The Sword and the Sylph (Elemental Series) (5 page)

“Who are you
, knight?” she spat, scrutinizing him with her glare and looking down her nose. “And what brings you to Castle Calila?”

“I’ll tell you who he is and what he’s doing here,” announced Portia. “He is Sir Braden,
and he is naught more than a . . .”

Braden never gave her a chance to finish. In order to shut her up and keep his secret, not to mention save him from being executed by what she was about to say, he pulled her quickly into his arms and covered her mouth with his own.

Portia-Maer felt the soft lips of Sir Braden’s mouth upon hers and all thoughts of turning him over to her evil stepmother left her brain.
She’d only been kissed once or twice by bold men from the castle throughout the years who’d tried to woo her, but never succeeded. But she had never experienced a kiss like this.

His lips melded with hers and she felt
an odd warmth down to her inner core. He tasted like a rich, full-bodied wine, and excitingly like the male essence of a brave warrior. His scent of pine and leather drifted to her on the breeze, and she breathed it in deeply as he slowly pulled his lips away from hers, gently breaking the kiss. She opened her mouth to speak, and once again found it covered by his own. This time, since her mouth was open, he thought to enter her with his tongue. This bold action excited her and she put her hands on his shoulders and pulled him closer as she returned his gesture with one of the same.

“Stop!” cried the cou
ntess, causing Portia to remember that her stepmother was standing there witnessing their intimate moment. Embarrassed, she pulled away, straightening her hair and looking to the ground.

“I am Sir Braden of Manterra,” he spoke up, talking directly to the countess. “I am pleased to make your acquaintance, my lady.” He took the countess’s hand in his and gently placed a kiss atop it
as he bowed with a reverent act of respect.

“You certainly like to kiss, don’t you?” The countess pulled her hand away, and Portia could not tell if the woman was pleased or insulted
by his action.

“I only kiss my dear, beloved Portia, because she has j
ust agreed to marry me,” said Sir Braden to her surprise.

“What?” Portia’s
head popped up and she looked to him in shock. He smiled devilishly and turned his head slightly so the countess could not see him wink his eye at her. Who did this man think he was to be telling such a lie to the countess? And did he really think he was going to get away with it?

“Is this true?” asked the countess. “Portia, you didn’t tell me you were involved with a knight.”

“I’m not!”

“She is shy, my lady, and a modest little sylph as well.”

“I am not modest, nor am I little,” she retorted. “And stop calling me a sylph.”

“But that is what you told me you were, is it not
, my dear?” He looked at her with raised brows, waiting for her answer.

“Portia, did you find the information I requested of you
or not?” The countess never was a patient woman, but Portia did not like the fact she decided to ask her this question right in front of Sir Braden. Nor did she like that her stepmother did not care one way or another if a strange man was accosting her in broad daylight in the middle of the courtyard. ’Twas highly inappropriate. For all she knew, he could be the enemy. As a matter of fact, he was. But after witnessing that kiss, she supposed the thought had never entered Lady Odillia’s mind.

“I did . . . not,” she answered, seeing the pleading
look in Sir Braden’s eyes. She sighed deeply knowing if she relayed her information as well as the fact Sir Braden was there at the enemy’s request, ’twould be the end of the man. She really didn’t want that to happen. Now that he’d kissed her, she had a newfound interest in him, so she decided to stay quiet instead.

“Then prepare to go back again on the morrow,” said the woman. “I want you to return there every day until you can give me the answers I need.” She turned and walked awa
y, followed by her guard. Portia waited until she was out of earshot, then turned to Sir Braden, and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Don’t think that one simple kiss is going to ke
ep me from divulging my information.”

“I didn’t t
hink that kiss was simple, by any means, my lady.” He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. “But I would not mind trying it again, and this time I promise ’twill be to your liking.”

“Nay!” She pushed his hand from her shoulder and stormed away. She didn’t want to be tempted to kiss him again. And why would he even think the kiss was not to her liking?
The man must be more of a fool than she’d thought.

Her entire body tingled and she felt weak in the knees. She had to get away from him before she did something stupid. So she decided to try to go visit her father.
For even the confinement of his underground chamber could not drain her of her essence and make her feel any weaker than Sir Braden’s kiss had just done.

Chapter 5

Braden followed Portia across the courtyard and to a small stone enclosure at the back of the castle with a door attached to it.

“Portia-Maer
, please, can we speak about what just happened?” he asked, following close at her heels.

“You kissed me,” she said,
turning and stopping in her tracks so quickly that Braden knocked into her. He put out his arms to steady her, liking the way she was pushed up against his chest. “And then you lied and said we were betrothed,” she finished.

“I had to do something to keep you from spilling my secret.”

She stepped away from him and shook her head in disbelief. “You are betrothed to someone else, Sir Braden, or have you already forgotten?”

“I have not,” he answered
. “But the betrothal is not secured until I complete Lord Solomon’s task.”

“Well, you are half-way there, as you are already inside the courtyard. So what are you waiting for? Finish your task and be on your way.”
She dismissed him with a wave of her hand. Then she turned and approached the door, which was being guarded by a soldier on each side.

“I am sorry, Lady Portia, but the countess h
as instructed that we allow no one to enter.” The guard relayed the information in a stern voice.

“I need to se
e my father, now step aside at once.” She reached out for the door and the guards moved forward to block her.

“The countess has instructed us not to let you enter.”

