Arriving at the spring, they reigned up in a secluded clearing and prepared to make camp. Carefully, handing Tobias down first, Kaitla swung one leg over Epona’s back and proceeded to slide off the horse, landing flat on her rump with a thud on the soft ground below. “Oof!” the impact knocking the wind from her, she rolled to one side gasping.
Running to her side, Jared and Etain helped Kaitla sit upright, patiently waiting for her to catch her breath. “Are ye all right, lass?” Jared asked, the concerned gray eyes searching her face. “What happened to ye? I took the wee cat, then the next thing I know, ye’ve landed flat on yer arse!”
“I thought I could dismount by myself, but when my legs hit the ground they wouldn’t work!” Kaitla gasped, struggling to breathe normally.
Helping her up, Etain and Jared held her arms tightly, as Kaitla stiffly tried to reacquaint herself with her legs. “For God’s sake, help me over to that rock.” She begged, rubbing her aching behind and numb legs in a vain attempt to restore their mobility.
Eyes twinkling with suppressed laughter, Etain and Jared exchanged glances then quickly looked away to keep from giggling aloud. Hobart coughed, turning to remove the saddle from his horse, his shoulders shaking with mirth.
Seating Kaitla beside a secluded steaming spring, they left her with her dignity to undress and soak away her aches and pains. Struggling and cursing her way out of the snug clothing and tall leather boots, Kaitla finally sank wearily into the steaming hot pool. Closing her eyes, she leaned back, floating in the sulfur scented warmth. Inhaling the healing steam, she felt each taut muscle slowly relax; each strained tendon gradually resuming its natural position, and each aching joint warming and becoming fluid once more.
“Might I join ye, my own?” a soft deep voice murmured in her ear with that lovely Scot’s burr.
Not even opening her eyes, Kaitla smiled, “Mmmmhmm.”
Floating behind her body, Jared rested his chin on her shoulder and gently nibbled her ear. The strong gentle hands slowly massaged the length of her back beneath the water, tickling and leaving a trail of tingling flesh in their wake.
“I thought you were tired?” she whispered, turning to nip at Jared’s cheek.
“I’m never that tired,” Jared calmly replied, returning the nip with a deep, thorough kiss. “After watching ye all day, I couldna’ wait any longer to touch ye.” The delightful hands now at her breasts, he circled and kneaded them firm with excitement. Backing up against him in the steamy hot water, Kaitla wrapped her legs back around his to keep from floating away. Pressing her back against his hairy chest and snuggling her behind tight against him, Kaitla reached behind her head, and leaned back to search his mouth with hers. Strong arms encircled her, crushing her to his chest, he kissed her deeply as his thumbs idly teased her nipples. The hot rush of water entering her as he did took her breath away with spasms of pleasure. The buoyancy of the water and the tantalizing fluid thrusts brought Kaitla to her peak quickly. Slowly floating them to a shallow rock shelf barely beneath the water, Jared gently laid Kaitla back upon the shelf. Standing in the waist deep water between her silky thighs, strong hands circling her waist, he slowly flowed into her once more. Arching her back in pleasure, the water rushing around her, Kaitla moaned with ecstasy. Pulling her hard against him, Jared finally groaned in release.
Completely spent, they crawled to a nearby slope of moss, collapsing into each other’s arms. Hugging Kaitla tightly, Jared pushed the wild strands of wet hair away from her face, “Kaitla, there’s…um, something we must talk about.” He spoke in tones so serious; she was immediately leery of the words he was about to say.
Warily turning to read the deep gray eyes, Kaitla remained silent, waiting.
“What if ye should get with child?” He asked unsteadily, “I know it may already be too late to worry about it now, but, um, well…” Jared was obviously struggling.
Sitting up to hug her knees, Kaitla peered deeply into the concerned face, “What would you do?” she asked bluntly, watching his face closely for signs of potential betrayal.
Immediately grasping her point, he quickly pulled her into his arms, “I would protect ye and the bairn until I ceased to exist. Ye would be my wife and child. Ye canna think I’d abandon ye?” He was shocked that she could think him capable of such a thing. “What I meant to say earlier, is that this is a dangerous time. It’s definitely not the best time to bring a wee bairn into this world.” His hand to her chin, he gently turned her face imploring her deep amber eyes. “Ye do understand me now?”
