Echoes of Magic (5 page)

“
Words cannot describe how
grateful I am for everything you’ve given me.” She took his face
between her hands and leaned up to place her lips on his
forehead.

When she pulled back, his dark eyes
twinkled. “Want to test what a real kiss from me will do to
you?”

She laughed. How she would miss the easy
warmth of the gypsies, of the laughter and the songs and the
life.

“
Will you return to us?” he
asked.

She glanced at him to find his smile gone,
replaced with a small frown and worry lines around his eyes. “No
one knows what the future holds,” she lied.

He nodded in response. “I
wish you’d reconsider. I could give you a good life.”

“
You most certainly would.
Any woman would be proud to be your wife. I’m sorry I’m not going
to be that woman.”

And she was truly sorry. Milosh was a good,
honest man. He deserved someone who wasn’t cursed, someone who
could return his love.

He said no more as he rose and walked away.
Adrianna stared into the shadows where he had disappeared and
wondered if the gypsy leader would ever forgive her.

She glanced at her cart. It was time for her
magic.

Adrianna didn’t want to draw attention to
herself, so she walked, when she wanted to run, to her wagon. It
was as if she could feel the men who attacked Grayson riding down
upon them. How much time they had before they arrived, she didn’t
know.

She glanced at Grayson to find him sleeping
peacefully, one arm thrown over his eyes. For a moment, she simply
watched him, wondering what it was about him that made her want to
risk her life. She had lied to Milosh.

Though she wanted to leave before the men
arrived, there was much more in her need to leave. Aye, Grayson
offered adventure, but it was an adventure that would lead to her
death. She couldn’t explain how she knew it was vital that Grayson
stay alive, only that she did.

Yet, she wanted to know
why. And only looking into the future would give her want she
needed. She closed off her cart to prevent anyone from seeing in
and arranged herself on the floor. It had been nearly a year since
she looked into the future, but she had no doubt her gift was still
with her.

With the sounds of gypsy life outside her
cart and the soft breathing of Grayson, Adrianna closed her eyes
and focused all her attention on Grayson and his future. She jerked
when almost instantly an imagine of him covered in dirt, sweat and
blood, a vicious battle yell roaring from him as he charged a group
of men.

Since she had never been to Hawksbridge, she
couldn’t know for certain if the battle were there or somewhere
more distant in the future. By the way Grayson battled, he was
positive of the outcome falling in his direction.

As curious as she was to see Grayson win,
there was something more important that she searched for. Just as
she was about to give up, she caught a glimpse of it. It took a
tremendous amount of her magic to drudge up the glimpse she had
seen.

Grayson stood facing the sea, the wind
sweeping his long black hair away from his face. He didn’t have on
armor, but he wore chainmail over his tunic with a sword and shield
in hand. No helm covered his face and, in his silver depths, she
saw a burning hatred that made her wince.

A moment later someone bellowed Grayson’s
name, and he turned to face the evil Drogan had eluded. The man
stood in full armor, sword drawn and ready. In an instant, Adrianna
knew what Grayson was about to battle wasn’t a man, but the shell
of a man with evil as his soul.

It frightened her so badly she lost her
concentration and broke her link to the future.

For several heartbeats she sat on the floor
trying to even out her breathing. Even now fear pooled in her belly
and iced her blood. What Grayson was to face was the purest kind of
evil, the kind that nothing could withstand.

Chapter Six

Grayson watched Adrianna silently through
slit eyes. He didn’t need to ask to know she had looked into
someone’s future. Was it his? By the fine sheen of sweat on her
forehead and the way her hands shook, whatever she had seen had
frightened her terribly.

He had almost risen and gone to her when
he’d seen the color drain from her face. As he watched, she lifted
a shaky hand and smoothed her golden locks from her face.

She rose to her feet and began gathering
bits of herbs from the ceiling of the cart. Her back was to him, so
he couldn’t see what she was doing with the herbs, but by her
hurried, frantic actions it must be important.

Sleep pulled at Grayson. He hated being this
weak, hated being confined to a bed without his sword near him.
Always his sword had been by his side. He even slept with the
weapon on the floor by his bed. Not to have it now when he needed
it most annoyed him.

He let his eyes drift shut,
unable to fight the pull of the healing sleep any longer. Before he
drifted off, he smelled a musky, exotic scent fill the air. Though
he longed to stay awake to see what she was about, he wasn’t strong
enough to fight the sleep. Just as he gave in, he heard her whisper
his name.

Hours later Grayson opened his eyes and
looked around the small cart, but Adrianna was nowhere to be found.
He had slept deeply, more deeply than he had in ages. And that
bothered him greatly.

He sat up expecting the
usual pain and weakness to plague him. To his surprise, there was
only a slight pull from his wound.

“
Oh, good. You’re awake,”
Adrianna said as she entered the cart. “Let me check your
bandage.”

Grayson scratched his jaw and felt the
growth of his whiskers. He needed a shave, and he needed a bath.
His stomach rumbled, reminding him he was still hungry. And just
the sweet, clean smell of Adrianna sent his balls to
tightening.

“
Give me a moment then you
can get some food.”

“
You’ll let me leave the
cart?”

“
If you’re
able.”

He wasn’t fooled for a
moment. Somehow she’d used her magic to speed his healing, not that
he wanted to complain, but he wished she would’ve told him. His
eyes closed as he bit back a moan when her soft, warm hands touched
his back. Her fingers slowly moved away the bandage and gently
touched the skin around the wound.

“
Does it still pain
you?”

Not as much as my cock
apparently.
“A little, though I’m guessing
after your magic it’ll be better on the morrow.”

“
How...how did you know?”
she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

He shifted to look at her.
“With the severity of the wound and how close I came to dying, I
shouldn’t feel this good two days after you found me. You should’ve
told me.”

