Echoes of Magic (23 page)

She groaned into his mouth, her hands
clutching his shoulders. He lifted her until she hovered over his
rod. Slowly, he lowered her until he filled her to the root. She
sighed his name, her head thrown back in abandon.

The most beautiful thing he had ever seen,
would ever see, clung to him in ecstasy. Their bodies began to
rock, slow and steady, a rhythm as ancient as time. A fine sheen of
sweat covered their bodies as their tempo increased. Grayson felt
the tightening of Adrianna’s body. She was close to peaking.

“
Grayson,” she
whispered.

He lowered his head and took a nipple into
his mouth, suckling the tiny bud until she cried out, her body
bucking against him as her orgasm claimed her.

Grayson drew her climax out as long as he
could, but the way her body clenched around him sent him over the
edge. He held her tightly as he poured his seed into her.

He should have pulled out of her. He knew
it. That was twice in one day they had chanced her getting with
child. The thought thrilled him, but he knew it frightened her.
With her hands caressing his back and her lips placing tiny kisses
on his neck, Grayson leaned back.

“
I’m sorry I brought you
here.”

She placed her finger over his lips. “Don’t.
These few days with you have been the happiest in my life.”

“
Mine as well.”

He lifted her off him, and he lay back with
her snuggled against his chest.

“
I have two things I need
to confess.”

He groaned at her words. “I’m no priest,
Drina.”

“
I know,” she said with a
chuckle. “Earlier after we arrived and had taken over the knights,
I sent a rider to Wolfglynn.”

He looked at her. “You sent a note to
Drogan?”

“
Aye. Though I fear he’ll
arrive too late.”

“
Most likely, but I’m glad
you sent for him. I thought of it too late.”

Her hand leisurely stroked his chest. “I
also looked into the future.”

“
I don’t think I want to
hear this.”

“
But you must.”

Because it was important to her, he nodded.
“All right.”

“
You need to have extra
guards at the secret door your mother spoke about. Nigel will send
knights through there. If they get in...”

“
It’s over,” Grayson
finished. He looked at the canopy. “I’ll see to it first thing. Did
you happen to see how many knights Nigel had with him?”

When she hesitated, Grayson grew nervous.
“Drina?”

“
It was only himself and
the remaining seven knights.”

Grayson grunted. “They’ll be easy enough to
kill.”

“
Nay,” she said and rose up
on her elbow to look at him. “Lest you forget, Nigel has the souls
of these men. They are nigh undefeatable.”

“
But I could.”

“
You could,” she agreed.
“Yet, you cannot battle all of them.”

Grayson shrugged. “As long as Hawksbridge
stays closed, we should be fine, but I refuse to let Nigel get
away. One of us will die tomorrow.”

“
I pray it’s
him.”

“
You couldn’t see that part
when you looked?”

She shook her mane of golden hair. “Nay. I
tried, Grayson. I really did.”

He smiled and pulled her back down to his
chest. “Don’t worry, Drina. All will be well. I’ll keep you safe,
just as I promised.”

“
And your
mother?”

“
What about
her?”

“
Don’t die without
forgiving her. She yearns for your forgiveness
desperately.”

He thought over her words. “All those years.
She was alive. She never sent word, never sought me.”

“
I don’t think she could
chance it. I get the feeling she was keeping you from
Nigel.”

Adrianna drummed her fingers on his chest,
and he knew her mind was mulling something.

“
What is it?” he
asked.

She shrugged a shoulder. “I cannot help
thinking that Leoma isn’t telling us everything. Nigel is powerful,
aye, but he is gone from Hawksbridge at times. Why didn’t she try
to leave?”

“
I don’t know.”

“
Did you see the backs of
her hands?”

Grayson paused. “Nay. What’s wrong with
them?”

“
I think he tortured her.
She has scars crisscrossing her hands. It looks like scars a whip
would make.”

