Page 77 of Their War

We watched with bated breath as she walked forward, head held high until she stood before the Chieftain. “Rhowyn,” she said with a nod of her head.

“Chieftain Revna.” Rhowyn bowed slightly before rising to meet her eyes.

“It is my honor to grant you access to the waters before you. The one thing we ask is that you keep the waters pure, which is why we had you bathe until all the impurities had been washed from you. Now, I must ask that you disrobe and enter wholly yourself into the waters. From there, it is on Avalonia to grant you the final request.”

“Thank you for this,” Rhowyn told her. Moving to the shoreline, Rhowyn then lifted a hand to push down first one strap and then the other, letting her dress drop from her body. I clenched my fists at the thought of her revealing herself in front of all those who were present. Anger coursed through me at the thought of her having to do this while she was clearly uncomfortable with nudity.

Holding myself back, I heard a growl. I threw out a hand to stop Callum from storming over to Rhowyn like I so desperately wanted to do. “We can't interfere.”

“Listen to him,” the warrior said, his eyes narrowing in threat. “This must be done.”

Callum turned his back to the sight, but my eyes remained glued to the curves of Rhowyn's body as she stepped into the water, the ground sloping slowly. I watched as the water caressed her ankles, then her calves, her thick thighs until it cupped her ass. As she moved forward, the water covered her until nothing was visible except her shoulders and head.

I watched as she took a deep breath and then sank beneath the surface of the water. Fifteen seconds passed, then thirty, then a full minute and still the surface remained undisturbed. No movement was evident. It was then that I started to get nervous. Two minutes, and then five passed. Each second ratcheted up my anxiety until I nearly trembled with the effort of holding myself back.

“Is this normal?” Lennox demanded from the warrior.

The Chieftain turned to glare at him. “It takes as long as it must. She's in Avalonia's hands now, and there's nothing we can do to alter course.”

Lennox clamped his mouth shut as we continued to wait. Ten minutes now passed, and I was shifting from foot to foot, my body demanding I act, that I throw myself into the water and pull Rhowyn out forcefully, however I must.

Just as Callum pushed his way past me, intent on doing just that, Rhowyn's head burst from the depths of the water, gasping for air. She appeared unharmed, but now the question was, had she succeeded in obtaining the water we needed?

Chapter Forty Five: Rhowyn

My lungs screamed at me as I surfaced from the dark depths of Avalonia's waters. It had only felt like I was down there for a few seconds, but my screaming lungs and desperation for air told me otherwise. Gasping, I slicked my hair back from my face, a flask banging into my forehead as I did so. I'd entered the water with nothing, but now, I was holding the metal flask. Looking at it, I could make out intricate lines and swirls etched into the exterior. I knew then that she had granted my request.

I bowed my head, giving her silent thanks before I started to slowly walk my way toward the shore, eager to get out of the frigid waters. My toes sank into the sand as I pushed my way forward. Each step became easier than the last as the water receded. My skin erupted with goose bumps, the air chilling me even further. Before I could take a single step further, warm arms encircled me, squeezing me tight. I melted into his embrace, leather and spice enveloping me and bringing me home. “I've got you, Trouble,” he whispered into my ear.

I gripped his shirt into my fists, struggling to keep my composure as I fought the tears that wanted to spring forth. Being so easily accepted by him made the pain of Brannoc's rejection all the more real, leaving me cut wide open, my heart raw and bleeding.

He squeezed harder. “It's okay. You're safe,” he told me, before relaxing so that I could breathe again.

Opening my eyes, I found Lennox watching me closely, a hand held out with his shirt. I took the proffered clothing, thankful for something to cover me more completely than the gown I had worn before entering the water. I snuggled into the scent of him as Callum begrudgingly let me go, letting me hug Lennox.

Then it was Baer who swept me up in a circle. “You did it, Killer,” he whispered, a beaming smile on his face as he kissed the tip of my nose. His grin was infectious, and I found myself smiling.

When he placed me on the ground, it was Arryn's turn to greet me. He grabbed me by the front of my shirt, dragging me against him as he kissed me thoroughly, leaving no doubt for anyone that I belonged to him. He relinquished me just as quickly, but the suddenness had me swooning. Lennox's arm snaked out and steadied me, a hand resting on my hip as I turned to face Chieftain Revna. She was beaming, joy and delight evident on her smile. “I see you were granted your request.”

Holding the flask in question up for her viewing, I said, “It seems so.”

“What took you so long?” Baer asked. “We were just about to go in after you, Avalonia be damned,” he admitted.

“How long was I in there?” I asked, a shiver running down my spine. Lennox's arms pulled me closer into the warmth of his body as he rubbed a hand up and down my side, trying to warm me.

“Fifteen minutes,” Callum growled, unhappy with that fact.

“With access to my magic, she could easily stay under for much longer,” Baer reasoned.

“When entering the waters of Avalonia, magic is not allowed,” Revna stated matter-of-factly.

“What?!” Lennox snapped out. “You mean to tell me that she was down there that whole time without any magic?”

“Yes. She must rely only on the grace of Avalonia to provide for her. Such is the risk of petitioning her,” Revna said forcefully, unhappy that Lennox was questioning the process.

Placing a palm on his chest, I rubbed back and forth, trying to ease his discomfort. “Look, I'm okay. I knew I would be. Why would Avalonia choose me as the next Queen only to let me die now? It wouldn't benefit anyone.”

“It still doesn't make me feel better that you were out there all alone at her mercy,” he grumbled.

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