Time of the Draig

by Lisa Dawn Wadler

  On cue, her stomach rumbled. She had missed dinner the night before, and breakfast had been too light. He insisted on setting out the food Dana had packed and presented her with a cloth loaded with her new favorites: smoked meats, fresh bread, and the dried fruit.

  While they ate, Faolan asked, “Would you like to talk about it?”

  There wasn’t much to say, as there was still no valid option for returning to her lab. Samantha talked even though she doubted he understood. Faolan nodded as she spoke of the probabilities she experimented with. He listened while she babbled about her methodology and remained attentive as she went through the theories that remained to be tested. When she was done, she said, “I’m sorry, you didn’t want to hear all of that.”

  Faolan leaned forward. “If it concerns you, I wish to hear it. I enjoy that you share all with only me.”

  That was a new thought for her. She did only share all of it with him, and she wondered why. Faolan had no concept of what she meant, but no one really did. Boomer had always listened, but they had been together in their goal. Somehow Faolan was a safe place in her mind, no judgment, no counter-theories, and no expectations. He simply listened.

  “You’re right, I do seem to tell you everything. Thank you for listening,” Samantha said, taking another bite. She pushed aside the fact that, while she shared so much with him, there had been omissions. Some probabilities were better left unspoken.

  Faolan waited for her to finish the food and packed up the remains. With the bag to the side of the blanket, he said, “I can see you are tired.”

  Samantha wiped her hand over her eyes and agreed. “Yes, but I’m used to missing some sleep. Maybe when this is done, I’ll just go to bed for a week.” She looked around at the tranquil scene and asked, “When should we head back?”

  Faolan laughed and shifted to lie on his back. “Do you truly wish to go back? I dinna. If we return, there will be matters to tend, problems to solve, and too many people to disturb us. A day of rest is rare, so enjoy it.” With that said, Faolan pulled the tie from his hair and settled back against the blanket.

  A day of rest was a concept so foreign it almost had no meaning. Once there had been leaves from the military and a day off a week, mandatory. After martial law, leaves vanished, and she was too paranoid to step away from the lab. She explained it all to Faolan.

  “Then you need rest more than I do,” Faolan said as he gazed up into sky.

  “Do you do this often?”

  Faolan chuckled. “I have never spent a quiet afternoon with a beautiful lass who controls time and has more wisdom than I can comprehend.”

  The blush spread over her cheeks at the compliments, and she stole a glance at the man who rested by her side. With a laugh for the wink he offered, she asked, “I meant do you take a day off from work often?”

  Faolan sighed and admitted, “Rarely. In the weeks since my father died, ‘tis the first time I have taken for my own pleasure.”

  She listened as he spoke of the duties that had become his: the safety of the clan, training the warriors, the welfare of all within the village, the crops currently being planted, and the management of the keep. There was no complaint, only a simple accounting of the responsibility to which he had been born and raised.

  “Though Gran oversees most of the household tasks,” Faolan finished.

  “You need some help,” Samantha offered, not sure how one man could effectively handle all those tasks.

  “You speak only truth, Samantha,” Faolan replied. With a small grin, he added, “A wife would be a fine thing to aid in the care of the clan.”

  Samantha shifted her gaze back to the sky and teased, “I can see where your men could use a superior trainer.”

  The smile had left his voice as he said, “When you are ready, we will continue the conversation. For now, I am pleased to spend the day with you.”

  There was no need to look at him; the hurt was clear in his tone. It still came back to the question of why he was so insistent they be married. Her men had made themselves at home within his walls and trained with his men, not to mention the whole sanitation project. In a way he had what he wanted, the replacement for his lost warriors.

  Yet while he teased and flirted, she only seemed to insult him, even if her intent had been to spare him from what she knew and kept inside.

  “Faolan, I can’t focus on anything other than my work right now. Too much is at stake,” Samantha offered in an attempt to explain her uncertainty.

  She felt his gaze as if he had commanded her to look over at him. It said he didn’t believe her, but his nod accepted her weak explanation.

  Faolan turned away and asked, “What do you see in the clouds?”

  Samantha tilted her neck from her seated position to view the clouds between the branches and said, “Light cirrus clouds formed by—”

  Faolan’s laughter cut off the explanation. He glanced at her and said, “Spare me the lesson and look at the sky. What patterns do you see? Can you find pictures to share with me?”

  “What do you mean?” She asked, bewildered by his request.

  Faolan lifted enough to prop up on an elbow and asked, “Have you never looked for beauty in the clouds, for the image of an animal or something familiar?”

  Samantha thought about the question. “No.”

  “No wonder you think so much.” He patted the blanket and said, “Lie down, and I will teach you.”

  When she hesitated, Faolan crawled to her side. His hand lifted her braid and slid the rubber band off. His fingers made quick work of freeing her hair and let it settle down her back. She heard his sigh while his hand stroked the hair into place.

  With a quick kiss to the side of her head, Faolan gently pushed her back to the blanket and lay down at her side. He pointed to the sky and asked what she saw.

  Samantha shifted to a more comfortable position while she studied the blue sky littered with light clouds. After a while, she said with a point of her finger, “That one looks like the chemical composition of boron.”

