Rhiannon shrugged, her mouth trembling. "You are human. I didn't--"
Edmyg kissed her, silencing her. When he pulled away he smiled down at her with a look of such tenderness it generated heat.
Kenric watched with interest. His sister's normally porcelain complexion was suffused with red.
Megan turned within his arms and grinned up at him. "Edmyg loves her."
Used as he was to magic, Kenric still had trouble understanding. "Edmyg?"
Megan nodded, her gaze full of love. For him, Kenric. In that instant he realized his momentary jealously of Edmyg was more than foolish.
"Edmyg is not old."
"No."
"Another spell."
Nodding again, Megan pressed against him, so that her soft breasts pushed in to his chest and his arousal nestled against the juncture of her thighs. Tightening his arms around her, he found himself grinning at her like a young lad.
"Careful." He growled. "Or I might take you up on it no matter where we are."
Lord Brighton cleared his throat.
Kenric looked up to find Rhiannon and Edmyg locked in a passionate embrace, similar to what he had been contemplating with Megan.
"There will be time enough for that later." Casually,
Kenric threw his sister's own words back at her.
Flushed, Rhiannon broke out of Edmyg's embrace. Still, she clutched at his hand, as though afraid to let him go. Or maybe she was unable to stand without his support. Kenric certainly could relate to that.
"What is this?" He asked, making his voice the stern one of a concerned brother. To his surprise, it was Edmyg who answered, moving towards Kenric unafraid, though his slender body proclaimed him no warrior.
"We are soul mates too." Edmyg said. "For many years, an evil spell has separated us. It not only kept me confined to Lord Brighton's keep, but made me an old man. Thanks to you and your mate, the spell has been broken. It could be that our coming together is also part of the prophecy."
Kenric remembered Megan's words. Love is the most powerful of all, she had said. Holding her close, he found he could easily believe it.
“Love is a powerful magic.”
The air shifted and shimmered around them. In an instant, they were surrounded by three other faeries who wore the auras of their power like cloaks. Uncommonly beautiful, as is the way of their kind, they said nothing. Instead, they simply stared at him and waited.
"He has come." Rhiannon said simply, still clutching Edmyg's hand. "Willingly."
"Is he ready then, to begin the training?"
Since his sister could not answer for him, she met his gaze. From her expression he knew what he needed to say, though he could not say everything she wished.
"I am ready." With Megan at his side he was ready for anything. He would protect her with his life if need be.
"And do you understand all that acceptance of this training entails?"
He gave a regal nod, pinning each of them individually with a bold stare. "I do, though I must decline part of it. I accept my Faerie blood, acknowledge that it flows through my veins equal to the blood that is human. However --"
They began to mutter, a low buzz of sound. Patient, he waited until they had finished.
"However, I will not be your savior. Not now, not ever. I will do what is necessary to help you fight this battle, but I will do it as a warrior, not someone to be worshipped. Do I make myself clear?"
Behind him, he heard Rhiannon gasp. Megan squeezed his hand in encouragement. The elders of the council however, said nothing. It seemed almost that they had expected this.
Finally, the oldest of them, a wizened Faerie named Arwydd, stepped forward. "Come with me then, Kenric of Blackstone. We have no choice but to accept your terms, for you are our last hope. It is time for your training to begin."
Rhiannon would not look at him. He sensed her disappointment. Did she not see that he had no choice?
Kenric stepped forward, pulling Megan with him.
"Leave your woman here." The old one said without looking back at them.
Kenric stopped. Megan tugged her hand free.
"But--"
"The training is for you alone." Rhiannon whispered, her dissatisfaction plain in her voice. "I will watch Megan. Go."
Torn, he hesitated. Megan and Rhiannon exchanged a long look, then Megan gave him a small shove in the back.
"Go, you big lug." She laughed, though he could detect no mirth in the sound. "I'll be fine. I told you before that I wanted to explore Rune."
So he went, praying under his breath that he did the right thing.
