Page 94 of A Baron of Bonds
“I know.” He pulled me closer to him. “We’re moving on from it. Don’t dwell. Just be here with me.”
I took a deep breath with him, my hands on his chest, feeling it expand slowly over my fingers. I glanced over his shoulder, eyeing Talon and Ilyenna approaching hand-in-hand. “How much trouble are they in, Baron of Felgren?”
He looked behind him and murmured, “Plenty.”
“And what will be their punishment?”
“Cleaning out the lumen den…and Pompeii.”
“Pompeii?”
“Yes. They will take care of his every need for a week at least. They will wait on him hand-and-foot until he is well, and then they will continue to do so until I feel they’ve gained some contrition for their impulsivity.”
I giggled into his shoulder. “And what about me? What is my punishment, now that we’re home, for my impulsivity?”
His lips brushed mine, then moved across my cheek, the curve of my jaw, his warm breath on my ear as he whispered, “You’ve suffered enough, Karus. Though, I have some ideas on ways you could take care ofmeif you still wish to atone.”
I closed my eyes and tilted my head, wanting and needing more of his heated words that left me in a puddle at his feet.
“How far do we have to travel to get to the Fortress?”
Philius’s question jolted my current melting into my lover’s arms, and I blinked at him for a moment as Revich sighed and drew back from my neck.
The Prince and Mychael each held a handle of his wooden trunk as they lugged it through the trees.
Mychael’s rich brown eyes were darting along every surface of the forest, taking in its immense beauty. I wondered if he could hear the whisper of it calling to his magic and settling itself into his very bones as it did on my first visit to its thread of life.
Philius only looked at me, the small frown on his lips he had held since we’d left Hyrithia ever present still.
“Karus and I will walk with you, if you’d prefer. It will take most of the day to arrive at the Fortress without riding a lumen.”
“Why can’t we ride lumens, then?” Philius asked, setting his end of the trunk down on the path.
“A lumen cannot carry that trunk and you. You also have not bonded to any of the lumens yet, and I think a long walk through this forest will be good for you.”
He crossed his arms and grumbled, “Don’t you have magic or something that can carry this to the Fortress? I’ve seen Karus use hers to carry heavy items throughout the castle. Don’t tell me your magic doesn’t work that way.”
Mychael tuned into the conversation and grimaced, the lines of his forehead creasing.
I bit my tongue and let Rev handle it. I’d said enough to Philius in the past two days to go another week without having to argue with him again.
Revich slipped his hands off my waist, but not before giving me a squeeze and slid them into his pockets. He stepped toward Philius. “There are four of us here with enough power to lift your trunk. Though, I see this as an opportunity for your first lesson.” He addressed the channelers, “Talon, Ilyenna, please take Parvus and Rauca back to the Fortress, and inform the staff of our arrival by sunset.”
They nodded and called the lumens to them, Talon helping Ilyenna onto Parvus before he climbed onto Rauca’s back.
“And please inform Pompeii that he is not to help in preparations for our arrival. He is to rest, and I will see to him first.”
They nodded and Rev added, “If he is in need of anything, you two will see to his requests. For a week.”
Talon looked relieved more than anything and Ilyenna responded, “We’d be happy to, Baron Revich. We will do what you ask and see you this evening.”
They whistled to the lumens and they were off, the pounding of the massive beasts’ paws thundering over the dirt path.
Rev returned his attention back to Philius. “If you’d like to reach the Fortress without needing to carry your trunk, you’ll have to work with Mychael and summon your power to do so.”
Philius huffed. “How?”
Rev shrugged. “It’s simple, really. Stand on the ground that feeds your power and let it fill you with the knowledge you need. Felgren speaks to each channeler and conduit in different ways. You must discover how it speaks to you.”
