Talon

by Alice Wade

  He cocked his gorgeous head to the side and watched her, taking in her posture but more importantly where her eyes kept traveling—Athradien.

  “Come here, Cuilwen,” he said in a deep and commanding voice, “Come sit with me for a moment. He’s fine.”

  A sob escaped her lips while her head hung low, again in defeat. He was going to force her to talk about these confusing feelings and frankly, she didn’t want to.

  “Cuilwen?” His concern soared again, “What is it?” Instead of her coming to him, Talon rose and collected her into an embrace while he stood next to her, holding her tight to his body. “Please talk to me. I’ve not seen you like this before and it’s unnerving me,” he whispered.

  She wept for a little longer before straightening and leaning her head against his chest, trying to steal courage from his body. “I’m just confused. Overwhelmed. Torn.”

  “About?”

  “Athradien. You. Omar.” Her tortured face lifted to look at him, eyes wet and swollen from her emotion. “What am I doing? I’ve never been so confused, so lost. Always I’ve had a course and stayed true. Now I feel like I’m wandering, lost and confused; unsure on what I’m to do.”

  Talon looked at the sleeping elf and let his eyes roam over his body that she had obviously so lovingly cleaned and healed. He noted her hand that gripped Athradien’s possessively and it hit him. She was having feelings towards their friend and an irrational bloom of territorial jealously flared to life. He spun around, claiming a heavy seat on the couch. He suddenly felt angry, more with himself for having such feelings. Cuilwen was free to love whomever she chose.

  He shouldn’t care, didn’t really, because he’d moved on and found Kai. Cuilwen deserved that same opportunity. In reality that was all he wished for, but with one of their closest friends? This treaded a fine line of betrayal and he now understood her dilemma.

  Talon made a sound in his throat to get her attention, “Are you in love with Athradien?”

  She leaned over the sleeping body and cried, giving Talon the answer he needed. This would be fine. This was actually a good thing, he tried to convince himself. Cuilwen would be bonded to a strong competent warrior that would love her, if he returned those feelings. Never once had he shown any sign of interest other than friendship, so there was a chance this was one sided.

  “Cuilwen, will you please come here now? He won’t go anywhere.”

  Reluctantly, she let go and moved to his side to be encased in his arms. “I’m sorry.”

  “For what?” Talon shifted a little so Cuilwen’s head was nestled under his chin where he molded her to him in comfort.

  “I feel like I’ve betrayed you somehow.”

  “Why, because you have realized feelings for another?”

  “Not just any other, Talon—Athradien. As I sat back after healing him, I thought about why I was so emotional over his whole situation. I’ve been quite frantic but not showing it until Adwen brought him in. My perfect little barrier holding back my fears shattered and, well, here I am.”

  “He’s been a good friend to you. I bet after I left he was the only one who you turned to, am I right?” She nodded. “Have you two remained close?” She nodded again. “So, what’s the issue?” He fought his own need to tell her to walk away but chose to follow a more rational line of thought instead—he’d support her because that was the right thing to do.

  She tried to move but his hold prevented her so she rested her face against his chest, “Was I so blind with hoping you’d return that I never realized what was before me all this time?”

  “Maybe.”

  “He’s never shown any interest so I just plodded along all this time holding onto a blind faith that my love for you was undying. That faith was shattered when I saw Ath like this, broken and beaten. Talon, could I have been that stupid? I’m so sorry! I never meant to betray you, in any way!” Her sobbing tore at his heart and Talon couldn’t do anything but just hold her.

  “Don’t worry about my feelings. I won’t lie that on some level it does bother me that you’d fall for our closest friend, but the reality is this—you deserve happiness. You deserve love, my friend. I couldn’t think of a more worthy man than him.”

  She wept feeling all that she believed came crumbling down. She’d really believed she’d love Talon until the end of time. Then came Omar. “Oh no,” she moaned. “Omar.”

  “He’ll understand. I’ll explain something.”

