“My love?” Worry emanating from him, Magnus returned to her side. “What is it?” Seating himself back beside her, he took her hand in his while checking her forehead for fever. “We are overtaxing ye.”
She tried to smile his worries away. “No, I just need more coffee.”
“At once, Divine One.” Albionna flew from the room.
Mairwen rose from her seat, then offered Magnus a respectful bow. “With yer permission, chief—may I draw closerso I might look into the Divine One’s eyes and attempt to identify what troubles her?”
“Could we please not talk about me as if I’m a pedigreed pet or something, and askme, not him? Okay?” Lyla motioned for Mairwen to come toward her.
Magnus snorted and remained at her side, his arm curled around her. “Ye may do so, Weaver.”
Lyla rolled her eyes, then held out a hand to Mairwen.
With a wry smile, the white-haired matron leaned over Lyla’s palm while running an arthritic finger along its creases.
Lyla clenched her teeth to keep from jerking away because it tickled. “Are you reading my fortune?”
“Ye have a blood oath with a powerful dragon.” Mairwen leaned even closer still and peered into her eyes. After what felt like forever, she slowly nodded, seeming satisfied. “Some are particularly sensitive to traveling through the portals to other times and realities. The change jarred yer sensibilities. Disturbed the delicate balance of yer magic. Then yer magic was strained when ye fully unleashed it to break the curse.” She stepped back and folded her hands in front of her. “But it pleases me that it is not a result of evil spellwork.Dubh a’Ghiuthaisdid not cause this ailment, and the longer ye remain here, the more ye will improve.”
“Thank the mighty Draig.” Magnus gathered her to his chest and held her.
Lyla hugged him tight, then lifted her head and locked eyes with him. “Now you can stop worrying, and we can concentrate on cleaning house.”
“Cleaning house?”
“It’s time to evacuate the pests out of Thornpitch and turn it into a peaceful rose garden.”
Magnus made a face and opened his mouth to say something Lyla knew she wouldn’t like, but Mairwen cleared her throat and stopped him. “There is one other thing ye should know.”
Lyla braced herself. Something about the Weaver’s tone and the gleam in her eye made the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. “What?”
“Ye are with child.”
Lyla stared at her. “That’s impossible.”
Mairwen arched a brow and remained silent.
“Well, okay, it’s possible, but highly unlikely. I mean…it was just the one time.” This couldn’t be happening. Lyla shook her head, pushing away the words with both hands. “It was just the one time,” she repeated weakly. “And it’s entirely too early for you to even tell.” The Weaver was wrong. This had to be yet another ploy to manipulate the situation, but to what end, Lyla couldn’t imagine.
Magnus stood and stepped between her and Mairwen. “This audience is over. Ye may see yerselves out. Now.”
Chapter
Fifteen
Barely controlling the urge to throw back his head and proudly roar his happiness until the pillars of the Realm quaked, Magnus squared his shoulders and stood there in a wide, protective stance, guarding his lady love, the mother of his child, until both Weavers left the room and closed the door behind them.
Then he turned and knelt at the bedside, taking Lyla’s hand in his.
“A child,” he whispered, the joy within him making it nearly impossible to speak.
She shocked him by awkwardly jerking her head back and forth. “Mairwen has to be wrong. She shouldn’t have said such a thing. It was only last night—and only the one time!”
Was that fear in her eyes? Dread? Worst of all, was it…refusal? Still holding her hand, he slowly rose and sat on the edge of the bed. “As soon as a flame of life sparks, a Weaver can see its light.”
Lyla pulled her hand away, drew up her knees and hugged them as she rested her cheek atop them and slowly rocked. “It was only the one time,” she repeated, almost cringing as she stared off into space.
“The first time, the initial bonding—it’s the most powerful time when souls are knit back together, and the one most likely to create life.”