#
Sending Kenric away was the hardest thing she'd ever done. When his concerned silver eyes touched upon her face, she wanted nothing more than to throw herself into his arms. Only there did she feel safe, only there did she know that, no matter whether he wanted to admit it or not, she was cherished. She was his soul half.
Yet, because she had to, she let her gaze travel over his beloved face, and laughed casually. While inside she couldn't help but wonder how it could be that such a man could be meant for her and her alone. He was powerful, radiating confidence in his masculinity. With his broad shoulders and massive arms, he looked like the warrior he was. She found him beautiful, from the chiseled perfection of his face, inside to his soul.
And she had to send him away.
No matter that it was only temporary. At this moment, at this crossroads in time, she felt his loss as keenly as if it were permanent. For Rhiannon had told her, on that night when they had spoke, of what this training entailed. For days, maybe weeks, Kenric would not be allowed to see her or touch her or even think of her. He needed to become entirely focused on his training, on the power. She could not, would not, hinder him in this.
But it struck her now, watching the man she loved walk away, how dangerous this battle could be. Heart in her throat, she tried to contemplate life without him, and utterly failed. Having found him, she could no more go back to her shadow existence than she could live once her heart had been cut from her chest. It was then that she realized she wanted to stay in this time forever, to live with the man she loved for the rest of her natural born days.
As if she sensed the thoughts that tormented Megan, Rhiannon came and enveloped her in a hug. Still, Megan strained to see one last glimpse of him, knowing it would have to sustain her until he returned to her side.
When Rhiannon indicated to Megan that she was to follow, Megan squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, and went. Perhaps there was something she could learn, something she could do that would help in some small way. "He will be fine." Rhiannon assured her, Edmyg trailing along behind them like he was afraid to let Rhiannon out of his sight. Megan could definitely relate.
"How long will this training take?"
Rhiannon smiled gently. "Two weeks."
Two weeks? Megan sighed. Two weeks without Kenric? She didn't know how she would survive.
The other council members followed at a discreet distance. For the first time Megan wondered - if they had used some spell to bring her here, they could use some spell to send her back to her own time.
"Rhiannon, I--" Hearing the panic in her own voice, Megan stopped, took another gulp of honeysuckle scented air, and began again. "I need to talk to you."
"Go ahead."
Glancing at Edmyg, then at the others, Megan shook her head. "In private."
With a regal nod, Rhiannon smiled. "I understand." She cast a look over her shoulder to where Edmyg waited. For a moment the mask of Queenship slipped, and Megan saw naked longing reflected on Rhiannon's lovely face. She could definitely identify. As a matter of fact, Rhiannon's preoccupation with Edmyg was making Megan downright uncomfortable. She almost felt guilty breaking it up.
Still, what Megan wanted to discuss was important. "It will just take a few moments of your time."
With apparent reluctance, Rhiannon dragged her gaze away from Edmyg. "For now, duty calls. You need to rest.
But later this evening..."
Duty my foot. Megan had seen the red hot looks the two were exchanging when they thought no one was watching. But Megan couldn't really blame her. With this major battle looming over all of them, Rhiannon might be wise to grab what little opportunities she had. Were their places reversed, Megan would do the same.
They arrived at the multi-faceted, crystal door to the room Megan had used last time. With another hug, Rhiannon left her, closing the door behind her.
Too keyed up to remain in the room, Megan began to pace. Certainly it would do no harm if she decided to do a little exploring. Rune was so beautiful she should have wanted to see more of it.
But all she wanted to see was the one thing that had been denied her. Kenric. And, while she completely understood intellectually the necessity of his isolation, that didn't mean she had to like it, nor understand it. If it would take she and Kenric together to save Rune, why separate them now?
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Rhiannon found her in the gardens. Megan had wandered among the lush, exotic blooms feeling like she was in some tropical island, which unfortunately, made her think of honeymoons. This made her only long for Kenric even more.