“Yes,” Kaitla smiled, relieved at his response. “And you don’t have to worry about my becoming pregnant. At least not for awhile, anyway.”
“Aye? And would ye care to tell me how ye can be so sure?” He asked, arching his brows in question.
“In the earth realm, there are certain drugs available to prevent a woman from conceiving. I took my last pill right before we passed through the portal….as long as I’ve been taking them….and at my age…there’s no telling how long it would take me to become pregnant.” she explained.
“Oh! I see. I thought perhaps ye were going to tell me ye were barren,” he exhaled with relief. His eyes narrowing as a thought occurred to him, “But ye were a virgin…the night we first made love….why would ye be taking such a pill when ye hadn’t even known a man?”
Sighing heavily, Kaitla rolled away from him, “There are many reasons women take birth control pills for other then contraception….do we really have to discuss this right now? And besides, Weren’t you just telling me this was the wrong time to have a child?”
Pulling her to the ground beneath him, he kissed her hard, “Yes, now is the wrong time to have a child! But once Ravon is dead and your father has blessed our joining, it would give me great pleasure to watch my child grow within ye.”
Pushing his mouth away from hers, Kaitla once again quizzed him, “Our joining?” she asked innocently.
Brows raised in exasperation, he answered, “Aye, our joining. I mean to wed ye Kaitla Danann, to have ye as my own. Now stop talking and let me love ye properly!”
Chapter VII
Awakening to the twittering of birds reveling in the morning sun, Kaitla slowly rolled to her back, yawning and stretching lazily. A spongy bed of moss covered with a blanket had provided quite a good night’s sleep but the urge to reach Cuchailard Keep was once again nudging her to get moving. Her growling stomach loudly reminded her that she had chosen lovemaking over food last night. But as far as it was concerned, this morning, there would be no other choice besides food. Joining Hobart and Etain at the fire in the center of the encampment, Kaitla gratefully accepted a hot cup of tea.
“Did ye sleep well last night, lass?” Etain asked, sipping at her own cup of tea. Using the blade of her dhundare, she deftly flipped several pones of bread, slowly frying on the heated iron propped over the fire.
“Much better then I expected. I thought I’d be so stiff I wouldn’t be able to move this morning.” Kaitla sniffed at the frying bread hungrily, her mouth beginning to water.
“Aye, ‘tis the healing waters of the springs and the lands cradling ye at night,” Hobart explained. Adding more batter to the hot iron, the new pones sizzled and quickly began to brown and rise. Handing her a plate already laden with fresh berries, Etain quickly deposited several hot pones of bread beside them, while Hobart added dollops of butter that immediately melted and ran drizzling down the sides.
“This is wonderful. I didn’t realize how hungry I was,” Kaitla mumbled through a mouthful of berries and bread.
“Well, ye did miss yer supper last night,” chuckled Hobart with a twinkle in his eye. He made no attempt to disguise his pride over his godson’s relationship with Kaitla.
Blushing slightly, Kaitla ducked her head and concentrated on scooping more berries and buttery bread into her mouth. As Etain and Hobart set to filling their own plates, her eyes slowly circled the camp in search of Jared. Answering her unspoken thoughts, Etain volunteered
, “He’s gone to fill the water bags.” As she stacked the plates beside the wash bucket, she added, “He’s also looking around for any signs of unwanted visitors.”
At Kaitla’s frown, Hobart explained, “The lands we’re nearing belong to clans that are nay always friendly to those of Cuchailard. We must go carefully on our way.”
Absorbing this information with a renewed sense of wariness, Kaitla turned to Etain, “I don’t understand why we have to travel so slowly by horseback. With our powers, why don’t we transport ourselves quickly to the Keep?” Mopping up the berry juice with the last bite of bread, she popped it into her mouth.
Rising slowly from her seat, Etain began washing the plates in the wash bucket. Carefully choosing her words, she glanced up at Kaitla thoughtfully. “Aye, we could travel in such a manner, but it wouldna’ be the right thing to do.” She paused as she looked out over the rolling landscape, newly green and vibrant since Kaitla’s return to the realm. “The land has awaited healing for thirty-five years, Kaitla. Ye must touch it, see it, and become a part of it in order to heal it completely and make it whole. Do ye understand what I’m tryin’ to tell ye?”
