by Donna Grant
She laughed and sat down opposite him. “How long are you staying?”
“So you admit to it really being me?”
She shrugged. “I hope it is. Now, how long are you staying?” she asked again.
“How ever long it takes.”
“For what?”
He sat down the goblet and held her gaze. “To convince you to come back with me.”
She lowered her eyes. “I will never return.”
“Why?” he asked. “You belong there.”
“Belong there?” She rose to her feet and began to pace. “Do I belong with the people I betrayed?”
He quickly went to her and took her by the shoulders. “You belong in the glen. You are a Druid priestess, Moira.”
“That’s not reason enough. I’m happy here.”
He swallowed. Now was the time to tell her of his love. But when he opened his mouth he said, “Your sisters need you.”
Coward.
Never in his five hundred years had anyone, least of all himself, called him a coward. Yet that’s exactly what he was when it came to telling Moira how he felt.
She stared at him, waiting to see if he would say more. He ordered himself to tell her, but his voice wouldn’t work. Only silence filled the space as the moments stretched by.
“Enough of this talk,” she said and stepped away from him. “’Tis almost time for supper.”
He knew that for the moment she had won. There would be no more talk. For now. But he would be sure to bring it up again. Soon.
* * * *
“Is Dartayous there? In Shadowhaven?” Fiona asked.
“Aye,” Rufina answered and leaned back against Theron.
Glenna stepped near Dartayous and touched his face. “How long until he brings Moira back?”
“There is no way to know,” Theron said. “All there is to do now is wait.”
Frang didn’t heed the many Druids around him that wanted to know what was going on. His concentration was with the small group of people surrounding Moira and Dartayous.
He hadn’t spoken since the start of the ceremony. There hadn’t been anything to say really. He hadn’t expected Lugus to give his life for Moira, but then again the Fae always did surprise him.
A cold hand touched his arm. He raised his eyes to find Glenna beside him. “How are you holding up?” he asked her.
“Me?” she said, her eyes wide. “I came to ask you that same question. After all, you did raise Moira as your own.”
Her words tore open his heart. He had always loved children, and had hoped to have as many as God would grant him, but then he had betrayed the wrong person and been cursed. He had thought to walk this world alone until he had been put in charge of Moira.
“She brightened my world in the darkest of times,” he murmured. “I don’t think I ever told her that. I was always after her to prepare for this day. I suppose I failed somewhere.”
“Nay,” Glenna said and wrapped her arms around him. “It was her decision to make, her destiny. You did all you could.”
He nodded and patted her hand. “You are wise beyond your years.”
She smiled through her tears. “I’ve recently came upon a very good teacher,” she said and winked at him. “Moira and Dartayous need us to be strong.”
Frang inhaled deeply and sat up straighter. “You have a point. No more pitying myself. I’m not the one fighting for my very soul.”
He looked away from Moira to find Theron staring at him. It was time they talked. He nodded to Theron and walked away from Glenna.
It wasn’t long before Theron joined him at the cliff overlooking Glenna and Conall’s home. The bailey was alive with activity though none would remember the sight of the dragons filling the air thanks to the Fae.
“Love will conquer all,” Theron said as he stood beside him. “At least that’s what Rufina tells me.”
“Women do seem to know more than us at times.”
Theron chuckled. “And my wife in particular. Do you know the entire time Lugus held us captive, she told me he didn’t mean it?”
“Really?” He turned his head and looked at the king of the Fae. “How did she know this?”
He shrugged. “I wish I knew. It was toward the end that he spoke to me and told me that Father’s death had been an accident.”
“Do you believe him?”
“I do now,” he said after a moment. “Back then Lugus was constantly in some kind of trouble. No one gave him a fair chance. We all assumed he had killed Father. We were the ones that turned him into the monster he was.”
“And Moira calmed him.”
“That she did.”
Frang turned toward his old friend. “What happens next?”
“We rebuild Caer Rhoemyr. Thanks to Lugus, the Death Dragons are once again imprisoned. None of us, including Lugus, had any idea of just how much damage the dragons would do or how little control we had over them. I will change that by writing it down.”
“Good idea,” Frang said. “At least the next one who thinks to release them will have an idea of how uncontrollable they are. I’m still not sure how Lugus reined them in.”
“Me either,” Theron said with a sigh. “But I’m not questioning it.”
“And Lugus? Is he dead?”
For the longest moment Theron stared at him. “Aye,” he finally answered.
“You have your powers returned, as do Glenna and Fiona. Everything is almost set aright.”
“We just have to wait on Dartayous. His love is strong enough to bring her back.”
“But will Moira allow him to?”
Theron smiled ruefully. “That is the question, is it not?”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Moira didn’t care if this was the real Dartayous or not, she was just glad that he was there. A part of her really wanted to know if he had indeed come into this unknown world she was in to bring her back but it was laughable. After what she did to him in the land of the Fae he wouldn’t throw water on her if she was on fire.
