Within (Walk Through Shadows Book One)

Chapter Nineteen

Each night, following her surprise visit to his room, after finishing her duties, Ceri would slip upstairs to Deamol's waiting arms. Both knew their time together was limited and wanted to take advantage of every second they had. Sleep could wait.

Deamol showed her again and again how being loved by a caring male should be. Kind, attentive, giving, thorough, and at times playful. He took her to heights of pleasure she'd never experienced before, then restrained his lust for her while she explored his body and learned about the male response to a females attention.

In the quiet moments, been their passion, he regaled her with stories of his travels with Roldan. She laughed along with him but didn't volunteer much information about herself. He didn't push for details of her past. He'd seen enough during his service to recognize the after effects of abuse.

As dawn approached Ceri would slip downstairs to the storeroom, get ready for the day, and then appear in the dining room as Edgar started making noise in the kitchen. If he is was aware of her night time activities he didn't mention it.

The princes noticed the change in Ceri's mood but wisely chose not to comment on it. Deamol took his lead from Ceri and didn't make any overt gestures to indicate their relationship had changed.

As Deamol had predicted it took a week for Rayne to memorize the spell and begin experimenting. After three full days of trying she pronounced she was close. That night Deamol asked Ceri to come with them when they left.

She refused. Deamol, very gently, asked again.

"What would I do there?" she asked softly as her fingers traced the scars marking his chest.

He caught her fingers. "There are inns that, I'm sure, would love to have such a hard working lass."

"I can't," she murmured. "You'll be with your prince. I'll be alone, surrounded by faerie."

"I would visit whenever I could and once the unrest in the borderlands settles I can retire from my position." He pressed his lips against her hair. "We could buy a piece of land, raise chickens and goats, have a few little ones..."

"That's a lovely dream but it could be a long time before things settle," she whispered. He knew she had made a good point. Even with the plans Roldan had started to put into place, it would years for the seeds of peace to bloom.

"Lass, do you believe in true mates?" he asked softly.

She snorted. "That old wives tale?"

"You don't believe that Alasdair found his true mate in Isabelle?"

"I think he loves her deeply but do I believe they were fated to be together?" She shook her head. "No, I don't." She pressed a quick kiss in his chest then sat up. Deamol sat up then eased out of bed with her. She pulled her dress on quickly then turned to kiss him. He held her in his arms till she pulled away with a little laugh. "I'll see you at breakfast." She slipped out into the hall and left him standing there, staring at the door as it closed.

"I believe," he murmured.

* * *

After breakfast the trio made their way to the Rayne's little house to wait for her to announce a success or failure. She closeted herself in the back room while the males took up residence in the front room and tried to keep themselves occupied while they eavesdropped on her. The work on the rest of the house had already been completed so they didn't have much to keep them busy. Several times Haelan had to stand in the doorway to keep Alasdair from disturbing Rayne. Everyone knew that, should he chose to, he could easily have removed him from his path but he just sighed, left him unmolested, and went back to pacing around the small room.