Chapter 17
Chapter
Seventeen
Riona hummed as she ran her fingertips across Aiden’s brow. He looked so peaceful when he slept. Almost boyish. When he was awake, there was a world weariness to him that only a lifetime of hardness could create. Riona ran her fingers through his silky hair and continued humming. She made sure to weave a small bit of happiness and contentment into her song. Just a small suggestion, one he could choose to ignore if he wished. Thanks to the countless hours of training they’d done, Riona was starting to get a good grasp on her magic.
“Are you trying to ply your magic on me again?” Aiden’s eyes slitted open. He smiled at her and pulled her closer. Riona settled against his warm chest.
“Maybe just a little bit. Is it wrong for me to try to give a little bit of happiness with my song?”
“Not at all.” Aiden kissed the top of her head. “I don’t need your song, though. Just waking up next to you is enough to make me happy.”
Riona wrapped her arm around his waist. She planted little kisses on his chest and worked her way up his neck until she found his lips. The kiss started out sweet but then grew into something more until Aiden pulled away with a sigh.
“I wish that I could spend the day in bed with you, but the Queen of Air and Darkness herself requires me this morning. Why she is awake this early I’ll never know. I don’t think she sleeps.”
“Can I help?” Riona asked.
Over the weeks, she’d been able to help him in a small capacity. When she knew that his targets were in her audience, she would choose lighter songs and infuse them with calming emotions. Aiden’s targets were usually more forthcoming after Riona’s songs since they came away relaxed and their worries had eased.
“Not with this one.”
Riona let out an unhappy sigh, and Aiden kissed her temple on his way out of bed. He started dressing, and Riona admired the view. A smirk played on his lips when he noticed she was watching. Riona rolled her eyes and got out of bed as well.
When he tried to pull her in for a kiss, she danced out of Aiden’s reach. As she grabbed her dress, she turned to shoot him a taunting look. She let out a squeal when she almost ran into his chest. Before she could put any distance between them, Aiden pulled her against him and gave her a lingering kiss. Riona was breathless by the time they came up for air.
“I’ve got to go, lovely, but I’ll be back before moonrise.” There was a definite edge of disappointment in his voice.
“Be safe.” Riona caressed his cheek, and he leaned into her hand like a cat.
“What were you thinking for the evening?”
Riona’s only response was to shoot him a wicked look that made Aiden’s eyes glow.
“I’ll try to be back before the sun sets.”
“See that you do. I have something in mind for tonight,” she said in a husky tone.
Aiden let out a groan, planted a quick kiss on her lips, and rushed out the door with a backward glance of resignation. Riona just laughed and waved as she watched him leave.
The door hung ajar in Aiden’s wake, and soon Ava appeared in the doorway. She cooed at Riona and then twitched her silky black tail before she sauntered down the hallway. Ava shot her a look that was clearly exasperated that Riona wasn’t following fast enough before she disappeared. An impatient yowl sounded in the direction of the kitchen. Riona smiled and followed the cait out the door. Breakfast was past due for her companion.
Ava was sitting by her food dish, waiting as Riona walked into the kitchen. She moved her little paws back and forth in anticipation of the food to come, and Riona couldn’t help but smile. She started their breakfast, and soon she and the cait were tucking into their food. On most days, Aiden cooked their breakfast, but this morning he’d been in a rush to leave and hadn’t had the time.
Sunlight shone through the large kitchen windows. Riona stared out on an unusually beautiful day for winter. Winter was her least favorite season. She always identified it with eternal darkness and a bone-chilling coldness. There was never enough food for everyone in Loch-Gaar, no matter how good the harvest was. Winter usually brought along such a sense of sadness for Riona. The only thing that cheered her up was the mulberry pies she baked during the winter since the berries were plentiful even in the cold season.
But this winter was different. Aiden’s home always roared with cozy fires that kept the house warm. There was never a shortage of food, and the early evenings just meant they went to bed earlier. Riona sighed happily at the memory of last night when Aiden had made love to her into the wee hours of the morning. She didn’t doubt that they would do it again tonight when he returned. They hadn’t even eaten dinner. They were so hungry for each other.
