Page 76 of Lord of the Hollow Court
Braam’s eyes widened. Was it true, then? The stories about the diadem—truly, Katty must have seen it. “Where is it now?” he asked, touching the crook of her arm. She was far too cold beneath his hand.
“Gone.” Katrina pressed her mouth into the red fabric of her dress. “He tricked me. He fulfilled his end, and then he justtook it.” She waved her hand in the air, her teeth biting into her lower lip. “He said it was draining the magic of the Hollow Court and that it needed to be closed, and then he did it and he just disappeared. One minute there, and the next—” Her gesture filled in the rest.
It needed to be closed.Braam closed his eyes, feeling the magic of his court around him. He’d known something was different. Perhaps it did not feel as enfeebled as before, but it was hardly restored. Still, there was a—sprynessto its magic. A vitality he had not felt in decades.
When he opened his eyes, Braam found his bride’s expression as crestfallen as before. He had the overwhelming urge to comfort her, to take that burden from her.
“Whatever is wrong with the Hollow Court’s magic,” Braam said, “we’ll repair it together, just as we’ll rebuild the court. After, if you wish to leave, that is your right. I won’t hold you here against your will.”
Brightening only a touch, Katrina nodded. “I’d rather be here. My life in Sleepy Hollow seems strange to me now—almost a dream. For all the challenges I’ve faced here, it is where I wish to be.” She smiled at him, her eyes dancing. “The company makes it worthwhile.”
“My lady,” Braam breathed. “I am more relieved to hear you say that than I can express.”
“Also,” Katrina began, the smile vanishing, “Muis said something about me being a witch.”
After spending a long moment regarding her, a laugh burst from Braam’s lips. Katty’s dark eyes widened.
“What?” she demanded. “Why is that funny? Oh, don’t laugh! I barely know what that means! Before I came here, I thought witches looked like Lula, not like millers’ daughters. I certainly don’tfeellike a witch.” She wrinkled her nose.
“My dear,” Braam said, the effort to hide his laughter causing him to snort. “Of course you’re a witch. Who did you imagine called up the storm and the Hollcat? You tapped into the Hollow Court’s magic and summoned a storm of bats! It wasyou, my bride.”
Katrina’s face slackened in horror.
“It’s nothing foul, truly. After you arrived, I had this strange idea that you’d stumbled through the woods and found yourself here for a reason. I should’ve guessed that your magic drew you here, and not that the spells protecting the court were that badly deteriorated. A normal human couldn’t have entered fae lands unescorted.”
“I wasn’t unescorted, I was chased!”
Braam shook his head, rolling it against the thick comforter atop his bed. “Unless the one chasing you was holding your hand while doing it, it was you who brought yourself into my lands. You are not without your own magic.”
A furrow formed between Katrina’s brows. She went quiet, an act that already struck him as uncharacteristic. “Is there still a geas on me?” she asked him.
Braam stroked a hand down his face, wishing he didn’t have to say it. “Most likely, yes. Until the court is restored.”
“How long will that take?”
“Who can say? But with a witch and a fae lord together—I think we have a better chance than most, Katrina.”
She grasped the bottoms of her feet. “I want to see my parents. My sister, too.”
“We’ll find a way,” Braam reassured her. “The geas won’t last forever. With you by my side, the magic of the Hollow Court will regrow a bit each day.”
She sniffed. “Time passes so quickly there.” She wiped at her eyes, then straightened, composing herself almost instantly. “I hate being this confused all the time, Adrianus, and I can’t take much more of it right now. If it’s alright with you, I’d like to get undressed and perform a quicker version of the ceremony in the Lord’s Grove, and then sleep until tomorrow.”
Braam tried to sit up but could not. “What?”
“Are you too unwell from your fight?” She reached out, tracing a coiling line through his chest hair. “I suppose we can try after we’ve had some rest.” She nodded decisively, then dropped her hand. “It’s probably best that way.”
Braam blinked at her once, twice. Then said, “Help me get undressed.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Are you certain?”
“Yes. Hurry.” He felt like a young lad with her—or at least he would, if not for the pain radiating from his hip.
Katrina laughed, pleased at his eager response, and then rose to pull his shirt over his head. The moment he dropped his arms, he drew her towards him in an embrace. One that ended in a passionate kiss.
The feel of her lips atop his wiped his mind of every anxiety. In that instant, he was sure she was a perfect creature, as meant for him as he was for her. As she wriggled out of her dress, passing it over her head instead of fumbling with clasps, she grew more perfect, her plump breasts falling into place with a delightful shiver.
He reached for her, bidding her to come closer, even as he rushed to unfasten his trousers.
