Chapter 9
Rosewood Keep, Realm of Calderre
C elina sent up a word of thanks that they’d arrived at Rosewood just before the storm hit. As soon as she was alone in her room, she dropped to the floor, still shaking from being outdoors when the thunder struck. Breathing deeply, she tried to calm herself. After all these years, thunder still made her heart race and fear spike. And she was about to start a long journey through Eldridge, which would likely entail sleeping outdoors more often than not. During the winter storm season.
Where one storm flowed, many followed. Looks like both Rodric and I will be getting a good emotional workout. Sobering at the thought of her brother alone and injured during the harshest season of the year, she forced herself off the floor.
Leaving her travel bags untouched, Celina changed into dry clothing from the trunk of belongings she kept at Rosewood. She’d brought Rodric to the private family wing of the keep, giving him the room adjacent to her designated bedroom. Sound traveled easily between the walls, and she could hear him moving around inside, probably changing clothes as she was.
Celina rubbed her thoroughly kissed lips together with a smile. Rodric had transformed for a moment in the stable, his energy shifting into that of the intense hunter she’d met initially. She sensed that was more his true self than anything else she’d seen. The honed attention on her as Celina, not as a matriarch or healer, made her feel incredibly desired.
Sam was going to burst a blood vessel when he saw them together.
The rustic keep had always been a haven for her. Beginning her healer training under Althea at such an early age had been a huge blessing, as it meant that she would visit Rosewood for long periods of time. With a baby sister to raise and leadership expectations growing with each birthday, this place had always given her a reprieve. A place to simply be and enjoy a tiny bit of the childhood that had been taken from her.
Althea and Barnabus had adopted Sam and had taken on a guiding role in her own life, offering her love and parental support when she’d had no one but Connor to rely on. Rosewood was the other home of her heart. She was glad Rodric was able to visit this place and meet the people who were so special to her.
Making her way down to the family kitchen, she absorbed the bubbling and brewing energy of the keep, letting it fill her with the peace and comfort she desperately needed.
Sam spun around from where he was setting out cooking ingredients when she entered. Dark hair curled loosely against his neck, flowing silkily as he moved. His black shirt billowed around his lean form, framing him in stark contrast to Rodric’s broad shoulders and thick torso.
Sam grinned, sweeping her into a tight hug and kissing her on the cheek. “I missed you.”
“I missed you, too.”
His familiar presence soaked into her, and she returned his embrace. As matriarch, she was expected to show a certain level of public decorum that didn’t come naturally to her. It made her that much more affectionate with the people closest to her when she was away from prying eyes.
The aroma of a freshly brewed pot of her favorite coffee filled her with glee and the soothing sense of home. It was a special blend that Althea cultivated from the Zamyran plants of her homeland and had a bolder taste than the lighter blends typically served in Calderre. The darker brew was wild and exotic with a deep warmth.
“Mmm.” She breathed in the rich scent. “Did you know I was coming?”
“Word travels fast. Especially when you’re not alone.”
“Ah…” Celina cleared her throat. “So that’s for me then?” She stepped aside and grabbed a mug to fill with coffee.
Sam’s low voice came close behind her, teasing her ear as he filled his own mug. “Evade all you want, but he’ll come downstairs eventually.”
Celina ignored his words as she breathed in the dark earthy scent, letting it fill her senses and relax her after the past few days of grueling emotion. “Mmm, this is really the best. It never tastes this way when I make it. You do something to the ground beans, don’t you?”
“That secret is only partly mine. Alayna and I work with the plants together whenever she visits—which is more often than you, by the way,” Sam teased, smiling as they took their usual seats at the table.
While the love and rivalry of siblings wove the fabric of Sam and Celina’s relationship, he and Alayna were truly best friends the way she and Cass were. They had the added benefit of being able to use their similar magics together. The coffee plants that grew in a special warm weather greenhouse on the estate clearly benefitted from joint attention of Alayna’s powerful plant magic and Sam’s earth magic.
“So, what’s going on, Cela?”
Throat tight with emotion, she quickly filled him in on the reason for their visit, leaving out a few pieces… including their mission to save Brenna. That was for Rodric to share, if he was so inclined.
Sam’s eyes tightened with concern as he listened. “I don’t like this, Celina. It’s too dangerous. What if you’re caught? Eldridge is a treacherous place.”
His scowl matched his tone when he named the neighboring realm of his childhood. Though his features proclaimed him Zamyran by heritage, he’d been raised in Eldridge. He vehemently avoided discussing anything to do with the realm that had destroyed his family.