An idea came to mind. She would make Aiden her favorite winter pie. If she left now, she would be home before late afternoon when the evening chill set in. A small dusting of snow covered the landscape outside but was already starting to dissipate with the sun. Winter’s wrath wouldn’t be upon them for a few more weeks. Now was the perfect time for a midnight picnic.
Riona was surprised to think about how much time had passed since she’d arrived at Aiden’s. The Riona of a few months ago wouldn’t believe her luck. Ava had finished eating and was staring at her expectantly for more food. Riona leaned down and scratched the cait’s chin.
“Ava, I think I’m going to go for a walk and see if I can find some berries to make a pie. Do you want to come with me?” Riona asked as she spooned some of her breakfast onto the cait’s plate.
Ava purred and kneaded her front paws on the plush rug while she ate. Her expression was thoughtful, as if she were contemplating Riona’s question. She probably was. Riona had come to realize the cait followed and understood more than the average cat. She expected Ava to answer her back sometimes.
In response, Ava finished her food, rolled over on her back, and stuck her paws in the air. Riona gently rubbed her belly, and the cait closed her eyes.
“Staying here then?”
“Mmmmmhmmm.” Riona stopped rubbing and stared down at Ava in surprise. That almost sounded like a verbal answer.
“Can you talk?” Riona asked.
The cait looked up at her. There was so much intelligence in those blue eyes. Ava cooed at Riona and closed her eyes again. Riona shook her head at her folly and rose.
“All right, I’m going out. Enjoy your nap, my friend.”
Ava’s only response was to yawn and then hop up into one of the cushions near the window Aiden had clearly placed there for her. When Riona arrived at the house, she’d been surprised to see Aiden had chosen to have a pet. When Riona had asked him about it, he’d laughed and said that he’d not had much choice in the matter. Ava had picked him. It was common for caits to appear out of nowhere and take up residence. Most Fae considered having a cait living in their home to be a sign of prosperity and good luck. Caits chose their homes, he’d claimed. It wasn’t the other way around.
A biting breeze greeted Riona as she stepped outside. The residual snow crunched a little beneath her boots. Another gust of wind swirled around her, and her cape fluttered in the cold wind. Riona shivered. If she remembered correctly, there was a clearing near the base of the mountain where berries grew. It wasn’t too long of a walk. Perhaps an hour.
The sun rose higher in the sky, and its rays began to ward off the biting chill of the weather as Riona made her way down the mountain trail. Soon she was shrugging off her fur-lined cape.
At the bottom of the mountain, the rocky path gave way to a thin dirt trail that was easy to miss if one weren’t aware of its presence. Riona always wondered if it was magicked somehow. She’d never seen it when she’d gone out into the forest to forage before she came to live with Aiden, but now it stood out to her as plain as the nose on her face.
She’d combed the forest near the village many times in search of food, especially after the blight. Riona smiled to herself. She’d never imagined that the outcome of that fateful night would turn out so positively. Now the thought of returning to Loch-Gaar wasn’t as appealing as staying with Aiden, but it gave her peace of mind to know Aiden had lifted the blight. No matter how cruel they’d been to her, the thought of any of them suffering hurt her heart. It was her home, and they were her people.
The tree line thickened, and Riona left the trail to enter the forest. She wandered around, getting her bearings, until she recognized a large rock that was shaped like a rabbit’s ears. She headed east toward the location of the clearing, but she hadn’t gotten far when a loud snap sounded behind her. Her pulse sped up at the sound. Another crack of a branch rang out into the forest. Riona paused, afraid to move. Her eyes darted around the forest to find a hiding spot in case whoever was out there was a foe.
As quietly as she could, she slipped behind a nearby tree for cover. Soon the sound of a pair of footsteps became audible. Riona pressed herself closer to the tree in hopes that she would go unnoticed. She held her breath and hoped the beating of her heart pounding in her ears wasn’t overheard by the intruders.
“Are we close?” a familiar young voice asked. Riona slumped against the tree in relief.
“We will be there soon,” an older, very recognizable female voice replied.
“I’m so hungry,” the young boy said quietly, his voice almost not carrying its way to Riona. Her heart fell at the words.
