by Kirra Pierce
He slipped his strong arms around her and pulled her from the bed. “Eep!”
Raphael smiled at her surprise and walked across the floor with her cradled in his arms like a mere child. “Let me wash you. I would not have you suffer in any way from my attentions.” His grin was full of mischief.
Miranda narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him. Raphael affected a look that was much too innocent. He cocked an eyebrow, and his expression seemed to say, “What? Why look at me that way? Can’t you tell I’ve nothing but virtuous intentions?”
She snorted her disbelief.
He threw his head back and laughed. The cheerful delight in his beautiful voice had her smiling along with him.
He nudged the door to the bathing room open and stepped inside.
Miranda murmured, “You’ll find this a pleasant surprise, I think.” It was large for a cottage’s bathing room, which was to say both of them could, if careful, step around one another without actually touching. There was a porcelain sink with two spigots above it, a toilet like those found in a wealthy home, and a large porcelain tub. Mounted high in the wall above the tub, a second sink loomed with chains dangling down from more spigots above the ceramic fixture.
He raised his brows in question. She wriggled to be let down. After a brief squeeze, he complied.
“I don’t know if you noticed which village you were nearing since you had to change course because of the flooding, but the village I’m serving is Quwe, as in Quwe waters. In addition to the health waters the village bottles and sells, there are a number of natural hot springs in the area. The village has harnessed the waters in pipes that flow to every home, including this healer’s cottage away from the rest of the village.”
She couldn’t keep the pride she felt in this home from swelling in her voice. “One spigot gives the hot water from the springs, and the other, cold water from the river. You can adjust the flows to get the temperature you desire in the wall bowl above the tub, then open the nozzle here at the bottom so that the stream flows down into the tub or rains over your body. I know many of the wealthy have something similar, but, here, the whole village has this luxury. Is that not clever?”
“Yes, quite clever. You are right to be proud of your home and people.” He took a washcloth from a shelf on the wall and filled the sink with a mix of waters that he tested and then into which he dipped the cloth. “Here, bend over and put your hands on the wall. Let me wash you.” Stunned by the tenderness in his expression, Miranda turned and complied without protest. He carefully washed her most private tissues before likewise washing himself and filling the bathing tub.
Miranda leaned against the wall and smiled. The pale morning light from high narrow windows revealed beauty with every twist of his body while he tested the water and laid towels by the tub. An ache that had nothing to do with soreness began again between her legs. He has made me insatiable! Heat filled her cheeks at the thought, and she found herself blurting out words to distract her mind.
“My home and people? No. No, I am just here for a short while. The real healer, Isabella, is at the capital to see her niece graduate from the Healer’s Academy. She, the niece that is, will eventually take over for Isabella here. I am completing my own required post-graduate time as a traveling healer, filling in where needed, going to places without a resident healer. It’s something all of us do…” her voice trailed off when Raphael stepped into the tub and reached out a hand for her.
His eyes glittered with amusement, but he didn’t release his laughter so she took his hand and stepped carefully into the tub of hot water. His look held her captive as they knelt into the water, and then he turned her so her back rested on his chest. He took her bath sponge and gently trailed it over her body.
“So you are not bound to this village?” He brushed his lips across the top of her ear. She felt his tongue glide over the delicate skin behind her jaw. A shiver ran down her body.
“Miranda?” he prompted. His voice held restrained laughter.
That evil tease! She twisted in his arms, and with care, “accidentally” splashed him. Hah! Take that! “Oh, sorry. No, I will not be staying. I’ll be leaving here soon.”
His expression changed from one of humor to predatory intentness.
“Um, Raphael…”
He leaned forward, and she edged back. Suddenly, he snapped his arms back around her and twisted them sideways in the tub, pulling her down on top of him. His lips covered hers, and in the next moment she was half under the water, cut off from all sound but his low growl reverberating through the kiss. Slowly, he pulled away and raised her back up to recline sideways on his chest.
“Ah, kitten, if you tease a wolf, you must be prepared for the consequences.” He laughed freely now, sparking her ready temper once more. There was a helpless male nipple right by her fingers.
With a quick squeeze, he was her prisoner. His brows shot up in surprise. She smiled smugly at him. “I’m no kitten, but a healer who knows all the weak spots on any man’s body.” Evilly, she cupped his balls with her other hand, but she only gave his nipple a tweak before releasing him.
“Ah, so the kitten has claws. Something I’ll be sure to remember.” He gave her a quick hug that also trapped her arms, preventing further retaliation. His easy smile faded, and his demeanor grew serious. “I must go soon. I have a report on raver activity that must be given. Which way will you be traveling once Isabella returns? Please say that your journey leads away from this area. They’ve kept their activities secret, but there are many ravers in the tri-border region.”
"Have you seen them here?" Miranda felt a sudden chill. This could mean real danger.
“Although I haven’t seen any evidence of them in this country yet, they are unlikely to respect any boundary when they feel the need to spread further out in their search for prey. They capture young women alive to service their needs. Alone here, you could be an easy target.”
