Page 109 of Bane of the Wild Hunt

I reached Summer, stopping a respectful distance from her rather than crowding her the way I was compelled to, but she stepped into me. Her hand rested on my stomach as she closed the distance between us, and I couldn’t help allowing my arms to settle around her waist. She had been wearing heavy wool and fur clothing since she came to my village, but in her cotton dress, I could feel every one of her delectable curves. My hands could not seem to help moving over her in hapless appreciation while I breathed in her scent of rain and honeysuckle. It enveloped my senses and finally soothed the fire inside me that was so eager to be unleashed in vicious defense of her.

I forgot about the orcs as she tilted her head up toward me and leaned against my torso with that smile that could ignite the spark of Light inside of me. Her wooden antlers had long ago shed the summer flowers and greenery that had grown on them when we captured her. But I noticed now the tips of new green shoots beginning to emerge.

“Gods, you feel like an inferno, Sage, are you okay?” she asked as she touched my hands on her waist before I could comment on the change on her antlers.

“I’m alright,” I assured her.

I did not want to touch her more than was necessary or excusable, especially when the feel of her was so terribly addictive to me. But gods, she was beautiful. I could not help reaching up to brush away a strand of her hair that had escaped the braid I’d created for her before the battle with the Fuath. It was now messy and frayed with mud and blood and leaves stuck in it. She had asked about a bath, and I would make sure she got one, but it was late. We were both utterly exhausted from helping my people move and then getting into a skirmish.

“I need a bath,” she said as if reading my mind, and I could not help laughing.

“I know an incredible place we can go tomorrow after the meeting with the Sua if you will wait that long.”

“If I were not ready to collapse right here in complete exhaustion, I would insist on it tonight but…” she trailed off with a shrug.

I reacted before thinking and bent to loop one of my arms around the backs of her thighs. I hoisted her up over my shoulder with a forearm locking under her ass to keep her securely in place.

“Sage!” she gasped, but then she laughed and relaxed, content to allow me to carry her back to the tent. Even my fatherchuckled and followed when I turned to lead him back to my tent for the night.

“How is everyone settling in at home?” he asked.

“Everyone is well, and Shay had her baby. A boy she named Ronan,” I informed him.

“Ronan. For your mother’s father,” he realized aloud, and I inclined my head in confirmation.

I could tell he was immensely pleased. My maternal grandfather had been like a father to my father who lost his entire family during the first war with the Fuath when he was young. My grandfather taught him everything he knew as themiotas, the keeper of lore in ourteine.

“Were our losses heavy?” my father asked after a few moments walking through the camp.

“Not as heavy as they could have been. Less than three hundred dead, but many were injured,” I told him.

“Three hundred. Still so many,” my father muttered, shaking his head before he looked up at Summer. “It was your magic that kept many of us fighting even when we might have faltered. I don’t know what you did, but it felt like I could do anything,” he admitted.

“Adrenaline,” she said, and I felt her shrug as if this were nothing when she had undoubtedly saved hundreds of lives with this power. “I channelled healing magic in its raw state into all of you to help you keep moving through almost anything and heal faster for a short time.”

“Well, it was extremely effective,” he assured us.

“Are you and Rian alright?” Summer asked hesitantly, obviously deflecting the conversation away from her.

“I believe so,” I replied and then glanced at my father. “Rian asked me to apologize on his behalf for speaking to you harshly. He does not mean that last comment to you about returning home,” I guessed.

“No,” my father confirmed, looking a little uncertain before he seemed to decide to elaborate. “Do you recall that nymph he was involved with before he met Aodhan? The one who… liked to be told what to do.”

“Yes,” I said, glancing at him in skepticism of where he was going with this bizarre segue.

“I believe he is nurturing a similar relationship with the fire witch, but the girl has been severely abused, Sage. It makes me worry for her.”

“I thought hejustwent to get her? They are already fostering that kind of relationship?” I gaped.

“He says it was her choice; it makes her feel safer not to make decisions. I suppose she is terribly overwhelmed. But Rian also admitted it serves his purposes; he desires something in his control. I know he would never hurt the girl intentionally, but I do fear the effects this may have on both of their healing journeys. He’s been clear that he does not want me prying into his affairs, but I hoped you would keep an eye on it to ensure they are safe and well,” my father admitted. “Rian is more open with you.”

I nodded, although I was not sure I wanted to concern myself with the private, romantic habits of other people. The gods knew I’d done some things that would probably worry my father as well, although I did understand this was a unique situation. Rian’s losses were still so fresh, and the witch’s abuse was evidently severe.

“I will try to keep an eye on it,” I assured him.

“I just wish he would be a little more open to healthy relationships. He could really benefit from one of those,” muttered my father, shaking his head in exasperation.

“So… Rian enjoys telling his partners what to do?” verified Summer with interest. “That sounds sexy.”

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