by Daye, Elissa
“You cannot be serious!” Grant’s exasperation with her was clear.
“You go off and fight these wars; all you men do. You always assume you have to leave us women behind because we are weak and cannot take care of ourselves. Do you realize you would not have returned tonight, none of you, had Lysandra and I not been here to help you?”
Grant took in the heated argument, let it linger in his mind longer than he normally would, and debated his next words carefully. Malinda was right. Clearly the women of Lena were strong, powerful women who could do so much more in this world than they had been allowed to. They had been extremely helpful in this battle, for the Lair had no idea what had hit them. They had been ill prepared for any sort of magical attack. Grant put his hand on her face and looked her in the eyes. “You were magnificent. I was proud to have you at my side, Malinda. But please understand, men are bred to be the strong ones. We have to learn how to accept help from the rest of the world around us.”
“Well, start learning,” grumbled Malinda.
“Yes, my lady.” Grant captured her mouth in a tender kiss and placed his hand underneath the back of her neck. He turned to see the many eyes that had locked onto their public display and pulled away. “Come with me.” He stood up and offered his hand to her, half expecting her to turn away from him, but when her eyes lit upon his a flash of desire lit up the space between them.
Malinda stood with the hand that was offered to her and followed him through the breakage of trees. They were heading farther away from the chaos and closer to a darker area of trees where barely any moonlight shone through. As soon as they had put enough distance between themselves and the rest of the world Grant gathered her close to him.
Malinda raised her face up to meet the mouth that she knew sought hers. The kiss lasted a lifetime, absorbed every inch of air around them, and made the stars seem brighter in the sky. Malinda ran her fingers against his chin, loving the tingling sensation it sent across her palm as she moved it further up his face. Soon both arms had found their hiding place in his hair, pulling the hair at the base of his neck to draw every last inch of him into her mouth. When she finally pulled away from his kiss they were both gasping for air.
Grant removed her riding cloak and placed it on the ground behind her. Then he unfastened the buttons that ran down her back, every once in a while cursing the modern conventions that kept her flesh trapped away from him. Finally he had removed the rest of her green dress along with the undergarments that lay beneath. He placed her back on the cloak and started to remove the leather armor from his body. Malinda lay on the ground trembling in anticipation and, while the night air was cool, it barely touched her skin. He stood before her, a magnificent specimen of male prowess. She saw the rise and fall of his fur-covered chest, the well-formed muscled body that almost glowed brighter than the half moon in the sky. She continued to peruse his body and noted that his shaft was certainly ready to pierce her core, for it was engorged beyond belief. She licked her lips and looked up to see Grant trying to still the emotions that ran through him.
“Come.” Malinda reached out her arms to him, offering him the release his body required, but when he lay down beside her, he did not take his fill. Instead, he ran his fingers along the length of her body, almost as if his fingers were memorizing every inch of her. When he made no move to enter her Malinda squirmed against him. His touch was driving her wild with need and she knew his body was more than ready for completion. She pushed his shoulders upward and sat up on her knees beside him. “Lay down.”
Grant lay down as ordered, looking up at his wife with inquiry. She straddled her legs over him and positioned herself so that he was mere inches from entering her. He watched in amazement as she lowered herself onto him. Her body took him in and the warmth of her honey surrounded him. He closed his eyes and, when he looked back up, his breath caught in his throat. She was a veritable wood nymph, with dark hair surrounded by a halo of moonlight. Her body glowed as if she were covered in stardust and in her eyes was the warmth he had missed before. They rode together, their cries of passion breaking the stillness around them. Their desire rose to a higher plateau, one only gods could have dreamed of, and they soared through the skies together. They floated back to each other into a satisfied cocoon of warmth that kept the cold night at bay.
Malinda laid her head on his chest and took in one breath at a time. She ran her fingers through the hairs on his chest and smiled softly into the night. In moments she had fallen asleep against him.
Grant let her sleep for an hour before nudging her awake. “Time to go back to the camp, Malinda. If we wait any longer they’ll send a search party.”
Malinda sat up at his words. “Oh my! No, no. I would prefer not to be found like this.”
“I thought so.” Grant’s chuckle followed after her as she dressed in the darkness. He rose to assist her and then dressed as well.
They appeared back at the camp at the same time as another couple. Malinda smiled at Lysandra. Apparently they had not been the only ones that had gotten carried away with the moment. Malinda ducked her head away from the knowing stares that made it their way. She refused to meet their glances, but she was not ashamed of the passion they shared with one another. Malinda made her way into their tent and heard the men exchange words outside. She heard Aiden tell Grant to be wary of the ways of women or he’d be surrounded with a flock of children just as quickly as Aiden was. A few chuckles followed the comment, but when Grant entered the tent she could feel the tension that had risen into his body. This pregnancy would continue to be a contention between them. She did not know how to resolve the fears that plagued him. When he curled up beside her she cradled herself into the curve of his back. “Grant?”
“Hmm?”
