Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Darian nuzzled the top of my head, and his breathing came in harsh rasps as he steadily arched his hips, rubbing his hard length against a place that sparked a need I’d read about and never fully understood. Hands gripping his shoulders, I met each thrust with a roll of my hips and tipped my head to kiss his throat, nipping and sucking the skin. His rhythm faltered at the scrape of my teeth, and one of his hands slid under my backside. He didn’t fumble with my skirts which had hitched higher around my thighs but gripped my arse to change the tilt of my hips.

The new angle sparked flames that licked through my insides, burning away any inhibition. I didn’t notice the lid slipping off the well, only the feel of Darian’s body moving over mine and the growing pleasure he was creating. It curled inside of me, expanding. Consuming me until I could think of nothing else but more.

“Darian…please,” I begged. For what, I knew not. Only that I needed .

Everything.

The hunger inside of me screamed its insatiability, and I opened myself to it, accepting everything Darian was willing to give me. I consumed his desire and demanded more. He gave it, moving faster.

Sweat coated his chest. I kissed his neck, my moves matching his own until that swelling ball inside of me burst.

I shattered with a cry. Waves of pleasure pulsed through me. Darian’s smooth rhythm faltered, and he let out a low, broken groan. The surges of euphoria rippling through me slowed, decreasing in intensity. Gradually, I became aware of his trembling arms and our thundering pulses as he held himself still over me.

My hands, which had fallen to my sides, rose to touch his sweat-coated sides.

“Do I owe you an apology?” I asked softly.

He gave a tortured groan and rolled us so we lay on our sides, facing each other.

“Princess, I…” He swallowed hard and brushed back the hair clinging to my face. “Did I hurt you?”

I shook my head, and with a growing smile, I asked, “Did you like my kiss?”

“Like? I loved it. When can I have another one?”

“You need to pay for this one first. Garron said a new privy needs to be dug.”

Laugher rang from the study, and Darian lifted his head to look in that direction.

“Bastard,” Darian said without rancor.

“Language,” Garron replied, not sounding as severe as he usually did.

Darian dropped a kiss on my forehead.

“I’ll haul water for a bath then start on the privy,” he said. “Will you heat the water for me?”

“Yes.”

He kissed me gently for several moments then helped me stand and straightened my skirts for me. When he turned, I hugged him from behind. His hands closed over my arms, and he held me in return.

“If I had a choice, I would never leave you, Princess. Not for a moment. Not for anything.”

I kissed his back and rested my forehead against him.

“Thank you,” I said softly.

He chuckled. “I’m happy to repeat the experience whenever you wish. You only need to crook your little fingers.” He toyed with the digits then loosened my hold to bring them to his lips, kissing each one before facing me and kissing me gently once more.

“Ask me to stay, and I will,” he said.

I was exceptionally tempted, and he saw it in my gaze.

“If you ask me to stay, Garron can dig the privy,” he added with an eyebrow wiggle.

We shared a smile, and he nodded when I retreated a few steps.

“I’ll return to you quickly,” he said. “I received the better end of the trade, Garron,” he called over his shoulder as he strode out.

I hesitantly turned toward the study and found what I thought I would. Garron leaned against the doorframe, watching me.

“Check your well,” he said.

Surprised by the unexpected topic, I did so.

“It feels different. I can’t explain how.”

“Our charms flared briefly while you were with Darian.”

I flushed. “I wasn’t focused. I’m sor?—”

“I didn’t ask to rebuke you, Snow. I was simply curious how much energy you drew and if you had a target.”

My eyes went wide. “Do you think I drew from Darian?”

“No. Not that,” he assured me. “We’re safe. I promise. I was simply curious. Come. Let’s keep working on spell theory and brew another cup of tea.”

We worked together until dusk when Liam and Edmund woke. Both could sit up. Edmund wasn’t happy with his soup or with Eadric feeding him, but Edmund ate with a little coaxing from me. Liam ate his portion of stew slowly, and I could feel the pain he tried to hide.

“Do you want more tea?” I asked.

“Please.”

“We need to apply more salve, too,” Brandle said. “Kitten, would you mind going inside and preparing the beds with Garron?”

“I can stay and help?—”

“Not this time,” Brandle said. “Daemon will help me distract the pair as we change their bandages.”

“I have just the story to tell,” Daemon said with a grin. He sat next to Liam as Garron drew me back to the cottage.

