9781618851307WitchsBrewShayNC (43 page)

“No, baby, you don’t see. It isn’t exactly death that will
happen to you, not in the way you understand it. Our way is different. A
witch’s spirit can return to her body, if it can find the body.”

“I’m not a witch! I feel like a damn convicted criminal,
as if I’m some
thing
out here crawling around on the ground beneath your
notice and you’re just waiting for the right moment to grind me beneath your
heels. I want to shout, ‘I’m innocent,’ until someone believes me. And how
weird is it that a soul can find its body and return to it? That’s just plain nuts!”

“You’re
shouting.” Talon glared at her. “And you are a fucking witch.”

Saylym flashed him a look. “Bloody hell! All right. I’m a
witch. Happy now? Why would that mean I have to die? Not die? Or whatever you
want to call it? I haven’t done anything wrong. I know I agreed, but I see no
reason for this bonding thing you keep mentioning. I’m innocent of harming
anyone.” She paused, nibbling at her lip. “Well, except for the eye. And that
was an accident.”

* * * *

Talon felt like strangling her. Why was this one female so
hard to reason with? Why wouldn’t she commit? And why did she have to be the
one woman he wanted above all others?

Talk about unreasonable! His pretty, dainty witch had a
giant stubborn streak, as well as a mean, wide streak of perverseness. And she
yelled at him. That just wasn’t done. A witch did not yell at her future mate.
A witch didn’t yell at a prince. He snorted. Guess someone forgot to inform her
of those rules.

Be
patient.

But
it was hard when he felt like tossing her over his shoulder and carrying her to
the ceremony, demanding her cooperation.

“Saylym, baby. You have no control of your magic. It’s
unstable. You never know half the time when you’re using it. You’re like a
time-bomb. It makes you extremely dangerous to our realm.” He sighed, searching
for the right words to make her understand and accept. “The guild is made up of
frightened old men. They’re scared of you and your lack of control over your
powers. What they can’t control or understand, they destroy.”

He was running out of words. He’d just have to be blunt.
“Darling, they’ll send someone to cast your spirit into a plane where it can
never find its way back to you. Your body will be sealed in a container unit,
never to be unsealed. There’s no place safe for you to hide. Nowhere. It’s
simple. You either bond with me or you cease to exist.”

Horror filled her eyes.

Talon swore softly and gathered her in his arms. “The only
way I can protect you and keep you safe, is to bond with you. No one would dare
touch royalty. This isn’t easy for me either, sweetheart. You have no idea the
risks involved mating with a half-breed.” He took a deep breath, slowly exhaled
and rubbed a hand wearily over his face. “I see that look on your face and I
want you to stop it. I don’t mean it as an insult when I call you a half-breed.
I’m simply stating facts. I’m asking you to share your life with me. I’m asking
you to allow me to share my life with you. For the last time, I’m asking, will
you bond with me this night?”

He
didn’t know what he’d do if she refused. The thought of using force made him
sick. He’d have to force her, and damn it, that would ruin forever any chance
of happiness for them. “Say yes,
La-Scheme.”

He
searched her eyes, reading the doubts, the hesitation. He took her hand, gently
rubbing her wrist with his thumb. “You already agreed once to bond with me. I’m
holding you to your agreement. I’ll be good to you. You don’t have to fear I’ll
be cruel. I would never harm you. Say, yes, and mean it this time. Please?”

“Yes.” Her voice was so faint that at first Talon thought
he’d imagined her reply. His head jerked up. “Yes? You said, ‘yes’?”

“Isn’t that what you wanted me to say?”

“Yes.” He frowned. He didn’t like the distance in her
voice. She might agree, but was her heart in it? He thought that somehow, that
made him a loser.

An uncertain smile curved her mouth. “Yes. I will bond
with you, as you like.”

Talon
couldn’t shake his unease. Gently, and to reassure her, he wrapped her in his
arms. “Hold on, darling.”

“Talon!
I’m not dressed for a wedding.”

“You
will be.”

“Wait!
I need more time.”

Talon
pressed a tender kiss against her mouth. “There is no more time, darling. Hold
on to me.”