The food was almost done. She turned toward the table to get out the bowls when she found Dartayous setting the table. There were few men who would do such a thing, but it was something he would do.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I know,” he said over his shoulder. “I wanted to do something instead of sit here watching you.”
“Oh, so you don’t like watching me,” she teased. “I didn’t know I was that ugly.”
He spun from the table with and a brow raised high. “That’s not what I meant and you know it,” he said slowly. He took a step toward her. “I was merely saying that I felt useless sitting there.”
Her laughter bubbled over at his indignant expression. She wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes and found him laughing with her.
“We’ve never done that,” he said.
“What?”
“Teased.” He stared at her a moment and said, “You are different.”
“Freer,” she said.
Their eyes met and locked. Her body craved his touch, his mouth, the magic they created together. She wet her dry lips and watched as his eyes moved to her mouth. Did he still want her? Did he recall their special moments together? Did his body burn for her as she did him?
He didn’t move toward her, and she didn’t want to take the chance of being rejected. She had lost so much already, she couldn’t lose this as well.
She turned toward the hearth. It would just be better to ignore her body and enjoy the time she would have with him. In all honesty, after what she had done, she didn’t deserve him but she wasn’t about to tell him that.
By the time she turned back to the table with the roasted chicken, Dartayous had taken his seat. He cut up the chicken as she placed a jar of honey and nuts on the table.
They ate in silence with only the birds singing their happy melody to break it. When the chicken had been eaten, Moira rose and retrieved the cheese, wafers, apples and more wine.
She shrugged. “It was here. Everything I could possibly want is here.”
“Everything?” His eyes sought and held hers for a long moment.
“Everything,” she repeated before slicing the cheese.
His hand landed on top of hers stopping her movements. “I don’t believe you.”
She raised her eyes to his and put a smile on her face. “Does it really matter?”
“Nay.” He rose from the table and pulled her up with him. “Let’s go walk through the trees.”
It was the one thing that had always soothed her and brought her peace. It had been too long since she had had real peace, the kind that soothed even her soul.
She sighed inwardly at his strong hand that entwined with hers. The Dartayous she had known wouldn’t have touched her this way, but then again they had both been through quite a lot recently. Could he have changed?
Change. She wasn’t the naïve fool she had once been. No longer did she think she could move mountains herself. She had been shown her true colors, and she saw herself lacking.
“So deep in thought. What would have such a beautiful face frowning?” Dartayous asked.
She chuckled. “I know you aren’t the Dartayous I know. He would have never called me beautiful.”
He came to a halt and turned to face her, the setting sun reflecting in his bright blue eyes. There was pain there, pain that went soul deep.
“Can you allow that people change?” he asked.
She nodded. “That is just what I was thinking about. I have changed greatly over the last couple of months.”
“How?” he asked and resumed their walk.
“I’m no longer as proud as I was. I harbored many secrets in my life, but no longer. I’ve had to face them.”
He grunted. “Few people reach your wisdom in your young years.”
“’Tis not wisdom,” she said remembering the hurt and angry looks of her sisters when they realized her betrayal. “I learned a valuable lesson the hard way.”
She stopped by a giant of a tree, its gnarled limbs entwining with other trees. She knew every tree in the Highlands, but she had never seen one such as this. Not even the bark, white and smooth, looked familiar.
With her back against the tree, she looked out over the loch atop the hill. “’Tis a beautiful view.”
“Aye, it is,” he said and stepped in front of her.
Her eyes briefly met his before she looked away. She couldn’t hold his stare while seeing the desire pooling in his blue eyes. His dark brown hair blew in the breeze and all she could think about was running her fingers through its silky strands.
It just wasn’t right for a man to have such hair, she mused.
“Look at me.”
His voice, low and husky, stirred her flesh and caused a chill to run haphazardly down her spine. Slowly she raised her gaze, first to his mouth.
Wide with a full bottom lip, it called to her to remember their kisses and the fires that had been stirred. She tried to swallow around the lump in her throat. His mouth had made her cry out more times than she could count.
With her breathing now ragged and coming much faster than she would like she raised her eyes to his. Heat smoldered and desire flared in his mysterious depths.
Their bodies were drawn together by unseen hands, gently coaxing them, urging them. Moira’s lips parted, waiting anxiously for the feel of his soft lips to touch her.
His warm breath fanned her check smelling of the spiced wine. Her eyes closed, her breath lodged in her chest waiting...waiting.
Dartayous knew his control hung by a very thin thread. He wanted to crush her to him, but he needed to take it slow. To woo her.
He placed his hands next to her head on the tree as his head lowered to hers. His entire body shook, not with need, but with the many feelings coursing through him. He shifted to relieve the tightness in his groin, but the only relief he would have would be buried inside Moira’s tight, wet sheath.
His lips touched hers. He had to hold himself back, especially when a sigh escaped her. But his control snapped. His tongue plunged into her mouth and drank from her sweet nectar like a dying man.
