“Why?” she asked. “You promised to heal Rory so he will bring you the Cup. But I am a danger to druids. If I am left scarred, I remain unable to inflict such damage on another.”
“You think yourself a danger to me?” His voice lilted with amusement.
The question hung in the air. How dare she presume she could harm someone as powerful as Ewain? “I have done wrong in the past,” she said.
He pressed his eyes closed and kissed her shoulder. “As have we all, child.”
“My lord druid, when you heal me and I am able to bond again, will you take me for your own bond-mate?” She shivered, feeling exposed to him as he caressed her skin.
He guided her to turn, and she leaned forward and gripped the tall stone monument in front of her. His hand gently parted her legs as he moved close behind her. “Yes,” he said, gripping her hips as he entered her. “I will take you.” Her body responded instantly, pleasure setting her flesh alight.
∞
When Aaron and Sheng returned from Meditar, Joy stood waiting for them alongside Munro. Aaron hadn’t stepped two feet inside the gate before Joy flung herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Silvery tears streamed down from her sightless eyes.
“Whoa,” he said. “It’s okay. I’m here.” He’d sensed her worry while he’d been gone, but the emotional impact had been distant. By then, he’d been on his way back. They had allowed themselves an hour, but their journey stretched closer to two. Both men had been relieved to find the Mistgate still open when they returned to the small ruined house under the sea, although Munro looked none too pleased about the delay in their return.
She put a hand on either side of his face, staring with her spirit vision. “I was so worried,” she said. “If I hadn’t sensed your calm through our bond, we were going to send people to search for you.”
He regretted having upset her. Joy’s confidence had come a long way since she moved to the Druid Hall. He knew her biggest fear was losing him, a thought he both loved and hated. With that in mind, he and Sheng should have hurried Grenna, but once she got talking about artefacts, she hardly wanted the druids to leave. Queens were notoriously difficult to rush. “I’m sorry,” he said to her, then glanced up to Munro to make sure the other druid knew he was included in the apology. “Grenna turned out to be a bit of a chatterbox.”
“You met the queen?” Munro asked, eyes wide with surprise. “That’s good news.”
“Aye,” Aaron said. “They were expecting us.”
“In more ways than one,” Sheng added.
“Did you get the Cup?” Munro asked.
“I’m afraid that’s complicated,” Sheng replied as he unzipped his wetsuit and pulled it back, letting the top hang from his waist.
Aaron took Joy’s hands and unwound her from his neck, kissing her fingers. He sensed she wasn’t ready to let go, and he focused on reassuring her through their bond. “We should call everyone together,” he said to Munro.
“Okay,” the other druid answered. “Lisle’s still in Caledonia, but Douglas and Rory are around somewhere. Why don’t you two go get cleaned up and I’ll find them. We’ll meet in the workshop.”
“Fair enough,” Aaron said. That meant druids only, a subtle cue to leave Joy behind.
Munro went to the gate’s control panel and closed the gate to Meditar. He checked the schedule and opened the gate to the appropriate kingdom. “I’ll be glad when each kingdom has their own gate,” he said. “I’m tired of fiddling with this bloody thing. Will be nice when we can use it just for our own travels.”
Aaron chuckled. “Even if we had twice as many druids, we’d have trouble filling all the queens’ requests for gates and artefacts. Grenna has begun a list already as long as the others combined.”
“I’m looking forward to working on the Meditar projects though,” Sheng said as they walked toward the Hall. “No other kingdom is as reliant on druidic runes. In my opinion, Meditar should take priority. The other queens want runework, but Grenna’s people need our pieces to keep their kingdom intact.”
At the base of the stairs in the main foyer, Munro broke off from the group and went to look for Rory and Douglas while the other three headed upstairs. Joy was mostly silent on the walk, but Aaron could feel her mind turning.
When they arrived at their suite, he peeled off his wetsuit, handing it to their personal attendant, Jalail. “Thanks,” he said to his servant.
