The Ravenswynd Series - Boxed Set

by Sharon Ricklin Jones

  “Let me help you,” he said as he brought the cup to my lips. I drank until I had to take a breath. The sweet nectar of life filled my whole being with much needed sustenance. It was warm and tasty. I felt the strength returning to my legs immediately, grasped Emrys’ hands on the cup, and gave a squeeze.

  “I can hold the glass myself, thank you.” I lifted it up and emptied it, licked my lips and handed it back to him. “I want more...I need more... please?”

  He smiled at me and nodded. “Go on and start your shower. I shall bring you more.”

  I rose up slowly, testing my legs. I gave myself a few moments and then headed toward the bathroom door. On my way there I turned and asked, “Emrys, what was wrong with me last night? I’ve never felt that hot in my life, not even in my human life when I had a fever.”

  “Bad blood,” he said, shaking his head. “It happens from time to time if we inadvertently use an unhealthy human. Apparently, both you and Kelsey had the same symptoms.

  “Really?” I asked, bewildered.

  Nodding, he said, “She told her mother that she was awake half the night trying to cool down. Once they had determined that Kelsey had her last drink with you, Priscilla came and told me about it, and I went through our supply and tossed out the leftovers. Do you recall the day before yesterday, sharing a drink with her?”

  I nodded and said, “Yes, the evening you had your meeting; Kelsey and I were here alone.”

  “Right. We use every precaution when we screen our donors. But humans sometimes lie about their health, and I am certain there are times when they do not even know that they are ill. The good thing is that our only side effect is the fever - aptly named - blood fever. Obviously we do not get any actual disease. Our bodies usually fight it off within twenty-four hours, but if we have a fresh supply of Ambrosia it passes much quicker. Did you experience any fever dreams?” he asked.

  “I guess so. While passed out, I had a crazy but revealing dream! And after waking up I realized all the deception that was going on and I knew exactly how to escape from Rohan’s house.”

  “You mean from Teivel’s house,” Emrys corrected.

  “Teivel’s house?” I asked, surprised. “But he’s so creepy and weird; I never pictured it being his house.”

  “Yes. Evidently, Rohan used him and his house to keep you captive. By the way, without that collar, Teivel would never hurt anyone.”

  “How do you know all this?” I realized at once that was a stupid question, and Emrys gave me a sweet smile.

  “Teivel worked here on the grounds years ago when my father was Regent. He was never what you would call normal, by any means, but no one feared him either. He is Rohan’s uncle on his mother’s side. After the death of Idris, the whole family moved away and joined another society. Teivel was not accepted there, so his family moved him into the cottage where you were held. I always suspected that Rohan visited his uncle whenever he was in England, but until now I had no reason to search for him there.”

  “You went there to look for him?”

  “I did,” he said, trying unsuccessfully to suppress a yawn. He looked completely exhausted, as if he could barely hold his head up. “You slept all day, my love, and your sister and Fiona stayed here with you while Gavin, Rufus, and I took a little drive.” He paused for a moment as he listened to my unspoken question.

  “He was gone. Long gone, according to Teivel. Rohan left right after you did, and never returned. I do not expect he will show his face around there for quite some time, if for no other reason than his fear of us now having the place under better surveillance.”

  I pulled the blanket tighter around myself, still standing next to the bathroom door, and said, “Wait a minute, Teivel can speak?”

  “Of course he can. Once we removed the collar for him he was no longer afraid. He has enough wits about himself to know how evil Rohan is, and how badly he was treated himself. He has instructions to call me if his nephew shows up again. I am quite sure he will follow my orders.” He pointed to the bathroom and said, “Go jump in the shower. I will be right back.”

  “Emrys?”

  “Yes?” He sounded a bit impatient.

  “Get yourself a tall glass too.” I dropped the smelly blanket onto the floor, giving him a playful grin. He smiled, and I knew he was watching me as I padded through the doorway - wearing nothing but my medallion.

  * * *

  I stood in the hot stream of water for a long time. It felt so good to get all the nasty remnants of that filthy disgusting place off my skin. Lathering up my hair, I breathed in deeply the flowery fragrance of my shampoo, a sweet lilac scent, much more pleasant than the mixture of burnt smoke and decay.