She panicked and said the first thing that popped into her head. “I love you.” At first Grant did not answer and she was terrified that she had made a terrible mistake. Just because she was in love with him did not mean she had to ruin what they had together with the admission. When she heard soft snores fill up the silence around them, she realized he must not have heard her and had drifted off to sleep. She closed her eyes and let exhaustion take her.
***
Grant lay awake in the silence, making his best imitation of sleep. He had not expected Malinda to express any sort of love or emotion for him and it made him uncomfortable. He had been told that several times by Maria, and every single one of those times had been a lie. While he did love Malinda, he would not confess his undying love and devotion to another woman ever again. He would never put himself in that position with any woman. He stayed awake, listening to the soft breaths of air, feeling the rise and fall of her chest against him. When he knew she had fallen asleep he let his eyes close and his mind shut out the sounds of the world around him.
Chapter 31
Grant and Aiden had departed to meet with Marshal a few days following the attack. They left the women and children at Wickford Manor, as they were confident in the women’s ability to protect the manor while they were away. Today Grant was meeting with Marshal to discuss a new strategy to aid in their battles against the Lair. He waited in Marshal’s ready room. It was a large room with dark wooden walls, each wall covered in various animal pelts and antlers. In between some of these pelts hung weapons of different shapes and sizes, as well as armor pieces that reflected innovation throughout the years. Grant inspected an axe with a half moon blade that was attached firmly to a wooden handle. Sharp spikes were imbedded where the head of the axe met the handle. He ran his finger across the blade and jerked it back quickly. He brought his finger to his mouth to pacify the cut his curiosity had earned him. He should have known that Marshal would keep every blade in this room ready to go.
Three leather armchairs surrounded a desk at the back of the room that faced the doorway, and they were well worn. Grant had sat in those chairs for many hours at a time as they worked to calculate the best strategy for their latest attacks. A large m
ap hung on the wall behind the desk, and several nails were stuck into the wall in known places where the Lair had been detected. Sometimes these points overlapped, which they thought might indicate a pattern, but so far they had been unable to prove that a true pattern existed.
He turned as Marshal Madigan entered the room. Grant nodded at him in greeting, then took a seat in front of the desk. “Marshal.”
“Grant. What’s on your mind?”
“You are aware that the Lair has attacked outside of Wickford again?”
“I’m aware.” The older man sat behind the desk and folded his hands in front of him. His grey hair glistened in the fire light.
“Did you hear how we won?”
“Actually, I was hoping you could explain that to me.”
“We had a secret weapon, two extremely talented women who are descendants from Lena.” Grant tried to answer as nonchalantly as possible, for he knew that people balked at the very mention of Lena, a place so mystical no non-magical being had ever been able to find it.
“Lena you say? Hmmm.” He brought his hand to his mouth thoughtfully. “And which women did you have fighting alongside of you?”
Grant looked away slowly. He knew what Marshal was really asking. He judged his words carefully. “Malinda, and Aiden’s wife, Lysandra. They were invaluable to the army. The Lair had clearly created an ambush for us, for as soon as one fell, two more seemed to replace him. We certainly did not have enough manpower with us. Their magical talents came in very handy. The Lair was not expecting such an attack from us.”
“Interesting.” Marshal’s blue eyes stared off into the distance, suddenly lost in a different time and place. The room was silent for a few moments before Marshal continued to speak. “It still doesn’t make sense.” He shook his eyes that were suddenly coated with sadness.
“Give it time, Marshal. She may give you a chance yet, especially considering her condition.”
“And what condition is that?” His eyebrows rose in confusion.
“She is with child. I daresay you will be a grandfather at the beginning of next year.”
Marshal’s eyes misted over slightly, but the gruff man cleared his throat. “I would hope to be a part of that child’s life.”
“I cannot make guarantees, Marshal. Malinda is her own person. We can only hope that time will heal the wounds between you. Until then, we can’t stray from the goals at hand. Your chances of getting to know your daughter improve if you consider allowing those with her abilities to fight alongside our army. It’s almost foolproof.”
“Nothing is foolproof, Grant. The Lair is quite adept at adapting any time we change our attacks. They would adapt to this magic too.”
“That’s the beauty of it, though, Marshal. The magic of Lena, the skills of these women, are so varied that it would almost take a lifetime for the Lair to be able to adjust their strategies. There were just two women with us, and between them they managed to conjure a deadly storm with lightning that killed with one strike, and tornadoes that carried off our enemies like a feather pillow. There were earthquakes that swallowed them whole, animals that attacked from land and air. Those were the abilities of just two women. Think of all the others who may be in hiding from the world. From what I understand there are several at Blackwolf Keep that have been protecting the Keep for years now. Their numbers have grown there too.”
“So what are you suggesting?”
“That we treat them as equals, Marshal. For the first time in centuries we have the opportunity to undo the prejudice that has stripped the rights from these women. We can hold them up as equals and let them fight alongside us if they so choose. It wasn’t so long ago that the lot of us were shunned by the world. It was only a few years ago when we could not even walk proudly among regular people without fearing the judgment in their eyes.”
