The Lord of the Clans (32 page)

Chapter Forty-Five

She ran to him.

He crushed her against his chest, engulfing her in his vigorous arms. In fact, he squashed her so hard she was barely able to breathe, but she couldn’t have cared less. Lacing her arms behind his neck, she pressed herself against him, and clung to him as if she’d fall off a cliff.

Nerve-wracking shivers possessed her entire body when he lifted her off the floor to bury his face in the crook of her neck. Weightless in his grip, she felt cherished and worshipped. She had never understood why people sometimes talked of dying of happiness, but she did now. He held her as though she might slip from his grasp, and her heart banged from too much felicity.

The rapid palpitations made her squeeze her eyes shut while he strengthened his hold on her and moaned against her ear.

“How I have missed you, flower.”

The unbridled passion in his voice heated her blood. Pulse going into frenzied flutters, limbs shaking with ardour, she dug her fingers into his fair hair as her vision blurred with blissful tears.

“I love you so much, Cameron. Don’t ever leave me, and don’t you ever die on me again. I mean it.”

He chuckled as he loosened his iron grip and gently put her down on the floor. The gray gaze hit her with the force of a battering ram when he levelled his face to look into her eyes. As she lost herself in the silver brilliance, she understood he was her lifeline. She loved the Lord of the Clans, and she wanted to spend the rest of her days with him.

Shuddering with emotion, she released the nape of his neck. She kept one hand around his broad shoulder and lowered the other to slowly trace his scar with a tender finger. He smiled, but he didn’t let go of her before leaning over and whispering against her cheek.

“I would tear off your clothes this instant to show you the power of my affection, but it seems we have company.”

“As long as you promise to do it later.”

The sight of his clenched jaw moved her. She knew how to arouse him with a few words, and didn’t feel ashamed to use this new power. The pleasure she derived from it made her
want
to topple her giant of a man onto the bed, and straddle him like she had done under the tent.
Though not with her shaman in the same room, watching them with curiosity and interest.

“My lord, I’m happy to report Ariana is fine. I believe she may only need some nourishment.”

“Would you deal with it?”

“Certainly, my lord.
I’ll give instructions to the maids.”

“Thank you.”

Her mentor hurried past them, but left the door open as he walked out of the bedchamber to find servants. Despite his obvious need to please his liege, she knew him too well to be fooled by his submissive behaviour.

“He’ll be back as quickly as he can.”

“I know. It still might give me enough time to do this.”

Her pussy throbbed as he cupped her face in his hands. A cramp of lust seized her belly when she saw his full mouth descend on hers. He kissed her, and the firm touch of his lips melted her.

Memories flashed in her mind. The strapping muscles of his chest, the flatness of his hard belly, the length and thickness of his cock challenging her. Assailed by the vivid recollections, she moaned as he parted her lips with his tongue. She opened her mouth to let him penetrate and stroke her.

The mighty Lord of the Clans kissed her as though his life depended on it. She sensed his uncontrollable relief in the way he pressed her against him and caressed her lips. He’d almost died before finding her unconscious, before fearing she might never come back to him.

But she had, and his deep, impetuous kiss awakened powerful sensations. Her nipples hardened under her shirt as warmth tingled the inside of her thighs. She clutched his head while he ravaged her mouth with his tongue. Her body glued to his, she felt his hard-on pushing her navel. Soon it would be too late to back down, and they’d be swept away by their violent excitement.

Although the door was still wide open, he didn’t seem to care anymore. He slid his hands behind her head, and she used his movement to plunge into him even deeper. Their tongues united in a passionate dance, she trembled in his arms, as much aroused by the intense desire coursing through her body as by the sucking sounds sealing their kiss.

A discreet cough wrecked the magical instant, and they broke off to glance toward the source of the disrupting noise.

“I’m truly sorry to interrupt, but we need to talk. I must report to the king’s wizard, and some crucial matters cannot be delayed.”

Her shaman stood at the door, fingers around the handle,
a
light grin on his face belying his apologetic tone. She covered her hot cheeks with her hands while Cameron winced. He sharply turned away to stride toward the window. His back to them, he spoke in a cold voice.

“You choose your moment, shaman.”

“I apologise, my lord. I assure you my presence at this time is necessary, else I’d never have intruded on you.”

“All right.
Ask.”

“The king’s wizard and
myself
must know where the keys are.”

So many frightening events had gone on in a short time that the disc, the square, and the triangle completely slipped her mind.

The last thing she recalled was that their magic had been spent to destroy the shield, and Cameron still held them as he died. She looked at him. He squared his shoulders but kept staring outside.

“The trinkets from the temples?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“They’re gone.”

“That is most unfortunate, but probably beyond our purview. May I enquire as to how the incident happened?”

Cameron didn’t speak for such a long while that she thought he wouldn’t answer at all. Couldn’t he remember, or was he taunting her mentor with his muteness? She exhaled when he finally broke the silence.