“I know, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take. He’s my brother, I’m not going to let anything happen to him.” Intense distress arced through her. She wasn’t going to lose another person she loved if she could help it. She couldn’t. Swallowing hard, she distanced herself from the fear.
“Connor would be furious with you for putting yourself in harm’s way for him.”
“Probably. But that’s not his choice to make, it’s mine. It’s my responsibility to see to his safety and well-being.”
Anger radiated from Sam, his words picking up speed as panic seeped into his tone. “And what about the rest of us? Connor’s not the only one who needs you, Celina! What about your sister? Cass? Me?”
“Exactly, Sam. I would be going just the same if it was any of you. I’d die trying to save you—you know that firsthand. I’ll do no less for Connor.”
“I know.” Sam squeezed his eyes closed and rubbed his temple. “Sorry. Forget I said that.”
Strain lined his face, making her frown as she looked more closely at his features. Was she causing the tension, or had he already been stressed when she’d arrived? Sam was quick to emotion of all kinds and just as quick to settle. Like a strike of lightning. But he wasn’t relaxing after expelling the excess energy.
“Is something else bothering you?”
“Yeah,” he sighed. “But it’s nothing you can fix.”
“What—”
Sam smiled, the genuineness showing in the dimple in his cheek. “Another time. Your situation is more pressing.”
That explained his jumpy temper. Studying his face revealed dark circles ringing his eyes. A friend and healer, she hadn’t even noticed. Concern elevating, she opened her mouth to insist on discussing whatever it was, but he shook his head.
“So, tell me about this hunter.”
Rodric’s near exact phrasing popped into her mind. Tell me about this mapmaker. Her lips quirked in amusement, but she kept the comparison to herself.
“I met him recently.” He’s a wonderful dancer and kisses with wild passion. “He has the skills I need to make this journey a success. Morgan agrees.”
“How do you know you can trust him? He’s Eldrin. That doesn’t concern you? It could be a trap. Have you thought of that?”
“It’s not. Him being Eldrin is a benefit to the situation. As to trusting him, I just do.”
“Well, I don’t,” he huffed. “You trust too easily.”
“And you’re highly suspicious,” she retorted. “You don’t have to like it, but I’m going to Eldridge and Rodric is coming with me. I asked him, Sam. And his motives are pure. Trust me you’d understand.”
Sam raised his brow, silently pushing her.
A current of fear pulsed from him, charging the energy of the surrounding air. If she didn’t handle this delicately, he was liable to explode.
“If you had a chance to search for even one of your siblings, to actually find them and reunite after all these years, help one of them out of a dangerous, life-threatening situation, you’d drop everything and do whatever it took to get to them. So would I. And so would Rodric.”
Jaw clenched tightly, Sam rose abruptly and walked across the room to brace one hand against the window. Without the inclement weather, he probably would have continued through the kitchen door out into the woods, as was his habit when upset.
Thrashing sounded from outside, as if the earth was protesting, mimicking the intense emotions pouring off of Sam. His shoulders hunched, visibly knotted with tension, and his curtain of hair fell forward to hide his face. Trees shook and rocks tumbled down the nearby hillside, dislodged from ground disturbance deep within the soil.
Celina winced in understanding as his magic bled the volatile energy out of him. All his worst nightmares crammed into one conversation. She knew him well enough to interpret the feel of his magic. His anger cracked loudly, but he only poured his emotions that deeply into the core of the earth when he was in pain. Combined with the storm, his emotions were likely to cause an avalanche outside, the earth reacting to his inner turmoil.
Rising, she rifled through the kitchen cupboard until she found Althea’s elixir, a special syrup she made from the frost berries that grew in the snowiest regions of Calderre. Filling a new mug with a touch of hot water and cinna powder, she mixed in the syrup to create the sweet, spiced drink Althea used to make when either of them was awoken by nightmares.
Joining him at the window, she watched the water run in rivulets down the glass, the trees blowing in the shadows of waning light. After a moment, Sam let out a deep breath and put his arm around her, touching his head to hers as he accepted the mug.
“Frost tea?” There was a faint smile in his voice.
“Seemed appropriate.”
Leaning into his hug, she put one hand on his chest, over his heart. Opening the connection between them, she sent a pulse of healing warmth through the oldest channel of her magic, directly into him. Relief washed through her to feel that his lifeforce was indeed strong. She would be devastated if she lost him too.
“You don’t have to check my heart, Cela, I’m fine.” He squeezed her tightly. “Angry and worried, but fine.”
“Force of habit.” Sending a little extra to battle his exhaustion, she felt his lifeforce brighten as it soaked up the energy like the earth absorbing the gift of rain. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk? Does it have something to do with your family?”
“Figured that out, did you?”
