The Second Life of Magnolia Mae (11 page)

Under the covers, Magnolia tossed and turned. Alistair had heard her call out for his brother and for him. It tore at him that she’d called for Jaceson, perhaps because he had been the one to save her on All Hollow’s Eve. Was she beginning to love him? No, his Daciana would never alter her heart in such a way. But was she his Daciana? She did not remember many things; perhaps she did not recall loving him. Could it be that she didn’t remember the promises made and she was now falling in love with his brother? He was not sure he would ever be able to look at his brother again if she loved him.

The whimpering brought him out of his thoughts. “Bash… stay.” It was so quiet, so pathetic.

It thrilled him to his very core. Quickly, he took up the cup with the now-cooled broth. He slid an arm under her shoulders and lifted her as gently as he could. “Drink, my love.” He held the cup to her lips and tilted it slowly.

Her lips parted, accepting the liquid, allowing him to give her nourishment, to care for her. He set the cup down then laid her back onto the pillows as her eyes fluttered closed again. Her skin still burned with fever, but now he had something he did not have before. Hope. She would not leave him.

He fell asleep in the chair watching her restless fits while she slept, almost as if she was fighting something. His last thought, before sleep claimed him, was that she must be fighting off whatever demons were keeping her in this fever, and she would win. She had to win.

Magnolia’s eyelids felt heavy, and the insides of them felt like sandpaper. Her hand twitched, fingers bending. She could hear whispers around her. Was that her brother? It sounded so much like him she simply had to open her eyes before he left her in the dark again. “Jace, don’t go.” Her voice came out in a hoarse croak. Maybe he’d heard it. A hand slipped into her own — firm, strong and holding on to her. A tear slipped out of her closed eyes and ran down her cheek to her ear.

“We’re here, Daciana.”

A mixture of dread and hope filled her. What was it her brother and Bash had said in the darkness? She could not recall it all now, but she knew that somewhere in the message was the answer she sought.

“Drink something.” A cup was soon held to her lips, and she sucked the liquid greedily into her mouth.

“Thank you.” Just a whisper, but it was all that she could manage at the moment. Something soft and warm brushed up against her arm. Even with her eyes closed and in the haze that her mind still felt, she knew it was Dragoste. He would never leave her. Her fingers found their way into his fur. Slowly she managed to open one eye and then the other. It was dim in the room, and she wondered what time of day it was. There, gazing at her, were golden eyes, the same golden eyes that had watched over her for years. It dawned on her that if she was Daciana, could her brother be Jaceson? As protective as he was, it seemed that he could. But even if he was not, she found comfort in the fact that there were such great similarities between the two men. Weak as she felt, a smile lit her face.

“You’ve been drifting in and out for days. We could only get you broth during that time. You must be hungry. Shall I fetch you something to eat?” His voice was soothing as ever.

Magnolia nodded her head. When he left, she moved slowly out of the bed and to the privy room to tend to her needs. On shaky legs, she made it there and back. Days of being in the same clothes while running a fever and sweating had left her feeling less than fresh. Time was not something she had the luxury of though. Grabbing the bowl with now-cool water and rag, she ducked behind the changing screen with fresh sleeping clothes. She wiped herself down as best as she could then slipped on the thin white gown. The fire called to her, and the seat beside it looked so much more comfortable than the bed that she’d just spent days in. Dragoste curled up by her feet. The flames of the fire danced just for her. Fatigue was settling in quickly, but Magnolia didn’t want to go back to bed. Her back ached from being immobile for far too long.

Her eyes snapped back open when she felt something cover her. It was a soft blanket, and Alistair stood there tucking it about her.

“My brother told me that you were awake.”

His smile dazzled her.

“No need for you to catch a chill and end up right back in that bed.”

“What time is it?”

“It’s late. We’ll let Nonna sleep. She has not been getting much rest while you have been ill, determined to keep the wound clean so it would not fester again. She kept a close watch on you. Finally, Jaceson and I insisted she lie down while we looked after you.”

The door opened and closed off to her side. Jaceson came toward her with a bowl and handed it to her.

She eyed the stew hungrily. Slowly, she lifted the first bite to her mouth, savoring the taste of it. A low growl came from her stomach, begging for the food.

Jaceson pulled a chair up next to them. “Nonna fears that she will lose you like she did your parents.” His voice was quiet and low. “I heard her talking to you. She told you not to go, that it was not yet your time.”

“Was I that sick? Did you think I would die?” She glanced from one brother to the other. “Maybe someone should at least tell her that I am awake then. So she can rest better.” In the short while that she had been here, she had grown to love Nonna. The old woman was lively and loving, the grandmother that she’d never had.

Jaceson nodded in agreement then left the room, and she turned again to her stew. He was back before she was even finished eating. “Is she alright?”

