by Mary Morgan
“Conn,” he uttered softly. He glanced over his shoulder and nodded to his friend.
“Aye. He was extremely convincing.” Erina cupped his cheeks and forced him to meet her gaze. “How could I say no to the Prince of the Fae? I love ye, Rory. My home is with ye.”
“As I love ye. I will always protect ye.” Grasping her hands, he placed them on his chest. “Can ye forgive me?”
“There is nothing to forgive,” she reassured.
“I abandoned ye afterwards.” Rory paused, unsure of what to say next. “In order to save ye, I had to use magic. A great deal of magic. I broke Fae laws and believed death would be my punishment.”
“In truth, ye saved two lives.” There was a slight tinge of wonder in her voice, and Erina drew back one hand. “Come meet your daughter, Angelica.”
The wee child grasped her mother’s hand and buried herself within the folds of Erina’s gown.
My daughter. Rory slumped to the ground on both knees. “Greetings, Angelica. Welcome to the realm of the Fae. I am your father.”
She turned slightly toward him. Reaching out with her hand, she placed it centered to his heart and the love poured into him. Her lavender eyes sparkled like those of the Fae, and the air warmed around them. Rory trembled as he took her tiny hand into his.
Moving away from her mother, Angelica settled against him. Rory cradled her hand and closed his eyes. Never did he imagine such joy. He thought his love for Erina was the most powerful, yet, to hold his child in his arms brought another kind of love. After kissing the top of her head, he took her into his arms and stood.
“When was she born?” he asked softly.
Erina brushed aside a lock of hair from the child. “On the first day of August. I feared for her safety and stayed confined at Kileburn.” She dropped her hand and looked away. “The fire burned part of my legs and for months I dinnae ken I was with child. They gave me herbs for healing and such, so it was not until mid-spring that I realized I might be carrying our child.”
Rory drew her near him with his other hand. Speaking tender words of endearment, he then kissed her soundly. “Ye were brave, my bonny lass.”
“As my brother continues to mention. Ye should have seen his face when I announced my plans to go live with ye in your world. I thought he was going to bar the exits to Kileburn.”
“So he spoke with Ewan MacGregor?”
Erina laughed nervously. “Aye, most definitely. It took several hours for the shouting to subdue, and I took to my chamber until both ceased trying to talk over one another. Yet, I am here and Graham sends his regards, stating ye must bring me home once a year on Midwinter.”
“Granted.”
Angelica let out a giggle and patted Rory’s cheeks.
Smiling, he wiggled his nose at her. “Ye are a beauty like your mother.”
“Another reason we had to leave Kileburn. Our daughter has a touch of magic within her.”
“Truly? I am not surprised. She carries the blood of the Fae. What can she do?”
Erina gave her daughter a wink. “Create flowers to blossoms from the land and call forth the butterflies.”
Rory roared with delight. “She inherited the gift from her grandmother, my mother.”
Conn approached from the side. “Now that you, Erina, and your daughter have been reunited, can we proceed with the ceremony?”
“Aye. And Conn, thank ye. For everything.”
Smiling, he inclined his head.
As they slowly made their way to the steps leading to the dais, Erina hesitated. Worry crossed her features. Noting her injuries were more severe than she mentioned, Rory understood what to do.
He bent his head near her ear. “Close your eyes, mo ghrá.”
Her eyes went wide.
“Trust me.”
She bit her lip and complied. “Always.”
Brushing a feather-light kiss over her cheek, he transported them magically to the dais. “Ye may open them.”
She let out a gasp and shook her head in amusement. “There is much I need to learn in your realm.”
Rory placed Angelica back into her arms. “We have eternity. Will ye marry me?”
Erina touched his face. “Aye, but I already made my vow to ye within my heart when ye made love to me.”
He brushed a light kiss on her lips.
Turning around, he strode to the center with elation in his being. He removed his tunic and held his arms out to the side. As the first brush of Conn’s words entered his mind, Rory brought forth those who had gone before him—from father to son—each generation entered and touched his soul. They acknowledged the Fenian Warrior, whispering their approval, and the power flowed through his veins.
