Defending Destiny (The Warrior Chronicles) (34 page)

His hands moved to her head, holding her there a moment, then trying to gently lift her away. She could feel him start to pulse and knew he was close. She released him, blowing softly on his skin before returning to his length. He tried again to pull her up. She sucked harder. Finally his fingers settled in her hair and he held her tight as she found the rhythm he needed.

When he started to lose his seed he pulled away, but she held him by his buttocks and took everything he had to give. She hadn’t done that before, but that night she wanted to. As soon as he stopped he pulled her up and into his arms.

He carried her to the sleeping blanket and lay down with her. He’d gotten pillows from the house and the quilt from his bed. He pulled it on top of them. Daisy climbed on top of him. She pushed up so she was straddling him. She wanted to see his face.

“That was wonderful. Thank you,” she said, meaning it. She was truly grateful.

Magnus pulled her down for a kiss. “I’m the one who should be thank’n you, lass. You are a woman true to her word.”

She could hear the smile in his voice, but she couldn’t see it since he pulled her beside him and buried her head on his shoulder. Since that was exactly where she wanted to be, she stayed there. “I love you, Gus.”

He kissed the top of her head. “I love you, too, lassie. With my whole heart and soul.”

Daisy closed her eyes, secure in the moonlight, Magnus’ steady heartbeat and his warmth surrounding her. After they slept, they made love twice more before falling asleep again amid the sculptures. Neither of them realized that the sculptures marked the four directions and the four Celtic fire festivals.

They’d made love and fallen asleep inside a stone circle after all.

The ritual was complete.

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

Daisy awoke before Magnus, who, she’d learned, snored after sex. He fell into an almost coma-like existence while he held her, and that was when the snores started. She was so energized after that it took a long time, or at least it seemed to, for her to drift off.

He wasn’t snoring any longer, but he was difficult to wake. She had to shake him. “Gus, come on. Wake up. Gus.” She shook him again. “Magnus Shamrock Alexander, if you don’t wake up I’m going to get cold water from the fountain and douse you with it.”

He was on top of her in a second. “Is that so? I don’t need a cold shower.” He dipped down to bite her earlobe. “Not after last night.” Then he began to tickle her. “Threaten me, will you? We’ll see who ends up in the fountain.”

Daisy squirmed, but he was relentless. “Stop, Gus.”

He didn’t stop.

“Gussie, please. I give up. Uncle, already.”

Magnus stopped immediately. “You haven’t called me that since our first night together,” he said. There was a strange look in his sterling-colored eyes as he held her. It was one she hadn’t seen before, not even in their quietest moments together.

“You don’t like it?”

He ignored that. “Why did you say it now?”

Since it seemed so important to him, Daisy tried to answer as honestly as she could. “I don’t know. I guess it just sort of slipped out. Lately it’s been feeling like it used to between us.” She paused. That wasn’t quite right. “Comfortable, like it used to be, only better.”

She looked into his eyes as she cupped the sides of his face. “Does that make sense? I won’t use it again, if you don’t like it.”

“It makes perfect sense to me, lass,” Magnus said. Then he smiled a sweet, sensual smile. “Feel free to call me Gussie anytime you’re naked.”

…

Magnus pulled Daisy to her feet, shooed her upstairs and cleaned last evening’s bliss up as best as he could. He couldn’t do anything about the trampled outline of grass from their sleeping bag, or the remains of double cream that the morning dew hadn’t totally washed away, but he did what he could to make their excursion less obvious. Maybe no one would go into the garden that morning. Although why he should care, he couldn’t fathom. It wasn’t like they offended the neighbors. The neighbors were all Campbells anyway, and for a member of Clan Donald, that just meant mooning the sods was good form.