* * * *

Outside Sanctuary

The Magic Forest

The
bride wore black.

And
it rained, making it a superbly perfect day for a wedding.

The soft drift of a gossamer mist layered everything in
its path and left it glistening like twinkling stars. The boughs of the giant,
hollowed-out pine tree were long and thick, so that only the finest droplets of
moisture drifted down on the small gathering of witnesses.

It was an ancient forest, magical woods full of
thick-limbed
Arks
, tall graceful pines, and stout magnolia trees, a
place where giant-sized mushrooms grew and provided homes for the shy faeries.
It allowed them the chance to sneak a glance from their miniature-sized
windows, and sigh over the beautiful couple joining their lives this night in
their enchanted woodland home.

Within
the hollowed pine, there stood a long table and dozens of chairs. Hundreds of
candles glowed inside the ancient pine. It was a true fairyland filled with
wonder. Thousands of candles flickered outside, floating freely about the
forest and lighting the pathways through the woods.

Pine
needles carpeted the forest floor, emitting a damp, earthy scent. Red and white
flower petals littered the winding path Saylym walked down. Talon felt his
breath catch as she walked toward him, a bouquet of white lilies tipped with
black nestled in her hands.

He waited impatiently for his bride to reach him at the
edge of the circle. His body literally jerked at her grace and beauty. Without
question, she was the most beautiful witch he’d ever seen.

She was clad in black satin from head to toe, and her
dress followed the graceful lines of waist and hips and glittered with every
step she took. Her silver-colored hair lay unbound and drifted down her back
and across her shoulders in satiny curls. Droplets of mist coated the silky
strands, glittering like sugar crystals.

Talon swallowed hard. She stole his breath.

Saylym smiled timidly at him as he reached out, drawing
her trembling hand into his own. He brought her to stand at his left side, deep
beneath the pine boughs. “Sweetheart, I’d like you to meet my cousin, Sage, my
best man.”

Sage
took her hand and pressed a light kiss to the top of it. “Enchanted.”

Talon tugged her hand from his cousin’s loose grip. “Pay
no attention to the eye patch. It’s fake.”

She
watched in obvious disbelief as Sage switched the patch to the other eye, then
winked at her.

Sage
snickered. His pale eye glowed with mischief for a brief moment, then he
sobered. Leaning closer to Talon, he said quietly, “I hate to do this now, but
I think you should know Stry’s gone missing.”

Talon gave a slight nod of acknowledgement to his cousin’s
softly murmured words. Right now, his priority was this bonding ceremony, but
this was very bad news.

“Did you get rid of that witch?” he asked in an undertone.
“What was her name? Kirrah?”

Sage shook his head. “Uh…er…no. I haven’t found her yet.”

“What about the
illumrof?
Hannah Miller?”

Sage blushed. “Yes. I got rid of her…sort of.”

“What does that mean?” Talon asked suspiciously.

“Let’s just say she’s gone. All right?”

“Did you kill her?” Talon didn’t know whether to be
impressed or disgusted. He would never have thought it of Sage.

“Him not kill ugly human woman,” Dinka said quietly,
poking her tiny green head up over Sage’s shirt pocket. “After they have big,
big fight, roll around on floor moaning and groaning and kissy-kissy, him not
kill her. Nearly squashed poor Dinka, they did.”

“What,” Talon shouted before he caught himself and lowered
his voice. “You kissed an
illumrof?
Are you crazy?”

“Shut up, Dinka,” Sage snapped and turned a glare on
Talon. “Don’t you have better things to worry about on this day, cousin?”

Talon shrugged. “Well, she must not have been ugly as a
troll if you were willing to kiss her.”

“Uh…er,” Sage fumbled for an answer. “You could have told
me she was beautiful. Will you just shut up about it?”

Talon grinned, nodding, but his concentration was
splintered. He had to get this handfasting ceremony accomplished. At the same
time, he felt as if a knife had been shoved into his heart and twisted.

What exactly had Sage done to the
illumrof?

And
what in hell had happened to his brother?

Had
the witch Nyra killed him? Injured him, somehow?

