Born of Oak and Silver (The Caradoc Chronicles) (26 page)

His words made my hair stand on end. I scrutinized him, watching his every expression.

His long elegant fingers began to tap the glass of iced tea that he held. “I grow anxious with his presence remaining so near. We are close to finding the Sword, but I suggest we increase in our haste.”

“H
e does not know of our purposes here,” another chimed in. After that, they were all silently in thought.

“Have you seen the Macardle woman? He is a fool for not having claimed her.” A third had now entered the chorus
and broke their silence. “I intend to bed her. Hot-tempered virgins have always been my weakness.”

T
his comment brought many rumbles of agreement from the assembled Fae.

“Gaelan, I think
you will need to beat me to her first,” the second to speak chimed in.

“O
h, have no doubt about it, my brother. I will get to her first. But content yourself knowing that I will be gentle enough to ensure that there is something left for you when I have finished. Although I cannot promise what state she shall be left in after I am through.” Gaelan wiggled his perfectly manicured brows suggestively.

“Enough, both of you,” interjected the first, before Gaelan and his companion could resume their banter over who would get to ravage Ayda first.
“We have our commands to find the Sword, and that will be our first priority. As agreed, we will meet at the farmer Jackson’s home to begin searching the watered areas near him.”             

Gaelan spoke for the whole
. “Theon, forgive us our momentary poor memory of purpose.”

Theon looked each member of his assembled party in the eye, nodding solemnly when each of their faces showed the amount of resolve he expected from his own. “All is forgive
n. We are one in our resolve. However, that does not mean that there is not room for abundant experiences whilst we are performing our investigation. Be off my brothers, enjoy yourselves. The night is still young and the women are plenty. But it would do you all well to leave the Macardle woman to me!” Theon chuckled wholeheartedly as he and his companions dispersed to once again capture the individual attention of the women they had arrived with, as well as many more that they had not.

I
went straight to where Ayda hid in wait. I tucked her into the shelter of my arm as I squired her quickly to our horses. She did not say a word as we rode away, and for that I was grateful. I did not trust myself to be able to be discreet when I’d just overheard the Fae’s lust for her.
My
Ayda. I called the rain, asking it to fall upon us. I was hoping that it would mask our trail as we rode directly to our home. Leading the horses to their stable, we unsaddled them in expectant quiet.

The
very moment we had finished, I brutishly took Ayda’s hand and practically dragged her into the house. The wards tingled comfortingly as we crossed the threshold. Closing the door solidly behind us, I dug deeply into my inner Druid who was bristling, keen, and alert. I laid runes across the doors and windows that I did not recognize, nor did I know the purpose of them. They glowed a deep, crimson red, a stark contrast to the cool, glowing blue of those that had already been placed. The protective wards surged with power.

S
mugly content, I turned to Ayda, who was standing helplessly in the center of our seating-room floor. Water dripped from her hair and face, drizzled from her skirts, and created a puddle on the floor beneath her. My eyes were full of promise and emotion. Whether she saw the anger or the passion I felt, I didn’t know; I couldn’t discern between the two myself. For everything that surged through me, I reached down gently and took each of her hands into my own. I raised them both to my lips, and pressed a kiss against the palm of each.

Ayda ducked her head in an attempt to meet my eyes questioning
ly as I looked into her hands—willing that somehow my lips had left visible brands of possession upon them. I met her eyes, and withdrew my hand from holding hers to cup my palm against her cheek. Her eyes closed as my thumb slowly traced the curve of her cheekbone. When her eyes reopened, they glittered a shade of peacock green. Longing blossomed across her face, leaving the exposed skin of her collarbones and cheeks flushed.

I couldn’t help but mirror her desire. “Ayda,” I said, my voice rough, as I again lowered my hand from her face to clasp her hands i
n mine. I looked down, amused by the wedding band I’d given her. I’d yet to see a time in which she had not invariably worn it. I paused, unsure of how to say what needed to be said.

“What is it?” Ayda asked
, soft and concerned. She searched my face for clues.

I steeled myself and
began brusquely. “Marry me. Now, Ayda. I cannot bear the thought of not having you truly as my wife a moment longer.”

Worry seemed to vanish from her face, her mouth breaking into a surprised smile. “
Is that all, Daine Dalton? I thought you were going to tell me that our home was about to be stormed.” She shook her head with mock exasperation. “Just tell me, how exactly would you have me marry you when I’ve supposedly already done it? I do not think either of the priests would condescend to marrying us again.” Her right hand left my own to rake through my sodden hair playfully. In response, my thumb began to rub over the gold band on her left.

I closed my eyes, savoring her touch. “Handsfast
,
ma chère
. Marry me by handsfast.”

“Wi
th no priest, Druid, or anyone to witness it?” she asked facetiously.

I smiled at her jest.
“It only takes two to make a promise. We do not need any more witness than that of our own.” Her hand had fallen from my hair and was now draped around my neck, where her fingers toyed at my nape.

I s
tood a moment looking into her teasing eyes, thinking her the most enchanting creature to have ever graced the Earth. “What say you?” I asked her.

Her mouth had
maintained a constant, radiant smile. It did not falter when she warmly answered, “Yes.”

I wrapped my arms around
her and dropped my head to hers, kissing her until I could nearly no longer breathe. I pulled away, and slid my iron and rune-laced dagger from my belt. Holding it tightly, I strode with purpose as I went into her bedroom to find a white handkerchief. I made a complete mess of the linens in her drawers before I found one. I returned at once to the sitting room. I met Ayda every bit in the same excited and happy state that I had left her in, still dripping wet and with a greatly expanded puddle at her feet, but not caring enough to notice. As I moved to stand before her, I opened the neck of my shirt, exposing the runed iron torque at my neck.

