Born of Fire

by Kella McKinnon

  “Do you not have other things to do, besides spending all of your time with a woman? Especially one who is more than likely using you?”

  “Aye, I have many things to do. And I am doing those things. All of them.”

  “You can’t fail, Bridei”, Sten warned. “You will lose your crown along with your grandfather’s lands.”

  “I won’t fail. The lands are as good as mine.”

  “She is a liar a thief, and most likely a spy.”

  Bridei worked hard to keep his voice even and calm, and not rise to the obvious provocations. “You don’t know that. I have done my due diligence where she is concerned. Whoever she is, she is not a spy for Ecgfrith.”

  “So you admit that you don’t even know who she is? How stupid can you be? Thinking with your cock! She will ruin you!”

  Sten was trying everything to get a reaction from him, to make him turn and fight for the woman’s honor and make himself look like a love-sick fool in front of his men. He wasn’t going to fall for it.

  “I know who she is. You don’t need to be worrying about the lass. Worry instead about rallying the army. They have to want this victory every bit as much as I do.”

  “Your army whispers around the fires at night of their king’s weakness for a lass.”

  “Then they need to get more rest. We have a battle soon.”

  By the end of the day, after hours of arguing with himself in his own mind, Bridei resolved that he would stay away from Nessa until after the battle. She was just too much of a distraction, and he doubted his own resolve to work as hard as he needed to if he could have her in his arms instead. It was for the best. Then, if he still wanted to, he could, and would, pursue her with everything he had.

  For now, he would move her into his roundhouse, let her do as she would, and avoid crossing paths with her so that he wouldn’t be tempted to throw her up against the nearest wall and relive the soul-shattering depths of the kiss they’d shared. Because he knew that he wouldn’t be able to walk away twice from a kiss that felt so good and so perfect down to his very soul. No, the next time he kissed her, there would be no stopping. He would know all of her.

  To his undeniable credit, his resolve lasted four whole days.

  Everything was different now. Nessa was no longer consumed with a finding a way to return home, since the possibility was all but gone. Namet had let her look through the scrolls in the trunk (with Bridei’s permission of course), and just as she suspected, she couldn’t decipher them, and she probably wouldn’t be able to even if she studied them for years. He had also taken her back to the well, so that she could finally put to rest even the slightest possibility of an open door.

  Now that all choice in the matter was taken from her, she had found a certain peace in knowing she had tried her best. She had done everything she could think of to go home to Gram and to Nathan, and it was impossible. All she could do now was try to make some sort of a life and be happy here.

  And since she had been officially cleared of spying or any other treachery, people were treating her very well. Many of the women were making overtures of friendship, and her relationship with Veda was blossoming. She even took up a role for herself in the community; she loved to garden, and she was good at growing food. And Bridei had given her the little round-house where she had been taken on her first day, as her own place to stay.

  She tried not to think about the king. The night he had kissed her, she would have let him do anything at all to her, and in truth she had hoped he would take her back to his chamber. That kiss…it had transformed her. Somehow, with only his lips and tongue, Bridei had branded her. She would never be exactly the same as she was before.

  But now that she had had time to reflect, she realized she had been grief-stricken that night, and not thinking clearly. Luckily, he had walked away, and his parting words made it clear where she stood. “I don’t want a child to come of my weakness.” Despite the attraction between them, he obviously didn’t want to risk being tied to her in any way. And she certainly didn’t want to be like Lair; desperate for any affection he might toss her way.

  It had been several days now since he had kissed her, and she had barely seen him since, except from a distance. She tried not to think too much about that, either. After all, he was preparing for a battle that would define his entire kingship. Of course he didn’t have time to socialize.

  Nessa decided she needed to try to put the whole incident behind her. She wouldn’t pine over someone who didn’t want her for more than a sexual conquest, and she definitely didn’t want her heart to end up broken, so she spent all the time she could with Veda and the other women, and kept busy. And if he filled her dreams all night so that she woke up each morning desperately aching for him, then she refused to admit it to herself.

  Though she was allowed complete freedom to come and go during the day, Namet came and locked her in at night, although he said it was only for her own safety. If Bridei still believed she might run away, Namet never said anything.

  But then, on the fourth day, Bridei sent for her. Namet told her the King wanted her company for dinner. Nessa told herself again and again that he probably just wanted to see how she was adapting to her new life at Tallorc, but she couldn’t stop her heart from racing or the butterflies from swarming in her stomach. They were the same butterflies that had been there since the first time she’d seen Bridei, but they seemed to have grown larger of late, and perhaps even reproduced, so that it felt like they were barely contained.

  When she was ready, Namet led her to the hall. Bridei was already sitting there at a small table, speaking with a man she didn’t recognize. When he saw her, their eyes locked from across the room, and Nessa was suddenly hyper-aware of every sound and color, and even the feel of the air on her skin. He was dressed in a dark red tunic, and his hair was loose around his shoulders, long and nearly black; the same color as the fierce tattoos across his cheekbones.

