Her fears of thinking of Dean, her fiancé who had died before she had been brought to this world, proved unfounded as her mind filled with nothing but the person she was lying with and how good he was making her feel. The sex was fast and almost frantic, as though Brin had waited too long to take her and could no longer hold back. It did not last long, but that did not seem to matter. She wrapped her legs around his, her hands on his buttocks, encouraging him to push deeper until, only moments later, it was his turn to climax. He rolled off her and they lay in each others’ arms for a while, contentment filling them both.
She was beginning to drift off to sleep when he leant over and kissed her. “Come on,” he said gently. “You need to get some sleep.” She did not complain as he wrapped her in a robe then found one for himself.
Ellen was still waiting outside the door when they departed, and, noticing Sam’s hand in Brin’s and the flushed looks on their faces, gave them a sly smile. “Goodnight,” she said to them both, then addressed only Brin. “Make sure she gets some rest,” she instructed, certain she would not be obeyed.
“I will,” Brin promised, then led Sam back to her room. Once there he sat her on the edge of the bed and, having found a hairbrush in the dressing room, proceeded to brush the knots out of her hair. She was about to protest that she could do it herself when she remembered that it was his fault her hair was in such a mess. The fact it felt good was an added bonus. She did, however, complain when he found a nightgown for her to wear.
“You have been ill, you need to keep warm,” he stated matter-of-factly.
“You can keep me warm,” she countered.
He smiled slightly before his face became serious. “You nearly died. Indulge me. Please.”
Unable to refuse him, she removed her robe and slipped the nightgown over her head. “Satisfied?” she asked.
“Not quite.” He pulled back the blankets on the bed and indicated she should get in. When she was settled, he pulled the blanket around her, tucking her in. He kissed her forehead and headed towards the door.
Sam sat up. “Aren’t you staying?”
If he heard the trace of pleading in her voice, he did not mention it. “I am just going to get my things. I promise I will be right back. Unless, of course, you do not want me to permanently move in here.”
A mischievous grin spread across her face. “You’d better not let Mrs Hubert find out.”
Brin grimaced. “Maybe I should stay in my own room.”
“Don’t even think about it,” Sam warned. He grinned at her before departing. She was asleep by the time he returned with all of his belongings. He unpacked, finding plenty of empty drawers, and then slipped out of his robe and into the bed beside her. She stirred slightly, rolling onto her side to make more room for him. Placing an arm around her, he closed his eyes and he too was soon asleep.
Sam opened her eyes and saw the plain wall of the room she was staying in. Had last night just been a dream? Then she felt the light touch of soft kisses on her neck and a smooth but firm hand working its way up her side then moving round to cup her breast. Removing her nightgown, she sighed contentedly and rolled over. Brin lay back, his hands over his head, inviting her to use him in any way she wished. His eyes told her he was offering her his soul as well as his body; she had never seen him look so vulnerable. He had completely opened himself up to her, allowing her to take him as more than just a sex partner or reject him, knowing that it would completely tear him apart if that was the option she chose. Rejection was the last thing on her mind. Placing herself on top, she made love to him, slowly and gently, relishing the feel of him inside her. It lacked the frantic passion of the previous night, but was so much more satisfying. As she moved her hips back and forth making him slide in and out of her, he could finally take it no longer and needed to have his hands on her. He sat up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Enclosing his mouth over one breast, he used his hands to move her up and down, while giving her buttocks a squeeze. It felt good, really good, and when they were both satisfied, they cuddled and drifted back to sleep.
They were awoken by knocking on the door. Without waiting for it to be opened, Ellen walked in carrying a tray of breakfast for them both. “I thought you might need some food,” she stated, ignoring the fact they were both trying to hide their nakedness under the blankets. “Tomorrow everyone expects you both to make it down for breakfast, so if you want to have morning sex, make sure you wake up early.”
She was out of the room, the door firmly closed behind her, before either of them could speak. “I presume by now everyone knows about us,” Brin finally managed to say.
Sam shrugged her shoulders. “They all knew it was on the cards. We didn’t exactly keep our feelings for each other a secret.”
“Breakfast now or later?” Brin asked, changing the subject. The kiss he gave her showed exactly what he wanted to do before eating, and the way her body responded indicated she wanted the same thing, but her head overruled the rest of her so they ate their breakfast while it was still hot, before returning to bed. After all, they were expected to leave their room the next morning. Ellen had said nothing about the rest of the current day.
“Why did you look better dancing with Hawk than with any other man?” Brin asked much later, as they were relaxing in the bed.
Sam was slightly surprised by the sudden question and let her mind drift back to the wedding of Prince Talon and Princess Selene. “He cheats,” she finally answered.
“Cheats?”
“We were floating just off the ground.”
“Clever,” Brin commented, admiringly. “The more I hear about that man, the more I like him.”
“Good, because you need to start being nice to him if you expect him to allow you to sleep with me in his coffin.”
