by Rinelle Grey
But secretly he was pleased when Brianna chose the nook without hesitation.
“I can’t do it!” Brianna exclaimed in frustration for the third time that day. “Perhaps you’re wrong, and I’m not a mage at all.”
The possibility was somewhat disappointing, but better than the idea that she might be a failure.
Lyall smiled at her words. “You know that mages are taught this technique all through school from the time they’re children. You’ve only been trying for a week. Give it some time.”
As if that made her feel any better. Even children could do this. “How about people who don’t learn as a child then? How long does it take them?”
“Um… I don’t know,” he admitted. “Everyone does learn as children. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of someone not knowing how to use their magic until they were an adult.”
“Perhaps it can’t be done? Perhaps if you don’t learn to use magic as a child, you can’t?”
A frown crossed Lyall’s face, and he said nothing for a few moments. Then he shook his head. “I don’t believe that. There is no reason you wouldn’t be able to learn as an adult. You just have to keep trying.”
He sounded so sure, so certain, that Brianna sighed and tried again—more because she didn’t want to disappoint him than because she thought it was going to work. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on only her breathing, tried to let all the other thoughts leave her mind.
But they wouldn’t be silenced. She might have only been here for a week, but that week had been filled with as many new experiences as her whole months in Bymere. After their initial conversation, Lyall’s family had accepted her without question, almost as if they already considered her one of the family. A thought that made her distinctly uncomfortable whenever she thought about it.
Lyall had spent the week trying to show her everything there was to see on the Isla de Magi. They’d been to dances, carriage rides, visited caves, beaches, and of course, spent quite a bit of time in this room, where Lyall said he had learnt to use his magic as a child.
And where Brianna was failing miserably at using hers.
Clearing her mind just wasn’t working. She couldn’t stop going over everything that had happened since she left home. And it was worse this time than usual. For some reason, today, she felt restless, as though she couldn’t sit still. As though something important was happening, and she was missing it.
Mianna. It wasn’t Brianna who was restless, it was Mia! As soon as she’d worked that out, the world around her seemed to suddenly go still. Everything faded into the background.
Then suddenly exploded in colour and light.
After a second, it steadied, and her vision cleared. Except it wasn’t Lyall’s study that surrounded her, it was her own bedroom back at home. Instead of standing on the floor though, it was as if she were floating up in a corner, looking down on the two neatly made beds, and Mianna staring into the mirror.
She had the feeling of tears starting in her eyes when she saw the flowing white dress her sister wore, and she saw echoing tears in her twin's eyes as Mianna turned around and looked almost straight at her. “Where are you, Bri?” she asked, and for a moment Brianna thought Mia could see her. But her eyes weren’t focused, they stared off into space, at something beyond the place where Brianna floated.
“It was supposed to be both of us, together,” Mianna continued. “I know you didn’t love Terion, but somehow it still feels so wrong that you aren’t here. I miss you so much, Bri.” Now the tears fell freely, and Brianna wasn’t sure if they were hers or Mianna’s.
“I miss you too, Mia,” she answered, even though she didn’t think Mianna could hear her.
Yet her twin stared more closely at the spot where Brianna floated. “Bri?” she asked, perplexed.
“Mia? Can you hear me?”
Her twin stared around the room, as though searching for something. “Bri, are you here somewhere?” she asked. Then shook her head. “Of course not. I’m going mad.”
“Not mad,” Brianna said, although she wasn’t sure that that wasn’t strictly true. “I’m not here but... I can hear you. And see you. And I wish I could be there with you, Mia. But... I’m happy here.”
It hit her with a jolt. It was the truth. Being with Lyall was making her happier than she had been in a long time.
“Really, Bri? Are you really happy?” Mia asked, a touch wistfully.
“I am. And I hope you are too?” Brianna was suddenly uncertain.