Daisy’s sister, Taryn, had been adopted by a Campbell, but Magnus tried not to hold that against her. She was a good sort, and by all accounts her adoptive parents were too. Taryn’s Aunt Olive was another kind of Campbell altogether. That perfidious bitch killed her own brother and tried to do the same to Taryn and Magnus’ future brother-in-law, Jesse. Olive, as it turned out, had also been the Arm-Righ’s mistress, and James Duncan looked for someone in the Bennett family to punish for her death.

Daisy was the easiest target. Or so the King thought. There was going to be nothing easy about hurting Daisy. Magnus would see to that.

Thoughts of the King soured Magnus’ mood, so he pushed them away. There would be time enough to deal with James Duncan. The man didn’t deserve the same head time that Daisy’s unintended revelation deserved. Not even close.

Daisy called him Gussie. Without thought, and without pretense. It just slipped out.

Why? Because she felt
comfortable
with him.

He’d done a lot over the past weeks to ensure her safety. He’d hounded her. He’d spied on her while demanding her trust and her love. Hell, he even came close to cleaving her in two with his sword. What he hadn’t done was anything to intentionally make her feel remotely comfortable.

Daisy had no idea what hearing her call him her childhood name for him meant to him. He was beginning to believe she’d come to love him as much as he loved her. Now he knew she already did. Now she not only accepted him, but she’d share her life with him, fully.

Comfortable might not make most men want to howl at the moon. But for Magnus, after all they’d put each other through and what was still coming, he couldn’t think of anything that could possibly make him more thankful. He turned in the statuary circle and gave thanks to the four directions, to earth and sky, fire and well, three times, because sometimes once wasn’t enough.

…

As the first rays of sun hit the backyard statuary garden, an owl flew from its perch in the surrounding trees, and transformed into an old man
who grew younger with every step until his long white hair turned flame red and his bent form turned into additional inches. Merlin emerged from the trees and went inside for breakfast.

Changing form always made him hungry, and he didn’t want to perform a wedding ceremony on an empty stomach.

Daisy was dressed in the same sports tank top she wore when he took the Ulfberht from her by the water. His gift to her that day was still safely zipped into her pocket. Magnus looked pleased and worried as he ate half a dozen eggs, potatoes, and salmon. Lauren had long since left to set the pieces in motion and to confront the Arm-Righ, a man that Merlin always detested, but then everyone had a role to play in determining whether Daisy would embrace her destiny. Merry delivered fresh bread and some of the flourless chocolate cake that Magnus loved, smothered in double cream. Every time he added more cream, Daisy flushed a hot shade of crimson. Merlin wondered why the current generation of Americans was so embarrassed by their sexuality. Their parents’ generation hadn’t been. Merlin’s gaze shifted to Gerry. The man’s face held a type of yearning every time he shot glances at Daisy and Magnus. It was almost as if he didn’t believe he’d ever share that kind of relationship.

Gerry needed Merlin’s help, perhaps more than any one else there, including Daisy. Would the man live up to the potential Merlin saw in him? That was one problem with the uninitiated—no one, not even Merlin, knew what any
of them would do. Merlin worked in probabilities and potential outcomes. It was always up to the individual to rise to the occasion. He hoped Gerry chose to rise. If he did, there would be great things in store for him.

Merlin set down his fork. He was finished eating and had destinies to push along. With one quick flick of his wrist, the box that held both of the wedding rings Magnus crafted fell out of Magnus’ pocket. With another quick motion, the box landed on the floor next to Merry, where she sat sipping her tea. Merry picked it up, just as Merlin knew she would. His apprentice didn’t know who he was in
this form, but she began to suspect. That was the way it should be. When she knew for sure, he’d stop appearing to her. Then Merry would only hear him in her head, and only in times of great need. If she was wise enough to see him for who he was, then she was wise enough to muddle through on her own.

“Oh, Magnus, these are beautiful,” Merry said, not taking her eyes from the bands. “So intricate and so detailed.”

Daisy looked at Merry and said, “He won’t let me wear mine until we’ve given our vows.”

Merlin stood. “Well then, shall I say the words so the lovely lady no longer has to be parted from her jewelry?”

