Page 17 of Wind and Water (Reign of the Witch Queen #2)
“Only a few hours.” Corell’s voice is strained.
“He was made as comfortable as possible, but moving him would have been agony, so we brought the comfort to him on the beach. We eased his pain with what magic we possess, and Birdie spoke to him, which seemed to bring him peace. As soon as he was gone, Birdie insisted we make the trade.”
Despite the necessity of it, I feel Corell’s shame. I want to assure him that he did the right thing, but there is only one answer to that. “We will get Birdie back. I’m not sure exactly how that will happen, but by the old gods, we will find a way.”
“I hope you are right, Liam,” Corell says.
“If an elf and a centaur can sit together and plan a battle as allies after centuries of separation, the old gods are surely with us.” I stand and offer my hand.
Corell rises and grips my forearm in the way of soldiers.
We look into each other’s eyes, and there is mutual respect.
The hour is late when I find Wren lying atop a soft mattress in a private room. The bed must have been made for infant centaurs, as it is far too small for an adult. The room is otherwise sparse, with hooks on the wall and a table with a mirror over it.
I ease down next to her with my body close but not touching.
Listening to her heart with my keen hearing, it’s easy enough to know that she’s not asleep.
My arrival made her pulse race. “If you think my choices are because of a prophecy, you are wrong. The longer I know you, the more I think the oracle is probably correct in their belief that you are special and more powerful than we yet know. However, it is my feelings which force me to protect you, Wren, not my duty.”
She rolls to face me. In the moonlight, her eyes shine bright blue. Her hair is a halo around her beautiful face. “I will not accept that my mother must pay with her life to keep me safe.”
I brush her curls from her cheek. “I did not say I would forsake her, only that a trade for you would not be made. Centaurs cannot be turned into shadow demons. I don’t know if humans can or not, but we need Birdie free and out of danger before we meet Venora.”
With a nod, she asks. “How do we do that from a tower with no doors?”
It’s a fair question. “I’m hoping the centaurs who watch the obelisk have seen enough to know how to enter.” I take a deep breath. “There are some things we need to discuss. Should we talk now, or wait for you to be rested?”
“I can’t sleep.” She sits up and faces me with her legs crossed. “What is it?”
Facing her, I sit the same way with my knees grazing hers. “Two things, but one is not strictly relevant to saving your mother.”
Her throat bobs, and she takes a deep breath that pushes her breasts high, stretching her shirt and making my mouth water. “Start with the one that is relevant, please.”
How has she gotten so deeply embedded into my heart in such a short time? “You can create wind, but we don’t know how you control it, and so far, you’ve not conjured it without imminent need. If you could tell me what you feel when you bring the wind, maybe I can help you with control.”
Her curls shift as she tips her chin and looks over my shoulder at the wall. “I feel scared for someone’s safety. In the portal, I saw you, my mother, and the dragon, and I knew we were in trouble. I prayed for someone or something to save us from the dragon.”
Is it the prayer or the fear that motivates her magic to action? “Did anything like that ever happen to you in your world?”
She bites her bottom lip and lets the plump flesh slip through her teeth. “When I was nineteen, some girlfriends and I went to Gulf Shores for spring break. That’s when schools take a break in the better weather. It was my freshman year in college.”
I nod my understanding but say nothing so as not to interrupt her.
“We were at the beach. I was working on my tan and enjoying the sunshine when I heard a scream.” She closes her eyes for a long moment.
When she opens them, she’s calm. “Maggie was knee-deep in the gulf. She was screaming and pointing. Dana and Julie were being dragged out to sea by an undertow. Dana’s head went under. ” Tears fill her eyes.
Keeping my voice even, I smooth my hand over her shoulder. “What did you do?”
She dashes away the tears. “I stood up, and while I felt afraid, I also felt like I could save them. I prayed that they’d be safe on shore.
The wave that pulled them under pushed them to the surface, along with the lifeguard who’d swum out to get them.
A few seconds later, the wave deposited all three in shallow water.
“I ran to help Maggie pull them to safety. I never told any of them or even Momma, and for a while, I told myself it wasn’t me.” She blushes. “But I always knew I had somehow pushed the water to do what I wanted.”
My mind is working fast. “Wind and water are powerful elements, Wren. Your control needs work, but I wonder if you couldn’t keep the shadow demons at bay with the wind. At least long enough for us to get into the tower.”
Eyes wide and mouth agape, she looks terrified. “What if I can’t? I’ve never done magic on purpose.”
Honesty is always best. “Then I’ll be turned into a shadow demon, and the centaurs will likely be dropped from a height that will kill them.”
“No. You can’t expect me to risk that. I don’t know how to make the wind. It comes when I'm afraid that something bad is happening. It comes when I pray for a better outcome.” She grips my hands and pleads as if I’m holding a sword to her heart.
Leaning in, I press a gentle kiss to her lips. “I’ll not force you to do anything, sweetheart. It’s an idea that might work, but if you don’t want to try, we’ll find another way.” I kiss her hair. “Prayer is like making a magic spell.”
“Not for humans. Prayer for humans is to ask god to help or for giving thanks.” She curls into my lap and leans her head on my chest.
Holding her like this is more than I have ever asked for. “Do most humans have the response of the elements that you do when they pray?”
“I don’t think so.” After a long pause, she says, “If I hadn’t been there that day at Gulf Shores, I believe Dana and Julie would have died.” There’s embarrassment in her tone.
“You saved them, and that’s all that matters. These gifts you were given are not arbitrary. You were meant to save them, just as you’re meant to save Domhan.” I rub her back in a wide circle, and she relaxes.
“That feels nice, Liam. Being here with you, like this, feels right. I just need my Momma to be safe before I’m willing to go further with this quest of yours.”
Kissing her again, I whisper. “I know. I understand. We’ll find a way.”
With a sigh, she snuggles closer. “What is the other thing you want to talk about?”
I should have left that for another day. “The dream. My being in your dream or you taking me into your dream means something to my people.”
“That we were fated to find each other?” She says it casually, as if she doesn’t believe it.
I wrap my other arm around her bent knees and hold her tight.
“My parents are true mates. They knew the moment they saw each other that they would always be together. They were only eight at the time, so there was a long friendship before it turned into romantic love. They can speak to each other with their minds. They know if the other is safe when they are apart. It’s very intimate. ”
“I imagine it is.” Her skin warms under my fingers.
I wish it were light so I could see the pink of her blush. I’ve become a fool and a poet in a few weeks of knowing this woman. “Being inside your dream was very personal, don’t you think?”
“Yes. I heard your heart beating and the warmth of your skin. It was as if we were one person with two minds. It should have been awkward and uncomfortable. I should have felt intruded upon or even violated, but it was as if I had come home after a long journey.” She wraps her arms around my neck and kisses my cheek.
“It was the same for me. Only…”
Leaning back, she looks me in the eyes. “Only what?”
“I don’t see the future the way you do. How does this thing between us not result in broken hearts?” Mine is already feeling more than it ever has in my entire life.
“I have no idea.” She yawns. “My dreams haven’t shown me that.”
Could she look that far ahead while asleep? Can she direct her premonitions, or are they only what the gods wish to show her? Too many questions and no answers. “We should try to sleep. Tomorrow will be a long, wet day.”