by Nikki Landis
He looked surprised for a moment and then he answered.
“Because I waited seventy years to find you and because you opened my heart and brought me to life. I wasn’t complete until I met you.”
Tears sprang to my eyes and I kissed him gently. When I pulled back his face was thoughtful.
“Rhiannon…why do you love me?” He asked, just as curiously.
“I love you Kellen because you make me better than I am alone, because you make me whole, you saved me, you believe in me and…you’re sexy with your sword,” I told him grinning.
He laughed jovially and then pressed his lips to mine again. He hugged me tightly, pulling us away from the tree much later. Taking my hand, he led me back toward the house, our fingers entwined, slowly walking in the white and bluish light of the nearly full and glowing moon…
Chapter Five
They were everywhere. The enemy stood in front of us, their weapons ready. Demonic shadows flittered through the crowd, spurred on by some sinister presence. My eyes widened at the grotesque and twisted faces of the army as they raised their crude and oddly constructed weapons and scoffed at us. The noise was deafening. Screeching and howling, snarling and grunting, the enemy instilled their greatest weapon: fear.
I suddenly noticed with dread the same Minotaur from my first attack. The demon locked eyes with mine. How was he not defeated? He leered at me, his face twisted with revenge. He would not let me escape again.
I shook with terror as I saw him raise a spiked mace in his hand. His eyes narrowed as he focused on his target. The demon’s mouth curled back into a sneer as he crouched down, leaning forward, and ready to make his strike…
I woke up screaming. I was completely disoriented and shaking with fright.
“Kellen! Kellen!” I screamed for him.
He came running into the room, hastily donned pants sitting low on his hips, and carrying his sword. He ran to the bed picking me up in his arms and hugging me close. I was still screaming as he squeezed me tight.
“Rhiannon, what is it? What has you so frightened, my love?” His voice was strained and tense.
I buried my face into his chest and burst into tears. “I had a nightmare,” I choked out.
He relaxed and sat on the bed, holding me in his lap. His arms held my body still while one hand stroked my hair as he spoke to me in a soothing voice.
“It was just a dream, darling. Not real. You’re safe, I’m here now.”
Kayleigh and his parents were at the door asking if I was all right. He waved them away.
“She had a nightmare. I’ll stay with her. Go back to bed.”
They left quietly. Kellen moved us over until we were lying on the bed next to each other. He kept his arm around me and I curled into him, laying my head on his chest.
“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked me softly.
“Not right now. Will you just stay and hold me?” I asked, needing him to feel safe.
“Yes, I’ll stay. If you want me to, I’ll never leave you.”
“Is that a promise?” I asked him, sniffling.
He hesitated. “I’ll do my best to make it one.”
I lifted my head to look into his eyes, searching them to see if he meant it. It looked like he did. He lowered his lips to mine for a moment and then told me to go to sleep. I drifted off clutching his arm, afraid I had dreamed the whole thing.
The next morning I woke up with Kellen sitting in the desk chair across the room. He was watching me, his expression thoughtful. He smiled gently when I sat up.
“You were sleeping so peacefully. I didn’t want to wake you. You were whispering.”
“I was?” I asked him. “What was I saying?”
“You said my name, you loved me, and you asked me to stay,” he told me, his face wistful.
“Oh,” I responded, blushing, “well, you did.”
“Yes.” His dimple was showing in his cheek again. “I did.”
I yawned and stretched, reaching my arms up over my head. I heard Kellen catch his breath and looked at him curiously. He was staring at me with his eyes wide and nearly popping out of his head. He struggled to regain his composure and looked quickly away.
I glanced down trying to see whatever it was that he was trying not to look at. The nightgown had come open in my sleep and was gaping almost to my waist. It was very revealing. I blushed, dying of embarrassment, and tied it back up again.
“Um, it’s closed now,” I told him, mortified.
