by Jaci Miller
She could feel his breath on her neck and the pulse of his life force as it wound deeply into her very core. Closing her eyes, she relaxed into the rhythm of his pulse, listening intently as he whispered the same three words over and over into her ear—Breha, Salya, Veroneh.
Slowly he pulled back, dropping her hands and gently brushing away a strand of hair that had blown across her cheek.
“You have been blessed and will not be seen as a threat as we pass down the sacred path to the base of the mountain,” he said his breath quick and unsteady. “There are many traps that lay in wait for intruders who may accidentally find their way onto this path. The blessing I just performed identifies you as Warlician, your aura has been cleansed and my energy will camouflage your own for now. Once we have activated the Druidstone, your aura will change permanently as it fuses with your ancestral homeland and reveals your true identity. Dywen will then see you for what you actually are—not just a mere curiosity but as one of its own.”
Her pulse was racing, a small bead of sweat slid down her back. She could still feel the tingle in her skin where his hands had grasped hers. His closeness was intoxicating and unnerving, but she continued to stare into his eyes acutely aware that the surrounding air was still crackling.
He leaned in close again, his lips inches from her own, his green eyes full of desire. She tried desperately to catch her breath and gain her composure but the air that surrounded them was ignited with energy, pulling them closer. His eyes penetrated hers for a moment longer and then suddenly he closed them, his body tensing, his jaw clenching.
Without a word, he turned and walked up the path leaving her once again, bewildered.
The path was surprisingly well maintained for a world that had been vacant of life and magic for billions of centuries. None of the vegetation that grew on either side had invaded the path’s space. The stones, while worn, were still very much visible in the distance and the path was well lit by the natural light that filtered through the trees.
They walked quickly as the sun began its descent behind the mountains neither one saying a word or acknowledging the tension building between them.
The canopy above them opened, and she stopped to look up at the two moons that hung in the distance, their large silver spheres marking the location of the city. Rafe had stopped up ahead and as she joined him he handed her his canteen waiting patiently as she greedily drank the cool water.
“The path is going to start to incline now for a few miles, there are points at which it gets a little rocky and more difficult to navigate. Are you ok?” He asked, a slight look of concern visible on his face.
“I am fine,” she replied, a slight tinge of annoyance making her response a little sharper than she would have liked.
“I am sorry if I offended.”
“You didn’t,” she said, forcing a smile in reassurance. His brow furrowed even more, but he nodded, accepting her reply.
They reached the base of the mountain shortly before the sun set completely. Rafe hurried to find a notch in the mountain base that he could use as a shelter. He erected a small tarp, built a campfire, and laid out two sets of blankets while she went to fetch water from the mountain stream. He cooked a quick meal of rice mixed with large white beans and chicken, passing her a thick slice of bread, they ate in exhausted silence.
The night sky emerged overhead, stars exploding in the darkness as the two moons shined luminously, their silver glow casting strands of moonlight across the small campsite. There were no other sounds in the night sky just a slight rustle of the forest leaves and the gurgling of the mountain stream. Farrimore had perched on a branch that overhung the stream, his head tucked tightly under his wing as he slept. She lay her head on her backpack, staring at the stars and listening to the odd silence that surrounded them. Soon her eyes began to droop as the warmth of the fire lulled her into a deep and peaceful sleep.
He lay awake, staring at the sleeping face of the woman who was destined to not only save this world but her own. The firelight flickered across her face and he reached out to touch her but quickly drew back his hand. He was confused by the unbridled desire he felt for her, this beautiful stranger who had appeared suddenly in this forgotten land. Inexplicably drawn to her in a way he could not control nor understand.
He shifted uncomfortably trying to ignore the longing as old memories flooded through his mind. The things he had seen, heard, and knew were almost unbearable but his own destiny would not allow him to be weakened by the past. He thought about the prophecy that had been whispered between survivors of the Great War, the reality of it now sleeping next to him. The Second Rising was destined to be far worse and she and the others were their only hope. There was much to do, and he worried that they did not have the time, especially now that the ancient dark was aware of her presence.
His body tensed as he thought about the coming war. He had been tasked with protecting the realms and their magic and now he must protect Dane and the others as well. As the fire cast its last flickering light across her sleeping face, one thought passed through his mind—he could not fail her.
Chapter 25
The morning air was crisp, its bite waking Dane. Sluggishly she opened her eyes. Her back was to Rafe, but she could hear him breathing softly close behind her. His arm was casually draped over her torso and she gently lifted it, sliding quietly away from him. She looked around the clearing. The fire was out but the embers still glowed a deep red and the morning dew that blanketed the ground was sparkling in the early sunlight. On a rock jutting out from the side of the mountain, Farrimore sat quietly eyeing her suspiciously.
