Medea stood there smiling from ear to ear.
“It’s the curse that is making me act like a lovesick dog, isn’t it?” MacKay asked her, still rubbing his chest.
“It is,” answered Medea with a giggle. “My mother did wonders with this curse. The meaner Eira is to you, the more you will like her.”
“Why?” he asked. “Why would Hecuba do this to me?”
“You will see things quite differently from now on,” Medea explained. “Good things will look bad, and bad things will look beautiful to you. You won’t know the difference between right and wrong by the time this is all over.”
“It’s the s-shard of mirror t-that embedded in his chest that did that?” asked Ollie.
“It is,” agreed Medea. “That was my mother’s mirror that let her see into people’s lives. It held a lot of her magic within it, and she wasn’t happy about MacKay breaking it. Now that it is broken and some of the magic is still embedded in MacKay’s heart, everything will be opposite for him.”
“What does this mean?” asked MacKay. “Will I forget how to reason?”
“You’ll not only forget, but you will be so confused, your world will turn upside down and fall apart,” said Medea. “I am not sure what else will happen, but we will find out in time.”
“Can’t you help me, Medea? Take away the curse from me . . . Sister.”
Medea’s head snapped up, and her eyes met his. He could see her surprise and also her admiration of being called his sister. Perhaps, he’d touched a part of her that none of his siblings had managed to do. Rapunzel told them that Medea was pure evil, but he didn’t believe it. So far, she’d been nothing but kind to him. Or was it only his new perception that made him think this was true? He didn’t know anymore.
“Nay, I won’t help you,” she said. “I promised my mother I would watch and report to her what happens now that she no longer has her magic mirror to spy on you and the rest of the de Bars.”
“Why isn’t the old hag here to watch for herself?” asked MacKay.
“Don’t call my mother an old hag! For your information, she has been feeling weak and tired since you broke her mirror.”
“I didn’t think an immortal witch like Hecuba could ever feel weak or tired.” MacKay grinned at the thought.
“She is hundreds of years old,” Medea reminded him.
“Then perhaps it is time for her to go,” he mumbled.
He felt a sudden tightness of his throat and the inability to breathe. His hand shot to his throat, and he fought for air. When he looked over at Medea, she was holding her thumb and forefinger up, magically squeezing him around the neck.
“Let him g-go,” shouted Ollie. He stepped forward with his sword drawn but MacKay reached out for him with his other hand and held him back.
“She’s . . . just . . . being Medea,” MacKay managed to say.
With that, Medea released his neck and he gasped for air.
“I’m not sure I like the fact you don’t even fear my punishments,” Medea said with a disgruntled sniff. “I think this curse is going to get old fast.” She stepped behind a wall partition and disappeared from the room.
MacKay’s throat, as well as his heart, hurt more than ever now. He snatched a tankard of ale from a serving wench and downed the entire cup of liquid, trying to quench the burning inside him. If he were going to start seeing things opposite of what they really were, he would never know the truth about anything again. All he wanted, at this moment, was to be home to talk to his father and siblings. Then the thought hit him that he might never see them again.
Eira rushed into her solar and slammed the door, laying her head on the wood. With her eyes closed, she took a deep breath, lifting her fingers to her tingling lips. Her heart beat wildly in her chest.
Sir MacKay de Bar had kissed her, even though she had been nothing but mean to him. She had never been kissed by a man before. At her age, she never thought it would happen at all in this lifetime. Eira didn’t think she needed or wanted to be intimate with a man. But now that MacKay kissed her and told her that she had beautiful eyes, she started to wonder about her decision to shun men from her life where intimacy was concerned.
She liked the feel of his lips against hers. It made her fell warm and alive inside. Plus, no one had ever told her before that anything about her was beautiful. What was happening here? And why was MacKay so kind to her when she didn’t deserve it? Her thoughts were cut short by a noise from the other side of the room. She turned to see an old woman standing next to her bed.
“Who are you and why are you in my solar?” she demanded to know.
“I am the healer, my lady. My name is Hecuba.”
“I don’t have a healer named Hecuba. How did you get on my island?”
“Your island?” The old woman laughed.
“I am Queen Eira. You will address me with respect, or you will be punished,” she told her.
“Where is Medea?” asked the woman, not seeming at all frightened by her threat.
“Medea? My lady-in-waiting?” she asked.
“My daughter is a servant?” She tsked and shook her head. “I will have to teach her not to lower herself to such standards.”
“You are Medea’s mother?” asked Eira. “Then you survived the shipwreck as well?”
The door to the room opened and Medea entered.
“Medea, there you are,” said Hecuba. “We need to talk.”
“Healer, you are welcome to stay here at the castle,” said Eira. “There will be a battle soon, and your services might be needed.”
“I will not stay and I certainly won’t help.”
“Mother, I think you need to rest,” said Medea, guiding the old woman from the room. She turned and spoke to Eira before closing the door. “She is old and sometimes not in her right mind. Please forgive her, my queen.”
“Aye, I see.” Eira watched them leave, feeling as if something horrible was about to happen.
Medea shut the door and spoke to Hecuba in the corridor. “What are you doing here, Mother?”