Another shiver ran down Miranda’s spine. She had seen the victims of raver attacks at the academy and had no wish to be one.
“My next stops will be shorter visits in towns without a regular healer or whose healer is growing old. In addition to helping with whatever any particular village needs, my traveling work acts as a sort of audition. The villages will look me over and I them, as I consider where I might wish to settle on a long-term basis. But yes, to your point, the route will take me further from the border. Will you be warning the people here before you leave?”
He rose from the bath pulling Miranda up with him. They stepped from the water, and he plucked a towel up from the floor and began to dry her. She stared hard at him while he quietly toweled her off. “Raphael? An answer, please.”
He sighed reluctantly. “No, I will not speak to the villagers, and you must keep silent as well. I should not have spoken of this to you.
“The brethren always feel possessive, protective of a lover. Your courage in helping me when I was so on the edge, so dangerous, has made you even more dear to me in this one night than I can easily say. I spoke more than I have a right to.”
Her rigid posture was eloquent as to her feelings. This is wrong! They must be warned. She opened her mouth to speak when Raphael continued.
“If the people here begin to behave differently than normal without apparent cause, word would leak out, and it’s possible the ravers would relocate before we can get to them. They would be twice as difficult and dangerous to find again, and the damage they could do in the meantime does not bear considering.
“I will travel very quickly with my report and will return with the aide needed to fight the ravers effectively. Promise me you will keep quiet and not endanger my mission. Not when there is no immediate danger here.”
Miranda stood stiff while her gut fought her mind. As a healer, she was sworn to protect and promote life. He asked that she hold back information that would protect lives here to possibly save more lives later. “Last night I returned after being away from this cottage for almost a full day
. I had just helped bring a new baby into the village. The baby’s name is Roslyn. She is a lovely fragile gift. Her mother’s name is Izzie, and her father’s name is Jovan. They glow with love for their daughter. Remember these people as you travel.
“I will keep your secret, but I will also wait until you come back before I leave this town. Isabella will be happy to have me here while she gets settled back in. If you truly valued our night together and me, remember I will remain here to share whatever danger they face until your brethren come.”
Raphael face was set in firm lines. “You strike a hard bargain. I will remember everything. I do not want to leave you here, but I will go because I must.” The sternness melted from his face, and a look of embarrassment flashed over his expression. He ducked his head and looked away.
Miranda cocked her head, seeking his gaze once more. What could cause this confident man to look shy now?
“Miranda, would you see me again when I return, not just as a member of the brethren, but as something more?”
Warmth blossomed inside her. His passion was amazing, but the careful way he held her in its aftermath and this morning reached past her defenses to touch her deeply.
“Yes. I would like to see you again, for your own sake.”
His eyes crinkled with his smile just before he took her lips in a kiss more sweet than any they had shared before. He gathered her close in a careful hug. She felt his considerable strength surround her and felt safe.
“I best be leaving or I’m afraid I will never leave your side or your body.”
She flexed her fingers into his chest muscles at the heat and promise in his words, then pushed back and stepped away. “I’ll dress and quickly make us some breakfast, and then you can be on your way.” She forced her voice to be light, brisk, knowing this was what they needed now.
He followed the unblushing Miranda out to the main room and donned his discarded garments while she pulled loose trousers and tunic from a cupboard behind the bed. Her mind was already racing to think what she could do to keep her promise to him while safeguarding the village when his puzzled voice interrupted her thoughts.
“Uh, Miranda, I hesitate to ask, but I am perplexed. You seemed surprised last night by your reaction to me: to a brethren’s scent, so I’m guessing you have never been with one of us before. Is that correct?”
She turned her face to hide her smile. She could well guess some of the direction of his curiosity, but it was too much fun to make him squirm a bit. She decided not to make the situation easier for him. Composing her face, she turned. “No, I have never had a brethren lover before. Why do you ask?”
Her too innocent expression must have given her away because he growled in frustration and strode over to swing her up in his arms again. “How is it that you were so unafraid of my midform? The half-beast form is terrifying to most. And now, this morning, when most women who aren’t companions and unused to us would shy away, you show no embarrassment.”
At her raised brows, he apparently thought over what he said and quickly added: “Not that I want you to be embarrassed. I’m just perplexed.”
Thoroughly enjoying his confusion, but unable to keep the pretense up any longer, Miranda laughed merrily. “In the first place, when I met you last night I was coming back from aiding with a birth that had taken a full day and most of a night. I was too exhausted to have any sort of normal reactions. It’s just a wonder that even you were able to keep me awake as long as you did.”
She shrugged. “As for the lack of embarrassment, there’s not room for personal modesty in the Healer’s Academy. We used each other’s bodies for study and practice. After a while, students tend to lose any shyness they came with. Also, there’s an unusually free attitude toward taking lovers, and, er, experimenting. All for the sake of being able to help future patients, of course.” She finished with another laugh.
Strangely, Raphael didn’t laugh with her. He scowled instead.
“Why do you frown so? Would you rather I had run screaming from you or tied you and left you to suffer?”