In that quiet moment of initiation, Rory became fully healed, and the shadows of sorrow passed from his soul.
Chapter Thirty-One
“Even in the tiny dewdrop of water on a leaf, there is hope.”
~Chronicles of the Fae
Laughter bubbled forth from Angelica as she played in the garden beside her grandmother. She had coaxed the bluebells and pansies to burst forth in wild array as far as the eye could see. Butterflies danced in array of abundance over the petals, and Angelica clapped her hands in glee, along with Reena.
Soon after the ceremony, Rory whisked Erina away to meet his mother, which had turned into a joyous reunion. The woman embraced her and Angelica with tears in her eyes, and stated she had waited for this moment for years.
For several days, Reena asked about her life in the other world, what she liked to eat, and of course her knowledge on herbs and plants. She almost burst out laughing at the last request, since obviously Reena’s wisdom was vastly superior.
Each day brought a new sense of wonderment and awe. Erina and her daughter’s rooms were a magical paradise—one filled with every flower from the Fae realm. Crystals hung like dewdrops from the ceiling and at night, the roof opened to reveal glittering stars. Even dear Thane was taken in by everyone. One elder Fae deemed it important Thane be made an honorary ambassador to the animal kingdom.
Joy infused her soul and healed the wounds of loss from so long ago.
However, there was concern, too. Anxious to be in Rory’s arms again, Erina was also worried. His kisses left her dizzy and craving his touch, but she held back and sought her own room without asking him to join her. His pitiful, hurtful looks could not sway her resolve.
He remembered her body as free from blemishes, not the ugly scars that covered most of her legs. How could she enter his bed? Would he recoil from the red, puckered skin? She loved him with all of her heart, but was it enough for him to overlook? She hated being vain, especially after everything they had been through.
With the wedding day approaching in the morning, her nerves were twisted like gnarled vines in the pit of her stomach. Everything had been prepared, and the welcome from the Fae people had overwhelmed her. Daily gifts were brought to her and Angelica, some even stooped down to her daughter’s level to sing songs of praise and greetings. Her daughter would pat their cheeks in return, and the Fae were enchanted.
Erina let her feet dangle as she sat on the wooden swing. “Oh, grandmother, what am I to do?” Thane lifted his head in a lazy motion and then slumped back down.
The warm breeze touched her cheeks, and Erina listened for any messages. A tiny green bird chirped from a nearby tree, but it wasn’t the answers she longed to hear. She dropped her head on a sigh.
“What troubles ye?” Rory’s breath caressed her cheek as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
Startled, she tried to move away. “Did ye appear out of the air again?”
His laughter was rich and sensual, sending shivers down her spine. “Nae. I have been watching ye from a distance.” Nibbling on her neck, he added, “Ye are frowning too much.”
“I am…anxious.”
He came around to the front and lifted her from the swing. “For our wedding day?”
“Nae, not really.” Sud
denly, his presence was too overwhelming, and she looked away.
“I ken something is bothering ye, mo ghrá. Tell me,” he encouraged softly.
Returning her attention to him, she blurted out, “I am not the woman ye bedded those many months ago. Ye will find my body much changed.”
He kissed her tenderly. “Ye are the most desirable woman I have ever encountered—Fae or human. Your body screams to me. ’Tis like lush fruit waiting to be plucked and tasted.”
She pushed at his chest. “But I have scars.”
Erina found it impossible to understand the words blistering out in a torrent from him. He released her and marched over to his mother’s side. Bending down, he whispered into her ear. Reena’s cheeks took on a rosy glow, and a smile spread across her face. Rory then placed a tender kiss on Angelica’s head and stormed back toward her.
She lifted her head, gazing into eyes that had turned to silver. She gasped when he lifted her into his arms and started to walk down a path to the river. “What are ye doing?” she hissed. “And what did ye tell your mother?”