“I came to see for myself why you haven’t returned to Tanglewood.”
“I am watching over MacKay as you instructed.”
“Has the curse taken hold yet?” Hecuba looked tired and didn’t seem her usual conniving, ornery self.
“Yes, it has started,” Medea told her. “You need to rest, Mother. Go back to Tanglewood. I have things under control.”
“Medea, I have so much to teach you yet, but I don’t have the energy to do it. Ever since that fool broke my mirror, I feel as if my strength is slipping away.”
“Nonsense,” said Medea. “You are the strongest, most powerful witch that ever existed.”
“I thought so, too. But something is changing. I don’t know why, but I feel weak lately. I’m not even sure I can muster up the power to transport back to Tanglewood.”
“Then I will help you. Take my hand and I will transport you home.”
“You have what it takes to be the most powerful witch that ever walked the earth, Medea. Don’t ever forget that. And never let a mere human take anything away from you.”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Be aware and never let down your guard,” Hecuba warned her.
As Medea transported her mother back to Tanglewood Castle, she had the awful feeling that her mother was slowly slipping away.
Chapter 8
MacKay sat in the tub of hot water, resting his head against the back of the tub. With his eyes closed, he pondered the consequences of the curse bestowed upon him. What was happening to him? He would never have even thought about kissing someone like Eira if this bloody curse hadn’t been taking control of his senses.
He rubbed the scar over his heart with his eyes still closed. MacKay had always been a man of reason. He wasn’t easily angered like his brother, Stefan, and neither was he a lady’s man like his brother, Kin. However, MacKay did have a restless lust for war running through his ve
ins because he was a warrior. A strong warrior. But this past day or two, he’d been pushed around by a woman and did nothing to stop it. He had even kissed the wench and enjoyed it. Hell, if this continued, he would get a reputation of being naught more than a lovesick whelp. The thought disgusted him.
He felt a slight tingling sensation under his fingertips and opened his eyes and lifted his head to see his scar glowing again. It was a dark glow – more like a black light that encompassed it instead of bright, white light. Before he had the chance to ponder what it meant, there was a knock at the door. He figured it was Ollie returning to the room with food and wine. Since the boy finally managed to thaw out, his appetite was back. And since MacKay didn’t want to sup in the great hall with the Snow Queen, he decided he and Ollie would have their meal in the solar instead.
“Come in, the door is open,” he called out, leaning his head back again. The hot water felt inviting. There was another knock. “Blast it all, I said come in or are your hands broken?” he called out.
He heard the creak of the door as it slowly opened. Then came the soft thud of the door as it closed.
“Did the shrew give you any trouble?” he asked, sinking deeper into the hot water, talking with his eyes closed. “I hope she didn’t sic her dogs after you. You better have brought back lots of wine. I need to get drunk to try to wipe the memory from my mind that I kissed the wretched wench!”
“Which wretched wench would that be?” came a feminine voice from behind him.
He jerked upright in the water and opened his eyes to see the Snow Queen standing inside the door. “My lady, I didn’t know it was you.”
“Apparently not, or you wouldn’t have spoken so freely.” She took a few steps closer enabling him to get a good look at her in the firelight of the hearth. Eira was still dressed like a man in a tunic, boots and breeches. She also wore her weapon belt inside the castle walls like a true warrior. Her hair was pulled back tightly, wrapped around the top of her head like a snake. She held a goblet and a decanter of wine in her hands.
“What have you got there?” he asked, being more interested in the wine than her.
“I saw your squire in the kitchen asking for food and wine.”
“Yes, I sent him down there to get our meal.” He closed his eyes and relaxed, resting the back of his head on the edge of the wooden tub yet again.
“How dare you close your eyes when I’m addressing you. Open them anon!”
“I’d rather not look at you at the moment.” He kept thinking how she pushed him hard today and made them practice fighting in a snowstorm.
“Really,” he heard her mumble, followed by a loud splash. His eyes popped open. She stood next to the tub with a smile on her face. She’d dropped the goblet into the tub almost hitting him in the manhood. “Here’s your wine, Sir MacKay.” She started pouring it into the water.
“Nay, don’t waste it,” he shouted, sitting up straight. When he did, his scar started glowing.
“Anything given to a cur like you is wasted.” After dumping the wine into the bath, she dropped the heavy metal decanter into the water as well and turned to leave.
His scar ached, and something washed over him that had nothing to do with a bath. He had to have her. Her actions were driving him mad with want. He jumped up, splashing water over the edge of the tub, grabbing her by the arm to keep her from leaving.
“Stay!” he commanded.
She slowly turned her head. Her eyes traveled from his hand up to his face. “Release me,” she warned him.
“Why?” he asked. “If I don’t, will you call your henchman, or will it be your dogs from hell instead?”
“I don’t need to call anyone.” In one quick move, she twisted his arm, holding it tightly behind his back. Damn, the woman excited him. His chest ached, and his scar glowed. He could think of nothing but kissing her sweet lips again. He chuckled, making her fingers dig into his arm tighter, biting into his flesh. “Don’t laugh or I’ll really hurt you.”