Kellen looked back at me cautiously. Then his slow wide grin spread across his face. He looked very naughty just then. He got up slowly, crouching, and moving forward like he was hunting. I knew exactly what he was hunting for, me. It was only teasing but it sent a shiver down my spine.
I got up from the bed and started backing for the door. He growled a low, playful roar to me and continued his pursuit. I turned around and had my hand on the door knob when he grabbed me and picked me up. He spun me around in a circle and dropped me on the bed, his eyes sparkling.
I lay there breathless, my chest rising and falling quickly. He jumped on the bed next to me and started tickling my foot. I cried out in laughter, kicking my legs at him. He reached to grab my flailing arms and ended up falling down on me, pinning me against the bed. My nightgown had come open again at the top and was all bunched up around my thighs underneath him. Our chests were touching, skin to skin.
He froze as the realization of it dawned on him. My legs were sprawled out around him and I slowly lifted one of them to wrap around his waist. He looked at me sharply, his eyes burning with desire. I felt him tremble.
He fought for control, the war of desire and arousal playing upon his features, and then his lips met mine in a passionate and heated kiss. One hand slid past my shoulder, down the exposed skin of torso, and then to my hip. He gripped my thigh, and pulled back. His gaze burned my skin, a flame of liquid heat that made my stomach clench. I longed to feel his touch, his fingers on my skin.
“Rhiannon, I can’t. You have no idea how much I…want you right now.”
We both started breathing heavier which only accentuated the contact of our warm skin.
Kellen was still trembling. “Rhiannon.” He lowered his head slightly. “I burn with desire, with the longing to touch you, with the need to hold your body close to mine.” He sighed shakily. “I want to do things to you that I cannot and should not be thinking.”
His arms quivered slightly with the effort to control himself. He very slowly got up, looking me over from head to toe, and clenching his shaking hands into fists. He shook his head and backed away to the door.
“You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met. You are almost too beautiful, I can’t keep my concentration around you, my love.” His voice was very tight and strained. One hand ran through his hair. “In a hundred years I have never wanted a woman like I want you.”
“I want you too Kellen.” I could not help my admission.
“Damn. Don’t tell me that.” He took a deep breath. “I have to go. I’ll wait for you downstairs.”
He gave me one last longing glance that could have set the whole house on fire and then he turned and left.
I sat up and adjusted my nightgown, throwing my legs over the edge of the bed. I hadn’t said much of anything through all of that because I had been fighting myself too. What was it about him that made me want to abandon all reason and propriety? Everything I felt with him was so strong; the emotion, the attraction, and the overwhelming desire that left me breathless and confused.
I was thinking about that when Kayleigh came bounding into the room. Her expression was amused.
“Congratulations Rhiannon,” she said, laughing lightly, “You have single handedly managed to break my brother’s composure. That’s not an easy thing to do.”
I looked at her with my eyebrow raised. “What do you mean?”
“He’s walking around down there with his head in the clouds. He didn’t hear me ask him so
mething, although I asked him twice. He bumped into the table, filled a plate of food and left without eating, and finally walked out the front door mumbling about nightgowns.” She started giggling.
“Wow, that’s kind of funny. He is always so carefully composed in front of me,” I told her.
She sobered up and looked at me. “You do realize that he is totally in love with you. My parents and I saw that the minute you two walked up. What I want to know is…do you love him too?”
I looked right into her eyes. “Yes, more than I could ever explain. He’s everything to me.”
She nodded her head and her eyes filled with tears. “I’m so happy to hear you say that. He needs you more than even he knows. You are perfect for each other. I hope…” Her voice cracked, so lightly that is was almost indistinct.
She didn’t finish and I didn’t ask, both of us a little choked up and distracted. I squeezed her hand and she smiled. It was sweet how she was looking out for her brother. They were obviously very close. I knew that already but the way she asked me just then made me wonder what she was worrying about.
