by Jade White
“You’re going to the get the bed soaking wet,” she protested, though she was laughing too, and he deposited her in a chair. Of course, a pile of huge, fluffy cloths appeared, and Carwin draped one over his shoulders, but when she reached for another, he took it out of her hands.
“Allow me,” he said in a low voice, and she could hardly deny him when his eyes were smoldering like that. He wrapped her head in a cloth and then moved over her whole body with another, drying every bit of skin from her head to her feet. But every place the cloth went, his lips followed, pressing warm kisses to every part of her, the tips of each finger and the center of her palm, up the inside of her wrist and the crease of her elbow, lavishing attention on her entire person until every fiber of her being was humming with his presence.
Then he stood and pulled her up by the hand into his embrace. She was sure she could feel every single inch of his skin where it touched hers, and the sensation of his fingers running through her hair as he freed it from the towel was so intense that she shivered.
“Would you care to try something a little different?” he asked, his lips brushing against her ear. Eleri was fairly sure that in her current state of mind, she’d agree to go live on the moon if he asked her, but more than that, she trusted him, so she simply nodded. Words felt a little too complicated.
Still, she was surprised when he turned her to face the opposite direction, but he kissed the curve of her shoulder and then the back of her neck, his teeth grazing over her sensitive skin in a way that made her toes tingle and her hair stand on end.
Any hesitation she might have had melted away. They knelt together on the floor, and he continued to kiss her neck and shoulders while his hands moved to caress her breasts. She could feel his arousal growing behind her, and the knowledge only made her want him more; she’d never before felt such a strong need, and now he reached down to cup the soft mound between her legs with his palm.
“Carwin,” she called his name in a desperate moan, a sound she hadn’t realized she was capable of making, and he took her hands and guided them grip the arms of the chair. Finally, she understood his intention and felt somewhat foolish for not realizing sooner, but that thought was quickly silenced by the exquisite ache of him, the steady upward thrust filling her more completely than ever before and hitting a place inside her that made her whole body thrum with bliss.
She could tell by the way his muscles trembled and the low growl against her shoulder, that it was just as intense for him. He went utterly still for the span of a held breath, and she knew he was trying to control himself, to make this last. Her lips twitched into a playful grin, and she rolled her hips against him in a leisurely circular motion. He groaned, plunging into her again with less caution, and she moved to meet him halfway; when they came together, it was like a spark on dry tinder.
They held back nothing, moving as one being, their cries echoing against the stone floors. Eleri felt like she was on fire, a creature of heat and ecstasy that burned brighter every time he filled her. It was too quick and not quick enough. She thought she would lose her mind, so intense was her need for release, and then it roared through her, a summer’s thunderstorm of pleasure. As she cried out, her head thrown back in rapturous abandon, she was aware of the muted sting of teeth in her shoulder.
Carwin crashed into her one final time, and through the haze of her own receding bliss, she felt his length pulsing inside her and his moan muffled by her skin, sending extra little thrills of sensation that made her gasp and shudder.
It took a moment for them both to stop trembling, and then Carwin withdrew, slumping on the rug with his back against the wall and pulling her wordlessly into his lap. It took several more minutes for either to recover their breath enough for speaking. “I did not mind that at all,” Eleri finally said with an exhausted chuckle.
He let out a quiet huff of laughter. “Yes, I think we’ll mark that down as a success.”
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The next morning, Carwin awoke feeling more well-rested than he had in a long time, and he knew it wasn’t just the comfortable bed and hot bath, or even the incredibly intense lovemaking of the night before; it was something about Afallach itself. Just breathing the air made him feel healthy and alive. He couldn’t quite make himself trust it. He knew even better than Eleri that the gods gave away nothing for free, and they demanded their price in ways and times that were unfathomable to mortals.
Still, it was difficult to think uncharitable thoughts when waking so refreshed, with sunlight streaming in through the windows and the slender form of his beloved curled against his body. He pulled her closer, burying his nose in her hair. She always smelled like summer to him, strawberries and freshly mown hay, and now there was a hint of honey and apples from the soap.
It reminded him of the Metheglin on Nos Calan Mai and their first night together. He still couldn’t quite believe what he had done. It was selfish and foolish, but he couldn’t bring himself to regret it. After all, he’d been truthful in so far as he could be. He had told her that they couldn’t have a future together, and it was better that she didn’t know why.
He didn’t want her to feel guilty for it, but more than that, he realized he was afraid that if she knew, she would try to bargain with Ceridwen for his life. He couldn’t bear the thought. The goddess would demand a heavy price for such a boon, and he did not feel that he was worth it.
She stirred, rolling over to smile up at him, and the sunlight lit the hints of amber in her hazel eyes, making them shine like coins in a mossy well.
“Good morning,” she said brightly, and for a moment, he was too dazzled to reply. Every day, he was only more glad that he had asked her to come with him.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked finally. She stretched, showing off every lean curve of her body, and he had to remind himself that now wasn’t the time to try for a repeat of the previous night. They had no idea when Manwydan was expecting them. It was never a good idea to keep a lord waiting on his own lands, and it was even less so when that lord was a deity.