“I think not,” he replied, smiling at her. “When we travel again, you are going to have to get used to sleeping on the ground. I am sure I can keep you warm.” He pulled her closer. “Besides,” he whispered, “there is not enough room in the coffin to have any fun and I plan on enjoying you at every opportunity.”
The way she kissed him in reply told him exactly what she thought about that comment.
“I have one more question,” he said when he was finally allowed to get his breath back. “How did you know it was me in the bathing room?”
“I didn’t.”
“What!” he said shocked, sitting up and looking at her.
“Relax; nobody else can walk silently, even across marble. It could only have been you.” This did not make him feel any better, so she found other ways to do that. They were definitely not going to make it to the dining room for lunch; even dinner was beginning to look doubtful.
Liselle had slept well and felt more refreshed than she had in quite a while. She had talked with Torrick for a long time, explaining all that she had found and the conclusions she had jumped to. He thought carefully about all she had said and had agreed that, though it looked like she was making huge leaps, it was definitely worth talking to Bellak. He was not certain she was right, but he saw no reason to not investigate further. It was the first night since their return to Vada that she had not retreated back to the library till deep into the night and Torrick had taken advantage of it. Sam and Brin had not been the only ones enjoying each other that night.
Bellak looked as though he had been in the library all night, which he may well have been. “Found anything?” Liselle asked when he finally looked up and noticed she had joined him. He grunted in reply. “Can you put the book down for a minute please?” she said, taking a seat opposite him. “I need to run a theory by you.” He slowly placed his book on the table, marking his page with a piece of paper, and looked at her. Taking this as an invitation to continue, she proceeded to tell him everything.
“So,” she said when she had finished. “What do you think?”
“Calling Heyjun Ukland just because the last Duke was called Uk is a bit of a long stretch, but I have not found
anything better. Let us spend today looking for any references to Annan forest that may help us pinpoint the exact location more accurately and broach the subject with Tor tomorrow.” It was not the enthusiastic ‘well done’ she had been hoping for, but it was a lot more than she had been expecting, so she obediently went in search of books about forests.
Nothing of any value had been found by the time Torrick paid a visit later in the day, so she agreed to bathe and dress for dinner. For once she would join her husband instead of eating in the library with Bellak. Sam and Brin were already in the dining room when she arrived, being teased good humouredly. They had been expecting the ribbing they got from various members of the group, but were totally unprepared for the vehemence with which Grimmel accosted them as they were departing after the meal.
“I have a bone to pick with you two,’ he said bitterly. He ushered them into an empty room, closing the door behind them. “What do you think you are playing at? You are different species. There is no way it is going to work out.”
Brin took Sam’s hand as she defended their actions. “You may be right, but we are prepared to take that risk. What business is it of yours anyway?”
Grimmel grimaced. “River saw Brin moving his stuff into your room and decided to do the same. She has taken over my room, declaring that if you two can make a go of things, so can we. I have been telling her for months that it would never work and you two have just ruined all of my hard work.”
Brin stared at the dwarf in disbelief while Sam did her best not to laugh. “I don’t see the problem,” she stated when she had managed to get herself under control. “You do like her don’t you?”
“Of course I do, I love her,” he replied gruffly. “But that is not the point.”
“Actually, that is exactly the point. She wants you, you want her, but you aren’t prepared to make the commitment, so she makes it for you. Grow up. Stop sulking because you actually got what you want, but don’t want to admit it, and go and tell her how pleased you are to have her sharing your bed.”
Twice Grimmel opened his mouth to comment, but changed his mind. Growling, he stomped out of the room, banging the door shut in an attempt to drown out the sound of Sam’s laughter.
In the morning, Liselle and Bellak approached Tor with their discoveries, though actually they were Liselle’s discoveries that Bellak took credit for, and he agreed it was worth checking out. It would be a long journey and a waste of a lot of time if they were wrong, but Tor was prepared to take that risk. Liselle then surprised both men by suggesting delaying by two days, giving her and Bellak a little more time to find more information. Both Bellak and Tor were eager to begin the journey, but granted Liselle’s request.
The next evening, some of the men decided to treat themselves to a night in the city and invited Brin to join them. “You had better ask the little lady’s permission,” Seth said, grinning broadly.
Brin turned to Sam, but did not get the chance to speak.
“Don’t even think about it,” she warned him. Disappointment crossed his face. “If you ever ask my permission to go out with the boys, I am kicking you back to your own room,” she continued. “We may be a couple, but you are still your own person and able to make your own decisions without asking me.”
The disappointment dropped from his face, replaced by a cheeky smile. “Sorry boys,” he said, “but I think I have just had a better offer. You seem to have got my lady riled up and I am going to enjoy her taking it out on me.” He took her hand and escorted her to their room, winking at Seth as they left.
“Some guys have all the luck,” Seth commented, then placed his arm around Patrick’s shoulders. “Come on boys, let us find some music, some wine and some women willing to have a little fun.”
Dal started to follow them, but Tor dragged him back. “No wine for you kiddo,” he warned. “Nor women.”
