Magical Lover (20 page)

When Keara woke, she blinked against the brightness of the room. Light streamed from a window, splashing across Aryana as she slept in a chair next to where Keara lay. Shame to wake her, but Keara really needed to find the relief room. She threw the covers off and tried to roll out of the bed. Next thing she knew Aryana stood in front of her, impeding her progress.

“Not so fast, Keara. You shouldn’t be up and around.”

“I need the relief room.”

“Oh. In that case, it’s right in here.” Aryana opened a door, then returned to the bed and helped Keara stand.

Good thing too, as her knees wobbled enough for her to collapse against the High Priestess. Holding on to the doorjamb, Keara waved at Aryana.

“I can get it from here.” She slipped into the relief room and shut the door.

Aryana stood by the door when Keara opened it and wrapped an arm around her waist, helping her to the bed. How long had she been lying there to have problems walking?

“Three days.”

“Three days? Truthfully?” Keara sunk into the mattress, leaning back against the headboard.

Ari sat next to her. “Yes. Three days before you woke and then Annaliese spelled you into rest yesterday evening. We’ve taken turns watching you.”

“And Thoren?” Keara’s voice hitched.

“He has been around, checking on you. He’s out right now, but I will let him come to see you if you’d like.”

“I’d like.”

“Remember what I told you yesterday?”

Did she ever. Thoren wasn’t her husband. Thoren had to find his own mate. Thoren neglected to tell her a good many things. Very well. If he didn’t want her for a wife, then she would stay at the Temple.

Annaliese told her she could learn the Draconi way of healing and that sounded like a good start. Already these people liked her better than the folks had in her hometown and if she remained on the Temple grounds then she wouldn’t have to deal with anyone who might find her offensive.

But she really wanted Thoren by her side.

If wishes were gold, she’d be rich.

“I remember. I would like to take Annaliese up on her offer, if that does not offend?”

“Why would it offend?”

As if she was going to offer the why. If the priestesses weren’t offended by her, then she was not going to give them ample fodder. They actually seemed to want her and wasn’t that a complete change? She could get used to people smiling at her instead of warding off evil behind her back.

Keara shrugged. “Just checking.”

“It would be fine for you to work with Annaliese.”

What a change.

She could barely believe her luck. People liked her. People who were like her, who didn’t mind smoking ears and energy bursts strong enough to topple trees.

Uh-oh. Just thinking of the magic Thoren unlocked caused her limbs to shake and not in a good way. With an ear-piercing boom, the nightstand exploded, raining wooden splinters over the room. Keara clutched her head and ducked.

Well, they had liked her and wanted her to stay. After the exploding nightstand, she doubted they were still of that mindset.

Keara peeked out from under her arms. Dust motes streamed through the air, catching on the sunlight. She coughed.

“My, that was a good one. Most don’t manage to blow up a nightstand. I’m impressed.” Aryana waved her hand and wood particles throughout the room coalesced into a nightstand. Keara’s hand slapped over her mouth, her eyes darted from the reassembled nightstand to Aryana.

“How?”

“A Draconi can reassemble objects that have already been built. A craftsman designed the nightstand. You and a hundred others can blow it to smithereens and I can still reform it. But Draconi cannot create things from nothing. Our magic is limited in that regard.”

“Can you show me how to do that?”

“Of course. It will be part of your training. You have much to learn. We usually rescue Halflings at an earlier age, which exposes them to magic sooner. But your powers are strong, so I’m sure you’ll do fine.”

Great. She went from cursed in her hometown to deficient here. Which was worse?

At least here, they didn’t mind a deficiency.

“Now, what we really wanted to know was how you managed to absorb Thoren’s energy without dying. We have vessels specially created to channel the energy from a male’s Change into the ground where it disperses harmlessly. How did you do the same?”

“I’m not sure. I was surrounded by a red fog and I found that if I swallowed it, it disappeared. Then there were these lights and I blew one up and as soon as it shattered, a voice told me to go into the light. So I did and there you two were.”

“Interesting. We set the lights up and hoped you’d find them to leave the darkness. But we didn’t think you’d live. We could only hope and pray you’d heal.”

Keara felt like she’d fallen and landed flat on her back. She’d almost died.

Maybe her grandmother was right, maybe magic was evil.

Or maybe magic was like certain herbs, too much could kill, just enough could heal.

“I’m glad I’m here.”

“So am I, Keara, so am I. Now, I have some duties to attend to, so I’m going to leave you in your room. If you feel like it, we can teach you things later today or tomorrow.”

