A Storm of Pleasure (3 page)

Surely he would.

N
ot even the sun glinting off the dark turquoise waters eased his spirits or the pain in his head. But it was beautiful out here on the sea, and the cool air rushing over the surface did clear his mind somewhat. He’d taken another dose of the healer’s brew, but like the last four, it had not lessened his pain. Now, an hour after leaving the refuge and relative silence of the cave, he was headed for the earl’s estate in Birsay. Gavin turned and looked ahead, watching as the hills of Hoy came closer and closer.

Nearly there.

He took in a deep breath and steeled himself for the coming assault. Haakon stood a short distance away on the deck of the birlinn. The earl spared no costs in gold or men to provide for his comfort and safety.

Well, he thought as he counted the number of warriors sent to accompany him, his safety was assured. His comfort was another matter.

The thoughts of just this handful of men sent dizzying waves of pain through him, but hundreds would be waiting for him at the earl’s estate. Each month his dread at being near others grew stronger, as did the pain and hammering in his head. Gavin took in a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to listen to the sounds of the sea and not the rest of it. He discovered that for a short time, he could block out the worst of it.

He could block it!

Then Gavin thought back to the first time he’d noticed he had some control over the noise and realized it had been the day after that strange yet wonderful dream. The one that included a bout of loveplay with a beautiful angel who had luminous eyes and long, curling pale hair. During that strange interlude, he could focus his thoughts and hear only the sounds of her body as they found pleasure.

And it had been a pleasure that left him satiated for the first time in as long as he could remember. His body readied itself now, just as it did whenever he brought the image of his angel to mind. It was a strange dream for many reasons, but the funniest part of it was that he’d never removed their clothes. So, though he could remember the feel of her ample breasts and the strength in her legs as she wrapped them around his waist, he could not see the color of her skin as it flushed with pleasure and he did not know if the tips of those breasts were rosy or dusky. Gavin shifted as his hardened flesh pressed against his trews once more, aching to be deep within the angel’s tightness.

“Haakon,” he called out without turning to face the others. When he heard Haakon’s approach, he spoke without looking at him—asking the same question he’d asked for the last five days. “Was it truly only a dream?”

“I brought no one to you that day, sir. It took me several hours to return to the cave, and it was nearly full dark when I did. You were sleeping soundly from the healer’s brew. And you know who has visited you since that day.” No one. No one had visited since that day. He’d not asked for a woman in five days.

The words were the same as ever, repeated by Haakon every time Gavin asked him the same question. Despite his vivid memories of making love to a real woman, it had been only a dream. And though he’d consumed more of the brew, no other dreams had followed those doses, only sleep or calmness.

Gavin nodded and listened as Haakon returned to his place farther back in the boat. He’d not expected to hear a different explanation, but he could not deny that he’d hoped to. Rubbing the back of his neck, he decided that she had been an apparition. Turning away from the headwind, he called out to the man in charge of their voyage.

“How much longer to Birsay?” he asked.

The man squinted into the sun and then glanced at the land to their right side. “We cannot land at Birsay until nearly sundown, about three more hours.”

The Brough of Birsay was a tidal island, separated each day from the mainland during high tide. Since the earl’s estate lay close to the brough on the mainland, approaching it from the sea involved a tricky bit of timing. A smaller, shallower boat could make it, but those with a deeper hull such as this one needed a good bit of water in the adjacent bay before they could land.

It was just as well, for Gavin was in no rush to arrive. The full moon would come in half a sennight’s time, and with it uncontrollable power would surge through him. His will would not be his own. When that time came, ’twas as though his own mind fled and his words were spoken by another. When he came back to himself, he carried no memory of what had been asked or answered. And no matter how much he’d searched or talked with elders from the earl’s domain, or with visitors from other lands, he could never find any explanation for what occurred within him at the zenith of the full moon.