“Of course, my lord druid. Do you wish to bathe before you dress?” The subtle wrinkling of his nose told Aaron he should take the hint.
“Aye, probably a good idea.” He glanced over, only to find Joy’s silver eyes turned in his direction, a thoughtful look etched across her crimson features. When Jalail left to see to preparing Aaron’s bath, he apologised again. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”
“I should trust you,” she said with a sigh, approaching him and taking his hand.
“Something else is on your mind. Did anything happen while I was gone?”
She shook her head and bit her dark lower lip. When Jalail came to tell Aaron his bath was ready, Joy said to the servant, “I will tend the druid lord. You may go. It will be dawn soon.”
He looked as though he might argue. Fae attendants did not like leaving their charges to fend for themselves, but Aaron gave the faerie a sharp shake of the head. Jalail bowed. “Yes, Lady Joy. Thank you.”
After he’d gone, Joy went with Aaron into the bathing room. She sat on a low, soft seat across from the tub. Aaron felt a flush of disappointment when he realised she wasn’t actually going to
tend him
as promised. Although they shared a deep sense of intimacy, they hadn’t commenced a sexual relationship. He wanted one with her, very much so, but he didn’t want to push her if she wasn’t ready. She had a lot to recover from and adjust to, so he was waiting for her to make the first move. Although she often hugged and even kissed him, she hadn’t come to his bed.
He lowered himself into the bath and picked up a soft cloth, hoping he could wash the smell of seaweed and salt water off with one go. “What’s on your mind?”
“The crown of Rìoghachd nan Ceòthan,” she said.
The admission surprised Aaron. “Oh? Why is that?”
“Ever since the meeting of the druid council, I’ve been thinking about it.” She gazed at him in a way she often did, one that nearly convinced him she could see through the silver film over her eyes. “The crown should be yours.”
“Mine?” Aaron said. The thought had occurred to him, of course. He figured each of them must’ve considered they could be the one to rule the new druid city. But he had trouble taking the idea seriously.
Joy frowned. “You are the true leader here. It isn’t right that the others assume the crown should go to a female. Lisle is right. If she only has another twenty years to live, it would be folly to put her on the throne. I have not met her daughter. Demi might make a fine queen, but she isn’t here.”
“I thought you were keen on the idea of Maiya taking the throne. If I recall, that was actually your idea.”
“Yes,” she said thoughtfully. “But I’ve reconsidered after seeing Munro’s reaction. His spirit darkened when we talked about it. He has true concerns, things he’s not giving voice to.”
“Can you tell what?”
“No.” She knit her delicate black eyebrows in a frown. “My sight does not interpret meaning so specifically. I see worries, fears, other strong emotions.” She paused. “Sometimes desires.” A tiny smile flitted across her lips and disappeared.
Warmth crept up to Aaron’s scalp as he blushed. He dipped his head under the water and rinsed his hair, even though the bubble had protected it from the sea water.
“But I’ve observed you druids over the past month with the eye of my spirit gifts. Most would do a passable job and possess decent hearts, but you are the one who has sacrificed consistently. You deserve the recognition for all your work.”
“The crown isn’t about recognition or even deserving. It’s about who could do the best job for the people of Rìoghachd nan Ceòthan, for all the Otherworld.”
“That’s my point,” she said emphatically. “Munro has been gone, leaving everyone else to manage the massive amount of work without him. Rory does nothing but obsess about Flùranach, both how much he loves her and how much he hates her. Douglas spends more than half his time with Tràth. I don’t judge him harshly for doing so,” she added quickly. “I would do the same if fate or duty separated us.”
Aaron’s gut twisted at the idea. He didn’t even like to think about living away from Joy.
She went on, “I don’t know Huck, but from what people say, he was a rebellious man. Not the kind who should be given authority, especially when dealing with the queens, who will have certain expectations of diplomacy. Sheng is talented, but I sense in him no desire to lead. He prefers to go off by himself and practice and study. He’s far too introverted to take on the mantle. But you prove yourself every day.”
