“He had two blades,” Keenan said (23 page)

“Good Eve, Serena.” His words came out calm.

The anger, infused by her disappointment, turned on him. “Were you eavesdropping?”

His eyes opened a bit wider. “No,” he stammered. “I saw you talking over here near the new wagon, and I came this way as your duy left. I just wished to speak alone with you.” He pulled a hand from his pocket and gestured back toward the fire. “Our introduction was strange, uncomfortable. I meant only to start fresh.” With that he bowed gallantly. Upon standing he found her hands in the folds of her gown and cupped them.

“I am honored to meet you, Serena Faw of the Faw Tribe. I am the eldest son of John Yallow, leader of the Yallow Tribe.” He spoke in the comfortable smooth flow of the Romany language.

Serena nodded and leaned against the brightly colored side of the wagon. Damin moved closer. “You know why I have come to visit the Faw tribe?”

“Yes,” Serena said plainly, without encouragement. She was tired, tired of pleading in her mind for Keenan to claim her publicly. Tired of searching for some sign from him that she should risk her heart and go against what her family had clearly laid out for her future.

Damin pulled a long strand of her hair gently between his thumb and forefinger. “I will officially ask King Will for you in marriage. I will ask him tonight.”

Serena breathed out slowly and looked up at the handsome, hopeful man. “You don’t know what you are asking for.” Serena touched Damin’s bare arm, closed her eyes, and wove a fine thread through him, seeking, discovering who he was. Details that only he would know.

“If you speak of your magic, Serena, I know about it. My grandmother could scry the future and had an unnatural ability to judge people. I loved her and our tribe revered her wisdom. The Yallows will welcome you.”

Strong confident words. Serena nodded.

“But do you understand the extent of my magic?”

He looked confused for a moment but then smiled. “I will learn.”

Time for his first lesson. Serena smiled back. “Good. I know you speak the truth for I’ve read it in you.”

He raised an eyebrow but smiled encouragingly. Did he believe her when she said she’d read him, or did he think she just played the witch to scare suitors? She sensed it was more the latter, just from his face. When had she begun to read faces, expressions? She never had before. Her chest tightened, Keenan appeared in her mind, but she quickly squelched the image.

Serena touched Damin’s arms again and could feel his tamped down desire for her. But he was honorable and would hold onto his patience.

“Yes, you are honorable, Damin.” She smiled. “And an excellent judge of horseflesh.” He raised both eyebrows, but Serena heard his thoughts through the contact and nodded. “Yes, I could have heard that from King Will I suppose, but could my father really know about the foal you brought into the world when you were eight. You were all alone and scared and knew you should find help. But you wanted to be the one to bring the foal into the world. Your pride kept you there even when the mare screamed.”

Damin’s smile turned stony. “That was a long time ago,” he whispered.

“Yes, a very long time ago, but it still haunts you. Rides in your mind whenever you see a mare heavy and about to foal, like the one you rode by on your journey here yesterday.”

Damin just stared at her as if she had grown a hideous wart on her cheek. Serena almost lost her nerve. “I also know that you are excited about this union for it will elevate you in your father’s tribe, once you have a wife and children. You intend to get me pregnant as soon as possible.”

Damin’s face began to harden. Had she pushed too far? “Do not be angry with me for stating the truth.”

Damin forced a smile that almost looked real. “Serena, I am not ang…” he began and stopped. “You would know if I was angry inside, if I lied to protect your feelings.”

“Yes.” Serena nodded. “You are beginning to understand, understand that I have more than just a feeling about things. I know things, Damin. I could know all about you, your thoughts, your secret desires, your past, those feelings you keep deep down inside. I could know them all.”

He looked at her, tilting his dark head slightly. “You say, could know?”

Serena glanced down. “I can block your thoughts and emotions from coming to me. It is harder when I touch you skin to skin.” He looked at the gloves tied to her side. “I wear them to mute the images I see when I inadvertently touch someone.”

“Is it just your hands that are sensitive?”

“No, my entire body.”

“So,” he stopped. “So, if we touch skin to skin,” he raised an eyebrow, “you won’t be able to help but read me, read everything I want to,” he hesitated again and cleared his throat a bit. “Everything I want to do to you.”

Serena took a deep breath in and nodded.

He raised both eyebrows and grinned. “That has its advantages.”

Serena couldn’t help but smile at his reaction. “I suppose it could.”

Damin put his hand out to her. “Here, take my hand. I give you permission to walk your way through me. See me for who I am. I have nothing to hide.”

Serena laid her hand in his palm. Feelings of worry tangled with excitement. Damin held nothing back. He felt no embarrassment toward her, about her. Only wonder at what Serena could do. Brief images of alliances formed by using her powers, knowing the plans of certain enemies, keeping his tribe safe from trickery and bigotry. These all came along her thread mixed with ideas of dark haired children running around her skirts.

It was so much that Serena leaned backwards letting the wagon support her. He offered her an honorable life, filled with children and respect, with the potential for love. As Serena opened her eyes, she realized that Damin had moved much closer in the darkness, so close that his lips hovered near hers.

“That’s it. Open your eyes.” His words sang soft and deep in the chilled air. “I want you to see me, Serena Faw, when I first kiss you.” His lilting Romany words were a luring song promising her a future of happiness.

Damin’s lips brushed against hers and a course of desire rushed from him. She felt it in her mind, images of how he could make love to her. He would be erotic, gentle, teasing. He tilted her head with his hand so that he could easily slant his mouth against her, deepening the kiss.

Serena felt the hard planks of wood against her back as he leaned into her slightly. She felt the chill of the air around her legs. She felt the pressure of his body. She heard Chiriklò chirping somewhere high above her. Serena could hear the woods breathing around them as Damin kissed her. Her mind roamed to the scene at the fire and then the lovely wagon she leaned against. What did it look like inside?

