Page 24 of Light and Shadow
Aaran leans in and rolls his hips just enough to add fire to the spark between my legs.
An enormous crash jerks us both upright and breaks the moment.
“Hell!” Bert’s voice carries from the living room.
After kissing my nose, Aaran gets out of bed. “I suppose that was a sign of sorts.”
I swing my legs over the side of the bed. “It must be.”
We step out of the bedroom, and Bert is in the kitchen with glass and cider on the floor and blood seeping from the bottom of his bare feet. His dark hair is sticking out in the worst bedhead I’ve ever seen, and he’s wearing his boxers and nothing else. “I wanted a piece of bread and knocked over the pitcher.”
Nainsi rubs her eyes and joins us. “Well, you’ve got yourself in a fine pickle, Bertram Donaldson.”
“Yes, well when the lot of you are done gaping, maybe you could help a fellow out.”
Chapter Seven
Aaran
The cut on the bottom of Bert’s foot is deep, but after a good tongue lashing, Nainsi heals it.
I am sorry for the interruption, but perhaps it’s for the best. I’ll need more than a quick tumble with Harper, and there isn’t time for more than that.
A crowd is gathering in the center of the village, and the guest house is only a few steps away from all the commotion.
Late summer brings cooler nights and is reason enough for a large fire to set a party around. Harper’s arrival has lifted the spirits of these people. They see hope where before there were only visions of the end of our lives, our way of life.
Watching her dance with one of the boys, I wish I could spare her all of this. If I had let her mother die, she might have been safe in the human world. An impossible choice, but I still don’t know if it was the right one. Though at the time, it felt obvious to save Maggie and spare Harper the loss of another parent. For my own selfish reasons, I want her back in her strange little connected home, safe from what’s to come.
Her laugh is like music on the breeze.
If I had left her there, she would not lie in my arms as we rest or look at me as if I’m all she sees. Perhaps that need for her attention is even more selfish.
Maybe she hears my thoughts. She turns to me, and her warm smile draws me in. Her hair shines in the firelight with streaks of red and blond in a rare moment when it’s loose about her shoulders. Selina sent Harper a flowing green dress that sparkles with silver threads and hugs her curves.
Like a fish on her hook, I’m reeled in until I’m standing inches from her. “You look very beautiful.”
Her cheeks turn the most delicious peach color. “I’m glad you think so.” She smooths her hands down the soft silk of the dress, accentuating the way it fits along the sides of her breasts and narrows at her waist. “I’ve never worn anything so elegant.”
Three elves with a fiddle, lute, and drum are our entertainment for the evening. They play a slower, softer tune than the jig Harper danced with the boy.
I wrap an arm around her waist and take her hand. “I’m sorry to have dragged you into this. Maybe I shouldn’t say that, or even think it, but I would take you home to safety if I could.”
Her lips are full, and knowing how soft they are, it’s hard to concentrate on the steps of the dance. She cocks her head, and her waves of luscious hair tumble along her long neck. “You have no choice, Aaran. If your oracle is right, all of these people will die without me and the other two human women. Do you think I want that to happen? I’m afraid, terrified actually, but I said I would do this, and I will if I can.”
How had she become this brave soul? Her gaze shifts to the group of young boys playing near the edge of the party, and then to the large group eating at the long tables laden with every kind of food. Everyone is happy and hopeful, while I’m wishing she were home safe with her mother.
Fear and worry reflect in her green eyes before she closes them and presses her cheek to my shoulder. “Let’s just enjoy the night. Tomorrow we can think about shadows and light.”
“Wise as well as beautiful.” I wrap her tightly in my arms. “How will I do without you when you return to your world?”
She sighs against me. “I imagine you’ll go on with your life here. From what I understand, your mother is an important person. You’ll likely have many duties to fulfill. You’ll have no time to think about the human woman you once knew for a short time.”
“I hope you know that’s not true.” Unable to resist, I comb my fingers through her silken hair. “I imagine I will think of you every day of my life, Harper Craig, and elves live a long time.”
“You always say nice things.” Another sigh and then the music ends.
Nainsi grabs Harper’s hand. “Come and eat something. You have never had a true elven feast, and there are many lovely things to try.”