  “No, no I’ll talk with him, I owe him that. But I can’t go to him again. I can’t lie with him being this confused.”

  Talon sighed, “Cuilwen, you’re not that confused. Omar is the least of your worries, always has been. When Ath wakes up, you must discuss your feelings with him, though.” He kissed her head tenderly letting his lips linger before he continued, “I hope it works out for you Cuilwen, I do. I never meant any hardship to be brought to your life over me and I would be angrier if you neglected to find love for yourself. Go find it, for me.”

  Cuilwen collapsed completely into his chest and allowed Talon to hold her while she cried it out. She needed to release all this tension and built up anguish she’d been feeling the moment they discovered the identity of the missing elf.

  Her eyes drifted back to the sleeping elf on the table and she felt a surge of love that surprised her, shocking her into another fit of weeping. What was wrong with her?

  Talon stayed for awhile, but he knew he was needed at the planning session. Dace had asked for his guidance and he would not let him down. “Cuilwen, will you be all right?”

  She sat up and sniffed. She was exhausted and all this crying wasn’t helping. “Yes, I’m better now. It’s time for the next round of healing anyway, so it’s good you’ll be leaving.” She leveled him with her warm brown eyes, “Thank you.”

  “Just do me the honor of talking with him, straighten this out. For me?” He touched her face, tilting her chin up to him, “I only ever wanted you happy, Cuilwen. I see now that I’ve only made you sad. I would do anything to lift all this off your shoulders so you can move on, even just a little.”

  She tore her face away and her gaze rested on Athradien again, “I will, Talon. Once I find my courage.”

  “I’ll hold you to that, First Maiden. Even if I have to come back again, I will.”

  That earned her a laugh, “You do and I’ll kill you myself! No, Talon, I’ll do it. I just don’t know when. Now that I realize what I’ve missed, I need to work through my own feelings before I have that conversation. I need my soul at peace. Right now it’s a turbulent mess.”

  “Fair enough.” He rose from the bed. “I’ll see you later. I’ll bring your next tray of food and see how things progress, all right?”

  “All right.” She agreed and then watched him depart. A melancholy feeling settled over her while she heard the soft click of the door sealing her inside, alone. Taking a deep breath, she rose to perform the next round of healing. Regardless of her confused feelings for the strawberry blonde warrior before her, she still needed to heal him. Especially if she were to have that conversation she just vowed she’d have. For that he needed to be completely healed.

  * * * *

  Athradien crawled back from the darkness and felt a heavy weight draped across his chest. He panicked for it felt like a warm body and feared they had devised some new torture for him. As he struggled to regain his thoughts, he finally was able to open his eyes while his mind caught up.

  Cuilwen? He thought. No, my mind is playing tricks. The body snored and shifted, covering more of his chest with her warm form. Cuilwen. Here?. He struggled to comprehend what was going on. As if in a fog, his mind began to clear and the vivid memory of Faelwen’s voice and Nethlhindornien’s gentle hands as he tried to break through the locks assaulted him. They’d come. So did Cuilwen. He felt his heart lurch as the next me
mory of the lovely, charming and desirable Cuilwen weeping over him before he passed out. He couldn’t believe she was here.

  “Cuilwen, move.” He jerked his body to wake her up, but she was out cold. “Cuilwen!” he said more urgently and again jerked his body sending shooting pain through his chest as the knitted ribs protested. She started to get heavy and pressed on his injuries, so he dearly needed her to move.

  The second jerk startled her enough that her eyes popped open to stare into his amused face. Instinctively, she reached out with magic to assess his health and found him healed. For the most part. Her expelled sigh of relief was enough to curve his lips and she smiled back. Cuilwen felt such overwhelming delight at seeing him healed and awake. Someone had pulled his strawberry blond hair away from his face so she drank in his lovely features. He looked rested and he looked alive.

  “Lovely Cuilwen, I need you to move,” he said quietly.

  That was when she realized where she was and flew off his chest. “Oh, sorry. I must have passed out.”

