Page 39 of The Mage's Rake
Hugh. Landis needs Hugh. Gareth needs Hugh. The kingdom needs Hugh. I need Hugh.
Life without Hugh was impossible. There was no way I was about to let him fade into the night, succumb to the curse. Even as Hugh drew close to me, as I flew into his arms, as I buried my head against his chest, I vowed to myself that I would fight for Hugh as fiercely as he fought for Landis.
…bide the hour. For when it comes, he who was unfettered shall find freedom in the bonds of love.
I mused over the Goddess Nyria’s words.What had she meant exactly? Did she know for certain that Hugh would unlock the curse? How did she know? Can I trust her, truly, with my heart?Part of me could not. I simply had to ascertain for myself. The answer lay within Deep Magicks. I would call upon the power of Gaia herself to break the shackles of the curse.
Everything was ready—a lock of Hugh’s hair, a clipping from one of his nails, a sample of his blood, and the memory of his touch. Already, I was mentally drawing and redrawing the sigil I would require. A forbidden magick, a forgotten magick for many, but nothing would stand between Alan Carwick and his goal.
“Alan?”
I suddenly returned to the here and now with a thud, realizing that I had somehow become entwined with my beloved. My hands and my feet were numb with the winter chill that now brushed across my face. The wind had picked up while I had sunk into deep thought. At the sight of Hugh’s burnished red-brown hair glimmering with a crest of snowflakes so close to mine, my heart leaped into my throat.
“H-hugh,” I said, suddenly feeling like an awkward kit speaking to his first girl. I eased back to look him over carefully. “You alright after all that?”
“That should be my question!” he shot back. His eyebrow rose quizzically. “Are you alright?”
I nodded my head and forced a smile.
“Yes, of course.” Allowing him to take my hand in his warm one, I stepped back under the relative shelter of the peristyle. “Gods, it got cold all of a sudden.”
“Lost in your thoughts?” Hugh glanced at me in amusement as he rubbed life back into each of my hands.
Looking at my pale fingers entwined with his, I found myself smiling. Yet again. Hugh always had that effect on me. My gaze met his, this time less guardedly, and my smile was undoubtedly more genuine.
“As usual,” I admitted. “Bad habit.”
“You don’t say,” Hugh snorted. “It’s been a night… and yet, somehow, I feel… I don’t know, energized, more so than usual.”
“You do?”
My hand rose instinctively to rest against the rough leather and course wool of the knight’s gear. The palm of my hand met the hard steel of his loose chain mail beneath. Under that, I could sense the warmth of his life energies—a brilliant, warm orange. It was comforting. That there was an echo of the malevolent purple mixed deep in its depths worried me as usual. It was gathering at the center of his being in preparation for the final moment.
“Don’t worry so, Alan.”
Hugh’s arms wound about me comfortingly, drawing me close to him. His nose brushed against my temple, and his warm breath tickled the fur of my lowered ears. I couldn’t help but surrender to his comforting touch.
“Whatever happens, I know that I can face it as a catkin, as a tomcat who has done his best… and…” Hugh mused slowly aloud. “After tonight, I don’t know—I feel as though I could take on anything.”
Hugh leaned back against the wall, keeping me close. We stood there, contemplating his words and watching gentle snowflakes falling yet again from a gloomy night sky.
“You did very well tonight. Corrin and you… both showed such valor when you fought, such fearlessness,” I said. “I imagine that any fools opposing Landis may think twice before attempting again. At the very least, we may look forward to a respite for the rest of the season. Landis may have his Wintermas after all.”
“Indeed. I surprised even myself,” Hugh admitted. He hesitated and added, “I know that I appear a confident knight, a cocky tomcat, but I always wondered whether I would ever measure up to my heritage… Whether my family would look upon me with pride. Landis and I in the early days, well, we had a tough time of it until Gareth came along. I always figured that I was just a stop-gap, but perhaps tonight I was able to prove something to myself.”
“I’m glad,” I whispered softly.
Hugh’s words echoed in my mind.
…perhaps tonight I was able to prove something to myself.
I too felt the same. Or I would once I successfully broke the curse and returned to Hugh. Perhaps he would welcome a longer-term partner. Perhaps I could become something more than short-term comfort. That was my hope, my dream if I allowed myself to admit to it.
“And you were with me,” Hugh added. His voice took on a more mischievous note. “I don’t know, but I felt even more heroic with you at my side, Alan. Your magicks were… so beautiful but powerful. Just like you.”
“Thank you,” I muttered.
I could feel a blush of embarrassment rise on my cheeks. I buried my face in his chest. My arms wrapped around his waist.