“Are you ready? A
nd, I guess more importantly, are you sure you want to do this?” I asked, knowing that I did not need to. Her face left no room for doubt.

“Oh, just quit your
stalling. I’m ready. I’ve been ready since the moment I first met you in Killiney,” she said hastily, closing the scant distance between us as her soaked skirts made a swashing noise across the floor. Calmly, she extended her wrist out to me, her veins exposed.

“Last chance,” I told her
calmly.

Her extended hand moved quickly to push me coyly in the shoulder. Just as
swiftly her wrist was again held out toward me with her tender veins upright.

I handed her the white handkerchief
, which she took with her free hand and held casually at her side in wait. I took a deep breath as I went to hold her proffered wrist. Quickly, so as not to make her wait for what she knew was coming, I drew my dagger across it, watching for any signs of her discomfort. Instead, her entire demeanor and face radiated her delight.

Without delay her blood welled and flowed from the wound my
knife had left. Her features were filled with awe as she reached up to touch her bleeding wrist to the runes on my torque. They glowed with acceptance. She lowered her wrist, her cut held upward as the blood dripped onto our wooden floorboards.

Competently, I slid the same dagger across my own
wrist, watching as the blood eagerly flowed into freedom. I extended my cut wrist to hers, our wounds held firmly to one another’s, and together we bound the white handkerchief around them. Holding her wrist tightly in my hand, and feeling her solid grip as she held mine, I looked lovingly into her eyes. I loved her. I hoped that, if nothing else, in that moment she could absolutely know that.

“Blood of my b
lood, flesh of my flesh, I give myself wholly to you, under heaven, upon the Earth, and forever throughout eternity. I am yours, as you are mine. Wherever I may be, there you will also be found. I take you as my wife, my heart, and very soul. I claim you always as my own.” I said the binding vows solemnly, expressing the sincerity of the promises that I had just made.

Ayda, her face bright and eager,
spoke her vows ardently. “Blood of my blood, flesh of my flesh, I give myself wholly to you, under heaven, upon the Earth, and forever throughout eternity. I am yours, as you are mine. Wherever I may be, there will you also be found. I take you as my husband, my heart, and very soul. I claim you always as my own.”

Our v
ows spoken, we were now married, as legitimately as any other ceremony that could have been performed. No longer would it be a façade in the face of those we associated with. I leaned down and kissed her sweetly. I rested my forehead against hers, my free hand pressing her lower back so her body was flush against me. “I love you,” I told her honestly, amazed at the emotion in my voice as I said so.

“And, I love you Daine.” H
er voice was devout.

I kissed her again.

Slowly, I pulled away from her kiss, and began to work the knot that had bound our wrists together. I held her wrist near my lips as I whispered an incantation to begin her healing. Without delay her body responded, her wound closed and the process began. I did the same to my own, caring not if it healed, as I only had thought for Ayda.

“Are you scared?” I asked her as I tenderly held her, her head resting against my chest.

She did not immediately respond, and I concernedly drew away so as to see her.

Upon meeting my eyes, she gave a reassuring smile. “No,” she said gently, “I am not afraid. I am elated.”

I swallowed, nodding at her word. I took her hand, the one that had not recently been injured, and with certainty led her away from the sitting room and toward our home’s single bedroom. After she entered, I shut the door behind her. She stood with her back to me, bravely facing the bed.

“I will be gentle,” I promised her as I approached her to stand behind. My hand moved
to trail up the delicate skin on her neck, noting the way her breath hitched at my touch. I went up to the pins that held her dark hair off her back and began to loose them. Her raven hair fell upon her shoulders in dark, wet waves. She smelled of vanilla and honeysuckle.

I placed the pins upon her dressing table and turned her body around to face
mine. She was warm, her skin blushed. The rain continued to fall outside, making our room, which was lit only by dampened moonlight, intimate.

Then in the shadows I heard her whisper
, “Do not overly concern yourself with my comfort. I do not intend to be gentle with you.”

I took her face in my hands, and kissed her
feverishly. Vaguely, I remember her wet clothing falling to the floor, mine following immediately behind, as I carried her to our marriage bed.

I lay awake, morning sunlight shining through the rain-kissed leaves and into our room. It was Saturday, and although there was work for me with the lumber crew, I had no desire to leave my bride alone. The Fae had expre
ssed an interest in her, and I would not leave her so soon unprotected with myself being so far away. But, it was more than that. I couldn’t find the strength of will to leave our bed when Ayda was sleeping so peacefully beside me. Her naked body was pressed against my side as her head lay on my shoulder. Work could wait--this moment, and this day, would not.

And so, I lay in bed
for what seemed hours. Listening to Ayda’s quiet breathing, holding her close, and trying to figure out where I should begin looking for the Sword. I resolved that the best option I had was to continue with the lumber company. The nature of the job necessitated continual movement throughout the forests that surrounded Kamarina, and under their employment, I would be able to move about their ranks without drawing any undue attention to myself.

It
would mean leaving Ayda alone, but I hadn’t really much choice. If I wanted to protect her indefinitely, I needed to find that Sword. And, I realized heavily, if she were now with child, I had all the more reason to find it.

Ayda stirred beside me. I held her tightly and kissed her head
. “Good morning,
ma femme
.”

“Good morning yourself.
” And she stretched languorously up to plant a kiss on my lips. “What do you have planned for today?”