  I heard the bathroom door open and close just as I finished rinsing. A sudden cool breeze chilled my wet skin; Emrys had opened the shower door to join me. I fell into his embrace, wrapping my arms around him, latching on tight, like he was an apparition - about to disappear. We stood together - motionless as the water cascaded – comforting and warm around our bodies. We didn’t speak; there were no words for these feelings. It was not a passionate event - the actions that came next, although it may have appeared to be. It was intimate, but not in the usual self-indulgent way. It was a moment that simply had to take place for us to feel normal again. We gave ourselves to one another without any thought or care as to our own needs or wants; each being there only for the other. My body responded to his in mere moments. The absolute electrified connection came suddenly and with extreme intensity, causing such a surge of emotions that I started weeping with the sweet release. It wasn’t a loud sorrowful cry, just silent tears of something I had never felt before. What came to my mind was a verse from the Song of Solomon.

  I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine.

  This connection was so much more than just love that we felt. A myriad of heartfelt words ran through my mind as I remembered the song: cherish, treasure, highly esteem, honor, respect and reverence.

  I looked up into his eyes, knowing he heard my every thought. His expression told me he felt the same as his eyes pierced through to the core of my being. The most loving, adoring eyes in the world, with just a look, echoed my sentiments exactly. Our lips met in a soft, passionate kiss. Pulling back inches from my face, almost voiceless, he whispered, “As one - for all eternity.”

  With what little breath I had left, I murmured softly, “I love you, Emrys.”

  “And I love you, Elizabeth, with all my heart.” We clung together for a long time; neither of us wanted to be the first to let go.

  Eventually we pulled apart, and I finished rinsing my hair while Emrys dried off. We sat together on the window seat across from the hot tub, wrapped in huge fluffy white towels, sipping our Ambrosia. If we hadn’t had company waiting, a nice soak would have done even more wonders, but I didn’t say so out loud.

  “That is a grand idea. Perhaps after everyone leaves, we should have a soak,” Emrys replied to my silent sentiments. I nodded thoughtfully as I finished drinking my sweet nectar and I watched his face change as he drank. His eyes grew brighter, and his skin glowed. I ran my fingers through my damp hair, untangling a few snarls. The wet lilac scent was delicious. The Ambrosia was delicious.

  “You are delicious.” Emrys added. I chuckled softly.

  “And you are also quite delectable, my husband.” I leaned toward him, and he met me halfway with a sweet kiss. When we pulled apart, I said, “Let’s get back out there before they think we’re in here having wild sex!”

  “But that is what we just had!” he said in good humor.

  I shook my head. “No, my love, it was so much more. And, it was incredible! I felt more connected to you in those few moments than I ever have before. Don’t you agree?”

  I thought I already knew his answer, but he surprised me again with a teasing tone, “It was okay.”

  I elbowed him in the side and laughed, “Just ok?”

  “I jest, of course. Never in all my life, which has been
quite a long one I might add, have I ever felt so close to another. If there is any truth to the term, soul-mate, I must believe I have found mine, indeed.” He set his glass down and turned, taking my face in his palms. His expression softened and, as he looked into my eyes, his gaze intensified. “Elizabeth, I feel I am the luckiest man on earth. You are everything I ever needed or wanted and so very much more than I deserve.” His lips brushed mine lightly, and he pulled me into his arms, holding and caressing me possessively. I lay against his chest listening to his heartbeat, feeling the electrical pulses on my cheek and everywhere his arms touched my skin.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, through the blur of new tears.

  “Sorry for what?” he asked lightly, pulling back and studying me.

  “Once again, I find myself at fault: my stupid curiosity, my inability to leave well enough alone. I saw Kathy in the hallway and without a second thought I left the safety of our room to see why she was here. I did try to wake you, but I should’ve tried harder. It just never occurred to me that I’d be in danger. How could I be so dumb?” I sighed. “I guess I need to think things through before taking a step from now on... and to think of how easily I was tricked. That wasn’t even Kathy!”

