Chapter 8
D efiant winter sun streamed through the trees to warm Celina’s skin as she walked, weaving between the family cabins until she reached the border where the forest met the refugee compound. Rodric was standing just inside the shadows created by the large evergreen trees.
Majestic sweeping branches of green framed him, making him look like a king of the forest. His serious eyes watched the midday activity in a much different way than they had upon his entry to the compound. Judging by his body language as he stood guard at the edge of the clearing, his experience the prior day had made a great impact on him. Instead of suspicious curiosity, he now emanated a guarded interest. The sight warmed her as much as the tenacious rays of light.
When they first met, she hadn’t asked for his name. Knowing that he had the potential to destroy her or make a million dreams take flight. In the midst of heartache and fear, she had wanted one moment to hold on to. One moment to light the dark places of her soul when she needed it most. The choice hurt, as she had been so drawn to him.
The next morning, she’d woken up to a changed world. A world where her brother was presumed dead, and she was the bearer of sole responsibility to bring him home. The weight of the world was heavy, but she had a protected glow in her soul from her time spent in his arms.
Rodric. She whispered the name with a caress on her lips. The man who, if he was willing, might be the answer to everything, might hold her heart in his hands if she let him. Celina gazed upon him in awe as she approached, her heart beat escalating. The core of her being swirled with light and joy until it encompassed all of her.
“There you are.” She crossed the line of sunlight drawn across the forest floor and stepped into his space.
“Celina.” He smiled softly at her before taking on a serious appearance, assessing every inch of her for signs of distress.
She shivered, enjoying the weight of his eyes, even if it was born of worry. He’d watched her the same way the night before, when he carried her against his chest after the healing. His presence had eased her into sleep, knowing she was protected and not alone as she recovered from the crash.
“Thank you for staying while I worked with Sarai yesterday, and for guarding me last night. Did you sleep at all?”
“Enough.” His concerned gaze met hers. “You were sleeping so deeply, I was worried I wouldn’t know if you were in trouble.”
The gentle, remembered touch of his fingers on her temple, in her hair, made her smile. “It’s normal, I promise. I’m sorry I couldn’t stay awake long enough to explain.”
“Morgan warned me, but it was still… unsettling.”
“I’m okay, I promise.”
She took hold of his hand. It was heavy, powerful, and solid. Worn and scarred. She looked up into his eyes, dark as the forest at dusk, deep green with flecks of golden light.
Rodric cleared his throat. “Morgan wants to see us once you’ve recovered. I spoke to him while you were working. He’s going to try to help us.”
“Wow, you two must have made up your differences.”
“Getting there.” Rodric raised a brow at her. “You dropped me into quite a whirlwind here.”
“Yes, I did.” She tipped her chin just slightly, standing by her decision that he’d needed the push.
His eyes bored into hers, a slight reprimand mixed with amusement. “I didn’t appreciate it. But I see why you did it. What did you call yourself last night? Defiant and tenacious? I might add stubborn to the list.”
“Think you can handle that?” She raised her own eyebrow in challenge.
Strong fingers settled on her neck, his thumb moving seductively over her throat. Gentle pressure brought her forward until she was close enough to feel the warmth of his breath. Close enough to lean up and kiss him. He dipped his head down, dark eyes lightening to a softer, brighter green as he met hers.
“Yes.”
Her heart fluttered at the deep resonance of his voice, and she fought to focus. Holding her still, he let his forehead rest against hers, his thumb still tracing over her neck. She let her palm rest over his heart, savoring the building connection.
A spark of emotion soared through her, soft golden fireworks lighting up her heart. Home. The word flitted from the depths of her mind, weaving around her innermost being. The moment of knowing was as quick as it was beautiful, filling her with awe. Magic pulsed in her core, energetically swirling inside her as the desire to touch his lifeforce filled her.
Not yet. She held herself back, fighting the instinct. He was wary around magic, and she wanted to give him time to adjust, to know her and trust her, before she made that connection between them. He wasn’t close to being ready.
Reverently, he kissed the top of her head, the feeling running through her very bones.
Turning his head so his lips brushed her loose hair once again, he whispered in her ear, “Lead the way, Celina. I’ll follow you.”
Together, they crossed into the sunlight, the first steps toward their mission.