The pair’s footsteps grew closer. Riona peered at the two approaching. What she saw broke her heart—both mother and son were much thinner and threadbare than the last time she’d seen them. Riona stepped out from behind the tree.
“Meg? Connal? What are you doing in the forest?”
The other woman stopped and whirled on Riona. A wicked blade appeared in her hand, and she stood ready. Brown eyes skittered over Riona’s form and then widened in recognition.
“Riona!” Meg cried out. “Is that really you?”
“Yes! It’s me. What happened to the both of you? Are you lost?” Riona rushed forward, and the two women embraced. Another pair of thin arms encircled Riona, and she smiled at Connal’s pinched face.
Riona studied the mother and son. What she saw made her broken heart sink further. Both of their faces were thin and drawn with hunger. Their clothes were dirty and torn. Meg’s brown eyes were wild and filled with despair. Connal’s shoulders were hunched in defeat. Whatever they’d endured, it had been terrible.
Meg slumped against a tree and let out a sigh of pure exhaustion. Then she looked over at Riona, and her expression was appraising. When she took in Riona’s warm clothes and well-kept appearance, a small ghost of a smile appeared on her face, then was replaced with a blank mask.
“I’m glad to see that you’re well.” There was an edge to Meg’s voice.
“Why are you wandering in the forest? What happened?” Riona tactfully didn’t mention their appearances.
Meg laughed bitterly and pushed herself away from the tree.
“Meg... what happened?” Riona pressed.
“The blight happened. Aiden didn’t lift the curse. He did nothing. We haven’t seen him since the night he left with you. We offered everything we had left in hopes of enticing Aiden to return, but he ignored our pleas for help. We have nothing. Loch-Gaar is in ruins. I left with Connal a few nights ago to try to reach Ciar. To throw myself at their mercy and hope they will at least take Connal in. We’ve been lost in the woods since yesterday morn.”
Riona pressed a hand over her mouth in horror.
How could he be so heartless? Was he laughing at Riona behind her back? Was he laughing at her stupidity and gullibility?
She’d believed that if she left with him, he’d remove the blight. But he hadn’t.
She’d shared her body with a man who callously let an entire village starve. They were on the brink of death from what Meg had said. What kind of monster was Aiden to do this? A painful sense of betrayal almost sent her to her knees.
“I didn’t know,” Riona whispered. She’d trusted Aiden to keep to his word... but he’d never explicitly said he would remove the blight. Betrayal made her blood run cold.
A small hand fitted itself inside of her shaking one. She looked down to see Connal smiling sadly up at her.
“I told you Riona didn’t have any part in this,” Connal said. He shot a defiant look at his mother. “She’s good.”
“The villagers blame you in part, Riona. They think you are urging Aiden to punish them,” Meg said.
Riona’s head shot up in surprise. “Why would they think I would do something so cruel?”
“They think that you asked Aiden to keep the blight in place as retaliation for losing your home.”
“No. I would never do that.” Riona met Meg’s eyes. She was worried about what she would see there, but they were only soft with compassion and sadness.
“It didn’t seem like something you would do. You’re not that type.” Meg smiled at her sadly.
“I’m not. But I am the type who will fix this.” Riona squeezed Connal’s hand in reassurance. “Come with me. We will talk to him together and right this wrong.”
Connal stayed rooted in place, and Meg didn’t move either. Both of them looked at her with unsure expressions on their faces.
“Come with me. Even if you don’t want to speak to Aiden, there is food and a warm bed for both of you. We will sort this out.” Something in Riona’s tone convinced them, and they both began to follow.
A small part of her hoped that this had been a mistake somehow. She was having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that her lover had done this.
She’d experienced his kindness and generosity. Then she thought about how many at court gave him a wide berth and regarded him fearfully. Aiden was capable of cruelty. She just had a hard time believing he would be this extreme. Innocent people were living in Loch-Gaar. Innocent and undeserving of his wrath.
Riona started back towards the direction of home. No, it wasn’t her home; it was Aiden’s. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to call it home anymore. Aiden had a lot to answer for. Riona quietly hoped that his answers wouldn’t be the end of them.