“It won’t take them long, and both will want to rest again as soon as they’re finished,” Garron said. He removed two mattresses and set them in the alcove on the other side of the shoe bench.

“Should we move the tub to make room for them before the hearth?” I asked, glancing at the fire.

“No, Darian is almost done digging and will need that bath after we help him move the privy to the new place. And it’s better to have Liam and Edmund over here. We don’t want to accidentally bump into them while they’re healing, which is why you’re sleeping next to Eadric and not Liam and Edmund tonight.”

I nodded and climbed to the loft for the extra blankets Garron said were stored in a chest. He caught everything I tossed down, and we had their beds ready by the time they shuffled into the cottage, leaning heavily on Brandle and Eadric.

Edmund paused when he saw me and looked from me to the bed.

“Garron was worried someone would hurt you in their sleep,” I explained.

Edmund grumbled under his breath and made his way to his bed. Eadric helped him lay down while Brandle helped Liam. Sweat dotted Liam’s brow as he eased onto his stomach. I sat by his mattress and gently ran my fingers through his hair.

“Thank you,” he breathed, closing his eyes.

“Tomorrow will be better for both of them,” Brandle said softly.

He left with Garron while I played with Liam’s hair. His breathing evened out after a few minutes, and I looked at Edmund, who was still awake and watching me.

“Is it true?” he asked.

“Is what true?”

“How you woke Darian.”

My cheeks heated. “I kissed him. He rolled us and did…things. I lost control, but Garron said I didn’t hurt Darian.”

Edmund closed his eyes and shook his head.

“Ah, Trouble. You’re lucky they tried gutting me.”

I bit my lip, feeling guilty as I toyed with Liam’s hair.

“Garron said I have nothing to apologize for. That I can’t hurt you and should stop worrying. So you shouldn’t be angry. Please.”

He opened his eyes to look at me.

“Angry? I’m not angry, Trouble. I’m impatient to be the one feeling your nails clawing my back as you find your pleasure with me.”

I forgot to breathe as his hungry gaze held mine.

“Three days. Then, you let me try.”

“Try?” I asked faintly.

“To make you scream like Brandle claims you did for Darian.”

Face flushed and heart racing, I tore my gaze from his and looked down at Liam. I was beginning to wonder if the brothers had been cursed because they said and did the most inappropriate things.

“I’m ready for my bath,” Darian said, striding into the cottage. His gaze found me by Liam. “That looks nice. Will you wash my hair for me? My shoulders are a little sore.”

Edmund mumbled something as he closed his eyes, and I motioned for Darian to be quiet.

“Ach, they would rather listen to us than dwell in silence with their pain,” Darian said. He came over and helped me to my feet. “Will you warm the water for me?”

I nodded and sent my energy into the water as I crossed the room to check the temperature. I’d learned to warm it in increments so I didn’t make it too hot.

When it steamed nicely, I moved to return to Liam. However, Darian caught my arms, preventing me from facing him.

“Despite the wonders we shared earlier, I doubt you’re ready to view me as I was born. Close your eyes, Princess, lest I cause you to scream again.”

“Braggart,” Edmund grumbled. “Get your arse in the water, and she won’t see anything.”

Darian chuckled and leaned around me to test the water. I scrunched my eyes closed. The splashes and hissed exhale told me he had indeed stepped around me to get into the tub.

I turned away, ready to retreat.

“Princess, will you bring me the soap, please?” Darian asked.

I opened my eyes and looked down at the soap waiting on the low stool within reach of the tub.

“No.” He quickly caught me by my skirt when I would have retreated.

“Won’t you wash my hair?”

“Wash your own hair,” Edmund growled.

“I think my brother needs a distraction, Princess. If you go to comfort him, though, I fear he’ll tear his stitches. Let me help you distract him.”

Darian tugged on my skirt hard enough that I lost my balance and went tumbling backward. My backside landed in hot water with a splash. He laughed at my gasp and let my weight settle on his lap.

“Are you mad?” I asked, twisting to glare at him.

“Mad for you. Bathe with me, Princess.”

“Don’t forget how I taught you to drive your forearm into a throat,” Edmund said.

Since Darian was expecting it, I knew it wouldn’t work. Driving my elbow into his gut instead, I pulled myself free of his hold. Water drained from my heavy skirts, leaving a trail in my wake as I strode toward the door.

“Where are you going?” Darian asked.

“To tattle,” I said.