  As she walked over to him, the man he had been speaking to nodded and moved away. Bridei watched her with dark eyes, gesturing to the chair across from his. She sat down, and immediately they were served food and wine. Nessa wasn’t sure she would be able to eat, she was so nervous. Bridei pushed her cup of wine closer and offered her a small smile.

  “I’m in need of distraction tonight, Ashta. I am weary of the constant company of my soldiers.”

  “Oh…okay.” He wanted only her company. Good. That’s all she wanted from him.

  He folded his hands on the table between them. “We’ll talk. Tell me more about your home. Your real home. It is not in Fife.”

  “No.” She picked up her cup and took a tiny sip. “Inverness.”

  He sat back in his chair. “So you lied to me?”

  “No! Aye…but not on purpose, I mean…I didn’t know who you were, or where I was, or…”

  Bridei laughed softly. “Hush. I’m only playing with you. But tell me more.”

  She scowled at him, but couldn’t stay mad. “Well, I lived with my grandmother on her farm. I was…a gardener…a farmer. I grew food to sell, and I looked after my uncle. My grandmother raised me and taught me everything that our family was supposed to know. Everything you told us to know.”

  His gaze softened. “Aye, I could not have known what would come of it, but I’m glad I listened to Meara.”

  The longer they sat near each other, the more the air seemed to sizzle and hum between them. Breathing felt ever more difficult, and Nessa couldn’t seem to keep her eyes from drifting to Bridei’s lips. His mouth was firm yet soft, and it had felt so good against hers.

  “And your man”, he said. “The one that you were going to marry, did you make that up too?” The tension in the air seemed to thicken even more as he waited for her answer. He was watching her face carefully, and Nessa knew he would be able to tell if she lied. She suddenly wanted nothing but the truth between them. It felt…necessary.

  “No”, she said softly. “I had a man before I came here, bu
t he’s almost certainly given up looking for me by now.” She tried to keep the twinge of pain and regret out of her voice, but it wasn’t easy. Whatever had happened between her and Bridei—whatever would happen—Nathan had been in her heart, and always would be.

  Bridei’s fists clenched on the table so that his knuckles turned white. “What was his name?”

  “His name was—is Nathan.”

  “Do you love him?” he demanded.

  Nessa looked into dark eyes that were sparking with something close to fury, but she would not lie. Nathan deserved at least that much from her.

  She dropped her gaze. “Aye.”

  “I see.” Bridei’s nostrils flared and he clenched his jaw. “But now…now you will never see him again.”

  Nessa looked up at him. That had sounded more like an order than a statement. “No, I guess I won’t.” She couldn’t help the tears that welled up. It wasn’t just because of Nathan. It was for Gram and Angus too. And even the friends she had left behind, and her gardens. She would never see any of them again. Just when she thought she was moving on, it all came back again. It was all still very close to the surface, and she knew it would be for a long time to come.

  Bridei stared at her for a moment, but instead of offering any sort of comfort, he got up from the table and stalked towards the door and out into the night, without an explanation or even a backward glance. What had just happened?

  She had hoped—perhaps foolishly—that the evening would end in another breathtaking kiss, but that definitely wasn’t in the cards.

  She pushed her food around on her plate for a few minutes, then decided she would much rather be alone, away from the noise and curious eyes of the hall.

  Bridei walked down to the sea and stood on the rocky beach, where the waves lapped softly at the shore. The smell of brine filled his nose, but it couldn’t wash clean the scent of the woman he wanted so badly. That kiss had changed everything. He had only wanted to taste her, but instead he had opened a door that could not be closed again. A part of him knew that door would open, but he had kissed her anyway. He couldn’t have stopped himself if he had tried.

  Four days without having her near had been torture. So how had he let himself believe he could simply enjoy her company and conversation at dinner? His whole body had trembled at the sight of her, and all he could think of was having her naked and writhing in pleasure beneath him. It was as if the very gods were calling on him to claim her, filling his mind with nothing else.

  And why had he asked about her lover? He didn’t want to know that she had loved another, and now he felt the need to wipe away every memory of that man she loved, and leave her with only him. He wanted his scent on her skin, his seed in her body, his mark in black ink over her left breast, proving to the world that she belonged only to him. It was a need that boiled up inside him like a storm, until he could barely contain it. Her love for this other man was his enemy, and he was a born conqueror.

  He didn’t understand the how or why, only that Meara had had a hand in dealing his fate, but he was through with denying that that was what it was: Fate. There was no other reason a woman would come to him in such a way, through time itself and by his own words reaching far into the future. Perhaps he had it all wrong. Perhaps he would be distracted in battle if he hadn’t already claimed her as his own. He turned and looked at the light spilling from the windows of the broch in the distance. If Nessa was there, then that was where he wanted to be too, even if only to sit by her side. That was when he made up his mind.

  Moments later, he burst into the door, his gaze landing on the now empty table where he and Nessa had dined a short time ago. “Where is she?”

  “Where is who, my King?” A lone woman was clearing the last of the plates from the hall. He thought her name was Gowen, but he couldn’t be bothered to remember. Not when he had just decided—mind, body and soul—to go after what he wanted. What he needed. He was already deep into battle mode, ready to defeat and plunder.

