Page 48 of Bewitched

“Nay, I do,” she said, looking up at him with wet eyes. “I want to thank you, because no one has ever made me feel the way you did tonight.”

“Well, this is the first time you’ve made love, so that is understandable.”

“That’s not what I mean, Rhys. I’m saying that this is the first time in my life that I haven’t felt lonely. And this is the only time in my life that I have ever felt loved.”

Twelve

“Get up, you big oaf!”

Rhys awoke to the sound of the damned irritating elf and the feeling of the little man’s foot kicking him in the side. His eyelids drifted open to see a daytime sky above him. It took a moment for Rhys to remember he was lying in the field of lippenbur lilies. The sweet scent was intoxicating and overwhelming. Yes, he realized, he’d made love with Medea last night and fallen asleep with her in his arms.

“Medea?” Rhys called out, and sat up. He looked around for her, but she wasn’t there. Her clothes were gone as well.

“She’s not here, you fool,” grumbled the elf. “I see she lured you to the lippenbur lilies to have her way with you, didn’t she?”

“What do you mean?” asked Rhys, trying to wake up.

“You coupled with the witch, didn’t you?”

“You know I did, so why do you even ask?” he growled.

The elf laughed.

“What is so funny?”

“I would think that being the son of a fae, you would have realized the power of this field of lilies.”

“What power? What are you talking about?” Rhys didn’t know much at all about the fae folk or their ways, since he had grown up on the other side of the mountain and without a mother to tell him these things.

“I’m talking about the scent of the flowers and the effect they have on people. Don’t tell me you didn’t know they are an aphrodisiac, Rhys? Every fae knows it.”

Rhys groaned. “Nay, I didn’t know. And since I didn’t even know I was part fae until recently, that is why.”

“Well, I’m sure the witch knew what the scent of the flowers was doing to you.”

“Quit calling Medea a witch. She didn’t know either, and it doesn’t matter. We both wanted to make love, so it wasn’t anyone trying to fool the other.”

“Whatever you say.” The elf put his finger to his mouth, biting at a hangnail. “By the way, your brothers are looking everywhere for you.”

“Damn,” he spat, hurriedly pulling on his clothes.

“You made a big mistake hooking up with the witch,” said Elric. “No matter which of you fooled the other.”

“How so?” he asked. “Not that I care what you really think, or that it’s any of your business what I do.”

“She’s rotten to the core, I tell you. She’s like a mealy worm in an apple.”

Rhys pulled his boots on, looking up and scowling at the magical being.

“I don’t want to hear another bad word about Medea come out of your mouth. She’s a wonderful woman and there is nothing bad about her.”

“Hah! I’ve heard otherwise.”

“From whom?” Rhys stood up and strapped on his weapon belt.

“Never mind where I get my information. All you need to worry about is the fact that she is going to betray you, and it’s going to be baaaaaad,” he said, stretching out the word, sounding like a damned goat.

“Nay! You’re wrong. It’s not true.” Rhys didn’t want to believe it.