“Yes,” Kaitla replied quietly. “I need to stop trying to rush things and take the more natural course of events?” Nodding in agreement, Etain smiled at Kaitla’s grasp of the workings of the realm.
Thundering hooves of the feisty black stallion announced Jared’s return to the camp. Breathless with excitement, Jared’s cheeks were red from the wind, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “The lad truly loves to run, Kaitla! Ye should join me in a ride!”
“No thank you!” Kaitla answered, shaking her head firmly, “Epona takes care of my derriere and sees fit to keep me in the saddle at a safe rate of speed.”
Filling both his hands with said “derriere” and squeezing, Jared murmured seductively into her hair, “I’ll take care of this fine derriere!”
Whirling away from him as she shook her finger in stern warning, Jared merely laughed at the mock scolding. His deep rumbling chuckles warming Kaitla’s heart as well as tingling through her body.
“We’ve everything packed and ready,” Hobart announced, grinning in amusement at the lovestruck couple’s antics.
“Before we go,” Kaitla interrupted, “Etain, help me understand how you dressed me the other day. The days are warmer and I could use some fresh clothing.” Kaitla sniffed delicately, wrinkling her nose at the slightly ripe aroma her body was developing.
“We’ll wash in the freshwater spring, then I’ll clothe ye once more,” Etain replied. “I rather enjoyed dressing ye. I never had a daughter to adorn.”
“You would’ve loved Barbie Dolls, Etain,” Kaitla drolly noted.
“Barbie Dolls?” Etain asked, raising her brows quizzically.
“Never mind,” Kaitla grinned, heading for the bubbling waters of the inviting spring.
Kaitla emerged from the clear sparkling stream smelling a good deal better then when she entered it. Etain had supplied her with the roots from a nearby wildflower, instructing her to crush them with a rock, then work them into a lather with water. The results were quite pleasant, her skin glowing and invigorated with the scrubbing and smelling sweetly of the soaproot plant.
Standing motionless before Etain, Kaitla was soon clothed in a deep shade of hunter green that blended perfectly with the awakening land. The sleeveless linen top was again quite snug, fitting almost like a bustier, causing her smallish breasts to round enticingly above the low cut neckline. The breeches were also form fitting, tucked into a pair of thigh high boots dyed a deeper shade of green instead of the somber black she had been wearing. Once again, the moonstone belt girded her waist with the hilt of her dhundare at the ready. Etain returned Kaitla’s hair to the elaborate braid with the gold cording, however, this time replacing the moonstone in the center of her forehead, with a golden Celtic knot. The endless spirals intertwining, never to reveal the beginning of the knot and never coming to an end.
Returning to the horses refreshed and ready to go, Kaitla gathered Tobias up in her arms and prepared to clamber aboard. “Wait, Kaitla!” Trotting to her side, Jared gently took Tobias and settled him on Epona’s flat broad rump.
“What’s wrong?” Kaitla asked, searching Jared’s face for some clue.
“Nothing” he replied huskily, gathering her into his arms and firmly kissing her. “I simply wanted to tell ye how lovely ye look and how ye’re killing me with the wanting of ye.”
She pressed her body tightly against his, reveling in every hard curve pressing into her own. “I’ve never had anyone make me feel this way, Jared. If I’m killing you with desire; you’re killing me with pleasure.” She returned the kiss, opening her mouth to his searching tongue and gently nibbling on his lower lip.
Hugging her tightly, he chuckled in her ear, “Aye, well ---lass, then we both shall die happy.” With that, he swept her up into his arms and deposited her deftly atop the horse. With a deep sigh of resignation he patted Kaitla’s thigh, “Damn!” he said softly, “we must be going now, I suppose.”
Grinning, Kaitla reached down and brushed the dark hair from his face. Gathering the reigns, and double-checking on Tobias’ seating, she nodded regretfully to Jared, “Duty calls, love.”
