“I love you, Antonia. You brought the light back into my world.”
In the last glowing rays of the sun as it sank beneath the far horizon, he saw the shimmer of tears in her beautiful eyes.
“And I love you, Gawain.” Her whisper sank into his soul, a healing balm. “You and Cassia are my world.”
Epilogue
Two Weeks Later, Londinium
Gawain stood at the dockside beside Antonia as the passengers on the ship bringing her daughter disembarked.
Since that night at the crossroads, he’d spread the word that he would lead any displaced Celt back to Cymru. Several of the Druids he had met through Rhys had come forward. By the end of this week, they would return to their homeland.
The queen, along with several of her Druids, had decided to accompany them. With her connection to Carys, who had helped avert genocide, and Maximus, whose name carried great weight in the Roman world, they would receive due respect from the invaders when they returned as the exiled rulers.
Gawain caught the stony glare of Antonia’s adoptive father as he stood on the other side of her. The older man did not approve of either Gawain or their plans to move to Cymru. But he had given his daughter his blessing. And intended to join them in their new life.
He looked at Antonia. There was an aura of excitement surrounding her, of anticipation and relief but threaded through there was also a tremor of fear.
Will Cassia still remember me? Her whisper from last night haunted him.
He disregarded Roman protocol and threaded his fingers through hers. Her hand was chilled but she turned to look at him, and the love in her eyes stilled the breath in his throat.
Tomorrow this woman would be his wife in the eyes of Rome. But she was already his wife in his heart, where it truly mattered.
An elderly couple emerged from the crowds and Antonia stiffened. The old woman held a small child, a replica of Antonia in miniature. The baby caught sight of them and a smile illuminated her face.
“She remembers you, my sweet Antonia.” He squeezed her fingers and she laughed, and finally the last shadow died from the depths of her eyes.
Together, they went to greet their daughter.
The End
About Christina Phillips
Christina Phillips is an ex-pat Brit who now lives in sunny Western Australia. She has always loved writing, and while her efforts in eighth grade usually involved space ships, time travel and unfortunate endings, as soon as she discovered romance novels a whole new world opened up.
She writes hot ancient historical romances about tough Roman warriors, sexy Highland warriors and deliciously bad vampires who, no matter how torturous their journey, are always guaranteed their happily-ever-after.
Christina welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email addresses on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
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Also by Christina Phillips
Betrayed
Bloodlust Denied
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
www.ellorascave.com
Tainted
ISBN 9781419940347
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Tainted Copyright © 2013 Christina Phillips
Edited by Victoria Reese
Cover design by Syneca
Cover photography by Diniz/shutterstock.com, romancenovelcovers.com
Electronic book publication August 2013
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