by Angie Arms
“Yes,” he croaked out clearing his throat for the words seemed to get stuck.
She ran at him, flinging her chilled body against his and he caught her. His hand smoothed her drenched cloaked, pulled the hood from her head and he kissed her. A kiss that claimed her very soul and he rejoiced to have her there in his arms and he knew in that instant he had made the right decision.
“Let’s go home,” she said pulling away and grabbing his hand. She half ran and he had to do the same to keep up. Home. The word rang in his head, made him warm, made him feel more for the woman he followed. I was something he yearned for but at the same time refused to acknowledge.
It was near sundown when the nock came on the door. The room had grown chilled but their bodies had spent hours warming each other. Hurriedly they donned their tunics and Evander went to the door while Jillian sat to work building up the fire.
The rain had stopped he noticed when he opened the door to Teague. He was burdened under a large pouch Evander plucked easily from his shoulder.
“Mirna said this should do you two for a while until you can hunt. She said she wanted the favor returned though once you can.” The boy talked on about hunting and how he didn’t like the practice but he liked the meat while Evander looked down in the bag. It was dear meat, enough to fix several meals.
“How’d the old bat know I was here?” he asked smiling at the boy.
“She knows everything that happens around here,” Teague declared beaming. “She told me not to stay long, you all would want your privacy. So I better go or she will know.” He walked away talking about Mirna and how she watched everything that went on in the forest.
Evander shut the door and turned to catch Jillian’s smile then she broke out into a little joyful dance that made him laugh out right.
“She likes you,” Jillian said with a giggle as she placed her hands over her mouth as if to hide her joy.
“Why on Earth would she do that?” he asked sitting the bag on the table.
“I don’t know,” Jillian said coming forward to place her arms around him. “Perhaps she sees in you what I do.”
“What do you see in me?” he asked in a tone that said he had been meaning to ask.
“Someone who can hunt,” she teased nipping at his ear lobe then lunging away.
He chuckled and he found he liked the sound and the feeling it made deep in his chest.
Winter came, wrapping the land in its cold fingers. During the day Evander busied himself with the things he imagined a husband would do. He built Amicus a little shed to keep him warm against the elements. He cut wood, hunted and in a way he did not know how, brought joy to Jillian’s life. The days grew shorter and Evander put spring far from his mind, refusing to think about the day he would ride away, for revenge still boiled in his veins.
When it wasn’t snowing Evander taught Jillian how to ride Amicus, a pastime that only fueled his lust for the woman. At first this meant riding behind her, her body pressed against his as they both moved with the great horse’s strides. She soon mastered the skill and perhaps his lust grew even more to watch her ride the horse alone, her bared legs hanging down his sides, her hips moving with the beast. It did not matter if it was dawn, dusk or any hour in between, he wanted her, body and soul. When she abandoned herself in his arms he only yearned for the next time.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked bringing him out of his daze. They had trekked far into the woods to gather kindling. The day was warmer than it had been, snow blanketing the ground making the day a silent one as they set out together.
“I’m thinking about tossing you against that tree there and having my way with you.”
Jillian giggled, her eyes dancing. “Perhaps I will not allow it,” she said side stepping his reaching arms.
“I am not above taking what I want,” he declared advancing on her. She sidestepped again, tripping on a branch. She fell in the snow with a grunt.
Immediately Evander was reaching for her. As soon as she looked up at him he saw fear in her eyes that tore at his gut. “I will not hurt you,” he assured her.
“No, I have to go,” she said trying to stand on her feet. She made it to them but Evander grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to him.
“I promise you, if you do not wish it I will not have you now,” he pleaded with her. Anything to get that fear of him from her eyes for he never could hurt her.
“It’s not that,” she assured him but her look of panic as she tried to pry his hands from her made his grip tighten.
“You have to let me go,” she said as her words came out in a pant. Her eyes grew vacant and her knees sagged. He didn’t let her body go and then she stiffened. “Get away from me!” she wailed as her body stiffened more and she shook violently, her head snapping back.
“Jillian,” Evander called but her open eyes showed him plainly she was not there, she could not hear him as her body convulsed. The time he awoke to her nude on the floor came flooding back to him. Her body had done the same as it had that day and fear for her clamored in him to the point he was helpless against her tremors. Grabbing her against him he fled through the forest to Mirna’s.
The kick he lay against the door sent it crashing inward against the wall then it fell open onto the floor. He was unmindful of it as he carried her in, still shaking several minutes after it had begun. “Mirna, what ails her?” he asked laying her as gently as he could on the pallet in the corner.
The tremors that racked her body slammed her head into the hard pallet again and again. Fearing she might crack her skull open he slid her head into his lap and his legs provided a softer cushion as it beat again and again against him.
“It is the demons trying to escape her body,” Mirna said.
Evander glanced from the old woman to the boy who sat pale in the dirt in the far corner as he watched the woman he so clearly adored die, for surely no one’s body could withstand such abuse.
“What are you talking about you crazy bat?” he demanded, relief flooding him as the tremors ended as suddenly as they began.