After she had helped me to dress, in a deep blue dress this time, and finished my hair we went downstairs. She put her arm through mine and we walked into the dining room together. Everyone in the room looked up. Kellen’s parents were there with Tristan and Seasnan but Kellen was absent. I sat down next to Kellen’s mother Mairwen and looked around the room.
“Good morning,” I told them cheerfully, “where’s Kellen?”
“Good morning, Rhiannon.” Mairwen smiled. “Kellen just stepped out for a minute. He should be back soon.” She exchanged a glance with Kedehern and he nodded to her reassuringly.
Kayleigh giggled and Mairwen shot her a glance. I’m not sure I got what was going on. I didn’t have long to think about it. Seasnan occupied my time with conversation, hardly giving me a chance to swallow between questions. Kayleigh shot me a few apologetic glances and hid her snicker behind her teacup.
After breakfast was over and Kellen was still gone I started to worry. I walked around the room restlessly, tapping my fingers on a nearby table.
“Would you like to go for a walk milady?” Seasnan asked me.
“Oh, yes, thank you,” I told him, grateful for the reprieve.
He took my hand and placed it on his arm and led me out into the yard. I glanced around for Kellen but didn’t see him anywhere. Seasnan noticed my distraction.
“How long has Kellen been your Guardian?” He asked me.
“Um, about six months now, I guess.” I wasn’t sure.
“I wish I would have been the one assigned to you. I can see why Kellen is so enamored with you.”
I decided to change the subject. “How long have you been friends?”
He smiled with understanding. I wasn’t going to encourage him. He sighed with regret.
“We have known each other since we were toddlers. We’ve been friends that long too, always in competition with each other. I think he finds me a threat when it comes to you.”
I thought about that. I didn’t want to be rude to him, but no one else was Kellen.
“I don’t have a chance do I?” He asked softly.
I looked at him apologetically. “I’m sorry-” I started to say.
He held up a hand. “No worries, shall we keep walking?”
I nodded to him and we continued a leisurely pace in the late morning sunshine. He guided me through a long line of trees and down a stone path that led to a waterfall. The sound of the water was tranquil, drawing me close like the whisper of a long lost friend.
I stopped to watch the rushing water. It splashed and hopped off the jagged rocks jutting out from the side of the mountain. The bottom of the falls swirled into a wet mist that plunged down the ravine. We had been talking about their homeland when we came to the falls. His words fell into the background. I never heard what Seasnan said next.
I walked away from him, feeling suddenly lonely without Kellen by my side. Silently, I stood against the iron rail, watching the falls and cascading water for several long minutes. I was deep in thought. Where was Kellen? Was he angry or upset? Why wasn’t he here? His absence confused me. It was unlike him to leave me for so long.
“I figured you would find your way here.” Kellen’s voice interrupted my reverie.
I spun around. “Kellen!” I threw my arms around his neck.
He wrapped his arms around me tightly and bent his lips to mine. We stayed that way a long time, perhaps because his absence had affected us both. When he raised his face to look at me he was smiling. I gazed into his eyes to make sure everything was all right, searching for any sign of frustration or distress. He looked at ease, maybe a bit reserved.
“I’m sorry I left like that. I had to sort some things out in my head. You really took me by surprise this morning,” he admitted with humor.
I blushed. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”
“Rhiannon, you have nothing to apologize for. I was frustrated by my own lack of control. I pride myself on my ability to handle everything with ease. Until you walked into my life I never had any trouble with that. Truthfully, I was also a little overwhelmed by my desire for you.”
I nodded my head in agreement. “I know. I guess I lost myself in the moment…a little too easily.” I grinned at him guiltily.
He laughed lightly. “Rhiannon, sweetheart, everything is fine, better than fine.”
He picked up my hand and placed it on his chest, over his heart, tapping it lightly, to the consistent rhythm of his pulse. When he spoke, his voice was full of love and conviction. “My heart belongs to you Rhiannon, always.”