  “Obviously. Thank you, though. I’m assuming you are responsible for this rescue?” He reached up and tucked stray strands of her hair behind her ear before he cupped her cheek with his hand. His eyes never left her face.

  “Actually, it was Talon.”

  Athradien’s eyes widened. “Talon as in Prince Talon?”

  “Aye. He knew an elf had been taken but didn’t know who. He chanced an immediate execution by coming home to get help. It’s a long story, but in the end, there are a number of my men here now.” She stalled his next question by answering it before he could ask, “Daerwen agreed to it reluctantly, but he agreed none the less.”

  Athradien had still not removed his eyes from her face or his hand from her cheek. She was so beautiful and real. He let his palm feel her warmth and convince him that she was really here. Her face alone had kept his mind company while he was held captive and the memory of her voice carried him through the beatings. This was his reason for living and he now held it in the palm of his hand.

  “Ath, are you all right?” She was seeing a change in his eyes, and thought maybe he was getting tired or was in pain.

  “Cuilwen, lovely Cuilwen. I’ve missed you.”

  Her head tilted to the side and a small smile played across her lips. “You missed me. What craziness is this old friend?” She had always remained close with Athradien, spending considerable amounts of time with him after Talon was banished. Never once had he shown any signs of attachment…until now. Her heart raced at the idea.

  “Yes, I’ve missed you. Is that so hard to believe?”

  Cuilwen tried to change the subject, but his fingers resting on her cheeks started a gentle caress. “Ath,”

  “I can’t deny my heart any longer. I can’t. Not after what I just went through. The only thing that kept me alive was the memory of your lovely face and the sound of your amazing voice. I love you, Cuilwen, and have for a very long time.”

  She pulled out of his grasp and stood up quickly. Her confusion showed when her hands flew to her head trying to shake this realization loose. Staring down at him with profound shock and confusion, Cuilwen stood there motionless.

  He tried to lift up on his elbows to explain, completely misunderstanding her confusion. “Cuilwen, listen to me. I’ve guarded my feelings from you knowing you were betrothed to Talon. I honored that arrangement and was your dearest friend instead. I must know, since Talon is here, are you two reconciled?” He wasn’t sure he could handle the answer, but he needed to know.

  Cuilwen took a step backwards until she encountered the wall. It became difficult to breathe. She continued to stare at him saying nothing while her chest rapidly tried to get in air. Athradien was professing his love for her? Ath? Her friend? The one who held her for hours as she cried once Talon was banished? The one who counseled her that he would one day be returned? Could he actually feel the same way towards her?

  “Cuilwen, please say something.” He gently lay back down and stared at the ceiling. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. He was just so overwhelmed with her nearness and the smell of her rose oils and the feeling of her warmth. Maybe he erred.

  “No, we are not reconciled. He is mated to another, a vampire,” she finally whispered.

  No, we are not reconciled. Those were the sweetest words he had ever heard. Slowly he turned his face to her and found her watching him with a strange look on her face. “I know this is ill timing, but I just can’t hide how I feel any longer. I have tried to be patient, tried to be understanding and honor your feelings for Talon. I have tried.” He closed his eyes so he wouldn’t see her rejection. “I don’t want to try anymore.”

  “You fool,” she spat. “You utter fool. Why didn’t you court me long before this?”

  That had his eyes open. “Excuse me?”

  “Why have you not courted me long before this,” she said louder.

  “Uh, I…I just told you that. I tried to honor your feelings for Talon,” he said, confused and slightly unsure of her sudden anger.

  She turned away. “Well, maybe before now it would have been bad timing. I wouldn’t have known Talon was mated. I would have turned you away. But you could have tried! You could have tried to convince me to move on. Instead you supported my faithful watch for his return. Why?” she practically yelled her tortured demand.

  He felt hope and pressed on, “And now?” he asked.

