Soul Magic (17 page)

Feeling his eyes still on her, Alanna lifted her head.  Their gazes locked.  A spark of magic still lingered between them.  Undeniable.  Hot.  Compelling.

She gasped.  Her lips parted. 

He focused on her mouth.  So warm, so inviting.  He wanted to—

Magic
.

Alive
. 

With a groan, he gave into the longing and bent his head.  Capturing her mouth with his, he kissed her.

Her lips were soft – impossibly so.  A man could drown in the feel of them. 

So sweet…. He realized that, while she stiffened, she didn’t pull away.

Then her mouth moved beneath his.  Shocked, and more aroused than he would have believed possible, he stood stock-still while she kissed him back.

Ah, another kind of flame blazed between them.

Alanna.  Darrick
.  It seemed the air whispered their names.

His body still hummed from the magical force.  His pulse pounded from Alanna’s touch and his breath came hard and fast.  As they kissed, Alanna sighed with pleasure, and Darrick wrapped his arms around her.  He pulled her closer, so that the entire length of their bodies touched. 

At this, she gasped and jerked herself away.

Eyes wide, she breathed as though she’d been running. 

“I--”

Someone made a sound and Darrick grew conscious of the others.  Geoffrey appeared stunned, Sarina contemplative.  The rest of his men seemed more concerned with their own survival than worrying about who their lord kissed.

Finally, he let himself look once more at Alanna.  Hand to her mouth, she’d backed away as though he’d forced himself on her. 

“Alanna, no.”  He would not let her turn something so beautiful into a thing of base ugliness.  “You felt it too.”  He willed himself to calm.  “I know you sensed what coursed between us.  It heated your blood, the same way it heated mine.”

She didn’t deny it – she couldn’t.  Still, she watched him like a cornered doe, which frustrated and infuriated him. 

At first he nearly turned away, not wanting her to see his agitation.  Then, realizing she
needed
to see how she affected him, he forced himself to hold still.

Slowly, the color returned to her pale face.

“Bravo!”  Sarina clapped, her wide grin not entirely hiding her concern.  “Nice to know you two still get along so well.”

Not everyone shared her sentiment.  Geoffrey looked as though he’d swallowed a live rat, whole. 

Suddenly, Darrick was utterly, totally tired of the entire mess. 

“Let’s get out of here.”  He didn’t look at Alanna – or anyone - as he spoke.  “We must find your son and I want to collect my mother and go home.”  He wanted to deal with Morfran as well, though he would take each task one at a time.

The horses were miraculously still tied where they’d been left.  In silence the shaken group mounted and, with Darrick in the front and Geoffrey bringing up the rear, they rode forth from the broken church into the still pitch black night. 

Again they traveled until their horses were lathered and their sides ached.  They rode until the rising sun chased off the moon.  Blessedly, in the mad dash west they encountered no one.

By the time they pitched camp, they were all exhausted. Conversation was limited as they rubbed down their horses and made ready to rest.

Though Darrick knew Geoffrey wanted to speak with him, he did his best to avoid the man.  Geoffrey however, was doggedly persistent.  He tailed Darrick until he finally had no choice but to stop and give acknowledgement.

“May I speak with you?”

“A few hours sleep would do wonders for my disposition,” Darrick warned.

“This won’t take long.” 

“It better not.”

Grimacing, Geoffrey nodded.  Darrick saw that he clutched something in his hand. 

“Is that a rosary?”  Darrick studied the smooth beads in disbelief.  He ran a hand through his hair, wishing just once Geoffrey would open his mind to other possibilities.

“Yes.”  Geoffrey tugged at his ears.  “Since it seems the entire foundation of the world is shifting under my feet, I find comfort in the steadfastness of prayer.”

Darrick nodded.

“We need to find an abbey,” Geoffrey blurted, rubbing the rosary beads between his fingers.

“An abbey?”

“Yes.”  Swallowing, Geoffrey bowed his head for a moment as though uttering a quick prayer.

Of all the things Darrick might have expected him to say, it hadn’t been this. 

“Why an abbey?”

“If we leave the women there, we might still be able to salvage our souls.”

Ah, the temptation thing again. 

“I do not think Alanna and Sarina would go willingly to an abbey.”

“I have thought of this.  If we could convince them that by doing such a thing, they might help us--”

“No.”  Darrick pulled off his tunic, not bothering to hide his yawn.  “`Twould never work.”

“You don’t want it to work.”

“Mayhap not.”  With a shrug, Darrick indicated his blankets.  “Right now I need to rest.  You’d best find your own tent and do the same.”

When the tone of command was in his lord’s voice, Geoffrey knew better than to argue.  Mumbling under his breath, he took his rosary beads and left.

Darrick hardly noticed him go.  Exhaustion turned his bones to water.  Hopefully he could claim a few hours of uninterrupted sleep before some other crisis disturbed him.

Closing his eyes he tried to clear his mind and drift off to sleep.

             
While he lay motionless the tent flap opened, letting in a flash of sunlight.  She came to him, moving quietly, but not silent enough for a man with warrior’s instincts.  Darrick sat up, his heart pounding.  He peered at the silhouette standing in the tent flap, blinking against the sudden brightness as she dropped the flap closed and advanced on him.

             
“Alanna?”