“She was very relieved and wanted to come, but I told her you wished for her to get some sleep.” When she set the bowl aside, she convinced the guys to tell her stories of their youth. Not wanting to go back to bed, she did her best to keep her eyes open while she listened to them talk of their childhood. Hearing them talk about how they would play morra on days when they were stuck inside or even to decide who had to do some foolish stunt first reminded her of how she and her brother would play it to decide who had to do the chores at night. She longed for nights like that again, to hear him holler
“M&M!”
one more time. Her heart felt like it was breaking as she thought of him.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

R
ECOVERY WAS SLOW BUT
interesting. The days were filled with Alistair and Jaceson telling her more tales of their childhood, Nonna describing Daciana’s childhood to her in hopes that she would remember, and Railynn talking to her about boys. She was growing fond of Railynn. She’d never had a girlfriend with whom she could discuss these things. Back when she was Magnolia, she had been an outcast. It seemed to her, from what she could gather, that Daciana had been respected but not befriended. This young girl who had come with Alistair to help her people get settled was becoming someone she could talk to.

“He is the greatest hunter I have ever seen,” the young girl gushed while brushing out Magnolia’s hair. They were sitting on the window seat in the late afternoon. The men were outside doing last minute winter preparations. Railynn glanced out the window and down to Jaceson and then back up to Magnolia.

“You seem taken with him.” A soft smile crossed her lips. She could see why this young girl talked as often as she could of Jaceson. He was tall and lean with muscles that could hold a girl close to protect her. His golden brown eyes were like honey and when he smiled, he brightened the room. He was strong, loyal, and passionate. He had rescued her. Jaceson reminded her so very much of the brother that she had lost. When Magnolia looked at him, her heart ached, but a hint of something in his manners toward her helped ease that longing.

“When I was a child, he saved my life.” Railynn’s voice grew soft, and she set down the brush.

Magnolia turned to look at her newfound friend. There was a sadness in her eyes. With a soft smile, she encouraged her to continue on with the story, waiting to be told.

“My family was poor. We did not have much. But the one thing we always had was each other. My father was a skilled bowyer, and Jaceson was his most loyal customer. I believe it was he who kept food on our table, sending people to my father. Early one morning, five years ago, our little house caught fire. Everyone was asleep, and Jaceson had been returning from a hunting trip. When he saw the flames he did not hesitate but ran in, searching for us. He pulled me out first. Shortly after, the house collapsed, trapping my family inside.” Tears glistened in her hazel eyes. “He took me with him to the castle and sought out treatment for me. When I was well enough to be of use, he found me a job in the castle as a lady’s maid.”

Magnolia longed to pull Railynn into her arms, to offer her comfort. Instead she placed a hand over on her shoulder and gave a light squeeze. “I can see why you talk of him as you do.”

“Now, turn your head so I can finish your hair.”

Magnolia did as she was instructed. She allowed Railynn to put in a braid that made her hair appear to cascade down like a waterfall.

“It does not matter what I think. He will someday find a true lady to be with him. I see the way he looks at you. If it were not for his brother, I think he would have already asked for your hand.”

This news shocked Magnolia. She couldn’t think of Jaceson that way, and she didn’t believe that he thought of her in such a manner either. “He’s like my brother, nothing more.” She disappeared behind the dressing screen and reemerged wearing a deep blue gown that fit her slender figure like a glove. A simple golden braided cord was around her waist for ornament. “How do I look?” Magnolia was excited. This would be her first night eating in the dining hall since she’d arrived at the castle nearly a month before.

“Like a princess.” Railynn giggled.

The girls talked of the winter to come, how they longed to see what the palace would look like with snow all around. The closer they got to the dining hall the more the mouthwatering aromas surrounded them, causing a growl to emit from Magnolia’s stomach in expectation.

The hall was filled with people who apparently had come to celebrate their princess’s health. When she walked into the room, she felt overwhelmed with the amount of people there. She didn’t recognize these people but knew that she should. Nonna was at her side shortly after she entered the large room. They walked together to the table at the head of the room. Sitting down, she looked around her to see that everyone she’d met from the village and those she had yet to meet were there. These were her people now. Children ran and laughed as they came in, excited to be inside the castle. Alistair and Jaceson joined her and Nonna at the table. Large tray after large tray was brought out to fill the tables. Plates never seemed to empty, and cups appeared to magically refill. It did not take long before she realized that those serving had yet to dine.

“Sit and eat.” Magnolia stood and reached for an older woman. She was beautiful with brown hair that was just turning grey at the temples.

“No, my princess. I cannot.”

“Why? Is this how things were before we had a land of our own?”

“No, Princess Daciana.”

“Is there a reason to change who we are? Sit, eat, and rest. All of you.” She raised her voice to be heard over the chatter.

A hush fell over the room, Alistair’s men looking at her with interest, the people of Avengar nodding as if in agreement.

With her head held high, she spoke steady with a kindness that came from her heart. “Much has changed recently. We have a new home. A home that we do not have to leave, a place that is ours. Avengar can finally rest from its wandering and rebuild. Now that we have such a grand place to call home, yes, we do need people to do jobs that were not needed before, especially when we have such guests as Prince Alistair and Jaceson. However, that does not mean that those who do such jobs are not welcome to sit and eat with us, that you are not welcome to enjoy festivities with everyone. You may do work that may cause the rest of the world to see you as nothing but a servant. Not here. Here you are family, friends, and neighbors. We want to enjoy your company, to celebrate with you. Once the food is set out, then sit and enjoy what you worked so hard to prepare. We are thankful for your labor. If it were left to me, we would all be eating burnt bread this night.” She smiled at the faces staring at her.