“I did,” she said with a contented hum. “And you?” Her eyes twinkled playfully, and he knew she was thinking of the night before. He felt heat rising in his groin in response.
“Very,” he answered in a rough voice, and he allowed himself to give her one lingering kiss before pulling away. “But we can’t lounge around in bed all day, as much as I’d like to. We have to go see Manwydan, and I’d rather not get caught by Dylan.”
Eleri made a face at that. He suspected that she thought the same as he did, that the cheeky young sea god would rather enjoy catching them in the act, and that made it seem much more unpalatable than the expectation of shock or disapproval. She sat up with a regretful sigh. “I hope they’ve brought us food, at least.”
There was breakfast, and fine clothes laid out for them, better and more beautifully made than the dress Eleri had worn on her would-be wedding day, yet more practical. Carwin’s outfit was green and gold, made of soft leather and some sort of shiny, slippery fabric, like water woven into cloth.
Eleri’s tunic, a rich russet color with belled sleeves that tied tight at the wrist with amber ribbons, was made of the same stuff. She also had a leather vest that fell to her knees, and pants to match, both dyed the color of honey and tooled with fanciful flowers and vines. When they were both dressed in their new outfits, Carwin thought they looked like something out of a bard’s wildest fancy more than real people.
“My, you look like a dashing fairy knight come to whisk me away to the Otherworld, never to return,” Eleri said, smiling merrily and twining her arms about his neck.
He laughed and kiss her forehead. “What does that make you? I never thought to say this, but ladies wearing breeches ought to come into fashion,” he said, sliding his hands over the curve of her hips. “It’s quite fetching, and the color suits you.”
“You two do look much more presentable today,” Dylan said, appearing in the room with no
warning. He grinned at their surprise. Even he was dressed more nicely, having switched out his loincloth for loose trousers and a vest of the same watery fabric that their outfits were made of, only his seem to shimmer with every color of the sea; icy white, deep blue, pale green, and gray flowed through his clothes so subtly that it took Carwin looking at him several times to be sure he had seen what he thought he’d seen. “I’m glad I didn’t have to haul you out of bed. We’ll be heading to see Lord Manwydan as soon as you’re prepared.”
“We are ready to go,” Carwin said, glancing over at Eleri, who nodded. “Is there anything special we should know before we speak to Manwydan?”
Dylan shrugged, unconcerned. “Don’t be rude. My cousin is far less temperamental than some of your human lords.” Carwin highly doubted that, but there was no reason to argue. “Follow me, then.”
Eleri slid her arm through the elbow Carwin extended in her direction, and he could tell by how tightly her fingers gripped his wrist that she was nervous. He wasn’t feeling entirely calm himself. Having met a deity on previous occasions did nothing to make the experience less terrifying.
The Tylwyth Teg did not often trouble themselves to intervene in the affairs of mortals, and attracting the notice of one or more of those powerful beings was sure to add complications to one’s life, no matter how beneficent the intent.
Dylan led them back the way they had come before, but as they reached the shoreline, he turned aside, guiding them toward the center of the island. The sound of water could be heard all around, and through the trees and stone archways that lined the path, which was now wide enough for two carts to pass abreast and paved with iridescent seashells and blue marble, Carwin glimpsed many pools and waterfalls. In the far distance, he thought he could see wide fields where horses ran free and stately orchards with apple trees planted in neat rows. It was an odd combination of landscapes.
Ahead of them was a large hill upon which stood a circle of stones surrounding yet another grove of trees, but Dylan did not lead them up onto it, but down into it, through a wide hallway that plunged underground. However, it was neither dark nor forbidding.
Crystal lanterns shone gold and silver at regular intervals, gem-studded mosaics decorated the walls, and flower-laden vines hung from the ceiling high above. The hill was a maze of tunnels, but Dylan seemed to be leading them down the main corridor, which descended into the earth in a slow spiral, until, when Carwin guessed they were facing the opposite direction they had entered from, they emerged into a massive open cavern.
He heard Eleri gasp, and he privately shared the sentiment; he would never have believed something like this could exist underground.
They were now crossing an arched bridge that seemed to be carved from crystal and seashells, and all around, above and below, islands floated in the air, connected by more slender arches. The sound of the ocean echoed through the whole place, but the waves were so far below that he couldn’t catch a glimpse of them.
High above their heads, the ceiling was a dome of stone, crisscrossed with gold and silver. Was it ore or the roots of fantastical trees? As for the other inhabitants of Afallach, they saw almost no one, and those they did spy were usually peering at them from quite a distance away. Most of them were so strange and inhuman that Carwin could not even begin to describe them.
After a long walk across the bridge, they arrived at what he had to assume was the throne room. Huge doors of silver, gold, crystal, and glittering seashell barred the way, and it was guarded by a group of armored warriors who strongly resembled Dylan and wore long brown cloaks of strangely shiny fur. They banged their spears on the floor when Dylan approached, and stood aside as the doors swung open.