She kissed him back. It was pleasant. He seemed quite the expert at kissing. Serena dove into his mind. There were other pretty girls there, lurking in his memory, one in particular still sat heavy near his heart. Kristina.

Serena waited for the stab of jealousy to hit her as Kristina’s face surfaced briefly during the kiss. Instead she just felt curiosity. As Damin touched the tip of his tongue to hers, Serena waited for her mind to give way to tumbling heat, but instead she just wondered when she could fit in a breath of air. She must have pulled back slightly because Damin pulled away and smiled at her.

Serena realized that she must have looked stunned because Damin’s smile turned cocky. “Forgive me, Serena for taking such liberties. I lose control around you.”

Serena smiled blankly as she worked through the strange kiss. It had been pleasant enough, not forced or awkward. But something was missing, something important. Her smile faltered as she realized that the something missing was Keenan Maclean.

She closed her eyes to hide the emotion. Damin Yallow had everything to offer her, but her heart didn’t want it. No fire burned in the kiss, nothing hot and rushing to melt her insides, no throbbing desire in the pit of her stomach and below at her core. Serena’s stomach tightened into nausea, a sickly feeling.

Damin put his finger under her chin to tilt her face up. “Serena, I did not mean to upset you.”

Concern flowed through the touch. She smiled sadly and opened her eyes.

“I am fine, Damin. Just overwhelmed.”

He thought her overwhelmed by the feelings he thought he had produced in her. Male confidence, anticipation.

Serena felt the first stabbings of guilt. “Damin, I have much to consider before accepting your offer of marriage. You are a fine man from a fine family. You do me much honor by your interest. But I have long since decided not to wed.” Serena shook her head. “I have much to consider.”

Damin was undaunted. “I understand, Serena.” He stopped and backed up a bit, giving her space. “I know you could read my mind and figure out what my life is like, but let me tell you some things about my tribe, about where you will live. Let us pretend that I must paint a picture instead of you viewing it.” He teased her, trying to break the tension. Serena nodded.

Damin stayed close to her as he spoke. Serena let his words flit by her. He had a need to talk to her as if she were a normal woman. And she had a need to sort through her emotions. As Serena replayed the kiss and lack of response on her behalf, she found herself comparing it to her response to Keenan. The difference was vast. Each time she tried to imagine her life with Damin something turned in her stomach.

The children she imagined didn’t have dark hair and deep brown eyes. They had blue eyes and light hair. They carried little wooden broadswords and chased sheep on the shores of Loch Awe.

Off to the left, Serena saw a movement of mist among the trees and her birthmark began to itch. She continued to nod appropriately while keeping her peripheral focus on the white image as it coalesced into a ghostly figure. Drakkina. Her diaphanous image floated close until Serena could make out her face pinched in a deep scowl.

The thoughts of the crone stabbed at her lightly through the air. “What are you doing? Who is this man? Where is the Highlander?”

Serena fortified her wall and sent a quick series of thoughts back to the witch. Thoughts of disappointment at Keenan’s refusal to claim her, angry thoughts of appreciation for Damin, mutinous thoughts against Drakkina’s interference.

The hovering image crossed her arms over her chest. The shimmering cloud dissipated and then pulled back together.

You are weak,
Serena thought.

Images came to her from Drakkina. Images of the Duke of Cumberland yelling at his mistress, images of Drakkina forming in the room, and scaring the man, images of Drakkina entering him and making him confess publicly so that he couldn’t blame Lady Amberley. Serena’s eyes opened wide.

“Yes, I know the waters in the south can be quite exciting. If you’d like we can stay there for some time,” Damin said.

“That would be very nice,” Serena said, trying to keep her voice normal and interested. “Tell me of the last time you ventured there, Damin. I like to hear the sound of your voice.”

He smiled and Serena ignored the guilt stabbing at her as she reconnected with Drakkina. The woman was so angry she nearly stamped her obscured feet.

You are encouraging him!
Drakkina’s accusation crackled silently through the air.

I must hear him out,
Serena defended.
He wants to marry me.

Drakkina threw up her hands in disgust and turned half way in a circle before centering back on Serena.
You are meant for Keenan Maclean.

Serena snorted.
You need to be telling Keenan Maclean that, not me.

“I know. It is terrible how the English gengas treat us,” Damin said, and Serena realized she had snorted out loud.

Drakkina continued to fume so intensely that Serena could actually see her powers waving in and out. What was she doing?

I’m trying to summon enough power to get that ass away from you.
Drakkina’s thoughts huffed with her frustration. Drakkina’s interference to save Lady Amberley must have weakened her immensely. She barely had enough strength to appear.

As Damin fell into a comfortable monologue, Drakkina stomped around behind him. She moved her arms this way and that trying to pull any power she could from the surrounding earth. It was almost comical, and Serena had to watch so that she didn’t smile at an inappropriate time.

“And then we travel up into the Lake Country. It is beautiful there.” Damin stopped. “Has the Faw tribe traveled there?”

Serena moved her eyes back to Damin’s and repeated his question in her head. “Um, why yes, we have traveled near the Lake Country, but did not stay long. It would be nice to live there for awhile.”

Damin continued on that note. The man seemed to be able to talk forever, how annoying. So unlike Keenan, who barely said more than a few sentences in a single sitting.

Drakkina stopped waving, a smile crinkling her eyes. Serena squinted into the dark toward a buzzing sound near the bush next to where Drakkina stood. A bee, perhaps a wasp, and it was furious. As Drakkina waved her misty hand around it, the little insect tumbled about, poked, infuriated. Serena leaned away from the buzzing insect.

Drakkina continued to tumble the little creature toward Damin.