  “Nessa. Where has she gone?”

  The woman looked apprehensive, and Bridei realized he must look a bit crazed. A darkly raging river of lust flowing in his veins would do that to a man.

  “She…I think she said she was going for a walk to clear her head. She didn’t say where, but I know she likes to spend time with the horses, so you might…”

  “Thank you.”

  Bridei left the startled woman standing there and stormed back out the door and into the night.

  Gowen, or whoever she was, was right, thank the gods. He could see Nessa there by the paddock as soon as he came up over the rise. And there was Lotex, leaning over the fence as far as he could reach, begging for her to scratch his ears. Bridei stood and watched them for a moment, a vision of beautiful woman and majestic steed outlined in soft moonlight. When he walked up silently behind her, she jumped and cried out, and Lotex gave a low snort and pawed the earth.

  Nessa clasped a hand to her chest. “Oh, you scared me half to death! What are you doing here?”

  What was he doing here? He didn’t really know, only that he was going to take her away from that other man that she loved. He was going to make her forget this Nathan, and that she had ever loved him. Soon, she would remember no other man’s touch but his.

  “I came for you.”

  Her eyes opened wide in surprise, and maybe a touch of fear. “You did? I thought…with the way you left so suddenly, that I’d said something to make you angry. Should I have waited? I’m sorry if I…”

  He grabbed her by the back of the head, sifting his fingers through her hair until he could hold on tight and turn her face up to his. “I’m not angry.”

  He crushed his lips against hers, so hard that she made a small sound of shock. But before she could even try to pull away from him, he slid his other arm around her waist and pulled her up against his body. With a groan, he angled his mouth so that she was forced to open for him, and his tongue found hers. He kissed her hard and long, backing her up against the fence and following her with the length of his body. He was hard. He was ready. She no longer had a choice. She was going to be his.

  “This is addicting, I think…your taste”, he mumbled between kisses. “I am beginning to wonder if you are meant for me after all, Ashta. No, I know you are meant for me.”

  She was kissing him back, her body melting against his, the softness of her breasts pressing into his chest. By the gods, there was no way he would not have her this night. But not here. He would bring her to his chamber, where he could take his time and savor every moment; every inch of her flesh. With great effort, he pulled away. He was breathless and so was she.

  “Come.”

  He took her hand and she looked up into his eyes. Hers were dark and sparkling, and he knew she would not deny him. He knew, even then, that this night was going to be unlike any he had known before, and the very anticipation of it burned like fire and lightning in his veins.

  Nessa watched as he lit the torch on the wall, shut the door, and turned to face her where she stood nervously in the middle of the room. Her hands trembled a little, so she clasped them together. Bridei had changed somehow. It was as if something that had been coiled tightly inside him had suddenly snapped. Raw energy rolled off him in palpable waves, and he was watching her the way a predator watches its prey. Had she thought she wanted this from him? Nessa was no longer certain she could even handle a man like this one. Surely she was no match for the sexual hunger and lust she saw in his eyes. She had only ever been with Nathan and two other men, all gentle and considerate lovers. Tame. Bridei must have had dozens of different lovers, if not more, and nothing about him looked gentle or tame at the moment. He looked as if he wanted to…consume her.

  He took a step towards her, and she took an unconscious step back. He was flooding her senses, and he hadn’t even touched her yet. Her heart raced. Her skin heated and tingled. Her breathing was fast and shallow, and she suddenly felt a little frightened. A kiss had been so…saf
e. And even that had left her reeling. And yet, at the same time, she wanted everything he would give her and more. And she wanted it badly.

  Without taking his eyes off of her, he pulled his tunic over his head, dropping it onto the floor, exposing the powerful muscles of his chest. The beautiful patterns of black ink that covered his skin reminded her that this was not a docile, civilized man from her time, but a Warrior King who lived by his sword and was celebrated for his fierceness in battle.

  “What…what are you doing?”

  “I think you know.” He took another slow step forward, completely focused on her. “I’m going to claim you, Ashta, with my body. You are going to be mine.”

  It was too much, too soon. Wasn’t it? Nessa’s mind was spinning. Only days ago he had kissed her and then walked away when she wanted him to stay. What had changed his mind? “But…you said you wouldn’t. You said…”

  Another step. A tug to loosen his belt. Firmly spoken words. “I’ve reconsidered.”

  “But why?” She shifted backward again. She couldn’t seem to stand her ground against him.

  He stalked forward, and her retreat was far too slow. He reached her in several long strides, and his hands clasped the sides of her face, forcing her to look up at him.

  “Have you not felt it? What is between us? Tell me you do not feel it too!”

  “I feel it”, she whispered. “I do.” And if she had felt that pull when he was across the room, now it was a tidal wave, sweeping her up and dragging her under.

  His grip tightened just a little with her admission. “I will not deny it any longer. I burn for you.”

  Nessa stared up at him, her heart pounding and her legs quivering. If she did this, another piece of her would fall to him forever. And then, if, or when, he walked away, satisfied with his conquest…where would she be? Heartbroken? Watching him with longing like so many other women she had seen?