Mianna’s answer dispelled any doubts. “Oh yes,” she breathed. “Terion and I, well, I’m so very happy that we’ll be husband and wife today. The only thing that could make today any better is if you were here to share it with me.”
Suddenly the world wavered. Something was happening back at Isla de Magi. Brianna spoke quickly. “I may not be there in person, Mia, but I’m with you in spirit, as I always will be. Be happy and don’t feel sad for me. This is the right thing for both of us.”
“I know,” Mia admitted. “In my heart, I know. I just miss you so much.”
Brianna could feel the world fading around her. She reached out her hand to touch her twin but it passed through thin air. “I love you. Mia.”
“I love you too, Bri.” Her sister’s voice was faint, just a fading echo.
Then Brianna was sitting cross legged in front of Lyall again, and he was shaking her shoulder, looking concerned. “Brianna? Are you alright?”
Brianna shook her head, as though to clear it. “I think so. What just happened?”
“How about you tell me? I’ve been talking to you for several minutes and you’ve just been staring off past me.” Lyall sounded amused.
“Did I do it?” Brianna asked, confused. Surely the only way to explain what just happened was through magic?
“I don’t know,” Lyall admitted. “If you’d touched your magic, it should have only taken a few seconds. You were gone much longer than that. What happened?”
“I... I don’t know. Things just, kind of, exploded? And I was floating. Is that what’s supposed to happen?”
“Not quite,” Lyall said, but he was smiling. “As you said though, we don’t know what happens when someone learns magic as an adult. Perhaps this is it? Anyway, I think that’s probably enough for today.”
Brianna nodded agreement. The last thing she thought she could concentrate on right now was magic. Not when she was thinking about her twin at home getting married without her.
It was such a strange thought. Today was Mianna’s wedding day. Yet not hers. For a moment, she felt a little sad. This wasn’t how it was meant to be. Then she looked at Lyall, watching her, still looking slightly concerned, and she smiled at him.
It wasn’t how it was meant to be, but it was right. Being here with Lyall was right for her. Just as Terion was right for Mianna.
Lyall seemed to sense her shift in mood. “So what do you want to do now?”
Brianna thought about that for a moment, but really, she had only one idea in mind. “Can we go sailing?”
Lyall smiled. “Sounds like a perfect way to spend the afternoon.” He slid to his feet and held out his hand to Brianna. Hand in hand, they walked through the castle, stopping to pick up a hastily packed picnic basket from the kitchens, and down to the dock where his yacht was moored.
Brianna sat on the deck in the shade of the wheelhouse, watching Lyall as he cast off. A feeling of anticipation settled over her. Much, she suspected, like the feeling of anticipation Mianna would be experiencing back home. She might not be getting married today, but there was nothing stopping her from having her own wedding night.
She felt free this afternoon. The communication with Mianna, be it real or imagined (and she still wasn’t quite sure which it was), had settled something in her mind. The little bit of reserve that had been holding her back from committing to Lyall had dissipated.
Lyall smiled back at her from his seat near the stern, one hand on the rudder, the other on one of the li
nes. Brianna was content to wait, suddenly there was nothing to hurry about now.
After taking them slowly out of the harbour, Lyall turned to the north, sailing along the coast for a few hours. They anchored in a deserted bay, a beautiful visage of white sand and palm trees. It was perfect.
They ate on the deck of the boat, then Brianna grinned over at Lyall and said, “You want to go for a swim?”
“I didn’t bring any spare clothes,” Lyall said doubtfully.
“There’s no one around,” Brianna teased. “Do we need clothes?”
Lyall blushed, but he didn’t look away. “I don’t know, do we?” He raised an eyebrow at her.
Brianna walked to the railing, pulling her shirt off over her head and dropping it in a pile on the deck. A wriggle of her hips sent her skirt down to pool around her ankles. Before she could chicken out, she grabbed hold of the railing, climbed onto it, then dived off into the azure sea.
She swam several strong strokes away from the boat, then flipped over onto her back to look back.