“You don’t understand about Munro,” Aaron said. “He’s not left us to our own devices out of selfishness. He spends day after day looking for Huck and Demi because he feels responsible.”
“Why would he?” Joy asked. “Could he have prevented it?”
“No, he’s just like that. He’s sort of a big brother to all of us. Has been from the start.”
She nodded slowly, but then tilted her head. “If this is his mission, taking the throne at Ceòthan would only hinder him.” With a pause, she added, “I spoke to him about this while we were waiting for you.”
“You did?” Aaron didn’t know what to think. He didn’t like the idea of Joy campaigning for him to be king. He worried the others would suspect he’d put her up to it. While he considered, he sensed something through their bond. Her words were convincing, but her emotions felt conflicted. “What aren’t you telling me? Why does the idea make you sad?”
She shook her head and didn’t answer, but an emotion surged, one he recognised. She feared if he ascended to the throne, she would lose him. Maybe she thought the duties of a king would eat up all his time. He couldn’t tell exactly, but facing her greatest fear, she still encouraged him. Aaron didn’t know what to say.
“Joy, you don’t have to be afraid.”
“As a king, you would need to take a mate. If I were whole, if I could see, maybe I would be a worthy consort. But Jago says there’s nothing wrong with my eyes. The blindness is permanent. I remember as a child seeing azuri with swirls of silver in their eyes, but nothing as complete as what has happened to mine. I think perhaps my spirit vision so strongly compensated for the loss of my eyes that it is too strong. To regain my physical sight, I would have to lose my magic.” She sighed, a forlorn sound that made Aaron’s heart ache. “You would have to take someone else. Someone powerful. Make a political alliance as Queen Eilidh and Princess Imena did with Munro and Tràth.”
“You’re perfect,” he said, as he had many times before. “If I couldn’t have you as my mate, I wouldn’t take one, king or not. You’re the only one I want.”
She smiled sadly in response but didn’t say anything more. He knew at that moment he didn’t want to be king. Protecting Joy was his only concern. It would be nice to be chosen, but not if doing so meant hurting her. After once last scrub with the cloth, he stood and stepped carefully out of the tub.
Joy rose as well. She touched her air talents and a warm, gentle breeze blew around his body, drying him. In spite of its warmth, goose bumps rose on his skin and he shivered. The wafting air caressed his skin, and his desire surged again. He was relieved she couldn’t see him. “Munro agrees with me,” she said. “He told me you would make an excellent king. He didn’t go so far as to say he would vote for you, but if you talked to him and said you were willing to shoulder the job, I believe he would.”
Aaron was too dumbfounded to speak. If Munro voted for him, the others might follow. But that was the problem, wasn’t it? They’d be doing it because Munro led the way. Joy didn’t understand, perhaps because she hadn’t known Munro before Huck and Demi disappeared. He didn’t want to disappoint her, not with the faith she was showing in him, but he knew now what he wanted, and it wasn’t a crown and a job in politics. “I haven’t given the council vote much thought,” he said.
She nodded. “I understand. I only mentioned it in case Munro brings our conversation up tonight. You aren’t annoyed with me, are you?”
“No,” Aaron said, taking her hand to indicate he was going to his chamber to dress. “Why would you think that?”
She followed him. “Your aura shifted. I sense you are holding something back. I can’t tell what though.”
He blushed again, certain what she was sensing was his frustrated arousal. He’d done his best to not let himself give in to the feelings that were so close to the surface, hoping to disguise them so she didn’t suspect how much he wanted her. The last thing she needed was pressure from him. “It’s nothing,” he said. They’d arrived in his dressing room, and he chose a clean set of clothing to put on. Getting dressed was a relief. Being naked around her made him feel vulnerable, even though faeries didn’t think anything of nudity. He tried his best to act natural around her.
He buttoned his shirt, and she approached, putting her hands on his chest. “It’s not nothing to me,” she said. “I don’t want you to hold back from me. We are bonded. We are meant to share everything.” Curious, considering she kept her own fears secret. Still, she clearly did so out of love.