“I’d like that, thank you.”

Ari patted Keara’s hand and stood. “I’ll be back soon.”

The door clicked behind her, leaving Keara alone with her thoughts.

Chapter 13

Thoren sat by the reflection pool behind the Temple, staring into the shallow waters and wishing Keara would wake. He’d heard no word of how she fared. As of last evening she was still in a coma.

So here he sat—waiting.

It would be more productive to go see his mother and assure her he lived. Alleviating her worry was normally his top priority. But she came as a double package deal and seeing his father right now was not on his agenda. Listening to how Thoren needed to find a mate, how he needed to get busy searching while Keara lay in a coma would just upset him. Thoren loved his father, but having to hear the older male pester him about finding a mate was enough to make a dragon breathe fire.

He’d contact his mother once Enar arrived and they made their report to the Council. As far as he knew, the Council didn’t realize he’d returned.

Birds chirped in the tree branches, calling happily to each other as he watched their reflections in the pool. Ari needed to let him see Keara instead of keeping him away from her. He was done with this sitting around waiting business.

Once on his feet he turned, running into Ari.

Too much thinking made him deaf. “How is she?”

“She woke last night—”

“You didn’t call me?”

One fine eyebrow shot upward. “She became...distressed. She’s awake now. You may see her. How did you become her husband? You failed to mention that.”

Thoren set off at a brisk pace toward the Temple, Aryana matching his strides. “I showed you. Simon wanted to make her his so I rescued her.”

“I thought she said you married her.”

“That was the custom. Take the woman to the square and pronounce her yours. Take her home. There you go.” He yanked open the door to the Temple and walked into the stone structure.

“How barbaric!”

“Uh-huh. You should’ve seen the place. Is she still in the same room?”

“Yes. And Thoren, she is going to stay with us and learn healing from Annaliese.”

Thoren stopped so fast he almost fell. “What?”

“What did you expect her to do? She has no mate. We don’t know who her family is, although if he is inclined, Alviss can discover it. But she needs something to do until then and she has powerful magic. Why shouldn’t she serve us here?”

Because she’s my mate and she belongs with me!

But if she didn’t want him, then he couldn’t have her. At least not now. He needed to persuade her that she belonged to him, that she was his.

And then he needed to find something else to do besides his job, his life.

Maybe Keara staying at the Temple would work out for the best. He could work until he grew tired of it and she would be protected. An ache pounded in his chest.

Ari stared at him like she was waiting on his response. Had she asked a question? She had. He really needed to stop all this thinking as it made him deaf and absentminded.

“Thoren, are you all right?” Her green stare pierced him, seeing through to his soul.

He ran a hand through his hair. “Yes, sorry. Have something on my mind. Are you going in with me or will you leave us alone?”

Aryana’s head tilted, eyes narrowing. After several seconds, she motioned to the door. “I’ll be back later.”

Taking a deep breath, Thoren pushed open the door to Keara’s room. Empty. She wasn’t in the bed. His heart thudded to a stop and then quick-timed it. Where was she?

“Hello?” Her voice shouldn’t sound that weak.

Thoren shoved the door wide open and turned to Keara’s voice. She stood by the window, pale and fragile, her white robe clinging to curves begging for his touch. If she hadn’t been in a coma the last three days, he’d back her against the wall...

“Thoren?”

“Hey. How’re you feeling? Ari said you woke.”

“Yes, I did. I got tired of lying around in bed so I thought I’d take a tour of the room.”

Her legs wobbled. Two strides and he wrapped an arm around her waist. “Why don’t I help you back to the bed?”

“Thanks.”

She sagged against him, obviously relying on his strength to walk her five steps to the bed. He wished the distance was greater so he could feel her curves against him for longer. Wished she relied on him for more than just help to the bed.

He was a lovesick fool.

She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and Thoren tucked them under the covers. Was that a chill that shook her limbs? He pulled the sheet to her waist. Maybe he should try to put it around her shoulders.

“I’m fine, Thoren.” She pushed the sheet down to her waist.

“All right.” If she insisted, but he’d feel better with her covered and warm.

Keara scooted her legs over and gestured for him to sit. He sat.

“Thank you for bringing me to Draconia.”

Leaving you in Cautasia was not an option.
“You needed the priestesses. I’m glad you’re better.”

She smiled and took his hand. Amazing how such a small touch affected the beat of his heart. Such delicate fingers graced his own. Delicate fingers whose touch burned lines of pleasure wherever they stroked. He remembered their feel on his skin.