The throne room of Manwydan was decorated to give the impression of being underwater. The walls were of rough-hewn stone, floating spherical lanterns gave off wan blue-green light, and the dull roar of the ocean waves was the only sound to be heard. Still, there were definite touches of another personality, and as Carwin and Eleri approached, they beheld her—Rhiannon, queen of horses, goddess of love and land.
She was tall, with long red-golden hair, and seemed at once forbidding in her grace and elegance, and warm and motherly. Her husband, Manwydan, stood at her side wearing bright mail fashioned like a fish’s scales and wielding a silver staff that resembled a tree branch. His hair and beard were long and silver, but otherwise, he didn’t look any older than Carwin.
Dylan knelt when they approached the dais, and Carwin and Eleri felt almost relieved to do the same. The beings before them seemed to radiate power, and looking at them for too long made their heads hurt. “Rise, kinsman and honored guests,” said a deep voice, which could only belong to Manwydan. Everyone stood, and Dylan backed away, leaving Carwin and Eleri alone under the gaze of the Lord and Lady of Afallach.
Eleri’s hand met his and clasped it tightly, which made Carwin feel at least a little more grounded in reality and calmed the frantic pounding in Eleri’s heart. Manwydan and Rhiannon took their seats on their thrones, perhaps for comfort or maybe because they realized further intimidation was unnecessary.
“Carwin ap Emrys, we know you seek the Well of Truth to discover the means of defeating the dark sorcerer Dywell,” Manwydan said in a measured voice. “But you, Eleri of Aberderwen,” he continued, turning his fierce blue eyes upon her, “why have you come?”
Caught in the gaze of the Lord of the Sea, Eleri suddenly could not find her voice. Rhiannon laid her hand on her husband’s arm and smiled down at her. “They are here together. Their fates are intertwined. The archdruid of Arianrhod’s temple told you as much, correct?”
“Yes,” she managed to squeak. Carwin squeezed her hand, and she could have sworn Manwydan almost smiled.
“It is well,” he said, inclining his head graciously toward them. “I am sure you are aware that not just anyone can be allowed to drink from the Well.”
“We understood that there would be tests,” Carwin answered. Manwydan nodded.
“There are three tests of worth before you may drink from the Well. Getting here was the first. Two remain,” the Lord of the Sea said with a nod. “The next task will be reaching the Well itself.” He banged his staff on the ground, and a cavern opened up behind the two thrones.
“What sort of obstacles will we face inside?” Carwin asked. “Do we need to make preparations or take supplies?”
“To reveal too much about the trial to come would lessen its worth. You will not require anything but yourselves to reach the Well,” Manwydan answered. “I will give you one piece of advice, however. When you seek the truth, you must not be afraid to face it. Will you enter the cavern now?”
Carwin and Eleri glanced at each other, but they were both of the same opinion. There was nothing to be gained by waiting. “We will.”
Manwydan and Rhiannon moved aside and gestured for them to enter the dark tunnel behind them. Much like the throne room, it was roughly carved from bedrock and filled with plants, but beyond that, Eleri could not see. Even when she and Carwin stood just inside the entrance, the cave was obscured by shadows.
“I hope you both find what you seek,” Rhiannon’s voice called faintly, and then the door rolled shut with a grinding boom, plunging them into darkness.
CHAPTER TEN
There was a long moment where the lack of light seemed almost a living, malevolent force; she may as well have been struck blind. The sound of their breaths echoed weirdly, her heart beat a thunderous drum in her ears, and the only thing that kept her from being truly terrified was the comfort of Carwin’s fingers entwining with her own.
But in the span of a few heartbeats, either their eyes began to adjust or the cave had a bit of its own magic because the darkness was slowly replaced with dim blue light. Eleri was inclined to believe it was a bit of both; some of the light seemed to be coming from the strange mushrooms that were growing on the walls around them. “Well,” Carwin said, his voice surprisingly loud in the silence. “Now that we ca
n see where were going, I suppose we should find out what this cave has in store for us.”
“I hope we don’t have to strangle a sea monster with our bare hands or anything like that,” she said, trying to lighten the mood despite a gnawing sense of dread that sat like a stone in her belly.
Carwin snorted. “I doubt it. I could be wrong, but I suspect this test will be more magical in nature.” They continued through the tunnel, hand in hand. Though the walls were rough and covered with plant and fungal growth, Eleri noticed that the floor was worn smooth. She wondered if it was due to magic or to the passage of feet over thousands of years. The floor sloped continually downward as they traveled, and now the cave widened so that she could begin to see what lay ahead. It looked like... a lake.
Maybe lake was a bit of an exaggeration, but it was a large pool of still, clear water, extending all the way to the other side of the cavern, which was barely visible. Eleri thought there might be a small island somewhere out there in the gloom, but it was difficult to tell. The only light came from the mushrooms on the walls and from shards of glowing crystal embedded in the ceiling high above them.