“I think the trinkets healed me,
then
brought me out of unconsciousness. They were shining like stars when I opened my eyes. To tell you the truth, it seemed to me they were responding in some way to the magic in the fortress. Or possibly assisting, I can’t say for sure.”

He blew out a breath of air before running his fingers through his hair and turning round to face them.

“All I know is that I witnessed something incredible. I saw an intense white light blazing around the castle. It was so pure and blinding that I had to shield my eyes. Although the radiance emanated from the inside, it appeared to encompass the whole structure.”

She figured the three magical objects had saved his life right around the time she was healing the morbid disease called the Darkening. Placing a hand over her belly to appease her inner turmoil, she sent silent thanks to the Ancients and the Mighty Gods, then listened to her lover’s calm voice.

“I reckoned a fierce battle was raging on, but I also knew the magic wouldn’t let me through. This wasn’t my fight, but yours.”

A lump blocked her throat as he settled his gaze on her. Face impassive, he looked at her with so much love that her heart skittered.

“I feared for you, Ariana, more than for my own life. And I prayed you wouldn’t lose hope or faith.”

“I didn’t.”

“No, you didn’t. You’re without doubt worthy of the Ancients’ trust, for you are the bravest woman I’ve ever met.”

Her eyes watered, but even a little impaired, her vision didn’t miss the beaming pride reflected in his gaze. Rooted to the floor, she just stared at him while he resumed his tale.

“All of sudden, the brilliant light vanished. So did the trinkets. I had them in my hand, and the next instant they were gone. I wouldn’t know what happened to them, shaman. That is for you to discover.”

“By all means, my lord.
I assume the king’s wizard will be very interested in assisting me in this wondrous quest.”

“Good, but that isn’t all. I looked up, and the black fortress was altered. Although the same structure stood in its place, I knew with absolute certainty that Ariana had defeated the darkness.”

“How so?”

“Because the clouds shadowing the land began to disperse, and sunrays already struck the castle. I had to rub my eyes to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. The fortress now appeared to be made of the purest crystal imaginable. The walls, towers, and gates shone white and limpid under the glare of the sun. If I was to live centuries, that is a sight I’d never forget.”

She heard awe in his tone as he etched into words the beautiful spectacle. The recollection of the Black Fortress still fresh in her mind, she deplored missing an image that might help her leave behind a haunting memory. Yet she disregarded the regret as he carried on.

“Anyway, I got up to run toward the castle, and that’s when I realised I was back in my own body.”

Up to then, seemingly captivated by Cameron’s story, her shaman abruptly frowned. “What do you mean back in your own body?”

Chapter Forty-Six

In two long strides, Cameron closed the short distance between him and her shaman. She watched him round on her mentor without trying to stop him. Eyes cold, he appraised the smaller man.

“Don’t look so surprised. It won’t do you any good. I haven’t forgiven you for this trick you played on us, and I don’t care to hear your explanation. You shouldn’t have done it without my consent.”

“My lord, I promise I know of no trick.”

“Had Ariana died, and had I survived the injury I believed fatal, I’d have seen you hanged. You belong to a healers’ tribe. Thus you are under my authority. You ought to throw yourself upon my mercy.”

Fear crossed her mentor’s features when the Lord of the Clans’ reproach hit him. She saw the hard lump of his throat bob up and down several times before he worked his mouth.

“I am, and always will be, your humble subject, my lord. My whole life has been dedicated to healing our people, not trick them. On what is most sacred to me, I swear I can only plead ignorance.”

Faced with the displeasure of his giant sovereign, he knelt at his feet, dropped his head, and stayed in this subdued posture. The moment lengthened, prompting her to think he might not be pretending after all. Cameron stared at the bowed man before crossing his arms over his chest.

“Rise, shaman.”

The gaunt man obeyed. Beads of sweat glistened on his brow as he assumed a standing position without glancing at her. His features turned to ice, Cameron regarded him with attention.

“When we met in Frahern, you told Ariana you’d start her training in the morning but, very conveniently, you then disappeared.”

“There was nothing convenient about my departure. I chose to leave because Ariana wasn’t ready.”

“What are you getting at?”

“Had I stayed, she’d have relied on me for guidance and support instead of mentally preparing herself for the ordeal ahead. I knew she had to face a great evil, and the only way to help her was to let her confront it alone. In good conscience, I estimated she needed to feel abandoned to figure things out for herself. Else she’d have failed, and the Four Kingdoms would be no more.”

Her shocked gasp acknowledged the chastened man’s clarification. How could he have been so cruel?

“You pretended you’d train me for this battle,
then
you deliberately abandoned me? I can’t believe my ears.”

“There was no other way, dear girl. I wish I could have spared you the hurt and loneliness, but you’ve always had a habit of leaning on others, and that would have been your undoing.”

In spite of her distress, she had to admit he looked sincere, as well as sorry. The melancholy in his eyes told her that he’d acted in good faith, regardless of the fact that right now she wanted to yell at him. Swallowing a long string of reproaches, she left it to Cameron to continue the questioning.

“This is all well and good, yet you spiked our tea. As a consequence, I found myself in Ariana’s body the next morning, and she in mine. Do you still deny using magic against us, shaman?”