Edmund’s chuckle followed me out.

Brandle looked up from the fire at my approach. His gaze swept over my soaked gown, and he arched a brow.

“Darian pulled me into his bath,” I said.

“Judging by your expression, you did not want to join him.”

“I did not.” The dropping temperature and cool breeze stole the lingering heat from the bathwater. “I’m wet and cold and annoyed.”

Garron approached from behind me. “I believe Darian needs a taste of his own mischief.”

I looked back at him. “How?”

“You can heat water. Can you cool it?”

Pleased with the idea, I closed my eyes and opened myself to the energy around me. It came to me as naturally as breathing now. The bathwater’s energy shone more brightly than that of the tub it occupied and duller than Darian’s. Focusing, I connected with the energy and moved the heat from his water to my skirts.

Opening my eyes, I looked down at the steam rising around me and grinned at the sound of Darian’s cursing and splashing.

Brandle and Garron chuckled.

“I believe he will take more care with the mischief he causes you in the future,” Brandle said.

Garron turned me toward the cottage. “Let’s go back in and get you changed. I’ll hold up a blanket for you.”

“Thank you.”

I hadn’t considered that the cold water would drive Darian from his bath and entered the cottage unprepared for a full view of his unclothed person. A small ‘eep’ escaped me, and I quickly whirled around to escape, only to crash into Garron.

He caught me in his arms and held me tight. “Have enough decency to cover yourself, Darian.”

“I would, but I can’t feel anything below my waist to safely move.”

“Good,” Edmund said. “Serves you right.”

“You would have tried coaxing her into a bath, too,” Darian said. “You’re just bitter that she found her release with me first.”

I covered my ears and buried my face in Garron’s chest. When he started scolding, I hummed so I wouldn’t hear any of it. I’d reached my limit for what I cared to deal with in a single day.

Garron lifted me and walked farther into the cottage. I waited until he released me to uncover my ears but didn’t open my eyes until he told me it was safe. Like a well-mannered man, he retrieved my spare shift and a towel for me then held up a blanket so I could change.

“Do you think you can heat the water again?” he asked. “The rest of us wouldn’t mind a bath.”

Tugging my wet dress free, I focused on the water’s energy and warmed it with ease.

“You’ve given me a reason to be thankful for being an invalid,” Edmund said. “I hate sharing bathwater. It was never clean by the time it was my turn.”

I empathized with Edmund. Eloise and I had often shared bathwater, but never after she’d fallen to her usual misfortunes. The muddied water she left behind would have seen me dirtier than when I started.

After considering the problem, I wondered if there was a way to clean the water without changing it. If I could use my energy to move a book and find a small seed in a garden filled with seeds, could I not locate and remove impurities from the water?

Idly drying myself, I focused on the water’s energy, searching for what wasn’t the same. Smaller than seeds and almost invisible, the impurities took more concentration to find. But I found them and separated them from the water.

“Um…what are you doing, Princess?” Darian asked from the other side of the blanket.

“Refreshing the bath? Is something wrong?” I quickly put on my shift and peeked around the blanket. A cloud of glowing dust hovered above the water.

Garron looked from the dust to me as I nudged the impurities with my energy and sent them out the door.

“It should be clean now,” I said.

Darian leaned over the water and stuck his finger in it. “Warm too.” He started tugging at his pants.

Garron threw the blanket over his head. “You had your chance.”

Darian tugged the blanket away and scowled at Garron.

“Hold the blanket so Kellen doesn’t need to go outside dressed like that,” Garron said.

Darian served as a modesty barrier while Garron got into the tub. However, Darian quit his duty the moment his brother sat. The tub, while spacious for me, didn’t accommodate Garron’s size well. His knees were almost to his chest, leaving only a little hollow of space—which explained why I hadn’t sunk any further when Darian pulled me in. Darian's request to help wash his hair made more sense. They couldn’t move with much ease.

“Here,” I said, taking the bucket. “Lean forward.”

I wet Garron’s hair and lathered it with soap. He kept his hands over his lap as I scrubbed and rinsed.

When I finished, I sat by Liam and Edmund with my back to the tub. I thought Edmund was sleeping until I touched his hair and he opened his eyes. He caught my hand and brought it to his lips. Without a word, he closed his eyes again and simply held my hand to his chest.

“I’m done,” Garron said.

“My turn next,” Daemon said, walking in.