In the midst of inspecting the fragrance of one particularly ripe flower, she heard the tinkling sound of small wind chimes, looked up, and saw Kenric's half sister. "Rhiannon." Megan managed a smile. Still she fought to keep the panic at bay, this along with her sudden, fierce longing for Kenric had her feeling at the end of her rope.
Rhiannon inclined her head regally, though her answering smile was not unkind. She waved her hand and a bench appeared, made of cool, white marble.
Grateful, Megan took a seat while she struggled to put her thoughts in order. She'd spent hours rehearsing what she wanted to say, needing to make sure she got it right. Now though, every one of her prepared speeches seemed to have flown out the window. All she knew was that she had to make certain Rhiannon understood what she wanted and pray the Faerie Queen had it within her power to grant it.
But before Megan could open her mouth, Rhiannon spoke. "Do not worry about Kenric. He has within him the makings of a great mage. Once he is trained, with you to enhance his power, I believe he will defeat Myrddin easily."
"It's not so much Kenric that I'm worried about." Megan said. "At least, not yet. It's me. I don't want to go back to my own time." The words came out in a breathless rush. "And I’m worried that once my task here is completed, I’ll have to."
Rhiannon laughed, the bell-like sound oddly soothing. "Well, if you do, it won't be through me." The humor in her voice was dry. "Though I brought you here, I can't send you back."
Dumbfounded, Megan stared. "Are you serious?"
"Yes. I don't know how. Kenric asked me the same thing."
"He did?" Cautiously, Megan asked what she most wanted to know, "Did he want you to try?"
Again Rhiannon laughed. "Quite the opposite. But Megan, he is concerned that you yourself want to return."
Megan hung her head. "That's my fault." She said in a small voice. "I kind of let him think that."
"Why?"
"I thought I wanted--" Her voice broke and she couldn't finish. Rhiannon said nothing, waiting until Megan had composed herself.
"I didn't know." Raising her gaze to meet Rhiannon's, Megan beseeched her to understand. "I didn't know how much Kenric meant to me."
"Have you told him of Roger and his evilness?"
Stunned, Megan stared. “How did you know?”
Rhiannon lifted one shoulder. “Something in the way you look every time you say his name.
"Roger." She was right. Even speaking the name made Megan cringe inside. "I never want to see him again."
"Aye, but have you told Kenric what Roger did to you?"
Megan chewed on her bottom lip. "Not yet."
"Why not?"
"There wasn't time. I did tell him I planned to break off the engagement."
Curiosity shining in her violet eyes, Rhiannon cocked her head. "Did he not ask why?"
“No. He knows I don’t love Roger. That is enough.”
“Kenric should know everything.”
“Maybe.” Megan considered. “But he’d want revenge. And Roger is not a kind man." That was the understatement of the year. Thinking of Roger and his myriad methods of cruelty, she could only feel relief that she had somehow escaped him.
"Most men are not kind."
Megan took a deep breath. “Unkindness doesn’t even begin to cover the way Roger treated me.”
“Why did you allow it?”
“He manipulated me, somehow convincing me that I deserved to be treated the way he treated me. The ridicule and the threats escalated over time, becoming outright abuse until finally I simply had to retreat inside myself, enduring it because I believed I should.”
And he'd wanted her to change her will. Did he plan then, to finally kill her instead of simply hurting her?
Unable to stop the torrent of words once they’d begun, Megan continued. “So I wondered and suffered and tried to decide what to do. Until one day I rose with the sunrise and looked in the mirror. I saw my brusied face, my swollen, black eye and realized I didn't want to live this way anymore. That was when I knew I’d have to tell Roger I didn't want to see him again, or die trying.”
“Die?” Rhiannon sounded shocked. “Surely he wouldn’t have killed you?”
“I don’t know,” Megan answered. But she suspected she did. “I never got to tell him. Instead, I was struck by lightening and transported back in time.” Freedom from all that was a heady feeling. The love of a good man like Kenric was even more.
