Chapter Twenty-Nine
“We’ve been looking for days. I don’t think the Garden has a sacred place,” grumbled Bréagha as they gathered on the various porch swings around the fire pit that Rozengwyn had created before the searching started.
She flung a hand lazily at the wood that Aiden and Bracken threw into the fire pit.
A large bonfire quickly ignited causing the two Sentinels to yelp and jump backwards.
“We’ve checked the Spirit Grove, the Soul Keeper’s compound, the Magic Keeper’s hall, every room in the Library, the grove where the Lunara trees grow…
back to the walled courtyard…even the Sentinel’s mountain.
We’ve hiked every inch of this realm. Nothing,” sighed Jaxx as he pushed his swing tiredly.
They all went silent, lost in their own musings and giving into their exhaustion. They’d been portaling from place to place for days, revisiting those areas they’d already ruled out, just in case.
“Any suggestions Kaedryn or Vyranthos? I think you’re the oldest of all of us,” called Killian as he sat, both feet solidly on the ground, his elbows resting on his knees and his head in his hands as he gazed into the fire.
“I don’t think we’ve ever heard of a secret grove in the Garden,” answered Vyranthos, his voice less rumbly than Kaedryn’s.
“Not sure I like you saying we’re older than everyone,” grumbled Kaedryn and Bréagha giggled. “Though it may be true.”
That made Killian smile as did Bréagha’s giggle.
She was still upset with him from the other night when he grabbed her off Bracken’s back at Stephen’s Deli.
She had spoken maybe a word or two to him since, but he wasn’t sorry.
Letting those three go would’ve meant they all had to stay and help clean up. He just hadn’t had the energy.
“I’m going to hit the hot springs. I know I smell like I’ve been hiking for days, and my back could use some heat therapy,” grumbled Bracken as he stood from his swing and stretched.
He had fallen off the side of the mountain at one point while they were looking for hidden caves.
They all had bumps and bruises and sore muscles.
“Yeah, I think we could all use some of that. Maybe we’ll think of place we haven’t checked yet,” agreed Jaxx. “We still have plenty of daylight left. Let’s all go rest and reconvene tomorrow morning.”
“Bréagha, you want to go to your spot?” asked Roz after everyone else left. Bréagha looked like she had fallen asleep, but she smiled and nodded. Wincing as she stood up.
“Yeah, probably a good idea.”
“I’ll teleport you over and then I’ll go check in with Kat and Mary.
” Bréagha nodded then grabbed a hold of Roz’s hand, she was grateful that her friend had that special power because walking to this spot would’ve been too much.
She smiled tiredly at Roz who popped out in a swirl of pink.
She used her wand to change her clothes to a red two piece and then slid into the water slowly, sighing as the warmth caressed her sore legs and back, even her butt muscles hurt.
She had taken the same tumble as Bracken had, landing square on her ass.
“Are you decent?” she growled when she heard Killian call from behind her.
“Yes, I have a swimsuit on.” She watched him step out from behind a tree, his hand over his eyes which made her giggle. “Afraid to catch me in my birthday suit? It’s not that bad.”
“I know, I’ve seen it.” Killian gave her a wicked smile when she gasped.
“What?!? When?!!?” She instinctively covered herself though she was already covered up. Killian laughed when she switched her two piece to a full one piece with a skirt. He was wearing a pair of swim trunks and sighed deeply as he eased himself into the warm pool beside her.
“Those others are too damn loud. I just need a quiet moment to soak. There are pieces of me that I don’t think I even knew existed, but they hurt.
Damn Bracken took all of us with him when he went over that ledge.
” Bréagha tried to stay upset with Killian but couldn’t help laughing as she remembered the incredulous look on Killian’s face right before they all went over.
“Yeah, I have sore muscles that have never been used before.” She eased back, letting her head settle back on the soft pillow. They were both silent for a few minutes, just relaxing together, listening to the water falling into the pool and the music of the birds surrounding them.
“What was that song you were singing the first day you were here? I don’t think I’ve heard you sing since,” Killian broke the silence, turning his head to look over at Bréagha who had her eyes closed as she soaked in the warm water.