There was a blur, then a splash next to her as Lyall dived in. His head broke the surface a few feet away, and he used his hand to slick back his hair. He took a stroke towards her, and she laughed, and turned and dived under a wave away from him.
The shore was quite some distance away, but Brianna made for it anyway, not risking a glance over her shoulder to see if he followed her. She would need every second of her head start to beat him there, considering that her swimming experience was limited to a lake and the river.
The distance was closing, and she still couldn’t hear Lyall behind her at all. What if he wasn’t following her? She glanced over her shoulder and then laughed with relief as his hand slid over her waist. She twisted sideways in the water and away.
She was breathless now. Mostly from the exertion of the chase, she told herself. Nothing at all to do with the shiver Lyall’s touch had sent through her. Then his hand grabbing her ankle sent another thrill through her. This time though, it didn’t just brush, he had a firm hold. Brianna kicked a couple of times, but his grip was firm. So she used her other foot to push his hand down, and he abruptly released her.
The shore was closer now, though a brief experiment quickly showed Brianna that the water was deeper than she had thought, and she still couldn’t touch bottom.
The attempt lost her several seconds, and before she could get moving again, Lyall’s arm snaked around her waist, and he pulled her in close. He was treading water strongly, but his beat faltered when Brianna’s body bumped into his, and their combined weight pulled him under. He released her and both of them broke the surface in front of each other.
Brianna stared at him for a moment, breathless, just managing to tread water. Lyall smiled, making no move to catch her again, just waiting. She laughed and continued the chase into the shallows. When she finally felt the sand under her feet, she stood up in the waist deep water and began to run.
She heard the splashing of Lyall doing likewise behind her, and just as she had made it to knee deep water and thought she was in the clear, his body crashed into hers, sending them both over into the shallow water.
Brianna managed to turn just enough, as she fell, so that she landed on her back with Lyall on top of her. For a moment, she caught her breath, or tried to, as he stared down at her. “So what do I get now that I’ve caught you?” he asked, his voice low.
Brianna giggled breathlessly. “I don’t know. What do you want?”
Lyall gave a low growl in the back of his throat and didn’t bother to answer. Instead, he kissed her, awakening all the desires that both of them had been suppressing for the last few weeks.
Brianna breathed a sigh, arms going up around his neck as the water lapped around them. She was achingly aware of the weight of Lyall’s naked body pressing her into the sand and nudging between her thighs. But he made no move to press home his advantage, just kissed her desperately with a passion that took her breath away.
Finally, he raised himself on his hands, the rest of his body not moving from hers and asked breathlessly, “Anna?”
Brianna hesitated for a moment at his shortening of her name. The bit she shared with Mia, their twin name, was supposed to only be used by their husband. But somehow, it felt right. “Lyall,” she breathed back. She hoped her voice sounded inviting, offering what she didn’t know how to say.
Apparently it was enough, because he groaned softly and bent to kiss her again. His knee parted her thighs gently, letting cold water swirl into the space. Then it was warm again as he slid gently into her. He stared down at her, his eyes dark and serious all of a sudden, and Brianna caught her breath.
His breathing was ragged, his voice sounding uncertain, “It doesn’t hurt does it?”
It took Brianna a moment to understand what he was asking. Her mother had warned her that it might hurt that first time. But either it didn’t, or she was too distracted to notice. She giggled, a little nervously, and shook her head. “No, not hurt. Amazing,” she managed.
Lyall blushed and shifted his weight to one hand, reaching out with the other to brush a strand of hair away from the corner of her mouth. Until that moment, she hadn’t even noticed it was there. Then he bent and kissed her again, butterfly light kisses this time, leaving her aching for more.
He began moving inside her, his rhythm mimicking the waves that washed around them, gentle, yet as insistent as the tide. Desperate for something she had no inkling of, Brianna pulled his head firmly down onto hers, wanting to be closer to him, to connect with every bit of his body at once.