  She glanced to see the frown on Faolan’s face and asked, “What?”

  He pulled the hand that pointed to his lips and placed a light kiss to the tip. He teased, “I look at the same cloud and see a lass dancing. Stop thinking and be here with me, Samantha.”

  With her hand tucked within his, Faolan said, “The wind moves them swiftly. Tell me what you see now.”

  The light swirls of white raced across the sky with a breeze not felt on the ground. Samantha lifted the hand not held by his and said, “I see a rabbit with pointy ears.”

  “I thought you could do this,” Faolan praised. “I see it, too. ‘Tis a fine fat creature that would fill our bellies and provide soft fur to line your boots in the cold winter months. It would be a sin to allow you to catch a chill when we walk in the snow.”

  How Faolan was able to turn a cloud bunny into a sweet gesture was beyond her comprehension. The game continued with a tree that would provide logs for a fire to warm her chamber, a strong sword to keep danger at bay, and a field of flowers to brighten her day.

  She described the climate where the image of the palm tree grew. Faolan explained the boat that caught fish from the sea. They both saw the round swirl that could have been UNK005, and neither said a word.

  When he yawned, she turned and saw the fatigue on his face. In a flash, she knew why he looked exhausted and felt shame because she hadn’t noticed it before. Samantha said, “You didn’t sleep the last two nights.”

  A tired grin met hers. “I needed to be sure you were nay in harm’s path. However, Boomer only let me within the chamber when he needed a moment out back.”

  Concern rose briefly at the thought that people came and went while she worked and she had no clue it happened. With a squeeze for the hand that s
till held hers, she said, “Thank you for checking on me and making sure Boomer was okay. But you weren’t there when I was done.”

  Faolan lifted the hand to his lips and offered a gentle kiss. “The fields were being tilled, and I needed to check the progress. Forgive me for leaving you.”

  “I’m the one who should ask forgiveness. I lock myself away for days at a time with little to no concern for anything else,” Samantha admitted.

  “I am grateful you have such a faithful friend and guard. Though the sight of you unresponsive scares me,” Faolan said.

  “I just had the same thought,” she said. “But I can’t stop now. I need to find a way—”

  “Leave it for the day,” Faolan interrupted. “Let us have no foul thoughts to spoil the fine afternoon. However, I need to offer you a choice. We are both weary. Would you travel back and rest in your bed or stay here with me and close your eyes?”

  Without a glance, Samantha knew his face would have expectation and hope written on it. His voice asked for her to stay even if an option was given. Samantha sat up and unlaced her boots. As they were set to the side, she lay back down by Faolan’s side and said, “I like it out here.”

  Once again he took his hand in hers and whispered, “As do I.” As he spoke, Faolan laced their fingers.

  Samantha felt the light squeeze offered and returned one of her own. In moments she heard the sound of soft, even breathing. While he slept, she debated the option of waking him up to speak of what she had discovered. The dread of the last few days of work weighed heavy on her heart.

  The diatribe she had given Faolan only covered part of it. The probability that scared her the most was the one she kept secret, the one where there was no way for her to return to Faolan’s time. Samantha was certain if she found the missing piece of her puzzle there would be a way to keep the timeline secure, but it didn’t include her.

  She shifted enough to watch Faolan sleep. That he was beautiful wasn’t an opinion; it was fact. But he was also honest, sweet, caring, and strong—all the qualities she never knew she was looking for in a man because she had never looked.

  Her head turned away with the certainty she was correct. He deserved someone who would actually be present to share his life, not someone who would most likely vanish.

  A bittersweet smile crossed her face at the thought of the day together. For a short time, her world was simple and someone cared. It would have to be enough.

  With great force, she kept her tired eyes on the swirling cloud patterns and forced her mind to observe with simple clarity. As her eyes finally closed, she whispered to the sleeping man, “Faolan, I see dragons.”

  Faolan opened his eyes and knew bliss. Samantha was curled into his body with her head tucked within the crook of his shoulder, leg draped over his thigh, and her small hand rested on his side. As he inhaled the sweet lavender scent of her hair, his hand wrapped within the thick tresses that graced her back. His other hand held the bare skin of the thigh draped over his leg. He thanked the assumed restless nature of her sleep that allowed the skirts to raise enough for such a gift.

  The sun had shifted in the sky to give way to late afternoon. The clouds had vanished and left behind a stunning crystal blue sky. A gentle warm breeze ruffled her hair and gifted his senses with the scents of spring in full bloom. Never had Faolan appreciated a moment as he did the current one. Even her light snores were a part of the day’s song filled with the gurgle of the stream, birds, and small insects.

  How can she deny the rightness of our being together? Even in sleep she knows I am meant for her. His thoughts wondered how many signs the woman needed to see the truth between them.

  Even without the absence of her snores, he knew Samantha had woken. The soft pliant flesh had become rigid against him. Faolan whispered, “We have slept away the fine afternoon.”

  Samantha pulled lightly away from his body. She replied in a sleep-filled voice, “I’m sorry. I’m all over you.”