She smiled softly, that must’ve been when he caught a glimpse of her.
She started singing the song she remembered singing that day.
“I heard them promise, ‘Til death do us part
Each word was a pain in my heart
Oh, all I could do was cry
All I could do was cry
I was losing the man that I love
And all I could do was cry…”
“It was a song that one of my foster moms liked. I can’t remember the name of that one, but I tend to sing it when I’m in the shower. She would sing it in the kitchen when she was making dinner. There was another one we all loved dancing around the kitchen to.”
“When your baby leaves you all alone
And nobody calls you on the phone
Don’t you feel like crying?
Don’t you feel like crying?
Well here I am my honey
C’mon, cry to me.”
Killian watched her as she sang the songs she remembered from her youth, the good homes that didn’t treat her and Aiden like they were just a paycheck or just a means to an end.
“What happened to that foster home?” Killian asked, she was being open and more vulnerable than usual so he figured he better ask the questions while he could.
“Hmm? That was our last home. We aged out of that house. We were able to stay a little longer until we could find a place for both of us. That foster mom helped us save the money we needed, so when we did leave, we weren’t just living on the streets like a lot of foster kids who age out of the system. ”
“How old do you have to be to age out of the system?”
“18 in the United States, but I know it’s 16 in the UK and I’m sure younger in other countries. We stayed with that foster mom for a couple extra years, she let us help her with the younger kids while we saved up what we needed to move out safely.”
Killian gazed over at her, trying to reconcile the brave and strong woman she can be, with the rascal bent on causing him trouble.
Maybe because of her childhood she had to grow up too fast, but now that she’s amongst friends and feels safe despite the circumstances around them, she could show her softer, crazier childlike part.
She opened her eyes and met his silver gaze. Hers were soft as they gazed back at him. For the first time, neither of them looked away, sharing a moment drenched with the tension that was always between them.
Subtly, and without either of them moving an inch, the energy shifted between them.
Suddenly she was conscious of his bare chest, just inches from her.
His hair hung loose around his shoulders, and she watched a bead of water slide from the ends and trace a path down his defined chest. He wasn’t bulky like body builders she had seen on Earth but was naturally sculpted from the hours of training with swords and running through obstacle courses.
She watched as the bead disappeared beneath the water at his waist then her eyes went back to his.
His silver eyes were alight with something that she hadn’t seen before, he was always intense but for the first time that intensity was directed at her completely and she found she couldn’t look away.
For the first time, neither of them was pretending the tension between them was temporary.
His gaze lowered to her lips then back to her eyes, a question in them. He moved slowly, allowing her plenty of time to move back before he was a breath away. She closed her eyes, the feelings inside getting too intense for her. He placed his hand under her chin and lifted it up towards him.
“Open your eyes, Bréagha,” he whispered.
She felt his breath against her face as she did what he said.
Their eyes clashing again, the question still in his.
He must’ve found the answer he was looking for.
He closed that little bit of distance, pressing his lips softly and tentatively on to hers, giving her space to back up if he had misinterpreted her look.
There was a moment, a space of time where neither was sure if they should dive into the feelings they’d been fighting or finally acknowledge what was between them, this knowing, this unconscious acceptance and understanding.
Bréagha broke that moment by wrapping both arms around his shoulders and bringing him closer to her, then she tilted her head and deepened the kiss.
The hand that had been holding her chin slid into her thick hair, pulling loose the haphazard braid so he could tilt her head where he wanted it.
The other hand grasped her around the waist, bringing her to sit on his lap, her legs falling naturally to either side of him, her body flush against him.
They both gasped, he pulled back slightly, trailing his lips over her jaw and down her neck, placing a kiss behind her ear before traveling to her shoulder.
Bréagha threw her head back, one of her hands moving up into his thick dark hair, shivering as his lips traveled back the way they’d gone, to meet hers once again.
Her lips parted in a gasp and he took full advantage, deepening the kiss again as they were fully immersed in the moment.