She looked up to find Rhiannon watching her closely. "Roger was worse that most. So I’m okay without him. I don't want to ever see him again."
Smiling broadly, Rhiannon reached over and patted her hand. "I believe everything will be fine."
"I hope so."
Rhiannon's smile faded, replaced by a frown that made fine lines appear in her flawless forehead. "As long as we win the battle. Only then will everything be fine."
Megan thought of Kenric and of the powerful love they shared, even if Kenric himself wasn't ready to admit it. And of Edmyg and Kenric's sister, who seemed well on their way to their own love.
"Love is a powerful magic." Rhiannon said, startling Megan.
"Did you read my mind?"
Rhiannon's laughter trilled on the night air. "No, dearheart. I didn't have to. If you could have seen the lovesick expression on your face, you would have understood. It didn't take magic to know what you were thinking."
#
Though he had been forbidden to by the rules of his training, Kenric came to her that night. He could no more stay away then he could stop breathing. He refused to allow these Faeries and their foolish rules to govern him. He would learn what they had to teach, practice until he could weld his knowledge of it like his finely sharpened sword. And it would not take as long as they thought it would. Inbred in his very soul, Magic came natural to him, even though he'd always before fought against it. He would be ready long before a fortnight had passed.
They could train him until he could no longer stand. But they would not, could not, keep him away from his Megan.
In the deepest part of the night, he found her room.
Creeping silently in the darkness, he disrobed swiftly. Though half asleep, she welcomed him with a glad cry, holding out her arms to him and pulling him to her.
Megan.
He felt a sense of homecoming, along with a fierce, deep possessiveness. His. When he took her, plunging deep inside her, she was warm and soft and ready for him.
All through the night he loved her silently. Though she made soft sounds of gladness, they did not speak. One hour before the dawn began to color the silver sky an angry scarlet, he left her sleeping.
Trudging back to the place where they kept him, he knew that, no matter what they said, he would come to her again.
He began his prac
tice feeling renewed, alive. Happy. But the first few spells he'd tried had failed miserably, and he couldn't seem to summon more than a few sparks of power. Even that had quickly fizzled.
Maybe these failures told them what he’d done. Either way, somehow they'd known. All morning long Arwydd had been shooting him angry looks of disapproval.
Still nothing worked. After two hours of practicing, Kenric stormed out of the sanctuary in frustration. The truth of the matter was that they'd been right. Making love to Megan had depleted him of the energy necessary to make magic.
Alone, he sat cross legged, emptying his mind of everything but the core that was his inner power. Then, as he'd been taught, he focused, waiting for it to build within him, strong and sure.
Instead, he felt... nothing.
"You've been with the woman." Arwydd's crusty voice crackled with age. Moving much slower than Kenric, the elderly mage had taken ten minutes longer to reach the small corpse of trees where Kenric had taken refuge.
Weary, Kenric looked up at the elder through narrowed eyes and nodded. He was not in the mood for the lecture that seemed certain to follow, but since he deserved it, he would suffer it in silence.
"So now you know," Arwydd inclined his head, flashing what looked to Kenric's astonished eyes to be a half-smile, "why we told you to stay away from her."
"I cannot bear to be without her." Kenric admitted ruefully, wondering when such weakness for a woman had become part of him. Still, it was only a powerful need, lust, not love. Thank the fates for that.
"She is your soul half." Arwydd agreed, again surprising Kenric. "It is understandable."
"Then explain to me why I cannot see her." Waving his hand, Kenric rubbed his temple. “I do not understand.”
Arwydd nodded, his expression enigmatic. "Why the magic will not work?”
"Yes. If she and I are meant to be together, why does making love to her destroy the magic? My sister always says love is a powerful magic. Only together were Megan and I able to escape a spell at Lord Brighton’s keep.” Kenric hadn't known he could feel such despair over something he'd spent years trying to deny. "How can I fight this battle with no magic?"
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