  His hand gripped her leg, and the other released the hair to hold her back. He said softly, “Dinna move. I have waited to hold you, to wake with you in my arms.”

  While she didn’t relax with full ease, her body nestled against him, and he relished her sigh. The warmth of her hand against his side burned through the shirt. Faolan inhaled again. “Earlier I asked you if you wished to talk. While I am honored you spoke of your work, it was nay my intent to ask of such matters.” He lifted his neck enough to kiss the top of her head. “Three nights ago your hand was on the latch to my chamber. If Boomer had nay interfered, I would now call you my wife. Would you have answered to such a title or denied me?”

  Several breaths were counted before Samantha answered him. “Boomer was right in a way, and I’d had too much to drink. But I was going to open your door.” Samantha’s head snuggled against his chest. “Unless you had a priest or someone behind the door, I fail to see how that would have made me your wife.”

  “It would have according to our customs,” Faolan explained while his hand savored the skin of her thigh. “You will find no priest on Draig lands. Would you hear the tale?” I will talk for hours to keep you against me. “While the details are nay to my knowledge, I ken my grandfather took these lands by force. His ships had been destroyed in a storm, and he took refuge nearby. By all accounts, he saw the stone hall and strong walls and decided to make them his, and he did.”

  “His people worshiped the old gods and placed great faith in them. Yet he allowed the local priest to remain within the village. After Dana married my grandfather, she was taken prisoner by another who claimed to be a man of God. The local priest also believed this to be true and protected the false priest. Both of my grandparents were almost lost because of the falsehood. In the end, the evil man died with what is now my dagger buried in his chest.”

  “In an effort to protect his wife, my grandfather decreed no priest should ever set foot upon his lands for all time. We still honor his decree.” His hand followed the back of her thigh high enough to feel the marking of the dragon’s head. He added, “Since that time, a marriage is made according to ancient custom. The couple share a bed and declare their oaths before family and friends.” He left out the part about a bloodstained sheet being put out for all to witness. Samantha was no young maiden who had lived only within her father’s home. Even Faolan knew the sheet hung in the village more often than not stank of cheap wine. Such things had no meaning and did not matter.

  With a firm hand on her dragon, Faolan said, “The only question is, would you have allowed me to claim you as mine in the morning?”

  “No.” She pulled away from him.

  Not willing to lose the contact, Faolan rolled with her until they both rested on their sides and faced one another. His hand still gripped her thigh, and even with the rejection, she held his side. “Why do you deny me when I offer you all I am? How would it have been better to share only one night?”

  Faolan silently cursed the closed eyes that would not open. He demanded, “Have the decency to look at me, Samantha. Explain to me how pretending our bedding would have had no meaning is better.”

  He hated the hushed, angry tone of his voice and knew it was the reason her hand left his side. Surprise overtook him when the same hand cupped his cheek. Samantha’s eyes opened, and he saw the moisture pooled within the emerald depths.

  “I only said there wouldn’t have been a marriage.” A sad smile crossed her face as she whispered, “I never claimed a lack of meaning because it would have meant a great deal to me.” Samantha lifted her head enough to place a lingering kiss to his lips. She whispered, “I refuse to make promises I can’t keep.”

  All the words spoken earlier in the afternoon lingered in his mind. The soft hand on his face held him with such tenderness. He saw the single tear fall off the bridge of her nose. Faolan leaned in to rest his forehead agai
nst hers. “Fine, Samantha. Save time and do what you must. When all is behind you, I will come for you. Be warned, I want more than one night, and when I come for you, it will be for all time.”

  The press of her lips against his did little to hide the choked sound she made, making it seem Samantha struggled not to cry. Her soft hand shifted into his hair to hold him close while she kissed him with a gentle abandon. She sampled his lower and upper lips while her tongue flicked at the seam.

  Briefly, he allowed her to lead and savored the sweet exploration of his mouth. When her body pressed against his, control was lost. Faolan kissed her with a hunger that came from the night that had been stolen from them.

  Plundered is the only word he had to describe the embrace. Faolan took her mouth as he desired to have her body and moved his tongue with great purpose in and out of her lips. That she followed and sought to keep him inside fueled his desire.

  There was no resistance when he pulled her leg over his hip and pressed the evidence of his passion against her stomach. Her body moved with lithe grace against him. As need overtook his senses, a groan sounded in his throat. Her soft whimper met his ears as he pulled back from her skin.

  Faolan’s hand slid up her thigh to cup her firm backside, and he thrust again against her stomach. He demanded in a hushed voice, “You would deny all between us?”

  Samantha’s leg answered first as it pulled him hard against her. “All we have is now.”

  When Samantha rolled onto her back, her leg ensured he followed. Faolan found his body trapped within her embrace, with legs wrapped around his hips and her hands on his face. She whispered, “All I can give you is now.”

  Faolan shifted enough to place his swollen manhood within her thighs. His hips moved in a slow torment while his hand lifted her backside to meet him. Her eyes widened in brilliant green wonderment, and she gasped for air when he found exactly how she preferred his movement. “Now is nay enough for either of us, and you ken this as do I.”