Page 44 of The Goddesses' Gifts

I couldn’t think of anything to say. There was no flippant or flirtatious comment waiting on the tip of my tongue. Even then, my throat was so tight I couldn’t have said more than a few words. And this time I was certain that I felt the melancholy waves of her grief lap at the edge of my awareness. Perhaps my perception of her sadness and shame before the duel hadn’t been part of Irnon’s wretched little gift.

I urged my horse closer to hers and took the reins from her hands. With a gentle command and little tug on the reins both animals came to a halt. I held my arms out to Ozanna and said, voice unsteady, “Come here, love.” She slid into my grasp, and I drew her close. She sat astride my thighs and wrapped her arms around me, nestling in against my chest.

We held each other and didn’t say anything for a long while, just taking solace in the embrace and shedding quiet tears and sniffling. There came a point, though, where the sniffles started to feel excessive. I started to intentionally sniffle right after she did. She eventually caught on to my game and returned the favor. It wasn’t long before we were trembling with giggles between sniffs and snorts, our sorrow played out.

She eventually loosened her grip and leaned back a little to peer up at me, biting her lip to stifle another slightly manic giggle. Her lovely face was blotchy and streaked while I cupped it in my hands, brushing the tears aside with my thumbs.

“You’re quite a mess,” I murmured and sighed.

“So are you.” Her voice was thick and still somewhat nasal, but she held a little grin while gently wiping my tears away with her palms. “We’re both pretty pathetic.”

“Are we now?” I laughed.

“Yes, but I’m better,” she nodded and heaved a sigh. “I got it all off of my chest.”

“Is that so?”

“Mhmm,” she wrapped her arms around my waist and offered me a heart melting, pants rending smile.

“Hmm,” I eyed her warily. “Ms. Black, are you attempting to seduce me? To take advantage of my vulnerable state?” I teased in gentle tones.

She bit her lower lip thoughtfully. “Is it really an attempt if I know it’s going to work?” she teased back.

“Bold,” I smirked and gave her a brief open-mouthed kiss. “But we’ve had a terrible few days and that was before we’d even left the chateau.” I couldn’t believe she’d even attempted it in her state, which made me wonder if she even knew how to be affectionate without involving sex. “Besides, I’d die of embarrassment if my nose dribbled on you mid-seduction.”

“Of course,” she nodded and leaned in, melting against my chest. “We can’t have that.”

I kissed the top of her head and sighed. She’d once worried that Emma’s meddling had wedded us. Had I grasped how inexperienced her heart was, I’d have considered her words with more care. She’d been robbed of a proper courtship, and I’d been too caught up in loving her to realize how badly I’d misread her worries.

“I’ll make it up to you,” I thought out loud.

“How?” she asked, sounding slightly confused by my abrupt oath.

“It would spoil the surprise if I told you now,” I scolded her gently. “I simply can’t believe you’ve gone your entire life without loving another person. Particularly when it comes to courtship. It appears men don’t understand how to curry the favor of a woman’s heart.”

“One came close, I think,” she admitted in a small, uncharacteristic voice. “A dwarf.”

A dwarf?

“Yet I’m the one with your heart,” I snorted. “Cheese and spirits don’t speak of affection, my love. I’ll woo you in ways you’ve never experienced before.” I nodded, determined. “Until we are both recovered enough for physical intimacy.”

She leaned back a little to look up at me with baleful eyes. “I don’t know how to woo you back without that.”

I smiled at her and stroked a hand over her hair. “You don’t have to woo me,” I sighed. “I was yours the moment you let me lay down beside you. But if you’re worried about the inexperience of your heart, it’s alright. While I’ve not loved another the way I love you, I do know my heart well enough to lead the way.” I kissed her on the nose. “You’ll see.”

CHAPTER 21

LOBIKNO

We hunkered down to camp at dawn. Oshruli was nervous about his first sunrise. It’s traditional to teach children that the sun is something to be feared. A massive, all-encompassing boogieman that will burn them to death. Lhoris and I had assured him many, many times it was a lie, but he was still worried. Luckily, Oz knew this stretch of the north road and guided us to a … not cave, but a hollow someone had carved out of the leeward side of a rocky promontory. It had just enough cover to keep our small group out of the sun, and probably rain if there had been any. There was even a blackened spot where a fire had been kept.

Oz slipped away to forage with Oshruli in tow, murmuring, “I’m sick to death of mushrooms. I need something green!”

Lhoris and I settled camp. I noted that he placed our bedrolls on either side of Oz’s. My stomach clenched.

I took a deep breath and reminded myself that Oz wouldn’t hurt me. But my body didn’t seem to understand. It only remembered Adukli’s torturous attention while I was unable to resist my duty to the offspring within her. I could feel the phantom weight of her sitting astride my abdomen, the burn of the red-hot nail against my throat, the stench of burned flesh as she branded me with its tip at the end of every feeding. I rubbed the blotchy field of healed burns along my left jaw and neck … thousands of little craters.

“Brother, are you well?” Lhoris asked, assessing me with his healer’s eyes.

---