“Only a few select topics make you that upset. I think I hit all of them tonight.”
“Yeah, I guess you did. Let’s focus on the problems we can solve. Yours are more pressing.” Dark brown eyes that matched the saturated soil outside looked down at her, worry etched deep. “Just promise me you’ll be careful. I can’t lose you, Cela.”
“I will.”
“Good.” His lips twitched. “You never know when I’ll need you to restart my heart. Again.”
“You’d better not! Twice is plenty.” She tapped his chest twice to punctuate her words before stepping away. If not her mother, at least she’d been able to save Sam that night.
He turned to face her and pressed his back to the window, reminding her of the first time she’d seen him. He was just as dark and serious looking, the rain rushing around him in a ghostly silhouette.
“You really trust him?”
“I really do.” She met his gaze, letting him read her sincerity. “I have strong instincts, Sam. He’s a good man. And he’s extremely protective. He’ll be an excellent partner. Trust me about him.”
Sam tilted his head, narrowed eyes studying her intently like he was trying to figure out a secret she was keeping. Which was ridiculous. They hadn’t kept a secret from each other since the day they’d met on a stormy forest floor, Celina drowning the young mud-covered boy in her new magic as she tried to bring him back from the brink of death.
“What?” she asked.
“I just figured out what’s off with you.” Suspicion melted into surprised recognition as he studied her. “Why your voice changes when you talk about him. You really like him. As more than a convenient guide into hostile territory.”
Cheeks heating, Celina pressed her lips together, unable to help the smile that was slowly sliding over her. She made a half attempt to look innocent but failed miserably.
“Seriously? Him ? He’s Eldrin!”
“You haven’t even met him yet. Besides, you’re Eldrin. What does that have to do with it?” She winced as the words left her mouth, realizing her mistake too late.
“I’m not Eldrin,” Sam growled. “Eldridge killed my family. I’m Calderran.” Ferocity swept through his eyes, darkening them, and a corresponding rumble of stone sounded, followed by a reverberating crack.
“Careful you don’t split the stone archway. Althea will be upset if you ruin her herb garden in a fit of temper.”
The tension crackling the air dissipated just as quickly as it had formed, and Sam opened his eyes to meet hers. The snap of fire in the dark depths was banked by amusement. “She’d ground me for life. And make me replant the entire thing without magic.”
Laughter caught between them. That was exactly what Althea would demand, and had, when Sam’s temper had gotten away from him as a child. His control over his immense magic was in thanks mostly to Althea’s guidance. Laugh lines returned to border Sam’s mouth, most of his earlier tension gone.
“Sorry. Worrying about you in Eldridge…” He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. “The thought just made me snap for a second. It’s incredibly dangerous.”
“I’m aware. We’ll stay in unpopulated areas. It’s better if we can get in and out unseen.”
Someday, he was going to have to deal with his past, but this wasn’t the time to push him on it, so she addressed his concern about her safety and let the rest drop. They shared the extreme fear of losing loved ones.
“You’re serious about him?” Sam asked.
“Yes.”
As close as she was to Sam, the bond that had developed between them over the years wasn’t any stronger than the bonds she shared with Cass or her siblings. It was as deep of a bond as anyone could hope for with a loved one—but it was in no way romantic.
As far as a potential mate, she’d always dreamed of the deeper bonds described in ancient stories. Unrealistic though it may be, she believed in the legendary soul-bonds that formed so intricately as to tie two people unbreakably.
What she felt for Rodric was incredible. The beginning of a connection far stronger than anything she’d ever felt with another person. And that was without connecting to him with her magic. Touching his lifeforce energy would surely intensify what was already forming naturally between them.
“Rodric and I have some challenges to overcome. Pretty major ones, truthfully. But I’m very serious about him.”
Sam shook his head at her, the worry fading from his eyes to be replaced with his usual playful affection. “Just don’t be kissing him in my house.”
“Mmm. No promises,” she joked.
Stealing his mug, she sipped the sweet floral flavor mixed with the bitter cinna as she went to start dinner, thinking about her mysterious dance partner as she did so.
R odric paused before entering the kitchen, steeling himself to have to make small talk with a stranger. They had ridden hard to make it this far before dark, and he was exhausted.
So much so that without the prospect of a hot meal, he would have gone straight to bed. This was the beginning of a long journey though, and he knew to appreciate hot food when he could on such expeditions. They had plenty of nights in the open ahead of them, and Zora would be in a much better mood after spending a night in a warm stable.
Celina was positive that Connor was in Eldridge somewhere, they just needed to narrow down the general area.