  “First of all, you are not stupid or dumb,” he chuckled. “But you did not try hard enough to wake me because you put my needs ahead of your own. Perhaps you should try harder to be a little more selfish, at least when you feel ill. I would have known exactly what you needed. Not to mention, if you had told me who you saw in the hallway, I could have accompanied you to check it out.”

  He paused for a moment, thinking, and then he surprised me as he bristled. His tone turned sharp and angry, he clenched his teeth and said; “I would have taken care of him on the spot.”

  I assumed his abrupt mood change came as he reflected on the missed opportunity - finding Rohan in our library, and finishing him off for good.

  If only.

  I sighed wearily. “I’d seriously like to forget the whole thing happened. At least for now. If you want to explain things to everyone, that’s fine, but I can’t stand thinking about it for one more second. I just can’t.” I hated the very thought of Rohan and how malevolent and disgusting he was, and groaned, “Please?”

  Emrys nodded. “I understand. Consider it done.”

  I wondered if a small part of him had worried about the details that transpired between me and the rogue. Since Emrys could read my mind, he had to know every minute detail without us having a conversation about it, including the one kiss. But he also had to know how I truly felt now. There was nothing, nor could there ever be anything, between Rohan and me. I felt complete disgust, anger, hatred, and such an intense aversion to him. I never knew I could detest anything or anyone this strongly.

  There would never be any reason for Emrys to worry about my dedication to him alone.

  “Thank you, my love.” He sat back and observed me closely. “But I already knew that.”

  “I must admit, there can be advantages to your ability to read my mind. I don’t have to work at convincing you of my feelings no matter what is on my mind.”

  “Even without the ability to hear your thoughts I would still trust you one-hundred percent, my lovely one. It is more like an unexplainable certainty, quite impossible to comprehend, but I have never doubted you for a second.” He placed both hands on my shoulders, the tiniest crease appeared between his brows, and he asked, “You do feel the same about me, do you not?”

  “You know I do.” I smiled.

  “Yes.” He nodded. “It seemed like the moment to ask, though. It is extremely important to be trusted. Almost as important as it is to be loved.”

  We heard a knock at the bedroom door and muffled voices. “Go; tell them we’ll be out shortly. I’ll be done here in ten minutes,” I said, giving him a gentle nudge out the door and into our bedroom.

  As I finished combing my hair I heard Emrys quietly conversing. I took out the hair dryer and the loud noise blocked out any other sounds.

  Exactly ten minutes later, feeling brand new, scrubbed clean, and freshly coiffed, I joined our little gathering. I found Emrys sitting on the large sofa on one end, and Melinda and Gavin on the other. Across from them, Fiona and Rufus; the only way they could get any closer to one another would be if she sat on his lap. I started to head for one of the large overstuffed chairs, and Emrys raised a questioning eyebrow at me, so I made a U-turn and sat beside him.

  “You look lovely, my dear,” he said with a smile. “We have been discussing this weekend’s festivities. If you recall, Barbara Lee and Steven will have their ceremony. I was told that they have chosen Fiona and Rufus to be their witnesses.” He put his arm around my shoulder, and I made myself comfortable in the crook of his arm as I smiled at my friend.

  Fiona sat up straight leaning forward on the sofa and announced, “Barbara Lee would have liked her brother to be a witness, but he’s not one of us yet. Hey, that reminds me,” she said, turning to face me, “did you hear that Royal chose Kelsey to turn him? I think it’s sweet. They’d make a cute couple, don’t you think, Lizzy?”

  I cleared my throat, hoping to stop her before the discussion turned into one I didn’t want to delve into, since it involved Kelsey’s personal life. Fiona hesitated, and I shook my head, making a face. She knew me well enough to drop the subject without further comment, and changed the topic back to the wedding at hand.

  “Oh, wait till you see the dress I’m going to wear, Lizzy. It’s absolutely gorgeous. I found it at a little boutique in London.”

  I tried to look excited for her benefit and I asked what color it was.

  “It’s my favorite color, emerald green. It has sequins all down the front, little spaghetti straps, and it flows longer in the back than in the front. I love it!”

