Yes. Such a strange emptiness.
He paused and she watched him turn into the spray so that the water hit the back of his neck. He parted his long hair and she had the best view.
I love what I’m looking at.
He shifted to look at her over his shoulder, to meet her gaze and for her benefit he smiled and flexed his butt-muscles a couple of times.
She laughed, her fingers now pressed to her lips. And for some reason, tears touched her eyes. How could she ever let a man like this go? But how could she stay?
*** *** ***
As Ethan toweled off, he tried not to think about how all he wanted to do was climb back in bed with Samantha and stay there for a decade just enjoying her.
But Finn tapped at his pathing frequency and he responded. I’ll be on my way in a few. Are we good out there?
We’ve had a red-wind sighting at a community dance over at Caldwell. I’m sending two patrols over there now. I’m going with.
I’ll join you.
You sure that’s a good idea?
Ethan’s gaze shifted to Samantha, whose eyes were closed. She looked so peaceful. I have no idea anymore.
Then sit tight and let me take a look. I’ll be there in five minutes, then I’ll report back.
Okay. Five minutes.
You got it.
Ethan ended the communication, then moved into his dressing area and put on his usual nightly battle-gear. When he opened his closet, he felt the need to thank his housekeeper, again, for how much she kept his gear in excellent shape. Several rows of leathers and woven shirts, even the a choice of long, sleeveless coats, ranged down the long metal rod. His leather boots gleamed with polish.
He tended to like extra metal on his leather pants and boots, medallions and what not. Gerrod had lifted a brow but Quinlan said he needed to be more wrecked in his choices; they were too mild for Grochaire’s mastyr.
As he dressed, he heard Samantha hop in the shower and even start humming. His woman was content. He liked that. He’d done that for her. He understood that the sweet release of sex sent a lot of good things moving through the veins.
Using the hair dryer, he worked his hair to a state of half-dry knowing that a few minutes of flight would finish the job.
But he left the bathroom as soon as Samantha emerged from her shower. She was too damn appealing to be tolerated easily right now.
He waited for her but when she was dressed in jeans and a loose green blouse, tied at her hips, he thought that clothes or no clothes, he wanted her bad. He almost opened his arms, but he saw that she had a frown on her brow.
“What is it?”
“My faeness seems to be really alive right now, but I don’t
know why. I don’t know what it means.”
He went to her and took hold of her arm. “Just go with it, go with your instincts.”
She looked up at him still frowning, her light blue eyes full of concern. “Would you go back to the conservatory with me? I think I should open up my fae-power with the crystal right now. I just sense something needs to be looked at.”
“Then that’s exactly what we’ll do and don’t worry about what’s going on out there. I’ve been in contact with Finn.”
“Okay. Let’s do it.”
He led her back to the conservatory, to the disk, and she walked straight beneath it. He moved in close behind her, his chest to her back. He slid his arms around her and he felt her engage her fae power and the latent igniting effect of the crystal as if by long habit. He knew she didn’t understand how easily she’d taken to her faeness or even how powerful she really was.
The vibrations of her realm-energy passed through him like a warm wave of healing sensation. Whatever she felt, he was given a tremendous sense of peace, even of purpose, as he anchored her in the stream of light.
She leaned her head back against his chest, which caused him to breathe deeply as he thought yet again that he never wanted to let her go.
Ethan, I’m having a vision of the dance in Caldwell.
What do you see? His heart-rate increased, thumping heavily in his chest.
The Invictus, Finn, your guard.
Do you see Ry?
No, not yet, but Ethan, I don’t think you’re going to like this.
His heart might have stopped for a moment, then pressed on with dull thuds. What?
I’m there, I’m in this vision. I’m supposed to be there.
Without thinking, he stepped off the disk, pulling Samantha with him. Of course the resulting abrupt severing of power, caused her to list. Then she grabbed her head. “Oh, that hurts.” She looked up at him. “Hey, don’t ever do that again.”
But his mind had only one-track. “I’ll stay here with you or I’ll leave a guard here with you, but you’re not going anywhere the Invictus are, now or ever, do you hear me?”
He almost didn’t believe that these words had come out of his mouth and Samantha couldn’t have looked more surprised.
“This is no time to go Neanderthal on me. Save all that goodness for later.”
Her words split his mind in two directions at once, the first taking him straight back to the bedroom, but the other reminded him of his most important purpose. “My job is to keep you alive.”
She opened her mouth then closed it. Her gaze flitted over the room for a moment. He knew she was choosing her words carefully and then he felt it, a certain odd excitement emanating from her.
“Wait a minute. What else did you see? What’s going on?”
“Ethan.” She shook out her hands in the air. “Listen, I think . . . I mean, if what I saw can actually happen, I might have the power to break apart the Invictus pairs, and to save the enslaved realm-folk, those bonded to wraiths who were forced under duress to join them.”
Ethan took both her arms in his hands. He shook his head back and forth. “But no one can do that. And you’re not even fully realm, so how can you?”
“It’s not me, Ethan. You’re with me. It’s us. We can do this thing. Together.”
“Holy shit.” He let go of her arms and moved in a quick circle. “What this would mean for our world. Oh, Samantha. And that’s what you saw?” He faced her again and held her close.
“That’s what I saw. So get me there and let’s see what we can do.”
Ethan had such confidence in her in this moment that he didn’t hesitate to contact Finn and rearrange the patrols.
Once the plans were laid, he took her to the front door, then straight into the air, heading to Caldwell.
Chapter Nine
Samantha held tight to Ethan as he flew her in a northwesterly direction, higher in the air than she’d flown before because they’d be passing a tall, rolling set of hills and covering more country than she’d yet seen. Eight Guardsmen ranged on either side of them, their long coats flapping behind, a sound that gave Samantha some comfort.