  “Now,” her head turned back and found his bright eyes burning with hopeful desire. This didn’t feel wrong in anyway and that terrified her. Somewhere, deep in her heart, she realized now that she’d always loved him too. It’s just that her devotion to Talon had blinded her, preventing her from seeing what was right before her all these years. She wasn’t blinded any longer. Cuilwen’s entire body relaxed and she gulped a large breath, her voice shaking when she finally answered him.

  “I wouldn’t deny you if you asked to court me.” Cuilwen took another deep breath and her hand rose to cover her heart in self-comfort, “I think under all my wishful thinking that I would eventually get Talon back, I think Ath, that I always loved you as well. I misread my feelings though, but it is clear now. My reaction to seeing what they’d done to you wasn’t an average reaction. That means something, at least to me. I’ve never felt such panic as I did when I learned it was you they’d taken. I risked everything to help Talon get you back.” She paused, “Now I’ll help him destroy all the Dûr Falas and raze their little group to the ground. ”

  He let out an emotional sob of pent up anxiety and his face contorted into an anguished grimace. She was back at his side, her hands cupping his cheeks while she gently caressed his healing skin. Neither of them said a word as they stared into each other’s eyes in silent communion.

  He broke the silence first. “So, First Maiden of the Thistle Clan, it would be my greatest honor in this life if you would allow me to court you.”

  A single tear dropped from her eye and landed on his chest. “Athradien, next leader of the Oystercatcher Clan, it would give me the greatest joy if you did.” Leaning down, Cuilwen touched her lips gently to his for the first time and waited.

  He took that opportunity and pulled her, pain and all, into his arms and soundly returned her kiss. He’d dreamt of doing this for uncounted years. He kissed her with all he had to give and poured every ounce of feeling into that brief contact. When he finally released her, both their eyes were wet with the wild emotions of the moment and they were gasping as their caught their breath.

  “All right, wow.” She sighed and she tried to pull away but his strong arms would not let her go.

  “I’ve always wondered what that would be like,” he said with a half smile and a dreamy look in his eyes.

  “And?”

  “It surpassed my wildest fantasies,” he said as he pulled her back to him gently u
sing the hand he had resting on the back of her neck. He kissed her again, more slowly this time, letting his tongue caress her lips and dance with hers, the urgency climbing as he continued with his slow pace.

  Pulling her over his body then rolling so she was now lay beneath him, he finally released her, “I will love you passionately.”

  She laughed, “I can see that,” then added, “and will hold you to that statement, Athradien.”

  “I won’t let you down, lovely Cuilwen. I promise you that.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Cuilwen waited until she heard Omar inside his room then swiftly moved down the hall and knocked.

  “Come in.”

  She took a deep breath then entered. Omar, her dashing human lover stood calmly near his fire, log in hand as he was in the act of feeding the flames. He smiled as she entered but made no move to approach her. “Hello, Omar,” she began then paused.

  “It’s all right. I already talked with Talon and know what you came to discuss, it’s all right.” He looked at her and smiled again. “I’m happy you’ve found your mate, or whatever you all call your life partners.” There was an undercurrent of disappointment in his voice that he couldn’t hide.

  She smiled but could not help feeling the gut wrenching guilt that she had hurt him. Cursing softly in her language, she turned away to face the door. Cuilwen didn’t want to see that hurt in his eyes. “You were not just passing entertainment,” she whispered. “You were more to me, more than just fun.” She swiveled halfway to him. “You are special, Omar, don’t you see that? We only had one encounter, and I became attached in a way I never imagined. All this time I was worried about you, and it should have been me that I watched out for.”

  Omar silently approached, “Listen, you’re pretty damn special too, Cuilwen. You have nothing to be ashamed of or saddened over. Go back to Athradien and care for him. Show him the same passion you showed me.” He had moved behind her while she was talking, but she was so distracted with her own thoughts and feelings that she didn’t hear. When she turned, he cupped her face gently in his large hands pinned in place. He read unfiltered fear in her eyes and that was surprising enough to make him pause.