  Melinda chimed in with a sweet voice, “You’ll look great, Fiona. You always look so good in green.” I was stunned by Lindy’s compliment. And by the surprised and pleased smile on Fiona’s face; she had noticed this sudden change too. Apparently, having me back unharmed and the obvious fact that she was falling in love with Gavin had mellowed my sister. They were sitting extremely close together, and holding hands like real sweethearts.

  “I agree. Wearing green always makes her eyes look even greener!” I added, grinning.

  Rufus pulled Fiona closer with a gentle tug, and said, “I think she’d be beautiful in any color, but I do tend to be a bit biased.” Fiona smiled at him, and once they made eye contact the conversation nearly ended.

  It became clear to me by the way no one mentioned my recent absence, that Emrys had had enough time to explain things, if nothing more than to say I did not wish to discuss it, at least for now. I felt a little uncomfortable at first, but once I started asking more questions about the upcoming event, the conversation flowed easier. “So, how exactly does this work? Will Steven be turned first, or will they be married first?”

  “There are no hard and fast rules within the confines of our own home,” Gavin explained. “It’s not anything like the gathering, where we mingle with other societies and humans. It will be completely up to the couple to choose which comes first, though generally, most opt for the wedding first, for obvious reasons.” Gavin glanced at Melinda as he spoke. “There is usually a strong desire to connect with one’s maker, but apparently, not everyone feels that same yearning.”

  Lindy looked a little sheepish, but she tried to hide it from the rest of the group. “You’ll say anything to get me to marry you, won’t you?” She gave his shoulder a playful punch and said, “I can’t believe you!”

  Gavin laughed and, looking around at the rest of us, said, “Well, at least she has not said no!”

  Everyone laughed, and I thought to myself how right he was. Lindy wasn’t ready quite yet, although I was sure she felt love for him; she still hadn’t come to terms with her unspoken loss. I knew it was just a matter of time, and she’d give him the answer he wanted to hear. I knew it like I kne
w the sun would rise in the east.

  Eventually the conversation turned to what everyone had planned for the following day. Gavin and Melinda had decided on a trip to London. “But, this time we’re going to take the train from Folkestone to Charing Cross!” Lindy explained. “I want to get a new dress for the wedding. You should come too, Lizzy.”

  I shrugged, still too tired from the recent events to make any kind of decisions about tomorrow.

  “And I’m looking forward to relaxing during the trip,” Gavin added. “As you probably all know, Melinda does like to shop, and she doesn’t get tired until the stores close. The ride home will be nice and easy.” He smiled at her so sweetly that we all knew how much he cared, and his teasing was light hearted. He caressed her long dark hair and continued, “I love to take her shopping. I’d do anything to make her happy, and she knows that.”

  “Fiona will be busy getting ready for the weekend, dress fittings and such,” Rufus said, looking downright sad. It was plain to see how much he hated to be apart from her. “I guess I’ll just hang around here and wait, maybe find someone to play a game of chess.” He shook his head and shrugged.

  Fiona snickered, “Oh sweetheart, we’ll only be up in the sewing room with Constance. It’s not like we’re leaving for the day!” She put her head on his shoulder, and their red hair mingled together. “Maybe you can get Emrys to play. I heard he’s a great opponent. He taught Amrita, and she’s unbelievable.” She frowned for a second and then smiled, saying, “Well, you would know that, she is your sister-in-law. But anyway, everyone I’ve spoken to has said they can’t beat her. Or, if Emrys is busy, maybe you could teach our Steven. I did hear him ask about the game once.”

  “Our Steven?” I asked, interrupting Fiona.

  Nodding, Fiona said, “Ours because he brought us together.” Fiona took Rufus by the hand and intertwined their fingers, holding up their two fists. “He asked me to the party, remember, Lizzy? Random Steve we called him. He’s certainly not random anymore.” She gave a hearty laugh.

  “My wife and I have some catching up to do tomorrow,” Emrys announced, putting a hand on my knee. “We seem to have gotten behind in our fencing lessons.”