             
“No.”  Her throaty laugh sounded nervous.  “`Tis Sarina.  I wish to speak with you.”

             
Disappointment flooded him.  Concealing this, he groaned.  “First Geoffrey, now you.”

             
“Geoffrey came to talk to you?”

             
With a gruff nod he patted the blanket beside him.  “Aye.  Sit.”

             
“Thank you.”  As she dropped to the ground beside him, he saw her face looked puffy, as though she’d been crying.

He thought of Geoffrey, and the man’s almost palpable nervousness.  Now Sarina. 

              “Has something happened between you and Geoffrey?”

             
She gave a tense laugh.  “No.  Despite my every effort, your man wants nothing to do with me.  But Geoffrey is not the reason I have come to see you.”

             
Lifting a brow, he suppressed a yawn and waited. 

             
“`Tis Alanna.”  The words burst from her in a rush.  She looked away and he saw to his disbelief she was blushing.  “I… I observed the way you kissed her.”

             
“So did everyone.  I made no attempt to hide.  What of it?”

             
Chewing her bottom lip, she looked down. She twisted her hands, which she clasped in her lap.  “I would give much to have Geoffrey kiss me like that.”

             
“Like what?”  Impatient now, Darrick looked longingly at his blanket. 

             
“As though she was your entire world.”

             
“So?”

             
“I don’t want to see her hurt.”

             
Without dismay he studied her.  “Sarina, if you believe nothing else of me, know this - I would never hurt Alanna.”

             
“I think you mean what you say.”

             
“Of course I do.”  Now he let his impatience show.  “Is there anything else?”

             
“I’m not finished.”  With careful dignity she lifted her chin.  “I know you wouldn’t ever intentionally hurt her.  But there is the boy to consider.”

             
“You mean Caradoc?” 

             
“Yes.  Alanna loves her son.”

             
Dragging his hand across his mouth, he shook his head.  “So?”

             
“Caring for her as you do, would you be able to love her son?  Knowing how he was conceived?  Aware that he is heir of your sworn enemy, Morfran?”

             
“What of it? I will love her, and that is all that matters.”  He lay back on the blankets, closed his eyes and hoped she would take the hint.

             
“That’s
not
all that matters, Lord Tadhg.  If you cannot bring yourself to care for her son as if he were your own, then you and Alanna have no future.”

             
“You are wrong.” This time he didn’t bother to pretend alertness.  Keeping his eyes closed, he yawned.  “I think you’d better worry about your own difficulties, Sarina.  Mine and Alanna’s are none of your concern.”

             
“But--”

             
“Go.”

             
She made a sound of frustration and, when he didn’t open his eyes, made her way out of the tent.

             
After Sarina left, Darrick tried to relax, but sleep would not come to him.  He kept seeing the softness of Alanna’s smile as she played with Ellette, the tender love in her face when she spoke of her child.

             
A child that should never have been born.

             
He couldn’t help but feel this way.

             
Yet, despite his protests and refusal to listen, he knew Sarina was right.

             
Alanna’s child was as much a part of her as her heart and soul.  If he could not bring himself to love her son, he might as well learn to live alone

             
                                          *    *    *    *

             
Geoffrey saw Sarina storm out of Darrick’s tent and froze, his gut clenching.  Surely she hadn’t— He shook his head, wondering at the strength of his fury.  He shouldn’t be surprised; after all, she’d tried to seduce him, and Darrick was much more a man of the world than he. 

             
When she noticed Geoffrey standing near his tent, she waved.  He managed a nod and a cold half-smile.  Undeterred, she marched over, grabbed his arm, and attempted to drag him inside.

             
About to tell her he wasn’t interested in taking Darrick’s leavings, he yanked back his arm. 

             
“We need to talk.”  She accompanied her announcement with a wave of her hand towards Darrick’s tent.  “I tried to talk to your fearless leader.  He won’t listen to me.  Maybe you will.”  Pushing away the tent flap, she disappeared inside.

             
Intrigued despite himself, Geoffrey followed her. 

             
Though he stayed near the exit, in the close confines of his tent, her presence overpowered.  He couldn’t get far enough away from her.  Her scent struck him first, her musky, earthy fragrance sending a jolt to his groin.  Her lush figure and smooth skin presented a stronger temptation each time she came close to him.  Crossing his arms to keep himself from touching her, he frowned.

             
“Well?” 

             
She licked her lips like a hungry kitten, sending another bolt of heat his way.  “I want to talk to you about Alanna and Darrick.”

             
“What?”  He’d been so sure her need to talk had been yet another ruse in her quest to seduce him.  Off-balance, he grew so flustered he uncrossed his arms to tug at his ear.

             
Her smile blossomed into a grin.  “You thought--”

             
“No I didn’t.”

             
She made a clucking sound, indicating she didn’t believe him.  “You know, any other time I’d take you up on that.  Believe me.”

             
His ears burned.

             
“But this is more important,” she continued.  “Your Darrick seems determined to go after Alanna.”

             
“I know.” Grimly he thought of the way Darrick had kissed his former betrothed.  “I saw the kiss.”

             
“Searing, wasn’t it?”  Sarina watched him closely. 

             
Disconcerted, he swallowed.  “Er, yes.  It was.”

             
She moved closer.  “Hot.”  Her voice dropped to a whisper.  “So hot it made you want to--”