By Vengeance Guided (The Lost Shrines Book 1) (9 page)

It surrounded him and he moved closer until he stood behind Lia. Caerwyn's hands automatically dropped to her hips, holding her close, burying his nose in her hair and inhaling the scent of violets that followed her wherever she went.

The feminine pulse of energy wrapped them with warmth, welcoming, soothing, loving.

Lia turned in his arms, her hands reached to pull him closer. Her lips sought his, hot and open and ready for him. He felt himself sink into her. Let himself go.

*****

Lia knew she should think. Should listen to reason and logic.

But his mouth was hard and sweet, gentle and demanding and all she wanted was to move closer. To fuse her body against his and twist her way into his soul. The taste of him was intoxicating. The feel of him, his hands cradling and curving and holding tight, was grounding and inflaming all at once.

There was no logic in the mist of moonlight. No reason in the blessing of the Goddess surrounding them.

It had been two generations since a man had crossed into the Circle. Since the Goddess had unbarred the way.

No consort. No lover. No husband. For decades, the Circle had remained resolute and impenetrable to all but the Hand of the Goddess and her acolytes.

The moon power she'd called sizzled between them. It settled around them, thick and hazy. It buzzed between them until it was hard to tell where the energy ended and their skin began.

Lia knew what was happening. Knew there would be consequences. And she didn't care. She couldn't stop it. Wouldn't stop it. Didn't even want to try.

She could feel him. More than just his body pressed against hers. More than his mouth fused to her lips, his tongue thick and teasing gliding into her. She felt his essence, his heart, and his soul, sliding through her. Golden and warm to her soft silver. It felt right. Welcoming and tender as her own essence slid into his.

Except…

A shadow. Cool and dark and aloof hovering at his center. Not evil. Not angry and violent. Just a hard dot of blackness among the glowing gold that was Wyn…

His hand slid from her waist to the small of her back. Five spears of heat spread out, warming her skin through the thin cloth and tugging her closer. Licking flames spiraled out from his touch, coiling deep and taking her breath with a soft gasp.

Her hands tangled in his hair, pulling until she could press up and fuse their mouths in a possessive battle of lips and teeth and tongue.

The last chains of control tore free and Lia sank into the twisting need and vibrating sweetness clamoring to claim her. The moon blessing filled every breath, sweeping away everything but touch, taste, feel.

Everything but Wyn.

-5-

Lia snuggled into the firm body behind her. She loved how all that warm strength curled gently around her, cradling her between strong arms and solid chest.

If she only had a soft mattress under her, rather than pebbled ground, it would be a perfect morning.

She exhaled a long sigh of contentment that cut off mid-breath.

Her eyes popped open, scenes of the night before flashing through her mind.

They'd made love. In the Circle.

The Circle had allowed him to pass its boundaries.

"Oh, no."

She barely breathed the words, terrified of making any sound to disturb Wyn. She didn't want to deal with it now. Didn't want to think about what it meant.

Didn't have time to.

A glance at the rapidly rising sun reminded her that the valley waited for her to return. Waited for her to share any blessings or visions received the night before. Waiting for her to fulfill her responsibilities to her people.

"Oh, no," she repeated, definitely not intending to share this.

The pillow under head turned out to be her wadded up dress. With slow, careful movements, Lia stood up and shook out the fabric, trying to make as little noise as possible. Her nose scrunched at the fabric’s wrinkled condition.

It was clean still, at least.

As quietly as she could, Lia donned her dress then collected her shoes, basket, and cloak. Around her, the Circle still held a faint glow from the ritual the night before. Her own skin still carried an echo of its light, and would for hours, but she had never seen it hang in the air like this.

She didn't have time, though, to wonder why. Tried not to think it might have had something to do with her and Wyn's joining. Despite her best effort, thoughts of the man had her casting a wary glance at the still sleeping Wyn. He sprawled out, naked, on the symbol-covered blanket. She pulled her lip between her teeth but decided she'd have to come back for the quilt later.

No way was she touching him now. She still remembered the electric feel of skin on skin. The heat and the press and the need flaring hot between them.

They had connected, burning and bright, both in body and soul. Yet, there was that dark spot when she had touched him. It may not be evil, but it was something she didn't understand. No matter how much she wanted to repeat the pleasure of the night before, the stakes were too high for her to gamble on it.

If it had been just her own life, Lia might not worry about it. Might listen to that something deep inside telling her he was worth the risk. Asleep, the handsome face smoothed out and relaxed, making him look almost boyish. In a mouth-watering, want to crawl back on the blanket and do it all again kind of way.

There was a multitude of reasons why that was a bad idea though. She needed to get out of there before she gave in or he woke. Before she proved Gui right and selfishly chose her own needs over the valley.

The walk back passed too quickly. Her pulse continued to hammer out of control and Lia was no closer to sorting out her head or her heart. She had to face her people though. Every single one of them. She couldn't let any of her confusion show.

Lia paused at the edge of the trees to wrap her cloak more tightly about her dress. She finger-combed her hair to get the worst of the leaves out before tying it back with a ribbon.

She still looked disheveled, but it wasn't the first night she'd spent in the forest. Hopefully, no one would notice anything odd. No one would notice the way her life had changed in the blink of an eye.