Fury erupted in him. “If Nigel did that to
her hands, what did he do to the rest of her?”

“
I don’t think you want to
know.”

Grayson was sure she was right, but he had
to know. As angry as he was at his mother for sending him out on
his own, it wasn’t really her fault. She had done the best she
could. How he envied others who had the benefit of both a mother
and father. He would have been happy to have just one, someone to
give him the love and family he had so desperately needed.

“
What are you going to do?”
Adrianna asked.

He shrugged, still struggling with the news.
“She’s keeping something from us, of that I’m sure. I saw the stark
fear in her eyes when she speaks of Nigel capturing you.”

“
Why is that? He’s evil, I
know, but what could be so terrible that would make me stay instead
of leaving.”

Grayson considered her words. “If you were
in my mother’s place, would you have left your people?”

“
Absolutely not,” she
replied instantly. “However, I would’ve found a way for all of us
to leave, even if it was one person at a time.”

“
My thinking exactly.”
Grayson shifted until he reclined against the back of the bed.
“While at Wolfglynn, Drogan spoke of how Nigel would blackmail
people into doing as he wanted.”

“
Is that what happened with
Cade?”

Grayson nodded. “To this
day Drogan doesn’t know what Nigel had on Cade, but, whatever it
was, it made Cade do whatever Nigel wanted.”

“
Saints,” Adrianna said and
sat up. “Could Nigel have been using your life against your
mother?”

He shook his head. “I don’t think so.
Instead of killing the children at Hawksbridge, he could have come
and killed me. Why didn’t he?”

Adrianna’s eyes widened. “He didn’t know
where you were.”

“
Nay, he didn’t. I kept my
secrets close, told no one of Hawksbridge and what had happened,
but I would still have been easy to find.”

“
Then there is something
else.”

“
But what?” Grayson asked.
“What could it be?”

Golden strands tickled the back of his hand
as Adrianna shook her head. “I wish I had an answer for you.”

“
I wish you did as well. We
may never know.” He turned his gaze to the window. Moonlight
spilled into the chamber, casting a blue pall on the stone
floor.

Adrianna’s fingers entwined with his, and he
brought their hands to cover his heart. The moment was so calm, so
peaceful that he could almost forget what approached
Hawksbridge.

“
What will happen
tomorrow?” she asked.

Grayson drew in a deep
breath and shifted his gaze to her. “I’ve looked over Hawksbridge
myself. She’s a well
‐
built castle and will be able to withstand a heavy siege. If
Nigel only has the men you say he does, they won’t be able to enter
the castle unless I open the gates for them.”

“
Nigel could wait us out.
How much food does the castle have?”

“
Enough for nearly a month
if we ration it correctly. The well isn’t reached from outside the
castle, so we needn’t worry about him contaminating the
water.”

She smiled then. “So we could wait for
Drogan and his men.”

“
If he comes. I’m not
counting on it.”

“
He’s your friend. He’ll
come.”

Grayson sat up and
caressed her cheek. “Drogan has had his run
‐
in with Nigel. Serena won’t thank
me for asking for his help.”

“
You didn’t. I did,”
Adrianna reminded him. “Drogan is a good man. He won’t refuse our
cry for help.”

Grayson shrugged. “I don’t
think it will matter. Nigel won’t leave without a battle between
us.”

“
And you’ll give it to
him?”

He saw the anxiety in her pale blue gaze
and, for a moment, Grayson thought to lie to her. “Aye. I do want
to fight him.”

Chapter
Twenty
‐
Seven

Adrianna waited until
Grayson’s breathing evened into sleep before she pulled her magic
around her. Grayson was determined to die, but she was just as
determined to keep him alive.

She wanted him living, not because she hoped
they could have a future, but because Hawksbridge needed him. Leoma
needed him. The tiny kernel of hope lodged in her heart refused to
go away though. Serena and Drogan had managed to break the curse
for themselves and, if only Adrianna knew how, she might be willing
to give Grayson her heart.

