She loved him.
The sea gentled around her, warming and caressing her. It carried her for hours and she cared not where. Night or day mattered not.
Only when the sea placed her on a beach did she rouse, pushing back her hair and rising to kneel. The place looked familiar to her. Standing, she knew it at once.
The Brough of Birsay, a tidal isle on the northern edge of the mainland. For now, separated from the rest by the swiftly moving channel but at low tide, the land bridge would be open. It was morning, for the sun was just creeping over the horizon and sending shards of light across the land. It was peaceful here. If she did not think too much, she could imagine herself here in earlier days, exploring the empty buildings of the abandoned monastery.
Centuries before, this place had been sacred ground for the Church. And before that, the ancient Picts claimed it as theirs. She’d not visited here for years. Had the sea brought her here because it remained a sanctuary, untouched by evil?
During her last visit, she’d gotten trapped on the island for the better part of a day waiting for the tide to go out and reveal the causeway. Now, that would not keep her from leaving.
But, where should she go?
The evil one needed her to open the gate to the place where she was imprisoned.
The others wanted her to help find that same gateway, in a hidden circle of stones, and seal it.
Her father wanted to be rescued. She wanted . . .
Ran sat back down on the ground and watched the sun rise higher in the sky. Piercing through gray clouds that floated low and thick on that horizon, she could think of only one thing she wanted.
Soren.
As though she’d conjured him out of nothing but his name, the winds swirled before her and became him.
“Ran,” he said, running to her. He fell to his knees before her and searched her face. “I have been searching for you. I asked the winds to find you and they could not. Not until now. Are you injured? Did he harm you?”
“I cannot think about him, Soren.”
“We were terrified when you did not return,” he said. “I know how convincing he can be; he tried his deception with me. And with your father his prisoner, I feared he had drawn you in.” He dragged his hands through his hair and shook his head. “When you did not return in two days’ time, I feared you were dead.”
“Two days?” Time mattered not when she was in the sea. “I did not know. I did not know where to go.”
“What happened?” He moved closer and touched her cheek.
In that moment, she knew how she’d escaped. It was thoughts of Soren that broke the evil one’s hold on her soul and her heart. Because . . .
“You gave me the strength in that terrible moment, Soren. When he’d torn my heart open and tried to burn his way in, you were there, standing in his way.” She reached out and stroked his face. “I have been lying to myself and to everyone around me. I did not stop loving you. Not then, not now. When I realized that, I had the strength to break his hold and get away.”
“Ran,” he began, but she placed her hand over his mouth to stop him from making any promises.
“I have seen what Chaela plans to do when she is free and I cannot allow it. But I am empty, Soren. Emptied by what I . . .” She could not finish the words. She could not admit that dark sin to him. “I need you, Soren. I need your strength. I need your love.”
“I need to tell you the truth of it, Ran,” he said, tugging her hand free.
She knew then that the truth did not matter. She’d seen too many truths in the way evil worked. Right now she wanted only him.
“Nay. Nothing but love in this holy place. Love me, Soren.”
And he did.
Not only because she’d asked, but also because he always had and it was what he’d wanted to do for more than two years. If loving her would help her in some way, he would. And he would answer to the rest later.
Soren leaned over and began with a simple kiss, an innocent one compared to many others they’d share. Gently rubbing his mouth against hers, he moved closer and pulled her to him so that their bodies touched.
He sensed her weakened spirit and emptiness. There had been some injury to her soul and she had emptied herself of everything to deal with it. Though he could have asked the winds to show him what had happened, he did not. She did not want him to know, but he could imagine the feeling of violation her soul suffered.
“Aw, Ran,” he said, cupping her face in his hands. When she met his gaze tears filled her green eyes. “Nay, no tears.”