Raised chin and straightened shoulders gave her the illusion of confidence and she strode purposefully toward the front lawn where the valley waited for her.

The familiar tingle welcomed her when she stepped over the invisible boundary Nel and the others had cast the night before. With a few whispered words she added her own essence to the protective magic.

"Li'!"

Tanis followed up the shout by wiggling out of Nel's hold and running full tilt for her aunt. Lia crouched down, scooping up the child, holding her close.

This. This was the reminder she needed. This was why she couldn't let anyone know what had happened with Wyn in the Circle. Why she especially couldn't allow him to find out what it meant. What it could mean.

"Li'. Glow."

Lia smiled when Tanis stroked her tiny hand an inch away from her aunt's skin. The glow Marta and their mother had always carried after a night in the Circle had fascinated Lia all her life. She wasn't surprised Tanis reacted the same way.

Nel, who had followed the little girl through the crowd of people, smiled brightly. "She's right. I haven't seen a glow that bright in a long time. We could even see the light of your Circle through the trees. The blessing must have been particularly potent."

Lia's cheeks boiled with embarrassed heat and she dropped her chin, hiding behind her niece's curls to conceal the worst of her blush.

"Um, well, we should get on with sharing the blessing."

Passing Tanis to Nel, she walked to the front of the crowd, where the temporary altar sat by the eastern bonfire.

The murmurs and chatter that had filled the Circle quieted and all eyes focused on her. Centering herself, Lia whispered the words she'd known by heart since was nine years old.

The blessings she received the night before seeped out of her, filling the air, whispering throughout the Circle. It didn't glow the way it had in the confined, smaller Circle, but the air shimmered and energy swirled from person to person.

For the first time since opening her eyes that morning, Lia let herself relax.

*****

The morning chill slowly crept into Caerwyn's awareness. Beneath him, the blanket had begun absorbing the wetness from the damp ground, leeching the warmth from his body. The spots where the sun stroked his skin, though, were still warm and languid.

He stretched, easing the tight muscles, turning on his side to reach for the soft curves and welcome heat of Lia. But the blanket next to him was cold and empty.

He sat up, blinking away the deep sleep still clinging to him.

"Lia?"

Only chirping birds and chattering squirrels answered his call.

"Damn it. Lia!" He shouted this time, knowing it was futile. She was gone.

How the hell had she left without waking him up? His sleep was uneasy at the best of times and not even one of the Hounds could sneak up on him.

The truth, though, was they had connected last night. While his brain might continue to be wary, his body trusted her. Which was ridiculous. He had no reason to trust her now more than he had yesterday.

Yet he wanted to. He wanted to go to her. To calm whatever fears had sent her scurrying away with the dawn.

He hadn't let anyone close to him since his parents died. Why now? Why her, when everything he'd learned had only made him doubt her?

Had she bewitched him?

He remembered Daen ranting about uncharacteristic obsession. Caer found himself skirting the edge of that now.

While he scoured the ruins for his clothes, he tried to put the disparate pieces of the night together.

Why had she come here instead of joining the rest the valley at the manor? Some kind of magic happened in the Circle. Caer had felt the welcoming sting of it as soon as he stepped within the boundary of the ruins. Other than the pale glow burning away with the rising sun, though, there were no answers in the forest. He'd have to return to the manor if he hoped to find the truth.

Folding the blanket over his arm, Caer headed back up the trail. A faint tingle of energy continued to crackle along his skin even after passing the ring of oak trees, different from anything he'd ever experienced before.

Except on the Isle of the Goddess.

Then, though, it had taken a full contingent of druids to call down Her spirit on the Solstice. There was no way Lia, young and delicate and alone, could have called Her presence.

Humans couldn't invoke Her presence, no matter how many congregated.

Caer couldn't completely dismiss what he felt though. Or the things he'd seen, heard and conjectured. Then it all started to come together in an entirely different picture. One with many pieces still missing. One impossible to make sense of.

Caer was no longer sure, though, that the secrets of the valley, the unusual position Lia held or the inexplicable magic he'd experienced meant she practiced sorcery. What it did mean, however, he couldn't begin to fathom, yet.

The entire valley was still congregated on the lawn when he trudged his way back through the trees. All focused on Lia, leading them in a chant nearly identical to her solo one the night before. The silver light from the Circle still skimmed around Lia. It did not fill this Circle but, instead, shimmered in a faint haze surrounding the congregation, outlining an otherwise invisible boundary circumference.

Even without that hint, however, Caer would have been able to tell where the Circle began because of the increasing intensity of the buzzing along his nerves.

He waited until the last of the chanting died away before crossing the boundary. Hopefully, it marked the end of whatever ritual was taking place and he'd be able to get Lia alone soon.

She owed him answers. Not the least of which was why she abandoned him to wake up alone after the best sex he'd ever had.

As soon as both feet stepped within the boundary, however, one of the group of farmers nearest him gasped. Before he knew it, people were shouting and pointing and demanding.

Keneally hushed them all with an impatient wave of his arm, stumping toward him with grim determination.

*****

The energy of the Circle shifted abruptly and the currents of it changed before she heard the shouts. She looked up in time to see the crowd parting for Keneally and falling silent in his wake.