It’s too late. My heart is
already his.

As sad as it was, it was the truth. She
wasn’t sure when she fell in love with Grayson, but there was no
denying it. She turned her head to look at him, the worry lines now
relaxed in sleep. How she longed to tell him of her feelings, but
she dared not.

She knew he cared for her. She saw it every
time his silver gaze came to rest on her or when his arms held her
against him as he kissed her. He showed her in so many different
ways. And it was enough.

For her, it was enough.

She could never have more than she had at
that moment. Years ago she would have railed at the unfairness but,
now, she was thankful she’d gotten a taste of love. Real love, for
she knew that’s what was in her heart. She would do anything for
Grayson. Anything.

And for a woman who didn’t need a man in her
life, it showed her just how much she loved him.

One thing she could do was look into the
future. This time, there wouldn’t be any interruptions. This time
she would see all she needed to for she didn’t know if she would
have another chance.

Adrianna closed her eyes and felt her magic
hum as it gathered near her. She had only to think of Grayson and
the coming dawn for the future to flash before her.

She sucked in a breath as she looked down
from the tower at Grayson. He stood on the battlements, his black
hair tied at the back of his neck. His face was wreathed in anger,
and his silver gaze was directed at a knight on horseback outside
the gates of Hawksbridge. The knight’s shield had no markings; he
wore no colors.

Nigel.

He had the remaining seven knights on either
side of him. They were all in armor, their helms lowered, waiting.
Grayson then challenged Nigel, his voice loud and clear in the
morning light. With a small tilt of his head, Nigel accepted. Nigel
was allowed entry. Grayson waited for him, sword drawn, ready for
battle.

Nigel wasted no time in attacking, but
Grayson was ready for him. They moved almost like a dance, parrying
and thrusting, diving and rolling. And each time Adrianna saw how
much more power Nigel had.

And then Nigel tripped Grayson. A scream
lodged in Adrianna’s throat as she watched Grayson land on his back
and Nigel’s blade sink into his chest.

Adrianna’s eyes flew open, her breath coming
in gasps. She glanced over to see Grayson still sleeping. Before he
could wake, she slipped from the bed and padded to his side where
his weapons lay.

Thanks to Nigel, the priest had been cast
out of Hawksbridge, so there would be no holy blessing on Grayson’s
weapons as they had hoped. Her blessing, a magical blessing, would
be all that he would have. Adrianna just prayed it was enough.

She held her hands over the weapons, the
ancient words forming silently on her lips as she poured every
ounce of her magic into protecting the weapons and Grayson. When
the last word was spoken, she fell to the side, catching herself by
her hand before she could hit the cool stones.

Using her magic thus had taken too much out
of her. She needed rest, but she would find no sleep until Nigel
was dead. Only then would she rest easy.

“
Drina.”

She jerked her head to find Grayson staring
at her. He rose up on an elbow and held out his hand. She didn’t
hesitate in accepting it. He pulled her on top of him, their lips
met, and then desire engulfed her. It was always the same. Grayson
brought out a side of her she hadn’t known she had. And one she
liked very much.

“
Where were you going?” he
asked between kisses.

Adrianna tilted her head to the side so he
could kiss down her neck. She shuddered as he found a sensitive
spot beneath her ear. “Nowhere.”

His rigid cock brushed against her heated
sex, causing her to grind against him. He moaned and gripped her
hips.

“
Saints, I cannot get
enough of you,” he murmured against her breasts just before he
pulled a nipple into his hot mouth.

Adrianna sunk her hands into his hair and
sighed as the pleasure rushed through her to center at her sex. Her
need swelled, causing her sex to clench greedily. She reached
between them and took his rod in her hand. She loved the feel of
him, his hardness, his heat. He suckled her nipple hard, the line
between pleasure and pain blurring. Adrianna began to stroke his
length, teasing the tip of his cock.