One of them groaned, she wasn’t sure if it was him or her, and Lyall picked up the pace a little, his hips rocking against hers. Brianna could barely speak now, couldn’t think of anything except the waves of feeling that washed through her.
Lyall moaned her name, his voice urgent and frantic, his hand tangled in her hair. He slid into her, deeper this time and held it there, and Brianna’s arms tightened around his neck, her body rising against his, aching for something she couldn’t name.
Urgently she moved her hips under his, and he groaned helplessly and thrust into her sharply a couple of times. Then Brianna gasped too, as colours exploded around her, deep violet mixing with blue and green, blocking out the sky, the sand, everything except the sight of Lyall’s face. Waves of pleasure washed over her, and Lyall buried himself deeply into her one more time.
He collapsed onto her, energy spent, breathing heavily for a few moments, and Brianna held him tightly. She wasn’t sure what had just happened, but she suspected she could describe it as magical, and have it be entirely true.
After his breathing had slowed a little, Lyall raised himself on one elbow, carefully withdrawing from her and looked down, a slightly rueful smile on his face. “I hadn’t planned on it being like that. I wanted to take my time, be sure you were really ready, but I rushed it. I’m sorry.”
He looked so contrite, so adorable. Brianna reached up a hand to caress his cheek. “It was perfect,” she said softly.
Lyall blushed. “I’ll do a better job next time, I promise,” he assured her.
Brianna giggled. “I’m not sure I’ll survive that,” she teased.
Lyall looked worried. “It didn’t hurt did it? You said...?”
She shook her head, though the truth was that now he had withdrawn and the salt water was swirling around, it stung slightly. “No, I just... I had no idea it would feel like that.” She blushed a little. Lyall seemed to have some idea what he was doing, even though he had said she would be his first. Somehow, what they had just done made made her caresses with Kylis seem like inexperienced fumbling.
Lyall lowered his head, smiling and kissed her gently, his lips nudging hers. “I’m glad,” he whispered.
Brianna had no idea how long they lay there kissing, but eventually her stomach rumbled. Lyall pulled back and smiled reluctantly. “I suppose we should go home.”
Home. What a strange thought. Was this her ho
me now? “Why don’t we stay on the boat tonight?” she suggested, not wanting to face that thought quite yet.
Lyall hesitated, and Brianna wondered if he was thinking his parents would worry. But when he spoke, he said instead, “I hope this means you’re planning on staying, Brianna?” His voice and his expression were grave, and Brianna couldn’t dodge the admission any longer.
“Yes, I’m planning on staying,” she said softly.
His face lit up, and he let out a breath in a soft sigh. He hugged her tightly. “I’m glad.”
The words were inadequate for the emotions he was obviously feeling, and Brianna wasn’t quite sure what to say. But then he smiled, kissed her again, then stood up and helped her to her feet. “Do you think you’ll be able to swim back?”
“Of course,” Brianna said stoutly, though somehow the boat looked quite a bit further from shore than it had seemed earlier.
The swim back to the boat taxed her, though she would not have admitted it. And once she arrived, she realised that getting back onto the boat posed more of a problem than getting off had. Lyall managed to propel himself far enough out of the water to grab the rail, then pull himself up and hook his leg over the rail. Brianna eyed the side of the boat, doubtful that she could manage the same feat.
Before she could attempt it, Lyall swung a rope over the side. Gratefully, Brianna grabbed hold of the large knot on the end. At regular intervals along the rope were more knots, making the climb a simple one. But before she could, Lyall began to pull her out. Independence flared for a moment, then subsided, and she relaxed and accepted his help and the hand he offered once she reached the rail.
Lyall pulled her up and over the rail, and then they collapsed together in a heap on the deck. “I was beginning to wonder if I was going to make it back on the boat,” Brianna said, laughing breathlessly.
“So I could see,” Lyall responded. “But don’t worry, I wouldn’t leave you in the water.”