“You could never hurt me, my lady. I welcome your touch no matter how hard.” In one slick motion, he flipped around, grabbing her and pulling her tightly against his chest. Now he was the captor and she the captive. He held her to him with her arms pressed tightly against her body so she couldn’t move. Boldly, he kissed her hard on the lips, his action causing her to turn limp in his arms. Her head fell back, exposing her long, graceful neck.
Lowering his mouth to her neck, he kissed her there, letting his kisses trail down her collarbone. A small moan escaped her lips, and her mouth opened slightly, making her look very seductive. His eyes fastened to that luscious mouth. He needed to know how it felt to be inside her. MacKay kissed her again and, this time, felt himself growing hard.
He raised one hand to cradle her chin while his other hand went to her hair. He yanked at the ribbon and then used his fingers to unwind her braid. Her hair came loose and fell freely around her shoulders. It was long, silky, and as white as snow. He had never seen this color hair on such a young woman before. It was very attractive.
“What are you doing?” she whispered. Her tongue shot out to lick her lips, driving him out of his mind.
“You excite me as no woman has ever done before.” He kissed her again and, this time let his tongue slip into her mouth. She tasted as sweet as ripe fruit as he entered her, making him squirm as he thought about entering her in another way as well. But that thought left his brain quickly when she bit his tongue.
“Ow!” He pulled away, seeing the fierce look in her eyes.
“How dare you think to invade me.”
“I’d like to invade you in another way as well.”
He almost laughed aloud when her eyes swept downward and she noticed his erection.
She gasped and held a hand to her mouth. Her eyes opened wide. He liked her reaction. It only made him harder. He used his muscles to give her a show of what was to come.
Her hands shot out and she pushed him. He went down into the water laughing as she stormed from the room.
“Out of my way!” Eira shouted, knocking into Ollie who had just entered the room with a tray of food balanced in his hands. With a loud crash, everything fell to the floor.
MacKay laughed again, leaning back in the tub, enjoying every minute of this. For some reason, Lady Eira Koldottir made him feel feistier than he’d felt in years. Never had he enjoyed being around a woman as much as he did her.
“My lord, what just happened?” Ollie collected the food, placing it back onto the platter, entering the room and closing the door.
“I just found the woman I am going to marry.”
“My lord?” Ollie stood still with the tray gripped tightly in his hands. “Who might that be?”
“Ollie, I am going to marry Lady Eira.”
“The Snow Queen?” he asked in surprise.
“Yes, the Snow Queen is going to marry me, even if she doesn’t know it yet.”
The crash of the tray hitting the ground again echoed through the room as Ollie stood there with his mouth and eyes opened wide in disbelief.
Eira ran to her solar instead of going back to the great hall. MacKay’s actions had her body shaking. She burst through the door and stopped in her tracks when she saw Medea sitting at the dressing table brushing out her long, black hair.
“My lady, I thought you’d be in the great hall eating your meal,” said Medea, looking up in surprise.
Eira closed the door. Wringing her hands, she headed over to the bed. “I was. But not anymore.” Her lips burned from MacKay’s kiss. The coppery taste of his blood lingered in her mouth from biting his tongue.
“What has you so spooked that you run into the room as if the devil were on your heels?” asked Medea, doing nothing to get up off the chair to wait on her. Medea was lazy, but right now Eira couldn’t think straight, and neither did she care.
“It’s Lord MacKay,” she said, reaching out grabbing on to the bedpost and lowering herself to the pallet.
&n
bsp; “MacKay?” Medea smiled and put down her brush. That seemed to take her interest. “What did he do now?”
“H-he kissed me again,” she said, needing someone to confide in. Eira was usually a loner. She hadn’t confided in anyone since her father and brothers were killed. She’d talked about war strategies with Angus, but without a mother or sisters, she had no conversations with women besides her servants. Even with the servants, it was only small talk about their duties, but nothing else. She wasn’t sure why she confided in Medea when she didn’t even know her, but something about the girl reminded Eira of herself.
“He kissed you?” asked Medea, seeming fascinated with anything that had to do with intimacy.
“Aye,” she answered, wondering if perhaps Medea could give her advice. Eira didn’t have a mother to ask questions about relationships with men. “Have you ever been kissed by a man, Medea?”
The girl’s face darkened. “Nay. I was promised a kiss by a man when I turned eighteen, but he betrayed me.”
“I know what you mean about betrayal,” she answered, still feeling her body vibrating from MacKay’s touch. “Men are no good. My betrothed betrayed me, and any other man in my life will do the same.”
“Then use them for your needs and cast them off later,” Medea answered nonchalantly.
“What do you mean?”
“Use MacKay to not only fight your battles, but also to suffice your womanly urges.”
“I don’t have womanly urges,” she retorted.
“Don’t you?” asked Medea, sounding wise for her age. “MacKay kisses you and now you are trembling and holding your hands to your mouth as if you are savoring his essence on your lips.”
“Well, mayhap he has awakened something in me that I didn’t think was there.”
“Then use him,” she said again, her eyes becoming very dark as if a cloud covered her.
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