Her mentor wore such a quizzical air that she realised he had nothing to do with the body swap. Eyebrows raised, he joined his hands together.

“My lord, I don’t deny having a little magic at my disposal, but I use it solely to relieve people and appease their suffering. I’m flattered you’d think so highly of my abilities, yet I wouldn’t be able to sprout wings on an ant even if I wanted to, let alone exchange human bodies.”

Pins and needles seized her toes as her shaman suddenly wrenched his gaze away from Cameron to turn his eye on her.

“To the best of my knowledge, a single magic is potent enough to achieve such a wondrous feat. It is the power of the Ancients.”

“Are you suggesting Ariana is the perpetrator?”

“I am, my lord, without the shadow of a doubt.”

Mind blank, she felt like shrinking under the sudden scrutiny of both men. She wasn’t responsible for the body swap, so why were they staring at her as though she’d committed a dangerous offence?

“Would you quit looking at me like that? I didn’t do it.”

Her shaman unlaced his hands to take hold of her shoulders, and his low tone gave her goose bumps.

“Maybe not on purpose, but I’m convinced you did. Think, Ariana. You’ve complained about your lack of physical strength for as long as I’ve known you. When you ultimately admitted the Ancients bestowed their magic upon you, couldn’t you have imagined a way to use this power to become stronger? Like, say, the Lord of the Clans?”

“I’d remember if I had.”

“Not necessarily. At the time, you weren’t confident enough to dare perpetrate such a bold move, which is why I believe you did it in your sleep. The unconscious mind can be a very powerful tool.”

“This is preposterous, shaman.”

He shook his head, pursed his lips,
then
released her shoulders. While the gaunt man backed away, her lord continued to observe her with a strange, bland expression that set her nerves jiggling.

“Cameron, please stop staring at me. You aren’t going to give credence to what he says, are you?”

“I’m inclined to.”

“Why?
For the love of the Creators, why?”

“Because his presumption makes sense.”

Perhaps it did, but she still had difficulty seeing herself in the role of a mighty witch able to change people’s lives at will. Rationality dictated that she fully accepted her magic, yet she had to refrain from stomping her foot.

“It doesn’t.”

“It does. How else do you explain we were back in our rightful bodies when you destroyed the Darkening?”

“Well, because...”

Her voice trailed off as no valid reason came to mind. Oblivious of her loss of words, he answered for her.

“Because you’re the one who exchanged us in the first place.
And when need arose, when you couldn’t vanquish the evil with sheer strength, you took your magic back. Your shaman wasn’t present in the Shrouded Mountains, was he? Or do you suppose he can cast spells from a long distance?”

No, she didn’t suppose that, and the idea that she wielded so great a power dried her mouth. On the other hand, the body swap had allowed her to understand what her mentor strove hard to teach her.
Mind over matter.
She wouldn’t have defeated the darkness otherwise.

As she shuddered slightly, Cameron took the last step separating them and wrapped his arms around her.

“Don’t be scared. You’ll get used to your magic.”

“Do you think I still have it?”

“That’s a question for your shaman.”

She glanced at him over Cameron’s shoulder, but her mentor’s hesitant look didn’t tell her much.

“I’m sorry, dear
girl,
I have no answer for you. I guess we won’t know until you try healing someone.”

“Then we’d better find a wounded person. We’re in Palance, and I’m sure this castle is full of injured soldiers.”

He grinned at her, probably glad to see she hadn’t lost her sense of humour, and that his lord wouldn’t have him hanged after all.

A maid entered the chamber as Cameron loosened his grasp. She set a tray down on the table and bowed to them before leaving the room. Her stomach grumbled at the sight of roasted birds and fruit pies.

She wished her cheeks wouldn’t translate her embarrassment at making gurgling noises, but she hadn’t been fed for half a moon and the delicious-looking food called to her in an aggressive manner. As much as she’d have liked to keep discussing serious matters, she wanted to eat. Cameron clearly sensed her craving because he took her elbow to guide her to the table.

“You need strength after your long sleep. Eat, Ariana.”

She sat down with a smile, grabbed a bird, and tore its wings apart before sinking her teeth into the juicy flesh. After she swallowed her first bite, she gestured at the two men.

“Won’t you share with me?”

Although they declined, her appetite wasn’t hampered. She chewed and munched with growing satisfaction while her companions began discussing the state of the Four Kingdoms in the wake of the previous year’s war.

Far away from politics, she enjoyed the royal food until a footman appeared in the doorway and inclined his head before Cameron.

“The queen requests your presence, my lord.”

He exhaled a loud sigh, nodded briefly and then turned to her with a reassuring look on his face.

“I shan’t be long.”

By the Mighty Gods, what did this woman want with him? Were they going to argue again? Would she throw him out of her palace for disobedience? She licked juice off her lip and stared at him.

“What’s wrong? Does the queen have something against you?”

The feigned, heartening air on his face vanished to give way to severity.
“On the contrary.
She wants me to wed her daughter.”