“Have you not wondered why she is here?” She looked sternly at Evander before continuing. “Of course you have but you feared the answer didn’t you? You feared she was like me. You feared you would have to kill her too.”
Evander looked down at the face that was so white resting in his lap. Her breathing was shallow, he feared it would end at any moment. “Rest assured she is not a priestess. Her family sent her away when she was six because of this. They said she has demons that try to get out when she shakes so they can possess those around her.”
Evander stroked her cheek, her eyes had closed and she seemed to be resting. He didn’t believe it, no creature as gentle and pure of heart as Jillian could have a demon residing in her.
“They are fools!” he yelled on Jillian’s behalf. “How could they do such a thing? Do you believe this too?”
“I am not a fool. It is something else, I do not know what. She has spells that are not nearly as bad as this.”
“How could I not know,” he asked looking up at the old woman.
“She did not want you to. She didn’t want you to be afraid of her and leave her. Dab her face with this,” Mirna instructed handing him a cold wet cloth.
He did as she said and was rewarded within a few moments with Jillian’s eyes fluttering open. He recognized the vacant look and his heart screamed at her for not telling him sooner. She looked at him and after a little longer recognition began to fill her eyes. Sadness came to them and she closed them again with a long sigh.
“Take me home,” she said, the words slightly slurred.
Without hesitation he handed Mirna the cloth then stood and picked up her now limp body. She didn’t protest as he shifted her weight, settling her in his strong arms.
“She will need sleep now and rest. She never listens to me but perhaps she will to you,” Mirna advised walking to the door then looking down at the crumpled mess it was now in.
“When she is well I expect you to return and fix this door.”
“Consider it done,” he said stepping out into the cold.
Chapter 15
The rain poured down in torrents. Jillian watched it outside her door and she couldn’t help but think about him. Was he somewhere dry? Was he safe? He had staid throughout winter, despite knowing what truly ailed her. She had tried not to love him. She had reminded herself daily he would leave, but that had not changed how she felt about him. Her heart did not have a chance once she had awakened from her tremors to find that he had carried her home and had remained with her. Throughout the months he had staid she had been overwhelmed by her dark forces once more and he had cared for her then as well. His knowledge had not changed his feelings for her. He still claimed her with the abandoned desire that matched her own. Except the last night, before he had left to seek his revenge.
That night had been bittersweet filled with a gentle tenderness for the lonely nights to come. It had to be enough to last a lifetime she feared. She asked him to stay, demanded he stay to fulfill his vow of one request. It was a request he could not grant so instead she asked him to take care of himself. Each day that passed she wondered about him, where he was, what he was doing. She remembered very little about society. What she didn’t remember Evander had helped fill her in. For him it was a cold, harsh place and she feared for him among his enemies. Sighing she turned away from the rain and slid into the bed. More and more of her days were filled with sleep. She feared if she did not do as Mirna directed she would lose the child she carried. A child, to remember Evander by, a child to fill her days with the joy its father had brought to her.
Finally the rain ended but the sun coming out to warm the spring air did nothing to lift her spirits. Mirna had helped plant her garden and already the plants were promising to be better than recent years. It was soothing to know she had a friend in each of the other two people in her life.
“Jillian,” Teague called from the door as he knocked. “Mirna said I could swim if I wanted to and she said I should invite you. I guess it’s because you’ve been such a mopey-mope. Would you come with me Jillian? I promise I won’t talk too much. Mirna says I talk too much. She says some people don’t like a person like me to talk too much.”
Finally he took a step inside the cottage. “Did I wait long enough to come in? Mirna said I should not barge in on you even if the door is open. I should wait long enough for you to say come in.” Jillian welcomed the amusement his words brought. He had been looking at her the entire time he wasn’t supposed to be barging in.
“You did just fine,” Jillian assured him as she rested both hands on his arm. The only way to get his attention long enough for him to hear her was for her to touch him.
The boy blushed all the way to the roots of his hair. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a mopey-mope. I’d be happy to go swimming with you.”
The young man beamed threw his arms around her then left out the door, out of site around the corner then came back to the door. “Are you coming?” he asked finding it hard to contain his excitement.
“Yes, right now,” she replied wishing to change tunics first but she didn’t want to keep Teague waiting, he was liable to burst.
Jillian chased Teague to the river, catching him just as they reached the rock outcropping and she pounced on him, wrapping her arms around him as they both plunged into the water. Teague was first to break the surface with a squeal Jillian could hear underwater. She had barely broken the surface before Teague pushed her playfully back under. She came up laughing, and then threatened to drown him for the dunking.
He made a mad dash to safety, his thin arms pulling him forward madly, his legs kicking wildly. She grabbed one of his legs and pulled him back toward her. Did the ground rumble underneath the river? Teague splashed water in her face then dunked her again. She came up quickly, holding a hand up for Teague’s silence. He fell immediately quiet looking fearfully around them. Something was wrong, she could feel it.