“
I should have. I
apologize. Are you angry?”

He wanted to wipe away the frown that
puckered her forehead, to pull her into his arms so he could kiss
the soft skin of her neck. “Nay. I just ask that you inform me next
time.”

Her lips lifted in a grin. “Agreed.”

Grayson tried to ignore how close she was to
him, how the soft fragrance of her skin made him yearn to reach out
and touch her or how the desire in her pale blue eyes made his
balls tighten.

“
Have you made a decision
on whether I can accompany you?” she asked as she went back to
examining his wound.

Grayson swallowed heavily and closed his
eyes as he fought the need for her welling inside of him. When he
could speak, he said, “Tell me why you want to come.”

“
You’re healing well,” she
said and finished putting on a fresh bandage. “As to why I want to
go, because you will need me. I’ve already told you
that.”

“
Aye, but how will I need
you.”

She smoothed her hands down her dark skirts
and moved to face him. “I’m not sure yet.”

“
You’ll have a better
chance of living if you stay with the gypsies.”

“
I will admit, I’ve been
happy here, but I’m meant to go with you. If you don’t take me with
you, I’ll only follow.”

Grayson swore. She would be safer with him
than without until he reached Hawksbridge, and he hated to admit
she might prove helpful. But how was he going to handle having her
around each day and unable to touch her?

“
I’m going to regret this,
but all right. You may come.”

She smiled, her eyes
sparkling. “I think you’ll find you’ll be thanking me
soon.”

He rather hoped so, though he would never
tell her that. Mercifully, she walked from the cart leaving him
with a need that grew with such ferocity each time she was near
that it frightened him.

There was no way he was going to trek about
the countryside with a raging cockstand without first finding a
willing woman to ease his lust. And as soon as he was able, he was
going to do just that.

He drew in a shaky breath and flexed his
shoulder. He grimaced when the muscle pulled viciously, but Grayson
continued to work it to loosen the shoulder until he was satisfied
with the progress.

Adrianna’s magic was strong to have healed
him so overnight. He couldn’t wait to see how he felt the next day.
If he continued to progress, he would be able to lift a sword very
soon, maybe even tomorrow. If he had a sword.

He tugged on the tunic left on the bed for
him. Surprisingly, it fit well. He pulled on his boots and walked
from the cart to find his morning meal. The people around the large
fire gave him curious glances, and some even offered a smile.

After he filled his plate with food, he
turned and found Adrianna sitting beneath a large oak talking to
Milosh. Grayson clenched his jaw at the way the gypsy leader looked
at Adrianna, as if Milosh wanted to devour her.

“
She’s a very beautiful
woman.”

Grayson turned to find a man who greatly
resembled Milosh. “She is. I would like to thank you for your
hospitality.”

The man motioned for
Grayson to follow him and led him to a fallen log. Grayson sat
beside him and began to eat.

After he’d taken several bites, the man
said, “I am Yoska. Milosh is my brother, and he has always desired
Adrianna as his own.”

The bread was halfway to Grayson’s mouth
when he paused. “Why are you telling me this?”

“
Because it will be up to
you soon to keep her safe. Adrianna is strong willed. When she
feels she is needed, she’ll do what she must to see that she has
done her duty.”

“
I’d prefer her to
stay.”

Yoska’s mouth flattened into a thin line.
“That she cannot do. The men that hunt you will return, will they
not?”

“
Aye, they
will.”

“
And Adrianna knows your
secrets.”

Grayson sighed. “She knows enough that the
men would take her. As I said, you should have left me to die in
those woods.”

“
It isn’t her way,” Yoska
simply said.

“
Nay, it isn’t,” he agreed.
“Will you be able to avoid the men?”

Yoska shrugged. “We know nothing. They will
realize that soon enough, I believe. Then they will be after you
once again.”

Grayson looked into the Romanian’s dark
gaze. “I would never willingly put innocents in harm’s way.”

“
I believe you. How is your
wound?”

“
Much better. I would be
able able to protect her and the rest of you if I still had my
sword.”

Yoska shrugged and rose.
“You’ll come across another soon I’m sure.”

Grayson watched the big man walk away before
he glanced at Adrianna and Milosh. Milosh’s gaze was on Adrianna,
but Adrianna looked at Grayson. He gave her a small nod and went
back to his meal.

Yoska’s words reverberated in his head. He
didn’t like knowing those men would find the gypsies, but the less
the gypsies knew, the better off they would be.

Despite Yoska’s words that Adrianna was
strong willed, Grayson wondered if Milosh would let her go that
easily. It was clear the leader wanted Adrianna and, if Grayson
were in his shoes, there would be nothing that stood between him
and the woman he claimed as his own.

At one time he had briefly thought to take a
wife, but that notion soon left him. Too many secrets, too many
unanswered questions filled his past for him to have any kind of
future, much less one with a family.

Nay, Grayson was destined for only one
thing, and that was to find out what happened to his mother. It
might be the last thing he ever heard, but it would be enough.

His mother’s frightened gaze, her scream as
she stretched her arm to him as the men dragged her away had
haunted him since that fateful day. He didn’t know if she were
alive or dead. He had no idea who the men were or why they wanted
her, but God help anyone if they harmed a hair on her head.

They took for granted the boy who
disappeared into the throng of people would forget and leave well
enough alone. But they were wrong. Vengeance could drive a man to
do things previously impossible, and that’s exactly what Grayson
would do.

Not even Drogan knew his secrets. It had
been imperative that Grayson remain hidden until the time he could
seek out his answers. It was times like these he wished he had a
sibling or father to turn to, but he had no one. It had been only
he and his mother, of that he knew for sure. Everything else was a
blur in his memories.

“
If I could look into your
past, I would,” Adrianna said as she sat beside him.