Rowan stared out the open window. The rain had eased to a quiet drizzle. “That was a dark time for me. Days before that festival, Stryker had stumbled upon what he thought was a Dragon’s lair near the Giant’s Causeway. Instead of believing him, I told him we were no longer children and that Dragonshad died out eons ago. We fought, and he took off. I was worried for him but never found him. I was angry and frustrated with how I’d handled the situation with my brother and should never have gone to the festival at all. When I arrived there, I spotted an Earth Wizard forcing himself on one of the female Wizards. I pulled him from her and, in my present state of mind, probably would have set him on fire rather than turning him in to the authorities, if other Wizards hadn’t intervened. The Talons and the Grey Council took the Earth Wizard’s side. He claimed the woman had come on to him and he was fighting her off. The Earth Wizard and I were banned from future Bealtaine festivals until they figured I’d learned my lesson.”
Morgan laid her hand on his arm. “The Earth Wizards are forever retelling that story, with Fire Wizards the ones who are volatile and unpredictable, when it is they whom we should fear.”
“That part doesn’t bother me. But I clearly didn’t learn my lesson. My reaction to Stryker the day he shifted haunts me. I thought the worst and should have tried to help him. I’ve made inquiries as to where he might have gone after he disappeared from the apartment, but he’s like a ghost. If anyone knows where he is, they’re not saying.” He reached over and took her hands in his. “We’re off topic. “So, my imagining we knew each other before was not a dream?”
She sighed, the corners of her mouth edging up in a smile. “In a way, our time together was a dream. Like I mentioned, we met at the Bealtaine Festival on Taransay. Our connection was so strong that all the glamours and spells dissolved like mist in a summer breeze. We saw each other as our true selves. After the festival, we fled to the enchanted island of Hy-Basil, off the western coast of Ireland. We planned to defy the Talons and the Grey Council and live out our lives together.”
“I have a feeling I mucked it up.”
Morgan laughed, reveling in his humor as well as the relief to share this secret. “Both of us were to blame.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “I doubt that.”
She cupped the side of his face with her hand. “You’re always taking the blame. Not this time, my love. We were both young. Too young to understand how to navigate the ways of our world and its restraints and power. When I became pregnant with our child…”
“Wait. We have a child?”
She pressed her fingers to his mouth. “I learned of it the day you told me you were returning to duty. I was angry that you had chosen the Talons and the Grey Council over me, so I didn’t tell you. His name is Caden, which means ‘spirit of battle.’ I hoped the name would protect him.”
He paced the cramped quarters of the wagon, shaking his head. “Caden,” he whispered. “A strong name. I remember how I was in those days. Too full of myself, by half.” He turned to face her. “Is the child here?”
She blinked to control the tears. His reaction was unexpected. “You don’t seem angry. You seem…”
“Honored that I am a father,” he finished with a grin.
“There is more. Caden was taken from me when he was a child, and I do not know where he is or if he is alive or…”
Rowan silenced her words with a kiss. “Your pain must have been unbearable. He must be almost a grown man by now. How old would he be?”
“He turned sixteen a few months ago,” she said evenly.
Rowan reached for her, kissing her as though he would never let her go. She leaned into his arms, feeling the flood of his devotion and love wrap around her like a protective cloak. When he pulled only a breath away, she was out of breath. He traced the outline of her mouth with his thumb.
“I thought I was losing my mind. I couldn’t understand how I could love someone so completely in such a short time. You consumed my days and nights. Now, I know. Legends say that Wizards descended from Dragons love—truly love—only once. And now you tell me we have a son. We will find him. I promise.”
Her eyes blurred as she traced the contours of his lips with the tips of her fingers. “I am so very glad I told you.”
He winked. “Time for a celebration.” He reached for the bowl of melted chocolate. “It’s a shame to put this to waste.”
She laughed softly. “If you are thinking what I think you are thinking…”
“I’m thinking of slathering your body in chocolate.”
“Rowan, you can’t be serious.”
His expression turned mischievous. “Okay. If you insist, we could slathermybody with chocolate.” His grin spread as he ripped off his shirt. “That works for me too.”
“I say we do both.” She dipped her fingers in the bowl of warm chocolate, painting a swirl over his chest as warm currents of desire washed away her fears. She hesitated, licking chocolate from her fingers. “But perhaps you are still recovering from the poison. You should rest.”
His hot breath bathed her in heat. He brushed his fingers over the mounds of her breasts. “Temptress. I am fully awake, as you well know. I have a feeling we’re going to need a lot more chocolate for what I have in mind.”
She wanted him. Passion stronger than the night they’d shared on the island engulfed her in a longing for his touch.
“Morgan.” Her name was spoken like a caress as he kissed the hollow of her neck. Sparks of desire danced over her skin as he found the sensitive spot behind her ear. His breath fanned the sparks into flames.
She pulled back, gasping for breath, answering the question in his eyes as her hands fumbled to remove her blouse and skirt,until she wore only a silk camisole and panties. “Lie down, my lord, and let me please you.”
Morgan dipped her fingers in the warm chocolate again and traced the outline of a Celtic tattoo over his heart, then bent to trace its outline with her tongue.
