. Kathryn and Christi then pulled together some of the top authors in their respective genres to complete this uniquely romantic collection. Was the sword cursed? It seemed as if the sword was whatever the owner felt it was – a curse or a blessing. It was whatever was in their heart.
Kathryn, Christi, Suzan, Eliza, Cynthia, and Eva have vast and wonderful libraries individually, so please check out their websites for more information on their catalogue of books as well as future releases.
Kathryn Le Veque
Kathryn Le Veque website
Christi Caldwell
Christi Caldwell website
Cynthia Wright
Cynthia Wright
Eliza Knight
Eliza Knight website
Suzan Tisdale
Suzan Tisdale Website
Eva Devon
Eva Devon on Goodreads
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Collection Contents
Part One: Prologue
Part Two: With Dreams
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Part Three: Isle of the Blessed
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Part Four: Eternally Bound
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Part Five: Heart of Fragile Stars
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Part Six: My Love for Thee
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Part Seven: Only Of You
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Epilogue
About the Authors