Even the Norse king’s skald, well versed in stories of many cultures and lands, could provide no understanding of the power that flowed through him or the origin of it. Nor could the earl’s physicians explain it or help control the pain. But worse, in the last few months, his body suffered for days and days after the truthspeaking. Not only did a deep and profound deafness occur, but his body seemed to weaken, too, more and more with each passing month.

No one knew of the deafness, and only Haakon and a few others knew the extent of the punishment his body took for being the conduit of such power. Punishment that seemed to be getting worse.

Restlessness now filled Gavin, pushing him to move along the boat as it sailed north over the calm seas. ’Twas not so large that he could walk freely, but he made his way down the center, past the mast, ducking low to avoid the sails. Reaching the back of the boat, Gavin searched the horizon behind them, gazing at the cliffs of the northern coast as they sailed farther away.

The entrance to his cave could not be seen because it lay shielded by a curve in the coastline that provided him the privacy and solitude he needed. Solitude Earl Magnus had promised he would have. The arrangement seemed to work well for them both: Magnus had someone who could settle disputes in a way that even the
Thing
could not and Gavin received the protection and patronage of one of the most powerful men in the Norse world. Unfortunately, Gavin was learning that not even a strong, influential man could keep the power he had under control. Haakon approached and waited to be acknowledged before speaking.

“You seem troubled, sir. Is there anything you need? Some ale? Food?” The other choice was left unsaid, for it could not be accommodated on this voyage.

“Nay, Haakon. I am well.”

His servant studied him, clearly with questions on his mind that he dared not ask. But, for once, the man surprised him.

“Do you think the woman was real and not conjured by the healer’s potion?” The servant somehow understood how important the drug-induced dream had become to Gavin.

“I know this will not make sense,” he said, lowering his voice so that the others would not hear, “but she was different from any woman I’ve been with before.”

Gavin watched as sweat broke out on Haakon’s upper lip and forehead. He looked away before speaking to Gavin, but the topic of sexual pleasure was not a comfortable one for either of them. Haakon cleared his throat and coughed before he could reply. He began and then stuttered and shook his head, not able to say the words he’d chosen. Finally, he did speak.

“Durness is not so large that she would go unnoticed, sir. I can search for her when we return there.”

Stunned by the words, and the offer, Gavin shook his head. “But why would you think her real? Knowing what the healer said about the effects of his potion, why would she be other than a creature of my dream?”

He dared not hope, but still, his heart raced at the possibility his angel existed outside the realm of dreams. Now it was his turn to sweat, and he felt the beads of moisture gather on his brow.

“You slept. Soundly. For hours.”

Gavin laughed. Such a mundane thing and yet it held such meaning in his life. “Aye. ’Tis true I slept.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “But how does that affect her being a fantasy or being real?”

Mostly, he wanted Haakon to give him a reason to hope. To hope that his angel was real, a woman of flesh and blood. For after joining their bodies, he was able to push away the sounds that filled his mind. Something had occurred when their bodies joined that gave him a small bit of power over his growing torment. Their joining had satisfied more than just his fleshly desires; it satisfied his soul.

“You have not asked for a woman since that day.”

He laughed aloud then at the irony of that statement. Most men could go days and weeks without seeking to fulfill their needs, but he barely went hours. Since the autumn of last year, his demands had increased each month. And so did his power. His ability to draw forth the truth from someone grew, as did his accuracy and his ability to hear the thoughts of others.

But now, this one woman—whether dream or real—had accomplished what none could do before, and even his servant had noticed.

“Aye, Haakon, search for her upon our return. If she is real, she may know more about the powers I hold than I have been able to discover. Seek her for me.”

Haakon smiled and nodded. Nothing made the man happier than being of service. Gavin had found Haakon years before when the earl had summoned him to Orkney after hearing of his startling abilities. Haakon had served him ever since, without word of complaint or mockery for the strange style in which they lived.

Haakon bowed his head, but not before Gavin saw the satisfied expression in the servant’s eyes. He watched as Haakon traced his path back to the side of the boat and stood there quietly; most likely a plan was already forming in his mind. If she existed, Haakon would track her down.