Dal grinned. “I promise to behave,” he said solemnly, then ran down the corridor to join the others before Tor could grab him again.
Tor watched them leave then turned to Ellen, who looked ready to laugh. “Why do I worry more when he is being reasonable?” he asked her. She wisely decided not to reply.
Chapter 5
“Can I ask a favour?” Sam asked Allias the next morning during breakfast. The King nodded, so she continued. “Can we have access to your grandmother’s maze?”
“Of course you can, but why?” he replied, curious.
“I just thought it might be of some use to practice going round a maze. I know each one is different, but it may give us some ideas on the best way to approach it.”
“Good idea,” Tor said approvingly. “From what I can see of it, it is overgrown, but the aisles should be passable, especially if we take some sharp axes with us.”
“I promised Selene I would have the gardeners fix it up for her,” Allias said, a smile creasing his face. “This way, you do most of the hard work and I get the credit for keeping my promise.”
“It’s the least we can do. Take it as a thank you for being such a gracious host,” Sam commented lightly before standing up and heading out of the room to change into her gardening clothes.
“That is easy for her to say,” Seth groaned. “She will not be the one carrying the axe.”
“From the look of you,” Tor observed, “nor will you be. Good night last night?”
“What little I remember of it. May I be excused gardening duty? I think I am going to throw up.” He exited the room without waiting for an answer.
Tor managed to suppress his laugh and turned to Dal, who looked full of the joys of spring. “Next time I let you go out with Seth, remind me to instruct you to keep him out of trouble not the other way round. Where is Patrick by the way?”
Dal coughed uneasily. “I think he is still in jail. The woman he chose to seduce turned out to be married to a man with a jealous streak a mile wide and a vicious temper. A fight broke out and it took nearly a dozen guards to drag them both to the jailhouse. Patrick was only defending himself, I swear.”
Tor put his head in his hands and groaned. “Why me?”
“Tor, my friend,” Ban said in his usual good natured manner. “You decided who should join you on the quest. You cannot blame anyone else. Of course, you can always leave some behind.”
“Tempting, very tempting.”
“Stop worrying,” Allias joined in. “I will have Patrick released as soon as I have finished the morning court session.”
“Is it too much to ask that you leave him there for a while?” Tor enquired. “Just long enough to give us a couple of days head start, for example.”
Allias stared at him, not sure if he was serious or not.
By the time Sam had slipped into her gardening overalls and made her way down to the start of the maze, a small group of helpers had arrived. Dal was full of enthusiasm, axe in one hand, sword in the other. Ria had also volunteered her skills, in case climbing was needed. Ban’s help would be invaluable, judging by the size of the double bladed axe he had over his shoulder. If that could not clear a path for them, nothing could. Oak and Brin had decided not to join them. Although it was bushes that were going to be chopped rather than trees, neither could bring themselves to partake. Sam had tried to point out that it was good for bushes to be trimmed back, but her comments fell on deaf ears. Modo had joined Seth, Patrick and Dal on their night time excursion, the result was that he had to promise to lend a hand as soon as his head stopped throbbing; Sam was not expecting to see him any time that morning. Selene wanted to help out, but her midwife had thrown a fit when she suggested it, so they compromised on a stroll around the maze once the hard work had been done. Rupert and Tallon were both waiting for Sam’s arrival, swords in hand, though why everyone was waiting for her, she could not work out. She was handed a pair of shears and entered the maze.
The hedges were not as overgrown as they first appeared and the group made fast progress, splitting up whenever there was a junction. The paths went in so many
different directions that almost everyone found themselves alone for a while, though often it was not long before they were rejoined by one of their colleagues who had hit a dead end. At midday, Mrs Hubert organised drinks and sandwiches to be delivered to the workers, but it took the serving boys so long to find everyone that it was the middle of the afternoon before everyone had been fed.
No decision had been made as to when they should stop, but they were all smart enough to head out of the maze well before the light failed. Everyone except Dal, who needed to be rescued by a search party and looked deeply embarrassed when led out by Ria. They discussed their progress during the evening meal and the general consensus was that, although they had cleared less than a quarter of the paths, they were heading towards the centre in a methodical fashion and would be unlucky not to reach it the next day.
The next morning the progress was both faster and slower. Having spent an entire day surrounded by greenery, the enthusiasm had gone from all of them, even the ever eager Dal, resulting in them working slower. This was offset by the extra recruits; both Seth and Modo managed to make it out of their rooms without too much grumbling. Progress was made and it soon turned into a competition as to who could reach the centre first. Sam knew she was getting close and she excitedly turned a corner, only to find it was a dead end. She swore loudly. She swore louder still when she heard Modo’s triumphant cheer a moment later from the other side of the hedge that was blocking her path. Everyone immediately stopped work and backtracked, trying to work out which path Modo had taken. It took nearly an hour of calling to each other over the hedges, but eventually everybody made it to the centre, which turned out to be rather disappointing.
The Maze Page 5
