He moaned, entwining her fingers in his. His expression filled with building passion. “No spells. No enchantments.”
Her heart raced with the implications of his request. “Without spells and enchantments, we are sealed more strongly, more completely, than even the brands we gave one another.”
“I know.”
His declaration banished the last restraints she’d held around her heart. Tonight, without spells and glamour, she would know what it felt like to be held by the man she loved.
She set the bowl of chocolate aside and moved toward him. Her breasts strained against the silk of her camisole as her body brushed against the taut muscles of his bare chest. She tasted the heady combination of dark chocolate and man, teasing, tasting and savoring.
His eyes reflected the raging fever simmering beneath the surface. He wove his hands through her hair, cupping the nape of her neck and bringing her lips to his. “My turn.”
“But I’m not finished.”
“We have all night,” was his whispered promise.
Shedding his jeans, he pulled the chemise over her head, bending to kiss her breasts. His hand slid her panties over her hips and down her legs, his touch searing a path along her skin. With the chocolate he outlined a Celtic symbol over her breast. She knew it by heart. The symbol of two intertwining circles held many meanings, but in their world, it meantBeloved.
His mouth captured hers, inflamed her as he deepened the kiss, setting her senses on fire, pouring hot waves of molten desire over her skin. His body molded against hers in pulsatingflames as he entered her, the heat so intense she knew she must be on fire.
Rowan caressed her skin and inflamed her body with his touch. Away from all the chaos that threatened to drown her into a dark abyss, Rowan was her world and her light. He banished all from her mind except thoughts of the depths of her love for the Fire Wizard who held her heart in the palm of his hands.
****
Morgan awoke nestled in Rowan’s arms. She stretched and gazed out the window of the wagon, feeling well loved. The stars dusted the night sky as though an ancient goddess had scattered diamond dust. Dawn was still hours away, though it meant their time on the Trolls’ compound would end, and with that ending came a return to the reality of the world she knew, where those she loved were in danger. If just for a few hours longer, she wanted to pretend this time she spent with Rowan would last forever.
But everything ended. She’d learned that the hard way when their son was taken from her.
Rowan stretched and glanced over at her, winking. “I’m awake and starving.”
She laughed, knowing he wasn’t talking about food. “You are insatiable.”
He rose to a sitting position on the bed and kissed her bare shoulder. “I thought our lovemaking a few hours ago would have answered that question.”
She sat and drew her legs to her chest, resting her head on her knees. “It did and most thoroughly. As delightful as making love again sounds, I am also hungry for food.”
He flipped off the covers to reach for his jeans and tug them on. “Thoroughly, you say. I like that word. How about I make us sandwiches? Anything more is beyond my culinary talents.” He moved over to the cooler where they had stored the cheese.“While I decide what type of sandwich to build, I have a few questions regarding the night you and the young Wizardlings left Vlad’s island.”
She slid out of bed and reached for a rose silk robe. A few days ago, she would have avoided his question, not trusting that he would not then use her words against her. A lifetime had transpired in a few days, it seemed. She was no longer fearful.
“Even before the festival began, there was unrest among the female Wizards on multiple levels. Our children were being taken from us at younger and younger ages, the Talons were petitioning the Grey Council to take over the teaching of the young Wizards, and there were rumblings that the deaths of female Wizards were not from natural causes.”
Rowan paused in slicing a brick of white cheddar, his expression frozen in shock. “You can’t be serious. Any one of those accusations would be cause for an investigation. I’m assuming these matters were reported to the Grey Council.”
She tied her robe and moved over to Rowan, shaking her head. “That has an interesting outcome as well. Before I answer, have you ever wondered why female Wizards die so young, while male Wizards can easily live well over one hundred years?”
He set the knife down. “We were told female Wizards have weak hearts.”
She picked up a slice of cheese and popped it into her mouth, waiting until she’d swallowed it before continuing. “Yes, certainly ‘weak hearts’ was the perfect explanation, was it not? The explanation eliminates the need for male Wizards to investigate the murders. Their conscience is clear. Except that Caitlin, the last Leader of the Female Wizards, realized that explanation was a lie. She claimed that Earth Wizards were using their powers to stop female Wizards’ hearts, and that this practice had been going on for centuries.”
Rowan whistled low under his breath. “That’s the reason she was killed, and the reason you all had to flee?”
“There is something else you need to know. The female Wizard you saved from that Earth Wizard died shortly after the festival. Then Vlad’s brother, Gordon, the Earth Wizard you confronted, was found dead six months later, and his death was declared a suicide.”
“Holy shit, Gordon was Vlad’s brother? I had been accused of tracking Gordon down and killing him out of spite. It wasn’t true, of course. I heard that not everyone believed my alibi that I was on the other side of the world when his body was found. No wonder Vlad hates me. He blames me for his brother’s death.” Rowan glanced over to the glasses he used when he was in the human world to disguise the unusual shade of his eyes. “I’ve been a blind fool, seeing only what I want to see. Someone is tying up loose ends from that event. Why am I still alive?”
Morgan shook her head. “I don’t know. Caitlin tried to warn me about an undercurrent of corruption in the Talons and the Grey Council, but I wouldn’t listen. When Caitlin and other female Wizards were murdered during Bealtaine, I could no longer deny what was happening.”
“Any chance Vlad is not responsible?”