Magnus’ gaze shot to him. “What? Now?”

Merlin smiled. Men always seemed to want something until it was offered. For the life of him, which in mortal terms might as well be endless, Merlin would never understand that kind of reluctance after such a long and hard-won fight. He wanted to smack the back of Magnus’ head. He smiled instead. “Why not now? I’m here. I’m licensed. You’ve got witnesses and you can do it all over again when you return to Potters Woods.” Merlin paused and narrowed his eyes. “Why not now, Magnus Alexander? Second thoughts?”

Magnus flew out of his seat, pulled Daisy out of hers, and scowled at him. “Of course not.”

Merlin smiled. It was so easy to nudge someone onto a path they truly wanted to take. “Well then, all you have to do is state your intent to spend the rest of your lives together as husband and wife, and if the spirits are willing, as parents.”

“That’s it?” Daisy asked.

Merlin nodded. “That and sign this form. Then your witnesses will sign.” Merlin produced a certificate of marriage, which he moved across the kitchen table for Merry and then Gerry to sign as witnesses.

“Seems anti-climactic,” Magnus said, sounding a tad surly until Daisy took his arm.

“Sounds just about perfect to me,” she said, smiling up at him.

Merlin said a few words. Magnus and Daisy exchanged rings and made their vows to love forever. The paper was signed at the breakfast table, and with a kiss they were well and truly married by mortal law. In reality, their marriage was sealed last night when they came together under the moon. But the laws of men required paper. Now they had it. Tea stains and all.

Merlin finished his tea, gave Daisy a quick kiss, and said, “I’ll see you in a day or two. I have to run an errand for Taryn in Edinburgh.” A lie, but when he couldn’t speak the truth, Merlin had no compunction about saying what was necessary. He lifted the certificate of marriage and put it in his pocket. “I’ll scan this and email it to the clerk of courts so it can be filed, but you’re legal now. I’ll leave it to you if you want anyone else to know.”

Daisy kissed his cheek. “Thanks, Merlin.”

Don’t thank me yet, child. That was the easy part. That was always part of your destiny. The rest of it is up to you.

Merlin turned to go. Gerry followed him, but Merlin stopped him before he could make it to the stairs leading to the gravel driveway. Gerry looked at Merlin’s hand on his arm as any man would look at another, younger, seemingly weaker man restraining him; without patience and with an air of “let me go before I lose my non-existent sense of humor.”

Merlin held fast. “No matter what you know, it’s what you do that matters.”

Gerry looked into Merlin’s eyes warily, then seemed to shake off the feeling.

“You’re a secretary, right?” Gerry said.

“Among other things.”

“Then what is it exactly that you think I’m going to do?”

Merlin let him go. “The right thing. Eventually.” Merlin left Gerry standing at the top of the stairs, staring at him, as Merlin grabbed his bag from under the table in the foyer and went out the door.

…

Gerry didn’t know how long he stood there, staring at the open front door after Merlin left, but he did know one thing for certain. He was going to do the right thing. The right thing for him. The right thing for his adopted daughter, Bella. He took the stairs two at a time, retrieved the shotgun Kolin Damnet gave him and returned to the kitchen.

As he crossed the threshold, he chambered a round. The unmistakable sound echoed off the hard kitchen surfaces ominously.

“What are you doing, Butler?” Magnus said. His jaw popped. His hands fisted at his sides.

“The right thing.” Gerry motioned with the barrel for them to leave the kitchen. “The Arm-Righ requests the honor of your presence at Court.” He looked at Merry. “You too, Mrs. MacBain, although you’ll be taking your own car. I don’t think I need to remind you to behave. The King is not in a testing kind of mood as of late.”

Merry said nothing.

Magnus wasn’t so circumspect. “I’ll kill you for this, Butler.”

Gerry laughed, but the sound was bitter. “Give it your best shot, Alexander. I wouldn’t expect any less from you. But even you can’t kill a dead man.”