Twilight's Eternal Embrace (12 page)

"
I know our blood helps to heal us when we are wounded. I want to know if there is a way to use it to our advantage and save the Lathe Sith chosen for our brides.
"
There he had said it. He couldn
'
t take it back even if he wanted to. Sheerin would either help him or throw him out on his ear.

Sheerin moved away from him and strode back to his seat.
"
I do not find you humorous.
"

Bram didn
'
t know what to make of his cousin
'
s odd response, but he wasn
'
t about to give up so readily. He approached the table. He leaned close, keeping his words low. The Oiche Sith had excellent hearing. There was no need to broadcast his curiosity if one of his clan lingered outside the door.
"
I am most serious. I did not know who else I could ask.
"

His cousin met his gaze as if deciding if he spoke the truth. He pursed his lips and shook his head.
"
Did Loreto put you up to this?
"

Bram pushed away from the table.
"
No. I am here on my own. This is important to me.
"

Sheerin sat back in his seat.
"
I mentioned this to the elders some ten years ago, but they refused to let me experiment on a mere theory. I was thrown out of the council room labeled a fool. Your brother knew of my humiliation. He sat in a corner
,
torturing a poor blood servant as entertainment.
"

Bram cringed. Loreto took great pleasure in torturing those weaker than him. The servants didn
'
t always fare well.
"
I had no idea. I swear.
"

Sheerin seemed to consider this for a moment then he nodded. He sat forward again, resting his elbows on the table.
"
Let me ask a question now. Why do you care if a Lathe Sith lives or dies?
"

He did not want to give too much away. Not until he knew he could trust Sheerin.
"
We are a dying breed, are we not? There have been no new babes in decades and the Lathe Sith
'
s blood may be good for us, but the female cannot survive the blooding. What good is it to have a mate who dies on the wedding night? I had hoped there was a way to save the one I wed.
"

"
Your time is near. Next year, is it
not
?
"

"
Aye. I am next in line.
"

Sheerin tapped his chin with his forefinger.
"
Your curiosity surprises me
,
though. What brought this sudden change upon you?
"

"
I am not like my brother.
"

"
That is not an answer. Something has piqued your curiosity. I want to know what it is. Until you can be honest with me, I cannot help you.
"
He returned to his work, a dismissal if Bram ever saw one.

Sheerin knew something, but he would not
divulge
the answers unless
Bram
disclosed a secret
in return. However, what he asked was too high a price. It wasn
'
t his right to reveal his involvement with Adryanna. She did not know he sought a
cure
—for lack of a better name to call it.

"
You are still here.
"
Sheerin would not keep his patience in check for long
, but he couldn't leave without
convinc
ing
his cousin to help him.

"
I do not want a female
'
s death on my hands.
"

Sheerin
'
s gaze met his.
"How very thoughtful of you.
You want my help
,
you say. Then you must prove to me that I can trust you.
You are a smart lad. You always were.
Give me more than your guilty conscience for leverage and we may speak again."
He
then returned to his work. He took a
pinch of powder
from one
jar
and added it to another container
. He murmured words under his breath
as he stirred the concoction
.

Bram swore he saw sparks in the glass container.
"
I shall return.
"
He headed for the door.

"
You know where to find me.
"
His cousin
voiced without a glance.

Chapter Nineteen

Adryanna waited until the soft snores of her father drifted to her room. She t
ossed
back the fur covers and threw her long legs over the side of the bed.

She went to bed dressed in a braccae and a shirt
,
her preferred hunting attire. It made it easier to travel through the forest without worry her gown would snag on bramble and such. She secured her dagger to her
belt
. She trusted Bram; it was others who
may
lurk in the woods she did not trust.

She slipped out of her room and carefully avoided the floorboard that creaked. Once at the front door, she slowly lifted the latch, praying it wouldn
'
t make a sound.
S
he let out a sigh of relief
when all remained quiet, but upon opening
the door
, t
he hinge
s
groaned
in protest.
Her feet
froze in place,
and she chanced
a fearful eye toward her parents
'
room. Her father
'
s snoring missed a beat.

What would she tell him? She couldn
'
t say she was going hunting again. After her nap
earlier
in the meadow, she awoke to find the day had whittled away. It was by
mere
chance that she stumbled across a hare. There was plenty of meat for another night.