He bent and kissed me again, and then held me as we stood in front of the waterfall, a silent and beautiful witness to his declaration.
Chapter Six
We had several hours before the gathering would start. Everyone was sitting outside on blankets and lounging in the shade of the tall trees that blew life in the air around us. Kellen’s parents had discreetly given us ‘young ones’, as they called us, some time to ourselves. I was sitting with Kayleigh as we watched the guys practice their archery and sword wielding skills. It was humorous to observe.
All three of the guys were obviously in a tight competition, each trying to be the best. Kellen was the best swordsman, I thought proudly. Tristan was an amazing archer, and I learned he was the head of that division in the Guardian army. Seasnan was a skilled fighter too, just not quite as good as Kellen. I’m sure that was a source of tension.
“Rhiannon.” Kayleigh broke my train of thought. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”
Her voice was hesitant, very unlike her. I smiled warmly.
“You can ask me whatever you like.”
She smiled back, her dimple so like her brother’s. “I don’t quite know how to begin…um, you know that Kellen was Guardian to another young woman, right?”
“Yes,” I told her slowly, “he hasn’t said much about her. I’ve wanted to know more but didn’t know how to approach him about it.”
She nodded. “Yes, well, her name was Renee. Kellen became her guardian several years ago. It was his first real assignment on the other side. He experienced a lot during that time…” She trailed off. “He was so open back then, to new possibilities, to meeting new people, to life.”
“Yes, I can see that in him. He never mentioned her name, but he did say that her family gave him the Hummer,” I told her thoughtfully.
“Yes…well, he never says her name…to anyone. They started dating after a time and got kind of serious. He brought her here just once…it didn’t go well. Mother instantly felt that she was wrong for him. They didn’t want the same things. She was…flirty with the other guys and not very um, constant in her affection.” She winced as if in pain. “Kellen felt it deeply…he truly thought she loved him. I believe he took it very hard.” She paused and cleared her throat, clearly upset about the memory.
“I see,”
I replied softly. No wonder he refused to discuss it. She broke his heart.
“He…it took a long time for him to come around. It wasn’t that he loved her that much…I think it was the rejection that got to him. Anyway, time passed and the wound healed. When word came and it was decided that Kellen should go as your Guardian, he had to be convinced. He was afraid of the same thing happening, I think. But…also it meant he would have to see her again.” Her voice was low, and I had to strain to hear her.
“Ah, that makes sense. I know he is staying at their home.” I could not keep the hurt sound out of my voice.
“Rhiannon, he…only went on the condition that she would not be at the house while he was there. She is away at college. I’m certain they have not spoken.” She took a deep breath and glanced at her brother. “I’m only telling you all of this because I can see...we all can see…how very much in love with you he is. I have never seen him so happy before. He was never like this with her. I don’t believe he loved her at all. If I asked him right now I know he would confirm it.”
She placed a hand on mine. “I want him to be happy…and I think you two are perfect for each other. I just want you to know…our family likes you very much.” Her voice was wavering a little.
Tears filled my eyes. “Thank you Kayleigh. This means so much to me. I really like all of you too.” My voice was as emotional sounding as hers.
We hugged each other and grinned, both of us wiping our tears and smiling. Kellen walked over to us, an eyebrow raised.
“What are you two up to?” He asked with humor.
“Nothing, just a little girl talk.” I winked at Kayleigh and she laughed.
He folded his arms and pretended to scowl, but quickly gave it up and ran back to the guys.
“Kayleigh?” I asked her, my voice low.
“Yes?”
“I just want you to know…how very much I love him. Honestly, he is my whole world. I’m hoping…someday…” I couldn’t say more since my voice choked up.
“Yes, I know. That’s why I told you. You needed to understand why…we are all so protective of him around here. Mother says you are the first girl to ever meet her criteria for her son. That means a lot. I can’t believe the change in him. He is a transformed man.” Her voice was full of joy and pride in her sibling.