He kept his gaze focused on the path. “I asked if she could watch over Angelica for the remainder of the day and evening.”
“For what purpose?”
“We are long overdue for a proper reunion, Erina MacIntyre.”
Tremors of fear and excitement coursed throughout her body. “Explain, Fenian Warrior.”
“I am going to make love to every inch of your lush, beautiful body.”
“Ye dinnae have to prove anything, Rory,” she uttered softly.
He let out a growl and tightened his hold around her body. In a flash of brilliant colors, he brought them under the shade of elm trees by the water’s edge and set her on her feet. As he cupped her chin, he pierced her with a searing look of desire.
“Never in all my existence have I known such passion. Your beauty lies within ye, Erina, and I am going to show ye with each touch, taste, and word.”
Her lip trembled. “I dinnae deserve ye.”
His thumb traced a path over her bottom lip. “Aye, ye do, ghrá. Never forget my heart belongs to ye and only ye.”
Giving her no time to respond, his mouth ravished hers with a hunger that set her body on fire. Erina yielded to the passion as his hand slid down to cup her breast. The heat seared through the gauzy material of the gown, and her nipples hardened. Aching for more of his touch, she groaned and moved against him.
As he broke free from the kiss, his fingers pushed the gown from her shoulders, exposing her breasts. “More beautiful than I remember,” he murmured and fondled each.
Erina watched in a lust-filled haze as his mouth descended over her breasts. Thrusting her hands into his hair, she urged him to take more and closed her eyes on the heady sensations. Her body quivered and desire shot through her blood. How she ached to have him deep in her again.
Slowly, Rory brought them to the ground, and he stripped free from his clothing. While she was giddy and light-headed, she tried to toss away her fears. She reached out and traced a path over the new ceremonial markings across his chest. Her fingers tingled as they skimmed over his skin. When she placed open-mouth kisses over his hot skin, his growl resonated deep within her.
Rory shoved her back onto the grass and nipped at her neck. “I will take ye here upon the land that is my home. I claimed ye in your world and now I shall do so in mine.”
His hand reached down and gathered the material of her gown and a tiny flare of doubt crept inside her. Swallowing the fear, Erina kept her gaze on his. When his hand touched her foot, she gasped. The touch was tender and warm over a part of her body she hated. And when he bent to kiss her scars, she let out an anguished sob.
“I am so sorry,” he said softly. “Ye should not have suffered.”
“They do not offend ye?” Erina demanded to know the truth. If there was any hope of a future, she needed to be reassured.
“Mo ghrá, nothing about ye offends me.”
His hand trailed a path over every inch of her scars on both legs and then with a wave of his hand, her gown was removed magically from her body. “Ye are perfection to me.” Without giving her time to complain, he covered her with his body. His lips recaptured hers, more demanding this time, and Erina surrendered. Desire drummed into every core of her body, begging for release. Each touch, each word of love whispered into her ear, sealed the pain of long ago.
His fingers stroked her inner thigh, and she trembled. When one finger flicked over her intimate area, Erina bit his shoulder.
“I ache for ye, Rory. Take me now,” she begged, and her thighs parted to receive him.
He entered her deeply, and her fingers dug into the taut flesh on his back. Erina kept rhythm with each thrust, until the flame of passion burst all around her in a dazzling sparkle of light. She sang out his name as she soared over the mountaintops and crashed along the waves by the sea, taking Rory’s cry of release into her own body.
Erina basked in the warmth of his arms, sated and content. How she loved this man. This Fae warrior. Her heart was filled with happiness. She sniffed, trying to keep the tears from spilling forth.
Rory placed a tender kiss on her lips. “Why do ye weep?”
“I never thought to see ye again. Or if I did, ye would not want me.”
He shifted onto his back, bringing her alongside him. “I never fathomed seeing ye again, as well.” He pulled on one of her curls. “Our love was destined. A journey that did not end well the first time. My heart was sealed the moment I rescued ye from the stream. The verra first time we met.”
