“I love you,” he whispered. He took me in his
arms and kissed me with such tenderness and commitment that I
thought I would surely drown in it.
The courtyard roared as thousands of voices
rose in cheers. I brought my hands to his face and wiped his tears
with my thumbs, now having to concentrate more than ever on the
blue. At this moment, I was sure that I could bring this whole
crowd to their knees with the purity of the love I felt.
“I believe you could, my Light…. I believe
you could.” His voice choked, as he held me once more.
Pachelbel’s canon led the wedding party out
into the courtyard, and the masses once again knelt as the night
joined with the day.
We walked through the foyer and Gavin took me
in his arms, kissing me with a passion of things to come. The pit
of my stomach warmed as his hands rested on the lowest part of my
dress. His touch was no longer controlled, but timidly shook with
the knowledge that I had his amulet and now I was his. Elias
cleared his throat; his emotions became extremely uncomfortable. I
laughed, giving Gavin a quick hug.
We made our way to a set of suites located
halfway down the first hallway. The crown jewels were swept away by
two guards, and I dressed in travel clothes made of emerald
green.
“Just a little longer, love. You won’t have
to see that blue for a while.” Gavin said as he met me outside the
door. He had no idea how wonderful that sounded.
We wound our way through the long corridors,
and my legs strained under the effort. As soon as that thought
registered, I found myself in his arms.
“Put me down,” I squeaked.
“I’ll not have my princess exhausted,” his
low voice commanded through the empty hall.
“What will everyone think?” I whispered.
“That I’ve finally run out of self control,”
he said, laughing.
We entered the foyer to a throng of people
waiting. I started to squirm, but Gavin kissed my forehead, and
tightened his grip. A ripple of chuckles and snickers flowed
throughout, sending me into a fit of blushes. A deep purple
carriage awaited us at the gate with two large white horses in the
front; one turned and whinnied at Gavin, sending his laughter
echoing through the trees.
Elias, ever by Gavin’s side, now stood in
front of me. His silver uniform deepened the sapphire of his eyes.
He searched my face, the intensity of his emotions made me squirm.
Scholar and warrior mixed, making his face chiseled, but his
expression remained warm.
“This will be the first time in Prince
Gavin’s life that he has gone outside these gates without me, young
Nora of Frey. Guard him well.” As he spoke, the people in the
courtyard became silent; their emotions grew in discomfort.
“I vow to you that no harm will come to him.”
I reassured him, wrapping my arms around his waist. Everyone around
us gasped. The royals never spoke to the guard.
Elaine came next and whispered in my ear. Her
cryptic emotions were so intense my shield automatically flew
up.
“Everything you need has already been stored
for you in your place of strengthening. Look to the top drawer of
the tallest dresser.”
Tark followed in line and chuckled, said
nothing, and recklessly hugged me close. The crowd looked on, their
faces incredulous.
Rena was the last of our family to come and
say goodbye. Her tears streamed; her heart full of joy.
“I will miss you,” she whispered.
“I’ll be back, Reen.” I laughed.
“I’m not sure … once Gavin gets you to
himself, he may just keep you there.” My blush hit my hairline, and
her bell tone peal rang to the trees. The kinsmen around us hushed
with the power of her laughter.
“I’m glad I’m not the only one that can do
that.” I murmured. She seemed perplexed, and she hugged Gavin and
then me once more.
Malachi was next in line. He seemed very
tired from our day, and I grew concerned.
“I’ll see you in a while, and then I have
much to learn.” I whispered, as his frail arms enfolded me.
“Concentrate on your source, Light. We will
focus on your education after you have been joined ... it should be
interesting to see how you have grown.”
“What on earth does that mean?”
Malachi chuckled; his eyes were alight with
mischief.
“You will see, young Light of Asteria, you
will see.” His ancient body shuffled to Gavin.
“Take care of our Nora, sire.” The silence
stretched for a minute or two, and Gavin’s emotions strengthened.
The Ancient One chuckled and shook Gavin’s hand with both of his.
“She is the greatest treasure of this land,” Malachi said softly,
and then went back to the castle without a glance at anyone
else.
“What did he say to you?”
“Here comes Mother,” he evaded. I stared at
him, but he purposefully kept his gaze on the castle’s entrance. I
would take a page from Edna, and wait and ask again when he was
distracted.
“Nora …” he laughed.
The queen walked gracefully down the steps.
The crowd, already on their knees, bowed. Gavin’s eyes never left
his mother. She hugged him and then turned to me.
“Take care, my daughter. Concentrate on your
mate and strengthen. You will be missed.” Her voice was soft and
sincere.
“Thank you my queen, for your leadership,
your kindness, and your son … although, not in that order.” Rena,
whose head was bowed, suddenly giggled.
“You are truly the most unique creature I
have ever known, Nora,” said the queen, hugging me again.
Gavin startled me by picking me up and
placing me in the back of the carriage. He joined me, and the
horses cantered off to thousands of cheers. The sky was
magnificent; the moon pulled blues out of everything, making the
colors shine in the limited light.
Gavin’s arm came around me. He reached behind
the seat and pulled out Edna’s quilt, covering our legs.
“That was absolutely perfect,” I said,
nestling in his arms.
He brought my left wrist to his lips, kissing
the soft flesh below his amulet. Desire warmed the pit of my
stomach.
“I love the look of my stone around your
wrist. I’ve longed to see it since the day I ran into you so long
ago in the Appalachia.”
“How far is this place?” I asked, trying to
keep my anticipation under control.
“It will take a while to get there, love. You
rest,” he murmured. The horses’ gentle cadence trotted at a steady
pace. Gavin’s emotions quelled as his patience and self-control
reigned. Despite my efforts, the toll of the day finally caught up
with me, and my lids grew heavy.
“I love you,” he whispered as I stifled a
yawn. I reached up and kissed his jaw, my nose finding its favorite
spot at the base of his neck.
Ditto.
He chuckled; the carriage made its way
through the ancient woodlands as dreams took over once more.
Far beyond the mountain’s realm in the land
of the centaurs’ grave, a black silhouette streaked through the
forest and into the amethyst night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Acknowledgments
This book would not be possible without these
five individuals.
Corina Vaccarello
—my
content editor and the inspiration for Rena. Thank you for your
endless friendship and creativity. The first words would have never
made it to the page without your ability to dream.
Edna Bivins
—the original
Edna. Thank you for teaching through example. To this day, you
continue to shape my life with dignity and grace.
Becky Edgar
—for constantly
reminding me that a truly great story does not move too suddenly or
too slowly.
Carol Conway
—for sharing
your vast knowledge of syntax. Your positive attitude never
wavered, even through the dark stages of editing.
Pam Sims
—the greatest
librarian in the world, whose affirmation nudged me over the edge
into the abyss of the publishing world.
My heartfelt appreciation goes out to you for
your support, encouragement, and advice.
Coming soon:
Book II
The Secret of the Keepers
Kailmeyra’s Strength
For more
information,
please visit
http://www.elizabethisaacs.com
Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/kailmeyra
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Elizabeth-Isaacs-author/107839445917029
Personal blog:
Http://www.thelightofasteria.blogspot.com
Author’s blog
http://www.elizabethisaacs.com/blog
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