Hearing the relaxed sounds of laughter and low voices, he moved silently into the room, stopping just inside the doorway to observe before making his presence known. Celina was leaning against the counter, smiling at her friend as he cooked at the stove. Leaner than most, Sam was still tall and muscled, movements light, almost graceful. His lack of alertness confirmed he was not a warrior or a hunter.
Assessing their body language, he noted the calm, relaxed energy flowing between them. They were standing close, sharing personal space, which, from what he’d observed, was rare for Celina. Old friends certainly, probably more.
Never pausing in his cooking, Sam took a sip from Celina’s mug and passed it back in smooth succession. They were obviously quite comfortable sharing drinks, making him wonder what else they had shared. His gut clenched at the thought of his enchantress in the arms of another man. Possibly this man, if the affection flowing between the two was anything to go by.
The possessive thought wound through his mind and wouldn’t let go. Unusual, yet powerful and right. He’d never felt that way before, the uncomfortable feeling stirred only by Celina.
Bristling slightly as Sam brushed up against her, Rodric knew that he definitely wanted her for himself alone. Exactly what he wanted her to be was yet to be determined, regardless of the stirring she alighted in his soul. He shifted his weight, preparing to move toward them, when Celina tensed slightly and turned around.
He smiled, intensely pleased that Celina was already so attuned to him, had sensed his presence before Sam had. Her cheeks glowed a little warmer as he approached.
“Hello,” she greeted, returning his smile.
He placed a hand on her lower back, thumb moving softly in silent greeting. Satisfaction and a bit of relief bloomed when she leaned into his touch instead of pulling away. She wasn’t going to shut him out while he worked through his trauma.
“I’d like you to meet my friend, Sam Silvan. Sam, this is Rodric Velton.”
Sam nodded to him in greeting, a small but controlled amount of tension rolling off him. “Ale’s on the counter if you’re inclined, or there’s coffee, if you prefer caffeine before bed like Cela,” he said before going back to tend his dishes on the stove, quickly checking and plating the food.
“Only this blend of coffee, because it’s my favorite,” Celina admonished Sam before turning her eyes back to Rodric with a smile. “You should try some. It’s worth the risk of not sleeping.”
Rodric filled a mug with coffee and settled into a chair next to Celina, leaving Sam the open chair across from them. It may be Sam’s home, but he wasn’t about to give up the opportunity to sit next to her.
“Barnabus isn’t joining us?” Celina asked.
“No. He’s already retired for the night. The rain hurts his bones.” Sam placed the dishes on the table for the three of them. “You’ll have to meet with him tomorrow about the map.”
“And you’ll help?”
There was just a hint of hesitance in Celina’s voice as she asked the question. Rodric wasn’t sure why that would be, but he shifted his leg so that it touched hers under the table. She pressed back, reciprocating the contact.
“Seeing as you’ll go either way, I don’t think I have a choice. Not if I want you as safe as possible.”
Relief emanated from Celina, making him think they may have argued about the maps, or the mission, before his arrival. Something to ask when they were alone.
The lines of stress around Sam’s face disappeared, softening his features as he smiled at Celina before shifting to look at Rodric, making complete and steady eye contact for the first time since he’d arrived. His mouth was moving in a question, but all Rodric heard was his own heartbeat pounding in his ears, drowning out all other sound.
He knew those eyes. Not hazel, with blended colors, but dark amber, almost opaque brown. Flecks of dark forest green in them instead of the expected gold.
That’s impossible . Those eyes belonged to Damien. But Damien Zafar was dead, many years now. Rodric had knelt beside him, watched him die. Yet there was no question that this man had the same unusual eyes.
“Rodric, are you okay?” Celina’s hand settled on his leg under the table.
He covered her hand with his, pressing it into his muscle to try to anchor himself. His gaze stayed focused on the mystery across from him. “Who are you?”
Celina went exceptionally still next to him, and tension snapped from Sam’s side of the table. What were they hiding?
“I’m sorry? Who am I ?” A hint of defiance lit in Sam’s eyes but was quickly masked. He gave a light, forced laugh. “Maybe you shouldn’t have given him coffee, Cela. I think you both need some sleep.”
Rodric abandoned the conversation at the table to search his memories of a time in his life he’d blocked out, keeping a watchful eye on Sam. Images of Damien from their younger, happier years as boys flowed through him.
After the meal, they parted ways with Sam for the night.
“Are you sure you’re alright? You acted like you’d seen a ghost earlier.” Celina grazed her fingers over his face as they stopped on the second floor outside their rooms.
“I think I did.”
Brushing a kiss on her cheek, he said good night and entered his room, surprisingly glad he’d be alone for the night to delve through his past for answers.