Confused and wary of his words, Erina tried to sit up. However, his arm held her firmly against his side. “We did not first meet by a stream.”
“Aye, we did, mo ghrá. I was sent to assist Ewan and your brother with a mission, but came upon ye trying to catch fish from the stream.”
Erina’s heart pounded in her ears. “Ye are scaring me, Rory.”
He brought her hand up and placed it over his heart. “Remember, I am a Fae. Anything is possible. Will ye hear my tale of how we first met? At the end, I will show ye my scar. Inside and out.”
She roamed his features, seeing only love, sorrow, and concern. She trusted him with her own scars, now it was time to give Rory her trust. She brushed away a lock of hair from his brow and smiled. “Start at the beginning and leave nothing out of the telling.”
He let out a deep sigh and nodded. For the next several hours, Erina listened with rapt attention to the story of how she and Rory first met.
When Rory grew silent, Erina thought he had gone to sleep. Sitting up, she shielded her eyes from the setting sun. The light was a web of silver and gold, with a splash of rose against an azure sky. His world stole the breath from her body with its beauty. Still trying to comprehend his account of their first encounter, Erina glanced sideways at him to ask another question. One arm rested beneath his head and the other was flung out to the side in a careless manner. They both had endured the pain of loss, but Rory had witnessed her death.
She shuddered and propped her head onto her knees. Her toes dug into the thick grass, warm and soft.
“Are ye cold?” His voice was a gentle caress over her skin.
“Nae,” she responded, stretching her legs out and tucking herself by his side. “I cannot fathom what ye have had to witness.”
Rory opened his eyes. “In many ways, I have Conn to thank for sending me back through the Veil of Ages, as well as the king.”
“Thank ye for sharing.” She clasped his hand and intertwined her fingers with his. “For loving me, Rory, and giving me the greatest gift of all.”
He brought their joined hands to his chest. “The gift of love is powerful, aye?”
She nibbled his chin. “Especially when a child comes from the union.”
His brow furrowed. “I should have been there for ye during your time.”
Erina smiled wistfully. “Ye were in my thoughts every waking moment. When I held our dau
ghter for the first time in my arms, I wept tears of joy. It was like seeing a piece of ye again. With Angelica, the healing began. I shall never forget her smile on the day of her birth. I knew she was special, but her tiny grin soothed the ache I had been carrying with me.”
“Why did ye name her Angelica?”
“I had thought to name her after my grandmother. Yet, when I held her in my arms, it was as if my grandmother was telling me to give her the name of my mother. Therefore, I whispered the name of Angelica over her face and in return, she gave me the most radiant smile.”
“An angel and a fae,” he offered.
Erina laughed. “My grandmother often referred to my mother as a misguided angel.”
Rory kissed the tip of her nose. “And what was your grandmother’s name?”
“Aelish, meaning—”
“Truth teller,” he interjected and sat abruptly. “By the Gods, nae! Could it be? Impossible.”
Startled by his outburst, Erina tugged on his arm. “What is wrong?”
Rory’s answering smile was as warm as the Fae sun, and he cupped her cheeks. “I deem our story is not finished. There is a piece missing which needs to be told, including the light within your amethyst.”
She batted his hands away. “Once again, ye are scaring me, Rory MacGregor.”
He jumped up, bringing her to stand beside him. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he rocked from side to side. “There is no need to fret while ye are with me, my lovely wife.”
“Humph! We are not married…yet.”
His laughter roared across the land. “When I took your body the verra first time, I pledged my soul to yours. In our world, we judge this as a rite of marriage.”
She lifted her chin in defiance and countered back, “In my world, we speak words pledging our love and devotion for eternity. In front of witnesses. With a morning and evening feast, followed by dancing.”
He lowered his head and placed a hot kiss on the soft spot below her ear. “Did I not mention that our vows of commitment last three days in my world?”
Erina shivered from his touch, but recovered quickly and pulled back. “I must endure three entire days of celebration before ye can come to my bed?”