When her arms came around his neck he had to grip the tree to keep from lowering her to the ground. He kept telling himself to pull back but her sweet mouth coaxed him to stay just a moment longer.
His body throbbed painfully with need, his heart ached, but most of all his soul cried.
He wrenched away from her despite her cry. His breathing labored as if he had run all day. He took a step back as she brought her hand up to her lips. It was a mistake to look at her mouth the moment he saw them.
Red and swollen from his kisses, she lightly touched them and closed her eyes on a sigh. He groaned and turned to face the loch. He needed to look at something other than Moira.
He chuckled to himself. What he really needed was a swim in a cold loch.
* * * *
Fiona sat by Moira, hoping and praying that she would wake soon. There had been no sign of any kind for Dartayous, though she hadn’t known what she expected him to do.
Strong hands gripped her shoulders from behind. She turned and gave Gregor a small smile.
“Why don’t you go to the castle and rest,” he said.
She shook her head. “I’m not leaving Moira or Dartayous.”
“He loves her. He will bring her home.”
That was just like her husband to try and give her some hope. They had been through their own trials before they had found their love, but it had been nothing compared to what Moira and Dartayous had been through.
“If only I knew they were all right,” she said.
His hands came around her and lifted her to her feet. She looked up at him but he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. “He’ll do everything he can.”
The tears Fiona had held at bay all day burst through the dam. They blurred her vision and ran down her face in a torrent. “I just got her back, Gregor. I cannot lose her now.”
Gregor sighed and held Fiona tighter. If he could take away her pain he would. He raised his eyes and found Glenna and Conall watching them. Tears ran down Glenna’s face and she gripped Conall’s hand like there was no tomorrow.
If they came out of this there would be nothing that would stop these sisters. Nothing.
* * * *
Moira had never been more self-conscious than she was at that moment. She stood in the middle of her small cottage, Dartayous not five steps away, as she wondered where he would sleep.
She wanted him in bed with her but didn’t know how to ask him. When she raised her gaze it was to find him watching her intently.
“Are you hungry? I can fix you something to eat,” she offered.
“I am very hungry.”
She smiled in relief. The bed problem would be put off for the moment. “What would you like? Cheese? Wine? Bread?”
He shook his head to all three. She tried again and named off everything she had, yet he still shook his head.
“I thought you were hungry.”
He took a step toward her. “I’m starving.”
“For what?” Her gaze was fixed on his blue eyes that glowed in the fire’s light.
“You,” he growled before crushing her to him.
She melted in his arms as his kiss kindled the fire from just moments before. Her arms slid around his wide shoulder as her fingers threaded through his soft tresses. She molded herself against his hard body and felt his rod against her stomach.
Her pulse raced, her heart pounded in her chest yet it wasn’t enough. She wanted to be closer to him. In the next instant, he ripped her gown and chemise down the front.
She broke the kiss and stared down at her naked body. “Since I cannot rip clothes you had best get out of yours very quickly,” she said and gave him a wink.
He shed his boots and clothing in record time only to pick her up and
carry her to the bed. After he laid her down he began to place kisses along her stomach and breasts. Each time she thought his mouth would close over her nipple he moved his head away.
She cried out and gripped his shoulders. His hands closed around her breasts while he continued to kiss her stomach. With his fingers tweaking and plucking her nipples she didn’t notice his kiss had reached her thighs.
Not even when he moved her legs apart and settled between them did she become aware of the direction of his kisses. Until his hot tongue flicked over her pearl.
He pulled apart her folds and kissed her as she had never been kissed. She bucked and cried out as the pleasure consumed her. His tongue ran along her lips before dipping into her center before he moved to suckle her pearl.
Then he withdrew.
Moira cried and sobbed her desire, begging Dartayous to taste her again. His tongue returned to lick and swirl, the pleasure scandalous, but more delightful than she could have ever imagined. Her passion soared and the throbbing between her legs built until she could barely stand it.
She looked down to find Dartayous had splayed open her folds as his tongue licked her. The cool air only ignited the sensations and it only brought her need higher.
Each time she thought she would finally find her climax he would pull away and knead her breasts while kissing the inside of her thighs. When her breathing had calmed he would resume his torturously sweet kiss.
Dartayous wanted Moira to remember this night. He planned to tease and tempt her until dawn. Every time he pulled away as she was about to climax, it brought her to a fever pitch.
She writhed and moaned on the bed, her back arched begging him to finish it. Her nipples were hard and called for his mouth just as her sex called for his rod. But he wasn’t close to finished.
He moved up and closed his lips around one taunt nipple. He swirled the tiny bud around his tongue watching her moan and thrash her head from side to side. He moved to the other breast and repeated the process.
Her nails dug in his back and her hips moved against his chest, but still he didn’t allow her to find her release.
He kissed his way down her stomach stopping to nibble at the soft skin at the juncture of her thighs. Her breath stopped as his mouth moved toward her flushed sex. Once again he let his tongue work its magic on her bringing her higher than the previous time.