Ignoring him she grabbed her backpack and headed down to the stream to wash up. She was just pulling on a clean shirt when she heard the snap of a twig behind her. Whirling around she came face to face with Rafe, who looked just as sexy in the early morning sun as he did by firelight. She swallowed hard, holding her breath as he sauntered toward her closing the distance between them.
“Sorry I startled you,” he said his voice slightly huskier than normal as his eyes traveled over her torso. “I thought I would find you down here when I woke up and saw you were missing.”
“Not missing,” she noted, quickly pulling down the hem of her shirt, “Just freshening up.”
He gave her a coy smile before walking past her and filling up his canteen. He peeled off his shirt and crouched at the stream’s edge, splashing water on his face and using the canteen to douse his head.
She watched silently as he finished, her eyes wandering over the taut, muscular surface of his back.
“Dane?”
The unexpected sound of his voice brought her out of her daze. Her eyes flying up to his face, which was now turned looking at her over his shoulder.
“I said, we can have breakfast before we leave, but we must be on our way soon as the trek to the top of Ardrin Gorm will take us two sun cycles. Are you ok?”
“Sorry, yes fine.”
The smirk appeared on his lips once again and he stood, water streaming down his torso, his green eyes piercing her own. “We can camp at Moonladen Fall tonight and continue to the Temple of Earth tomorrow. Once there, you will reactivate the Druidstone and accept your birthright. Doing so will complete your transformation and begin the process of awakening Dywen’s magic from stasis. I am not sure how long this process will take but once Dywen’s magic is again at full power, our magic will be as well.”
He pulled on his shirt, slung the canteen across his body and headed back to camp, giving her a knowing look as he did.
She could feel the heat rise in her face as he passed by inches from where she stood. His hand gently grazed hers, as their shoulders touched, igniting a subtle tingle in her skin as their energy collided.
After he disappeared down the path, she sat for a moment at the edge of the stream, listening to
the gurgling of the clear cool mountain water as it flowed lazily by.
She jumped up suddenly as a thought exploded in her mind, her magic!
She had been so overwhelmed since arriving in Dywen that she had not even thought to try to use her own magic in this realm. Unlike the races of the Thanissia Universe who required the magic of the realms to power their own elemental magic, her magic was a part of her being, only using nature’s natural energy to amplify it.
She took a deep breath, concentrating on the magic she could feel flowing through her veins. Lifting her right hand, she focused on the toothbrush that lay on top of her backpack willing it to move upward—nothing. She turned in the direction of the campsite and opened her mind, actively seeking Rafe’s essence with her empathic ability—again nothing.
Why do my powers not work here? she thought.
Was it because she was in another time, or in a dimension where she did not belong, at least not as the witch she was in the modern world. Without her natural powers, she was as helpless as Rafe, which made her even more curious as to what would happen once Dywen’s magic was reactivated.
Feeling anxious once again, by the lack of control she had in this new world, she quickly gathered up her things and headed back to camp.
Within the hour, they were trekking up the mountain following a small stone and dirt path that led to the first peak of Ardrin Gorm; a flat area that he had referred to as Moonladen Fall. She walked closely behind him, her heart pounding in anticipation the higher up the mountainside they climbed. She had no expectations about what they would find at the top, but his vagueness had been frustrating. When she pressed him on the Druidstone at breakfast, he had simply responded that she would know what to do when she got there. Unfortunately, she was not sure that she ‘knew’ any of the things that he and Sebastian were sure that she would or should. A doubt that was beginning to make her question her instincts and the faith they both had in her.
Lost in her self-reflection she did not realize how far up the mountain they had climbed until she heard his voice announce their arrival.
She stopped abruptly as she reached the first peak, awed by the stunning view that lay in front of her. This area of the mountain was flat and surrounded on three sides by Ardrin Gorm’s larger peak. The lush emerald green grass was thick and dewy and the tall vegetation that bordered its circumference was dotted with huge orange flowers their petals open wide to the sun. In the center of all this vibrancy was a waterfall cascading in powerful sheets from the middle of the mountainside splashing soundlessly into a large base pool below. Moonladen Fall was a hidden mountain oasis.
The air on the peak was fresh and clean and she breathed in deeply, enjoying the coolness that filled her lungs and tickled her nose. The sun was beginning to sink in the sky and as the mountain cast large shadows over the area, she noticed the water begin to glow. The darker it got, the more the waterfall and the base pool shimmered with tiny specks of light. It reminded her of the thousands of fireflies that used to take over her parent’s backyard on hot summer nights.
It was breathtaking.
“It’s beautiful,” she exclaimed, mesmerized by the twinkling that flitted across the water’s surface.
“It is,” he agreed moving closer to the far side of the mountain where stone steps connected this area with the path that led up to the top. She followed, finding it difficult to take her eyes off the water as the sky darkened and the twinkling radiance intensified.
“What makes the water shine like that?”
“No one knows.”