Her father snorted then resumed snoring again. Her breath came out in a rush of relief. Her father may suspect she met with an Oiche Sith, but she did not want to flaunt it in his face. She slipped out the door and closed it behind her.

With quick steps, she hurried toward the barn. Her mount seemed to know her routine now and whinnied in greeting.
"
Shush.
"
She ran a palm over the bridge of the palfrey
'
s nose.
"
Good girl. Are you up for a ride?
"
The horse nodded as if it understood her words. 

She opened the pen to enter and reached for the wool blanket on the railing
and draped it
across the horse
.
S
he
then
added the saddle
and
led the palfrey
from
the stable
. W
rapp
ing
her arms around the mount
'
s neck
, she
hoisted herself onto its back.

She stroked the horse
'
s neck as she spoke to the beast with encouragement for a safe ride.
C
lic
king
her tongue
, she
urged the palfrey forward, holding tight to the reins. She
'
d been angry with her parents for accepting such a gift from the elders of the Oiche Sith
clan
. It was blood money, a payment for Fianait
'
s agreement to be wed. Truly
,
they all acted as if there was a
n option not to accept
. There wasn
'
t a choice. If the family refused
,
they would live their lives in disgrace.

Now she was glad for the horse. It gave her more freedom and a way to travel faster than on foot. Bram and she had precious few hours
together
. She didn
'
t want to waste those moments on the journey to reach him.

As she broke through the trees, she urged her mount to where Bram stood facing toward the
sea
. His fur mantle blew in the breeze like a welcoming flag. She had hoped he
'
d wear the velvet one. She liked the way it felt against her skin.

He turned as she neared, his lips curving into a smile.
"
You come dressed as a warrior.
"

She glanced down at her attire and chuckled.
"
The riding clothes are comfortable.
"

"
I prefer the leine myself over wearing a braccae.
"
He took hold of her waist to help her down.
"
It gives me…
"
He cleared his throat.
"
uh…more room.
"

Pressed against his body, she knew why he wished for more room. She imagined he was large
down there
…like the rest of him, but she had yet to see for herself. She knew he wanted her. It was obvious by his body
'
s reaction, but he did no more than kiss her. He had not even suckled her breast since the first time.

Her hand went to the bulge pressed against her and he hissed in response, his hand gripping hers to still her exploration.
"
I would not continue
if I were you
,
my sweet
Adryanna.
"

"
Why not?
"
She lifted a brow in challenge.

He shook his head and chuckled.
"
If you must ask, you do not know what danger you are in.
"

"
Danger? I trust you. I only want to touch you. You can teach me to give you pleasure. I am a quick learner.
"

He leaned his forehead against hers with a groan.
"
It would not be wise. I could lose control.
"
He
pressed a
kiss
to
her
hand
.
"
Not yet.
"

"
Fine for now, but I want to know when. I will have you first before you are given to another.
"
She gave a startled cry at her outburst. She had not meant to reveal her thoughts in such a manner. She knew her skin turned a shade darker and even in the
Twilight,
Bram
'
s keen gaze would pick it up.
"
Do not laugh. I could not endure it.
"
She
glanc
ed away, but his forefinger and thumb gently held her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"
I do not laugh.
" No, he didn't, but his gaze slid over her, making her body tingle
with longing.
"
I want you as well, but not at the risk of hurting you. We will take it slow. Aye?
"

She nodded and pursed her lips together for fear she would slip and say more to humiliate herself.

He kissed the top of her head.
"
If it is your wish, we will find a way to be with each other.
"

She
narrowed her eyes
at him
, holding his gaze.
"
You swear
this is the truth,"

His large hands cupped her face gently and his words a hoarse whisper as he pledged.
"
I swear.
"
He took hold of her hand and they walked side by side. The air was cooler than it had been on the previous nights. The stars didn
'
t shine through the cloud layers.
"
It will rain soon,
"
Bram said thoughtfully.
"
We will not have much time together tonight.
"

"
Can we not find shelter? I can barely stand the day without seeing you and I will not have my night cheated by the weather.
"

He
glanc
ed at her, his lips twitching into a smile.
"
You are in a rare mood this evening and full of demands.
"