S torm clouds darkened the sky as they rode away from the Refugee Center, mirroring the turmoil Rodric felt. Old memories of grief haunted him as they fled through the forest, making him push Zora faster, away from the pain.
“Rodric!”
Jerking Zora to a stop, he whipped his head back toward Celina, who slowed Dahlia to a walk as she rode up to him.
“Trying to outrun something?” she asked.
He clenched his jaw, blocking the path of the grief and fear that crested. Celina’s gaze deepened at his silence, her eyes filling with compassion. His heart tumbled as he fell into her turquoise gaze, and he fought to regain stable ground. He didn’t want her healer’s compassion to turn to pity. The need to run started to churn again.
“I’m fine,” he gritted out.
Celina’s lips pursed in disbelief, but she didn’t argue with him. “Okay. We’re almost there. Why don’t you let me lead?”
He nodded, picking up a matching pace as he followed her through the sparse trees. Surprise pummeled him at the torrent of wind that gusted. He’d let his emotions drive him into zoning out more than he realized. The only other person he’d done that with was Sev, who he trusted at his back. A feeling of rightness moved and settled in his chest as he moved to ride beside Celina.
“Tell me more about this mapmaker we’re going to see.”
“Sam is the son of my mentor, Althea. Her mate Barnabus is one of the realm’s finest mapmakers. Sam… assists him… with the maps that are made for the Lightning Forces. Few people know that Sam helps with the creation of those particular maps. It’s highly classified information that I know for personal reasons.” She smiled in satisfaction.
“It was a sneaky way to give us the information we need,” he admitted.
Their conversation with Morgan had been interrupted by a lackey belonging to Commander Varice—the very person Celina told them had lied about Connor’s fate. Morgan’s ire had grown stormy at that news. He’d hustled them out of the office with some sly comments to Celina about visiting the Silvan family.
“Sam isn’t military, so he isn’t bound by the same protocols. And one of his maps is better than any location Morgan might have identified.”
“Why are Sam’s maps so special? And why would it be a secret?” Mapmaking seemed like a benign trade skill to hide.
“You’ll see.” Celina’s glittered mischievously. “Sam is a very close friend. It was a good guess of Morgan’s that I already knew about Sam’s unique affinity for mapmaking. I spent a lot of time at Rosewood Keep growing up.”
“Because Althea was your mentor?”
Celina glanced at him, uncertainty straining her features. “I came into my magic young, Rodric. Too young. Althea mentored me exclusively for a while until I learned control.”
The words of the headmistress came back to him, about traumatized children and magic. His heart immediately ached for Celina. He thought Brenna was too young, but if she was actually of a normal age to develop magic, Celina had to have been extremely young. “Why did it come so early?”
“Because I needed it.” Sadness cast a grim shadow over her face. “I just wish it had been enough.”
Weaving through the last line of trees, she preceded him down the lane to the edge of a large estate. Out from under the protective cover the wind blew harshly, throwing cold drops of rain at him. The storm clouds had caught up with them fast.
Rosewood was much more rural than Celina’s home, backing up to hills and forest. The entire area was covered with thick plant life. He couldn’t decide if nature was trying to take back the buildings or if they had intentionally been built amidst the rocks and trees of the area. Oddly, nothing looked unkept, just a bit wild. The paths were clear, and nature encroached in a way that was miraculously harmonious.
His face must have portrayed his thoughts, because Celina gave him a secretive smile. “It’s a unique place.”
“Is it intentional?” He waved his hand at their surroundings.
“You could say that… I kind of think of it more as a truce.”
He frowned at the odd statement, but before he could ask further, Celina made a sharp turn into the stable yard and waved to the hostler in greeting. Dismounting, she led them to a set of empty stalls at the far end of the stable. A midnight-black mare called out as they passed, and Celina stopped to greet her, crooning affectionately.
Untacking Zora, he let pure muscle memory drive his movements so he could watch Celina work with Dahlia in the next stall. He wanted to finish their conversation. Wanted to know more about the trauma that had jumpstarted her magic too young. About the sadness that had washed over her. Wanted to pull her close and find a way to make the sadness leave her eyes.
Too much, too soon. He shook off the emotions. There would be time to think about Celina later, after his soul-daughter was safe.