“Fire,” Teague said but his voice did not rise above a whisper. Her cabin, a big cloud of smoke billowed up from the location of her home. She swam for shore, her breath coming in great gulps as she hurried from the water, not taking a moment to squeeze the excess water from her tunic weighing her down. She ran wildly, the low branches slapping at her face, tearing at her arms and clothes.
Teague caught her before she broke from the safety of the trees. His sudden grip nearly made her squeal but his hand was quickly there to cover her mouth. She almost panicked at the thought he was attacking her. She calmed enough to see his finger pointing beyond her to the clearing filled with soldiers. Soldiers like Evander. Her eyes quickly scanned the group. Had he come to do what he had sworn to? She did not have time to search them all for Teague was pulling her back into the woods. “Mirna,” he whispered as he franticly hurried her back the way they had come.
Turning they fled and the shout came up from behind them. Each dug in, ran for their lives, their arms pumping, their legs propelling them forward with as much speed as they were capable. Jillian’s chest ached and she could hear the awful wheezing, crying sound that was coming from the man who ran just in front of her. There own flight was so loud they could not hear where their pursuers were. They dared not stop to find out. Reaching the hut Teague slammed right through the door and was back out in a blink of an eye and racing around it. Jillian followed, her legs ached and her lungs burned. The soldiers were here to destroy the druids, Mirna. How would any know Jillian and Teague weren’t the same?
They found her halfway between the hut and the sacred groves. “What is it?” she asked, the fear leaping into her eyes as they clung to her, panting. Teague cast a quick glance behind them then pulled them off the path. They ran, each of them pulling Mirna who tried to fight them. Reaching the base of a tree partially blown over, its roots pulled up out of the ground. Teague pushed Jillian in followed by Mirna. Teague crouched partially in, partially out and Jillian could feel him shaking, his teeth clattering slightly.
“They’ve come Mirna,” Jillian said finally catching her breath.
“The soldiers?” she asked, anger replacing the fear. “Is Evander with them?”
“I don’t know,” Jillian said from her crouched position. “What do we do?”
“I have to get to the shrine.”
“No Mirna, they’ll kill you,” Teague said pushing her back against the root cave.
“You stay here with Jillian. I trust you to keep her safe.”
“No,” Jillian said trying to grab the old woman as she darted passed her. It was no use, she was far more agile than anyone of her age should be.
“Stay here, I’ll come back if I can. Hide, they’ll leave the island when they have destroyed what they came here to.” Then Mirna was gone. Teague sat still in the dirt, blocking the widest part of the opening as he stared after the only mother he knew. He began rocking back and forth as he chewed his nails. Jillian wanted to stop him but she was just as frightened as him. She heard the troops set fire to the orchard, the smoke drifting to them. When the soldiers passed within inches of their hiding place Jillian felt she might go mad as she waited. All the while hoping for the first time that Evander was far away.
Chapter 16
Amicus’ lather flew back on Evander. He couldn’t believe the horse was still running. It seemed like hours they had begun their flight that would lead them back to Jillian. Hopefully he would find her safe in her cottage or bathing. The vision of Jillian standing gloriously naked with water running off her hair down between her breasts was overcrowded by the image of her lying on the ground, trampled under the hoofs of General Paulinus’ horses.
His great horse lumbered under him as they reached the shore, across the narrow strip of water was Mona and smoke billowed from more than one location. Amicus plunged into the water. His tired body fought against the current but he was still strong and made it to the other side in little time. The horse lunged forward
under Evander’s command and they raced on. Never had he demanded so much from his war horse and the thought he might be killing the animal did not make him tighten the rein to slow him a notch.
Evander had been gone months. He had left Jillian at dawn so long ago. It seemed a lifetime ago. Despite all he had done riding away from her cottage, her haven was the hardest thing he had ever done. He told himself as he rode away it did not matter, he should shove her from his mind and get on with his vengeance. Forgetting was not as easy as remembering. Every morning before he opened his eyes for the briefest of time he thought he felt her snuggled against him, her warm breath on his chest. It grew more and more difficult to open his eyes and get on with his day. A day spent trying to fight to stay focused and not have Jillian’s face flood in on his thoughts.
He had spent uncountable days trying to discover the identity of the man who had betrayed him. Once Evander knew beyond a shadow of a doubt it was one of his own men the knowledge had debilitated him. How could the man kill so freely of those he shared a fire with, fought a battle with? Did life mean nothing at all to him? It was all for a title in the Roman Army, better pay not that it would be any better than a life with a wife and children. Throughout his search Evander couldn’t help but wish for what Jillian had given him a glimpse of. Had he never met Jillian he would never know that part of his life was missing. He would have never known he had no life until she had found him.
Evander had come within a sword’s length of ending his betrayer’s life. As he looked at the man begging on the floor he had no taste for vengeance, he had no more taste for the kill. Instead he had visited with Emperor Nero, against his better judgment. After all the time that had passed the Emperor had not forgotten the debt he owed to Evander. He listened, sent a contingent of soldiers to imprison the man who betrayed Rome then released Evander from the ranks. Nero had also told him of Paulinus’s order to destroy the druids on Mona and the rest of England so they might finally squelch the rebellions there.