Marshal’s lips were closed tightly together and his brows were furrowed tightly into his forehead. “I think perhaps we will need to give this matter more thought. It is one of the riskiest ideas you’ve brought to me. It would take great counsel to get the others to agree.”
“It is the right thing to do, Marshal. I stand by it.” Grant knew his words said more than what they proclaimed. He was choosing to view his wife as an equal, something he had not really done up until this point. It was the least he could do, for the guilt that devoured his heart took over. She deserved much more than he could give her. She deserved his love and, while he loved her, he still would not be shackled to his feelings ever again. He stood up, and nodded at Marshal before leaving the room.
Grant was sitting outside under a tree when footsteps sounded behind him. He turned to see Aiden Quinn walking over to him. Grant nodded his head in greeting. “Aiden.”
“May I join you?”
“Of course.” He crossed his legs underneath him and continued to stare off into the distance.
“It would help to talk about it.”
“I’m sorry?” Grant turned toward Aiden and squinted at him.
“Whatever it is that is keeping you further away from your wife.”
“I’m doing my duty, Aiden. Just as you.”
“That is not what I mean, Grant, and I believe you know it. How long have I known you?”
“Only a few years, Aiden. Since we both joined Madigan’s Army.”
“It seems a lifetime since then. So what gives? Even I can see the distance you put between the two of you.”
Grant was perplexed. He had not thought that his actions had been so transparent. It was true that he had kept Malinda at a distance lately. Her admission of love had come unexpectedly and, in combination with the child she was carrying, it was almost too much for him to deal with. “It’s complicated.”
“What’s complicated about it? She’s your wife. She adores your child, and is in love with your sorry ass. Why, I have no idea.” Aiden slapped him on the shoulder jokingly before continuing. “Seriously, what is keeping you from your happiness?”
“Maria.” One word, and the air seemed to go stale around them.
“That woman was certifiable. You cannot measure every other woman against her. She was a manipulative creature with more melancholy than one person should ever carry. You cannot compare Malinda to her, she’s not even cut from the same fabric.”
“All women are cut from the same fabric.”
“That’s the most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard you say. Quit hiding behind your fear. If you cannot see what treasure you have in front of you, then you’re a bigger fool than I thought.” Aiden shook his head and looked away from his friend, trying to shake away the disgust.
“It was my fault, Aiden. I knew she didn’t love me the way I loved her when I married her. If I had not coerced her into our marriage she would still be alive. She would never have been attacked by Seamus. She would never have known the darkness that plagued her toward the end.”
“You have to start forgiving yourself. It was not your fault; you could never have foreseen her attack. You are being selfish right now, Grant. You’re withholding the possibility of a happily ever after for your family. Doesn’t Malinda deserve to be happy? What about Sophia? Would you want her to be married to a man who denied her the only thing she desired: love?”
“You have given me a lot to think over, my friend.” Grant reached to clasp Aiden’s hand in gratitude. He stood up from the ground, nodded a farewell, and departed.
Chapter 32
Malinda was disappointed when Grant had left so soon after the battle, but she should have expected it. Duty called, and whenever duty called, off he went. She wondered if he could ever put his family first, but then guilt flushed her face. After all, he was protecting his family every time he helped push the Lair farther away. She wished she could say for certain that this was his motivation and not the past that presently clouded his conscience. She sighed deeply and looked out over the hill where the children were chasing Mule.
“It will get better.” Lysandra put a hand on her a
rm to comfort her.
“I wish I could say the same, Lysandra. As long as he is haunted by her, he will never be free.” Malinda looked to her friend and struggled to smile bravely. Lysandra had been staying with Malinda for the past month, and during that time Malinda had imparted all that she knew about Lena. She had even taught Lysandra how to reach Lena and they had practiced traveling there together. Lysandra would teach the ladies at Blackwolf Keep how to astral project to Lena when she returned, and she was going to depart for Blackwolf on the morrow. Malinda would miss her companionship, but she knew that getting this information to others was very important.
“I will send Brenda as soon as I can, Malinda. She’ll know how to help you with Maria. I think as soon as the spirit is cast out that Grant will be a different person altogether.”
“I don’t want him to change, Lysandra. I just want his heart to be free. Is it so wrong to want his love?”
“It’s normal…perhaps scary for one with your past, but completely normal to want your feelings to be returned. Love can make a man feel weak. They have such poor constitutions when it comes to feelings. That is why I am raising my children to not fear love, to reach out for it and to help it grow around them.”
“You’re such a wonderful mother, Lysandra.” Malinda looked out wistfully at the children playing, wondering if she would be able to raise her children with such conviction.
“So are you. You know, not every woman can take a child into her heart without question. Sophia was lucky the day you became her mother.”
A tear gathered in Malinda’s eye. “I can only hope to keep her life filled with happiness. You should have seen her when we first met. I have never seen a more miserable creature who was treated with such disdain and neglect. I’ve seen pigs treated better than that child. That nursemaid had no right being around Sophia. I know Grant blames himself for that too.”