“Nonsense. Now move aside before I lose my patience.”

“She said you
would only upset the earl and that he is not to be bothered as he is ailing.” The guard did not budge. “So nay, we cannot let you pass.”

Sir Braden was about to step forward and help, but stopped when he saw Portia close her eyes and slowly bring her hands together, lifting them up to the center of her chest. Then he heard her mumble a
few words softly which he could not decipher. Her arms lifted over her head next, and before he knew it, the wind picked up, gusting in a circle right around them.

The birds stopped singing and all he could hear was the strong gale of wind
in his ears. He glanced over his shoulder and noticed the sun shining and the occupants in the courtyard going about their business. No breeze stirred anywhere except for where they were now standing.

“Portia-Maer, please stop!” cried one of the guards, his cloak whipping out furiously behind him. Braden’s long hair broke free from the tie that held it, and he was momentarily blinded as it blew in front of his face. When he’d managed to pull it back, he realized both the guards were missing and Portia had pulled open the wooden door and was
quickly heading done a set of steep stairs.

He looked around cautiously
, seeing that no one had even noticed what just happened. The wind subsided and once again the birds began to sing. Hand on the hilt of his sword, he quickly followed the fae girl into the darkness.

Portia hurried down the stairs into the underground chamber, already feeling the pull of energy from her body. She shouldn’t have exerted herself in blowing away the guards at the door, but she needed to get inside quickly. But every time she used her powers, she was depleted and needed to recharge by climbing atop the highest peak of the mountain and breathing in the clean, fresh air.

She hurried down into the cellar room, realizing Sir Braden had followed h
er inside. Damn, she didn’t want him down here right now. Her knees were still weak from his kiss, and she needed to save every bit of her strength if she planned on staying at her father’s side for any length of time.

“Father?” she called, her voice echoing off the
stone walls of the chamber. She hated this place that was naught more than a dungeon. Matter of fact, it had been used to isolate prisoners away from the rest at one time, before the countess turned it into her father’s bedchamber. “Father, I am here,” she said, walking toward the lone candle flickering in the darkness, seeing the man lying atop a bed tucked into the corner of the small room.

“Portia? Daughter.”

She stopped in her tracks when she saw him, more gaunt and thinner than the last time she’d paid him a visit.

“What has she done to you?” Portia ran to her father and threw herself into his arms.

Braden stopped when he saw the sickly man lying atop the small bed. Portia had called him father. Could this really be the lord of the castle? And if so, why was he down here instead of in the royal chamber inside the castle itself?

“Portia?” he asked, stepping forward slowly. “Is this your father?”

She looked up to him with tears in her eyes. He
r face seemed ashen, and she no longer held the vibrant life force he’d seen earlier.

“
Aye. This is my father, Lord Magnus,” she told him. “He is very ill, and dying.”

“Well I can see why, l
ocked away in this god forbidden place. Tell me, why is he even down here?”

“He is down here because this is where
the countess has decided to keep him.”

“God’s eyes, don’t tell me that is true?”

“’Tis true,” relayed the man slowly. “And I am too weak to fight her. I am dying and she has taken command of the castle already though I have not yet been laid in the ground.”

“Well, by all practical means,
my lord,” said Braden looking around the earthen room, “I think the countess has already managed to do that.”

“Father, I cannot stay,” said Porti
a. “I am already being drained quickly just from being down here this short time.”

“Are you saying being underground drains you of your powers?” asked Braden.

“I get my power from the air,” she said softly. “There is little air down here, and every time I come to see him I risk my life to do it.”

“Then heal him with your kiss already, and let’s all get
the hell out of here.” Braden knew the power of her kiss, as he’d felt it himself and experienced its magick first hand.

“
My kiss?” she asked, staring at him quizzically. “How do you know about that?”

“Your kiss,” he repeated
, anxiously. “You used your healing kiss on my shoulder and healed my wound in the stone circle.” He patted his shoulder to prove his point. “See? ’Tis as if I’d never been pierced by the arrow at all.”

“I did no such thing,” she said. “Nor have I had the power to heal with a kiss since the day I lost my mother.”

“That’s not true,” he told her. “You do, have the power, I swear. You just must not remember.”

“Aye, daughter,” said her father. “Your mother had the power of the healing kiss, as well as you. You may have lost the ability at the time of her death, but perhaps this man is right. Mayhap it has returned. Who are you, anyway?” he asked, surveying Braden.

“I am Sir Braden of Manterra,” he replied, bowing slightly. “At your service, my lord.”

Portia looked at him with a scowl on her face as if she were disgusted by the lie he’d just told
as to where he’d come from, as well as pretending to serve her father. He thought for a minute she was going to tell the earl just whom he was, and he would have no qualms about kissing her again in order to keep her quiet. He blew her a kiss from his hand to remind her, only seeming to anger her more.

“Father, I feel my body draining quickly of energy. Even if I do still have the power of the healing kiss, I could not use it under the earth. I need to get you out in the open air in order for it to work.”

“Nay, child, do not drain yourself. I am near death, now leave me be and go out into the air and replenish yourself quickly, before it’s too late.”

“You must come with me,” she told him, but the earl just sadly shook his head.

“I have not the strength to even stand, my dear.”

“
Then I would help you, my lord,” said Braden, quickly going to the man’s side.

“But y
ou would be punished by the countess, your life at risk for such an action,” stated Portia.