“Wait a moment.” I repeated the process of removing the soap and other impurities. This time, when the cloud rose in the air, I focused on absorbing the energy. All of it. I watched it wink out of existence. I used the energy I’d absorbed to heat the water.

“It’s ready,” I said.

Edmund’s fingers toyed with mine as Daemon undressed and got into the tub.

“Will you wash my hair, Lamb?” Daemon asked.

I glanced over my shoulder at him.

“I refilled the buckets,” he said, nodding to them.

“Will you behave?”

“Yes. Darian already warned me how painful his ice bath was.”

I frowned. “Painful?”

“Ah, no need to worry, Lamb. He will recover and father children someday.”

Edmund chuckled, and I glanced at him in confusion. Without opening his eyes, he released my hand.

“Go help if you wish. It’s not easy bathing in that tub.”

I repeated the process for Daemon, then Brandle, and Eadric.

“Ah, this is nice,” Eadric said with a sigh as I scrubbed his hair. “I like when you touch me.” Some of his happiness faded, and he glanced at Edmund, who was finally sleeping again.

“He won’t be happy if he catches you worrying,” I said.

“I can’t help it. Edmund never gets hurt. Not like this. He’s the strong one. The fast one. He can best any of us.”

“They targeted him,” Brandle said. “They knew who our real fighter was and used Liam to distract us so they could get to Edmund.”

“So they won’t wait long to try again,” Darian said.

“Agreed,” Daemon said. “Do you know what they’re doing, Lamb?”

I paused scrubbing and let myself feel the forest around us.

“They found their companion. They’re angry. Very angry. And afraid,” I said, sifting through everything. “It’s the coin. They’re afraid we know what they’re for. They won’t attack tonight. Or any time soon. They’re going to watch and heal.”

“Good,” Brandle said. “That will give us time to heal. We’ll still keep watch as we planned, though.”

“I’ll take the first watch,” Darian said.

It took three days and another cup of tea for Liam and Edmund to fully heal. During that time, the trackers watched but didn’t make any move to attack again.

I also told Edmund of the spell Garron taught me. He was predictably angry, but at Garron. However, I didn’t distract him from his temper as the others tried coaxing me to do. Edmund’s promise hung between us every time he looked at me, and I wasn’t yet ready to repeat what had happened with Darian.

Instead, I stole Garron away to study and hone my skills until I could cleanse and reheat bathwater with barely a thought. Once I mastered that, he brought me outside to work in the garden again.

“Most casters are limited to indirect magic, which is the manipulation of energy to boost what is already there. However, I think you have the ability to cast direct magic.”

I recalled the concepts from the books Mother had placed in the attic.

“You mean blood magic?” I asked, alarmed.

“No, that is not what I’m suggesting you practice. Ever. Remember, when you cast, it’s using energy. Always. The energy source you use isn’t what defines direct or indirect magic. It’s the type of casting that defines that.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Think of the tea you make. The spell is simply enhancing the existing healing properties of the herbs used, which are then consumed by the person who needs healing. That’s an indirect cast since the magic is indirectly affecting the person consuming it. Removing dirt from the water, heating it, and growing seedlings are all indirect as the cast encourages what is already there.

“A direct cast is a spell that directly influences a person or object outside of its natural order. The barrier protecting this glade, for example. It was a direct cast and is embedded in the land.

“Focus on the perimeter of the glade and see if you can feel where it’s buried.”

Since I’d already felt the barrier, it was easy to detect its roots deep within the earth, along with the corruption of the Dark Forest. Curious, I sank deeper, searching. The wrongness of the corruption seemed endless until I finally reached pure earth.

“How deeply they must have cast,” I said mostly to myself.

“They?”

“The casters who corrupted the forest. It’s a hundred times deeper than the barrier Henry placed on the glade.”

Garron nodded. “Henry said the same. When my parents still lived, Henry dedicated his life to researching a way to lift the curse. I think that’s why he brought us here. He knew so much about this place. What other people feared, protected us.

“Now, let’s try some direct casting, shall we?”

He opened his palm and showed me a pea seed.

“We already know that you can make this grow. Instead of using your energy to nudge it to do what’s natural to it, I want you to nudge it to do something against its nature, like grow thorns.”

“I don’t know how to do that.”

“Energy and intent, Snow. Focus your energy, and encourage it to grow but according to your intent, not its intent.”

He set the seed on the ground.

“Begin.”