“No.” He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. “I’m sorry, I just find I don’t like the idea of you having other lovers. A natural reaction after pushing myself to the breaking point and having you save me from my beast last night.”
He composed his face into a respectful mien. “There’s no reason for me to be churlish. I apologize again.” Raphael placed Miranda’s feet back on the floor and went back to finish dressing, still shaking his head.
Miranda sighed. A sad pain settled in her chest. Had he felt the same connection that she had for him? Or were his actions just based on seeing her as his savior of last night? That sort of gratitude became a trap against which all the students at the Healer’s Academy were warned. The possibility that only gratitude, not real attraction, caused him to treat her so tenderly made her heart ache with the lingering hurt of rejection. She turned her back on him and composed her face into a professional calm.
After a hasty and mostly silent breakfast by the fire, Raphael stood and held out his hands to Miranda. When she took them, he leaned down to kiss her, but she turned so that his lips met only her cheek. “Miranda, let’s not part with this shadow between us. I must go. I am sorry I allowed a moment of jealously. Please say you’ll see me when I return.”
Miranda sighed. She squeezed his hands softly. “Perhaps we were both a little overwhelmed this morning. Come see me when you return. We’ll determine then if we meet as friends, or perhaps, more. Farewell and fair journey.”
Raphael hesitated, clearly torn as he took in her still-withdrawn manner. “I know my mind, Miranda. I will see you soon.”
He pulled her in for a hard kiss that briefly emptied her mind of all doubt and confusion, then stepped back with his hands holding her upper arms so tightly she knew she’d find the mark of his fingers in her flesh later. “I will be back for you.” His grabbed up his small travel bag and was out the door before she could form a reply.
Scant moments later she was turning to put away their dishes when the door burst open. A wild-eyed Raphael stood there. “Come with me now! Ravers were here last night.”
Chapter Seven
Can you predict the behavior of a raver?
Next you will tell me which way the wind will blow five days hence.
-- Old joke
Miranda froze. The words echoed through her mind. Here? No. Not here! Raphael’s hands gripped her arms and shook her.
“Miranda, did you hear me?”
Her head cleared. “Yes…what…how do you know? What did you see? My gods, are they here now?” Her heart raced.
“No. As soon as I went outside, I smelled them and then saw their prints in the soft earth by your house. They’re moving across the border faster than I expected. Whether they followed me or just happened on this place, they would have smelled me here. It doesn’t matter. You’re not safe here alone.
“We should go check the village. You must come with me. I can’t leave you here by yourself ‑‑ and your skills may be needed there.”
Miranda felt the blood run out of her face at his words. Pictures ran through her mind: the new family she had left just last night, the old widower Paulus alone in his cottage, the children playing hide and seek around the town. None of them would expect this. Without a word, she broke free from Raphael and went into a back room. She grabbed new bandages and medicinals from shelves and drawers. She thrust them into the basket she’d carried home the previous night.
The previous night! Oh, gods. Her knees lost their strength, and she slipped to the floor, her knuckles stuffed into her mouth. She had walked the woods alone last night just like so many other nights. Only by chance did Raphael meet her before the ravers came. An icy chill gripped her as she thought of what could have happened. She had helped care for some who had survived their attacks without changing. Images flashed through her mind of strips of flesh torn from bodies and gaping bloody stumps where limbs had once b
een. She shuddered and hugged herself tightly.
Raphael had stood silently as she moved about getting supplies. Now he pulled her back to her feet and pressed her to his body. “It’s alright. I’m here with you. You’re safe.” The heat of his body, his now-familiar voice and scent, wrapped around her and gave her strength. She gathered the comfort in and found her own strength waiting there.
“I’m alright,” she said, meaning it. “This is the first real crisis I’ve faced since leaving the academy. I’ve helped with births, deaths, broken limbs…but nothing like this.” She pulled up straight. She would not fail these people or her teachers. “Let’s go.”
* * * * *
The morning air held a sharp winter bite, and the heavy clouds above hinted the first snow might be soon. They walked quickly to the village. For Miranda, it was too swift and too slow. She feared what they would find, and at the same time, wished she were already there to help. She cast nervous glances through the pines and barren oaks, but the only signs of life were the occasional squirrel or bird. Although she could detect no threat, Raphael’s grim face assured her he felt one. They rushed on at a near run.
Rounding a corner in the path, she glimpsed the village through the trees. She heard voices drifting over. The tones were normal, not alarmed or excited. Perhaps nothing had happened?
A sudden tug on her arm pulled her to an abrupt stop. “What?” Irritation and anxiety made her voice sharp.
Raphael leaned in close. “There are no sounds of alarm from the village. You go in alone while I circle ’round it and check for signs of ravers. It’s possible they’re in the area, but haven’t made a move yet. If they are here, I would rather find out how many and where they are quietly. Can you casually chat with people? See if everyone is present, or if any have gone into the woods? Don’t leave until I come for you. I’ll return to this spot after I’ve finished looking around. Alright?”
Miranda nodded, took several deep calming breaths, and walked on into the village in a more normal manner.
