Blazing Earth (5 page)

His flesh fit in her tight sheath and she let out a gasp and then a moan as he filled her completely. He wanted to pause and savor this moment of joining, but now she urged him on with words and by meeting his every thrust. He let go of his control and did as she asked—he took her. Deep. Fast.

Their cries mingled and echoed in the small cottage. He marveled at her uncontrolled reactions to him, to this, for it was the opposite of the way she behaved in front of others. Here, together, there was nothing to hold back her response to their pleasure.

Tolan had missed everything about her while away from Amesbury on the lord's business. Not just these physical acts, but also the way she smiled when she greeted him. Especially when she came upon him unexpectedly and her brown eyes lit at the sight of him. He loved the way she saw to the needs of the injured and sick of their village, her touch gentle and her care thorough and competent. More than competent, she was as successful a healer as he was a farmer.

Though the fires of passion exploded into being several more times that night, it was as the light of the morning sun began to creep into the lower edge of the sky that Tolan knew the truth. Elethea was the woman
he wanted in his life. The woman he wanted as his wife, to be at his side and in his house and bed . . . but most importantly, in his heart.

The miles that he'd crossed and the days away from her had made that clear to him. He'd remained unmarried since Corliss's death those years ago and he'd raised their son on his own, believing that the call to his other duties might come at any time. Now, though, as the signs grew and the whispering voice had forced him to accept the reality of it, he knew he must have her at his side through whatever was coming.

At her side, he could protect her from the danger that grew and would surround them. And at his side, her presence would give him the strength he needed to face these unknown challenges. He had faced the fact that he wanted to marry her and marry her before Lord Geoffrey could, in any way, interfere. He only prayed Thea would say aye.

As the sun's light crept in through one window, she roused in his embrace, sliding her leg over his and smiling a soft, satisfied grin. He held her close and tried to think of the perfect words to say to her. Her gaze narrowed on his and she spoke first.

“What is it, Tolan?” She reached up and caressed his brow and cheeks with her fingers. “Is something wrong?”

“Nay, Thea. All is well.” Tolan eased back just a bit, still keeping her near, but with enough room to speak. “I have a matter to discuss with you. That is all.”

“This sounds serious.” Thea pushed up to sit, her
long brown hair flowing over her shoulders and pooling on her lap. It hid nothing of her charms from his sight.

“It is serious. It is a matter of marriage.”

From the hint of a frown, quickly hidden, Tolan suspected that the topic did not please her and her answer would not please him.

Thea tried to pull away from him and from this topic, but he would not allow her to do so. He did not force her and yet he slid his arms around her, holding her close and not releasing her. She tried to tamp down the panic that always rose within her at the mention of marriage.

“Thea,” Tolan said quietly as he did let go of his hold on her. “Stay,” he urged in that voice that she wanted to obey.

“We both have duties that call us, Tolan,” she said. Sliding from the bed and gathering up the clothes that lay strewn around the chamber, Thea began her morning tasks as she always did.

The silent reply made her more nervous than if he'd yelled or berated her as Jasper had when he was angry. Glancing over her shoulder after she'd pulled on a clean shift, she saw him lying there naked, with his hands tucked behind his head, just watching her.

“What misgivings you have—are they about me or being married once more?” he asked. She wasn't sure if it was his insight or memory that made her more nervous.

“I do not wish to discuss it,” she said, quietly but with determination in her voice. She must bring this to an end. It would stir old memories and old hurts better left buried deep and untouched. “I have no complaints about how things stand between us.”

Those words caused him to climb from the bed and stand before her—closely before her—in a matter of seconds. Part of her wanted to back away. Another part wanted to issue words of apology and beg for . . . Thea took a deep breath and shook her head. She must not let the past live once more in her life.

“You never speak of how things are between us, Thea.” He glared at her, angry for the first time she could remember. “You never ask for anything of me, but that,” he said with a glance at the bed. “Do you never wish for more? To stop sneaking from my bed to yours and to stand together before the others in the light of day?”

Did she want for more? Since their first time until now, she'd not thought on anything past the pleasure they shared. She could not think on anything more. The bed play was the only thing that broke through the numbness she'd wrapped herself in for so long. She'd offered him only the use of her body because she had nothing else to give him.

“Is that what you want, Tolan?” she asked softly, unable to give him even a reply to his question.

Tolan opened his mouth to speak, but a loud knock on the door interrupted whatever he'd planned to say. He tugged on his trews and shirt and waited for her to open it. Thea pulled a gown over her shift and walked to it.

“Someone might be hurt,” she murmured as she lifted the latch. “Oh, good morrow, Kirwyn.” Tolan's son stood there.

“Is my father within?”

“Aye. Come in,” she said. Tolan's son knew how it was between them. Though they never spent the night in Tolan's house if Kirwyn was there, the boy was old enough to understand about his father and her.

“I heard that you'd returned last evening,” Kirwyn said. “But you did not send word to Githa.”

“Good morrow, Kirwyn. Aye, I returned late last evening and thought you would already be abed.” Tolan walked to his son and hugged him. This showing of affection was one of the things she liked about him. “Is something wrong?” He stepped back and searched his son's face as though the answer would be found there.

“Lord Geoffrey's man came for you.”