He drew in a deep breath. He couldn’t deal with that right
now. He couldn’t worry about his brother. Not now. Later, after he mated with
Saylym, then he would search for Stry. He smiled down at his unsuspecting bride
and whispered, “You look enchanting, like a beautiful faerie queen.”

*
* * *

Saylym blushed at Talon's compliment, and tried to frame a
response.

“You, too…er…” That was hardly what she’d meant to say.

Talon looked handsome in his black silk shirt and black
leather pants. Soft, charcoal-colored suede boots encased his feet. His hair
fell long, a glossy fall of blue/black across his shoulders and back.

A wide, red satin band circled his lean waist and an athame,
at least fifteen inches, was strapped to his middle. The knife’s hilt was
Gothic in design with in-depth graving and talismans. Celtic knot work armed
the cross in the handle.

Eldora, Saylym’s Maid of Honor, stood to Saylym’s left,
sniffing softly and dabbing at her eyes as though she was able to shed tears.
“I’ve never been anyone’s Maid of Honor before,” she whispered.

Saylym
patted the old woman’s weathered hands. “I appreciate you being willing to
assist me with my gown. Thank you.”

“It
was nothing child. A little bit of satin created with magic.”

The
high priestess nodded and the ceremony began. She instructed the happy couple
to step inside the cast circle. Saylym entered the circle beside Talon. The
priestess stood straight as a rod directly in front of her. The woman’s face
was smooth and serious. She reminded her of a stern school teacher. She gave
Saylym a brief nod of approval.

The
priest stood across from Talon, arms folded across his scrawny chest as he
waited for the priestess to speak first.

“Saylym Winslow, Prince Talon, is there any sorcery good
or evil involved to force this union?”

“No,” Talon replied and glanced toward his bride.

“No,” Saylym whispered softly. “No sorcery.”

“With no magic or sorcery involved, do both of you consent
to this bonding ceremony of your own free will?” The priestess watched both of
them closely and waited for their replies to her question.

“I
do,” Talon said huskily.

Saylym
nodded her head.

“You
must say the words, child,” the priestess instructed.

“I
do,” Saylym obeyed meekly.

“Very well. As Saylym and Talon have both consented to the
bonding ceremony of their own free will, I call upon the earth, air, fire, and
also spirit. I summon the goddesses and gods of love. This couple, who have
consented to bond, shall have everlasting peace, love, and joy in their lives.
So that they shall cling only to each other and never whisper false words to
one another or betray their vows, from this day forward, they shall cling only
to each other. So that they may be fruitful and raise their children in a
loving home together.”

The priestess paused, searching both their faces before
she nodded and continued, “Bonding is a sacred covenant, never to be taken
lightly. It is a joining of the physical body, emotional, intellectual,
material, and spiritual soul of all living things. It is the sharing of a
couple’s feelings of love and commitment. Talon’s seed shall spill upon fertile
ground for this most prolific of seasons and that fertile ground shall bear the
fruit of their mating.”

She stared at Saylym for a long moment. “Child, do you
agree to the spilling of Talon’s seed within your womb? From this day forward,
do you agree to bear his children and only
his
children?”

Saylym felt heat scald her face. “I do.”

“And Talon, do you agree to enrich Saylym’s life by giving
your seed to her and only her?”

Talon hesitated. He looked from the priestess to Saylym
and back to the priestess. Sweat dotted his upper lip.

The priestess narrowed her gaze. “Talon? If you have
doubts, now is the time to speak. Will you spill your seed in Saylym’s womb so
she might bear fruit?”

“I will.” His voice was barely audible.

“Speak up, please, so that all might hear you.”

“I will.”

The priestess gave a slight nod at the couple. “Today,
Talon and Saylym wish to share this bonding ceremony with friends, family, and
loved ones who have come to bear witness. This couple has chosen this night to
bond beneath the moonlight and misty rain. We have all come at this place to
acknowledge and support their commitment to share their lives together for all
the centuries ahead.”

The priest stepped closer, his words ringing loud and
clear to the small gathering. “As male and female energy is necessary for the
act of creating life and as these energies unite Beltane after Beltane in the
cycles of the earth and the mysteries of life and love, so shall this couple
combine their lives together this night in the embodiment of Talon and Saylym.”