Emerging from the shroud of mists surrounding Iona springs, they entered a vast rolling meadow. The undulating hills were covered with fragrant wildflowers and grasses swaying in the gentle breeze. Brilliantly colored butterflies flitted from flower to flower, some occasionally lighting briefly on their mounts. Perched on the saddle in front of Kaitla, Tobias sat erect with ears perked forward. His cat radar was fully deployed and if not for Kaitla’s restraining hand, he would’ve been diving through the tall grasses rather then watching them sway in the breeze.
Deer grazing in the meadow raised their heads and flicked their ears in curiosity at the little group’s passing. Here and there a rabbit would flush out of the grasses, pausing long enough to sit upright on their haunches to get a better view of the passing entourage. Whenever this happened, Tobias could hardly contain his predatory instincts. Quiet words of warning and a firm hand upon the fat little body barely kept the little hunter in the saddle.
After traveling several miles through the rich green valley, brilliant flags and banners of royal blue and bright yellow appeared in the distance. As they drew closer, they could see several large tents, each sporting wide stripes of the same colors pitched in a semi-circle in a large encampment. The tents were huge, four-cornered shelters with two and three center poles, reminding Kaitla of tents she had once seen in a painting of a jousting tournament.
As details of the camp became clearer, Jared urged his mount closer to hers, “Kaitla, I have something I must tell ye.” Kaitla twisted to study his face at the urgent undercurrent to his tone. The worried brow and troubled eyes only furthered her concern, causing her to reign Epona quickly to a halt.
Searching the stormy eyes and worried brow, Kaitla warily asked, “What’s wrong?” But before Jared could reply, thundering hoof beats and shouts up ahead, drew her attention to several riders approaching them from the camp. All the riders were aboard immaculate white horses, their streaming manes and tails intricately woven with the blue and yellow colors of the camp. Six of the riders were obviously guards or warriors of some sort. All men, their tight breeches were royal blue and they each wore a bright yellow vest with nothing but their skin beneath. The bronze bodies gleamed with sweat in the sunlight, the well-muscled chests and arms, leaving no question to the strength of each man. Well armed with dhundares at their sides and round shields forged with the images of serpents, the unsmiling faces didn’t seem altogether welcoming.
The seventh rider at the head of the pack was by far the most interesting. A shapely woman, sitting tall in the saddle, her jet-black hair flowing behind her in the wind. Her skin was golden, shimmering like a precious metal in the sunlight. Her brilliant blue eyes sparkled above high cheekbones, her full red
lips and perfect white teeth flashing a triumphant smile as though she had just won first place at the races. Her long legs were sleak and sculpted in the tight blue silk of her leggings. The sheer yellow gauze encircling her torso left little to the imagination, the dark round areolas of her breasts showing clearly through the flimsy material. Laughing, the exotic creature rode straight for Jared. Pulling her mount to a halt beside him, she quickly leaned between the two horses, pulling Jared to her and kissing him thoroughly on the mouth. “Welcome back, love! I’ve missed ye!” she smiled, gazing lovingly into his eyes.
Eyes narrowing, Kaitla chose this opportunity to scan Jared’s mind as he had so often explored hers. When she had first learned she had this ability, she had promised herself to only use it when she felt it was absolutely necessary. It was, after all, quite an invasion of privacy, the mind being the last place to hide one’s thoughts and feelings not ready to be shared. From the greeting Kaitla had just witnessed, it was absolutely necessary to read Jared’s mind.
Locked in yet another kiss, Kaitla witnessed Jared’s memories and immediately wished she hadn’t. Images of Jared and the ebony haired lass laughing together, dining together, and dancing together. Kaitla clearly heard Jared’s strong deep voice, “Elsbet, ye know ye canna win!” As the two heads bent closely together, studying the next move of the chess pieces. Elsbet, the girl he supposedly neither knew nor loved…or so he had told her that first night, before he had shared her bed. Shaking her head in disbelief and anger, she straightened in the saddle, setting her jaw in determination. She should’ve known better then to trust his words. She should’ve immediately looked into his mind, but she had been too overcome, first, by the terror of the nightmare and then by the aching need to be loved and possessed. She’d thought it would be different this time, but she had obviously been quite wrong. Pulling away from Elsbet, Jared’s woeful eyes met Kaitla’s. He had felt her in his mind, and knew Kaitla was now aware of the fact he had lied to her.
Awakening Her Soul to Destiny Page 11