The next few hours passed and the boat skirted the edge of Orkney, the men watching as the sun dropped lower in the sky. The Brough of Birsay with its church and outlying buildings appeared as they sailed ever nearer. Finally, under the skilled hands of the crew, their boat slid alongside the dock. Strong ropes secured the boat and all oars and sails were stowed safely. Gavin climbed over the side and waited to gain his balance before walking.

Wave upon wave of screeching, relentless clamor rolled over him. Gavin closed his eyes and tried to think about the sounds of her body once more. He recalled the silence as they coupled, her heartbeat racing, the blood pumping through her veins as her body prepared itself for him. As he thought on those sounds, the other noise receded enough for him to breathe at a normal rate and to walk without the usual dizzying pain. Haakon guided him to the path that led to the main building of the earl’s estate.

Soon they arrived, and because the earl was not in residence, Gavin was able to go directly to the rooms kept for him. Luxurious for someone of common birth, his rooms included a sleeping chamber, a smaller bathing room, and even a small chamber for Haakon so that he was always nearby. The most impressive room, though, was the Hall of Disputes that Magnus had built on so that Gavin could hear arguments in privacy and with only those the earl wished present.

No matter his abilities. No matter Magnus’s power in Orkney. No matter that the old gods were still respected in many places. This was a Christian land now, and powers such as his, unexplained and inconceivable to many, created fear and suspicion. Few who were not bound by oath to Magnus were permitted to observe Gavin’s ritual. Most outsiders who heard of him thought him to be a master of negotiations, an accomplished bargainer who could bring opposing sides of an argument or claim to agreement and who could help the earl avoid leaving important and personal disputes to the very public and very unpredictable
Thing
.

Though stories were spun and rumors escaped, none but those who witnessed it ever knew the real method of the Truthsayer. Unfortunately for him, not even the Truthsayer himself understood exactly what happened. All he knew was the call of the full moon each month drew forth his ability to hear the truth in men’s minds. Whether they wished it or not, the Truthsayer found the truth.

Gavin walked to the windows in his sleeping chamber and stared out at the bay. A few more days and he would lose more of himself. Would there come a time when there was nothing left? Each month, he noticed that his heartbeat slowed, nearly stopping when the ritual finished. Would it stop altogether one day?

Haakon entered with a cup of wine, and Gavin drank it down, holding the empty cup out for more. Though the twitching of Haakon’s left eyebrow was the only indication of censure, Gavin could tell the man disapproved of his constant and increasing reliance on strong drink. It mattered not to Gavin, for whatever could ease the pain was what he would use until he could discover how to battle this affliction. Another cup appeared before him, and Gavin took it from Haakon without a word.

As he tried to concentrate on keeping the clamor at bay, he could hear Haakon in the other room, most likely unpacking his garments and readying the room for his evening meal. Gavin would eat here alone rather than join the others at their dinner. The sheer numbers of people in the hall would overwhelm him.

His rooms faced the water, with a balcony that extended over the edge of it, and were located away from the hall where everyone gathered and separate from the rest of the household.

At the worst of times, the sound of the water, crashing on the sands or against the rocky foundation of the building, eased Gavin’s pain. That was why he liked the cave so much, for between the rushing of the river from the land side and the crashing of the waves from the seaside, there was so much noise surrounding him that the voices in his head faded into one blur.

“Sir?” Haakon said quietly. Gavin faced him. “Your supper will be here soon. Would you like me to invite…” The words faded off for there was no need to finish them.

The craving rose in his blood then. He had ignored it for as long as he could. His cock hardened in anticipation, ready to find its place deep within the heat of a woman. His skin itched and ached with the need to plow the softness between a woman’s legs and make her scream out in release as he reached his. Tempted to reach down and ease the ache, Gavin nodded at his servant, knowing that the scent of his lust was already spreading through the household. In very little time…