He put their gear down in the open grassy area yards from the water’s edge. “Some say it is Dywen’s magic; others say there is something in the mountain that affects the water. No one has been able to confirm why the water shimmer’s the way it does in the dark, we have just learned to accept and enjoy it.”
The darkening sky made the water shine even brighter and a soft silvery glow reflected off the mountain’s walls, bouncing back to cast a subtle luminosity on the surrounding area. As Rafe busied himself getting their bedding out and building a fire, she walked the perimeter of the base pool taking in every inch of this tranquil place.
The water was shallow and a brilliant aqua, the sand surrounding its edge, pure white and as fine as powder. She bent down, picking up a handful of sand and letting it sift through her fingertips, the warmth of the day’s sun still apparent in its grains. The waterfall was strangely quiet where it hit the base pool and the spray it cast was minimal.
There was hardly any breeze in the oasis as it was protected on three sides by the towering mountain, its rock face shooting straight up into the dark clouds above. She walked over to the mountain, running her fingertips across its grainy smoothness, feeling the coolness that emanated from the rock. The vegetation that grew at its base was just as awe-inspiring, dark green large-leaf bushes supporting enormous orange flowers with equally large petals. The inside of each petal was highlighted with pale blues and purples and the soft fragrance they released ignited a calming effect when she breathed in deeply. The rest of the area was a thick carpet of lush green grass, not a weed or blemish marring its perfect surface.
Slowly, she made her way back to the base pool where Rafe had set up camp, the last of the sunlight disappearing below the horizon. The area was awash in the shimmering glow of the twinkling water and both the waterfall and the base pool glowed from within—Moonladen Fall was the perfect name.
He was sitting on a blanket at the edge of the sandy beach near where a small campfire burned. The smell of cooking meat wafted through the night air and she saw a large copper pot sitting directly on the bright red embers. She sat down beside him, sensing him tense as her shoulder grazed his.
“Are you hungry?” He asked, his smoky voice igniting her insides.
“Starving,” she replied quickly, desperately trying to ignore the effect he had on her. “It smells delicious. What is it?”
“It was my mother’s recipe, a Celtic stew. It has been in my family for generations,” he said proudly. “I hope you like lamb.”
She smiled and nodded, a slight tug on her heart reminding her of how much she missed her parents and her friends. He scooped out two large bowls of steaming hot stew, handing one to her. They sat close to one another on the blanket, quietly eating and watching the water sparkle enchantingly under the star-filled night sky. After dinner he brought out a leather flask, pouring a tin tumbler full of a dark red liquid and handing it to her.
“Another family recipe?” She asked taking a large sip of the strong bold-flavored wine.
“No this is all mine,” he grinned, raising his own glass to his lips. “Eddinberry wine. I make it from berries that can only be found in the lush grow lands of the Fae. The berry is tart but mixed with the right herbs and spices and a touch of honey, I have managed to create a very tasty wine.”
“It is very good,” she admitted allowing him to pour more into her tumbler, “And, I assume, very well-aged considering how long the portals to the other realms have been closed.” She giggled, enjoying the taste of the rich, bold flavor of the berries on her lips.
He nodded, a knowing smile crossing his handsome face. “Perfectly aged some would say.”
They sat in silence for a few more minutes, taking in the ethereal beauty the mountain offered. The double moons glowed brightly in the night sky casting a pale silvery radiance over the forest below. The stars that littered the sky were so close that she felt like they were falling to the ground.
Soon, she began noticing the wines affects, the soothing influence it had on her body as the alcohol coursed through her bloodstream.
“Let’s go swimming,” she blurted out before her foggy mind had a chance to comprehend the idea properly.
He looked at her curiously but before he could utter a word in response she was up
and walking to the water’s edge, peeling off one piece of clothing after another. He observed silently as the last of her clothing hit the sand and she dove into the sparkling base pool. She surfaced in the middle of the pool, her long dark hair dripping with water, her hands crossed modestly over her chest.
“Are you coming in?” she said coyly, her green eyes flashing and her cheeks flush with the effects of the wine.
He smiled, enjoying the boldness of this woman yet unsure about the emotions that stirred in him when he looked at her. Getting to his feet, he sauntered down to the edge of the water, his breathing quickening as he realized what he was about to do. The lights of the base pool glowed around her as she stood chest deep in the water watching him—she was beautiful.
“It’s warm,” she stated, one eyebrow lifting as she winked playfully at him. “Come in. I won’t look, and I don’t bite.”
Giggling, she turned around so that her back was to him. She had submerged herself up to her neck and her long dark hair floated gently around her. He hesitated, trying to regain control of the fledgling emotions that were running through him but as he continued to watch her a strong desire stirred inside. He fumbled with his clothes, his eyes never leaving her as he succumbed to the longing. As the cool night air hit his bare skin, he dove into the warm water, swimming out to the middle to join her.