Grabbing the bag he needed to bring in with him, he locked the stall door and moved to lean against it, setting the bag at his feet. Zora butted his shoulder with her head affectionately as she settled in. She was used to living out in the elements, but always seemed to enjoy the rare occasion of a warm, dry stall. With the storm beginning to pelt the roof with rain, she’d be extra appreciative.
Celina’s sweet scent hit him just before she entered his vision, leaning against the door next to him.
“We’re going to bring them home, Rodric. I swear to you. I’ll do everything in my power to save Brenna, and so will Connor.”
“I believe you.” He shifted so that he faced her, placing his hands familiarly on her waist. All thoughts of maintaining his focus fled, replaced by the feel of her.
She’d slipped past his defenses and settled into his soul in a way no one else ever had. Why now? What was he supposed to do with all this emotion? He desired her, yes, but the feeling of home made him feel like he was breaking from the inside out.
The hunter at his core took control of his actions, pushing him into a place where instinct ruled. He closed the space between them and took her lips in a vivid kiss.
She pushed into his embrace, rising to meet him eagerly as he kissed her deeper. The match lit between them when she’d taken his hand to dance erupted in waves of fiery light. The heat of her presence thawed the frost in the depths of his soul. A hum of pleasure rumbled through his chest.
She pulled back, breathing heavily. Shock and awe reined in the stillness, ashes and embers floating around them. His world had shifted with a single kiss.
“Rodric—” She gripped his shirt as if to hold on to him before letting go and flattening her palm. “We can’t. Not until we address your disdain for magic.”
Frustration swept through him, the hunter within growling at the interference in his pursuit. Would magic take another person away from him before they even had a chance to be together? Chaotic anger at the unseen threat swirled within him.
“Look at me, please.”
Unable to deny her, he did as she asked, and was surprised by the mix of determination and desire he found in her eyes.
“I want to, Rodric. But this is who I am. I can’t have you hating part of me when we begin. If it was just for a night, it wouldn’t matter, but…”
It’s more than that. Some of his anger cracked and fell. He stroked her jaw as they stared at each other, searching for answers.
“I could never hate you, Celina.”
“But you hate magic.”
“I don’t. I…” I fear it. His tongue hovered against the roof of his mouth, but he couldn’t say it. “It’s complicated.”
The storm crackling outside was nothing compared to the one raging within him. Calm strength looked back at him, and he suddenly had an image of her as an anchor that buoyed him and left him unsettled at the same time. He wanted, needed, to provide that foundational support for her.
But how could he, when he couldn’t control his fear of magic? She was right. It would destroy them before they’d begun. He couldn’t bear to let her go completely though.
“Give me time, Celina. I promise I’ll work on it, it’s just… difficult.”
“I understand, truly.” Her smile filled him with the same hope that was reflected in her eyes.
Neither of them moved. He traced her neck, making her pulse race beneath his fingertips. Heat flared in her eyes. A satisfied growl rumbled through him as he pulled her closer.
“Don’t pull away entirely. Please,” he whispered against her ear. “I don’t want to lose you.”
Celina melted into him just a little, and he gave in to the urge to press a kiss on her neck. Her eyes were ablaze when he pulled back to look at her, simultaneously settling him and making him desperate for more of her. “I’m willing to fight for us if you are, Rodric.”
Thunder struck overhead, making Celina jump, her grip tightening on his chest. Her demeanor changed in an instant, a different kind of tension rolling off her in waves.
His guard immediately went up at her show of nerves. The feisty healer was scared of thunderstorms?
“Come on, let’s get inside.” An unnatural urgency filled her voice.
Keeping hold of her hand, he raced outside with her, quickly dashing through the rain to the main house. Darkness had descended with the storm, blanketing the sky hours before night would have naturally fallen.
Celina breathed a huge sigh of relief once they were inside, tensing only slightly with the next strike of sound.
He stroked her back in a comforting gesture. “Thunder bothers you?”
“Yes. Long story.” She gave a forced chuckle. “I think it’s safe to say we’re staying overnight.”
They’d discussed that probability on the ride, but he’d still hoped they would only need a quick visit to retrieve the map. It was safer to stay the night and ride out once the storm passed and would be better for Celina if she was that afraid of thunder and lightning.
As Celina led him upstairs to the guest rooms, he couldn’t help but wonder if the storm was a bad omen for their journey or if their arrival at Rosewood before the storm hit was a good one.