“Did he say what it was about?” Tolan asked as he pulled on his boots and found his belt and cloak.

“Nay. Nothing more than you are summoned this morn to wait on Lord Geoffrey.” Kirwyn missed nothing as he watched his father dress and ready himself.

“You must eat first,” she said. “Have you broken your fast yet, Kirwyn?” Boys of his age were always hungry, Thea knew. “Sit, I will get you both something to eat before you are on your way.”

She poured water into cups for them and gathered together some cheese and bread and some dried fruits. It took little time to make porridge and soon they were all eating. Though she tried to catch Tolan's eye, he was avoiding her gaze. She did not forget his interrupted anger and knew it had not gone away. This meal was consumed in an awkward silence, broken up by only Kirwyn's questions about his father's trip with the lord. Curious also, she listened to their conversation.

Soon, they finished eating and it was time to take their leave of each other. Others in the village and at the keep waited now on both of them, so Thea began gathering her supplies for the day. Tolan stood and carried their bowls to the washing bucket before nodding at the door. Kirwyn thanked her before lifting the latch to leave.

Just as he stepped to the doorway, Tolan turned back and strode back to her. Grabbing her by the shoulders, he pulled her into his embrace and kissed her until she was breathless again. While still holding on to her, he leaned back and stared into her eyes.

“Aye. I want more with you. I want you day and night. I want you to be at my side before all the others, not hiding away. I want you to marry me, Elethea.”

His words sounded like pledges, promises made to consecrate a future together. Just like marriage vows. Before she could say anything, he kissed her again, possessing her mouth and taking her breath and almost her will.

Then he was gone, the door slamming behind him as he walked off with Kirwyn toward their cottage.
She slid to her knees, weakened by the strength of his passion and by what he asked of her. Thea leaned forward and touched her forehead to the floor, curling over her legs, trying to sort through the conflicting feelings and thoughts that raced through her heart and her mind.

She lay there for some time before the sunlight pierced through the dark chamber's window and fell on her. It illuminated the floor around her and she watched as dust sparkled in the air before her. Though the light was not hot, her body began to pulse with heat. Her skin glowed and she leaned back on her heels to examine it.

It had to be some kind of illusion. Truly, her skin could not glow like the light of the sun. Holding her hand up before her face, she blinked and blinked again, trying to make sense of what she was seeing and feeling. Her sleeve slid down from her wrist and exposed her forearm where the bandage had fallen away.

The red area had not responded to the salve she put on it. Indeed, it had grown larger and darker. When the sunlight touched it, it began to shift before her eyes. The redness swirled around and around until it was a circle, a disk-shaped mark there. It burned much like skin that had touched fire, but this did not blister. The area reached a certain size and shape and then continued to pulse as though alive.

Thea pushed to her feet and stepped out of the light, into the shadows of the corner of the chamber, suspecting that the stronger light was causing her eyes to be false to her.

Her skin yet glowed and the mark continued to shift and glimmer and burn as though the sun lived there on her arm. She touched it with her finger and she could feel no difference there. Thea wanted to observe it more, but a call came from outside, forcing her to forget the mark.

“Elethea!” a man called out loudly. “Elethea!” She pulled the door open to find Rolfe there, agitated and sweating. “I pray you, please come now. Linne is bleeding.”

She paused only long enough to grab her basket and then followed the large man along the path to his cottage. His mother stood at the door, holding it open so she could enter.

“What happened?” Thea asked as she ran to Linne's side. The young woman's body was shaking as tremors moved through her. “Linne!”

She reached out and turned Linne's face to her, but the woman was not conscious. Without delaying, Thea tugged Linne's gown up and carefully felt between her legs. Blood, too much blood, poured out there.

A sinking feeling took hold of Thea, making her throat burn as she realized the young mother would not survive such bleeding.

“Please, Elethea. Please save her,” Rolfe pleaded. He paced behind her, carrying the babe in his arms now. His mother stood ready to help.

Trying to gain control over herself, she took in a deep breath and let it out. What could she do? Packing would not help stop such bleeding.

“Elethea! Do something!” Rolfe bellowed. His deep voice and distress woke up the babe, who cried loudly. At least the baby was strong. If she could not help Linne, at least the babe would live.

Then, although Rolfe continued to beg her, the sounds all faded away. She waved him and his mother away and peered at Linne. Thea's hand remained on the woman's thighs, which, like the rest of her, were growing colder and colder as she bled her life away. She needed to keep her warm. Placing her other arm—the one with the new mark on it—on Linne's belly, Thea thought about the sun's heat.

How her skin had heated as the sun touched it.

How her skin had glowed with the sun's light.

Spreading her fingers over the still-extended womb, she thought about sharing that warmth. She thought about sending it deep within the woman to end the bleeding that would kill her soon. Thea thought about sending the life force of the sun into the dying woman to keep her alive.

She did not remember closing her eyes, but when she opened them, Thea saw that Linne's whole body glowed as Thea's own skin had earlier. And the bleeding stopped flowing onto her hands under Linne's gown. Thea remained still for several minutes, praying that the bleeding had truly ceased. Then she slid her hand out and wiped the blood off it.

“Elethea?” The whisper caught her by surprise, for Thea thought herself still caught up in the strange silence.

“Linne, you are awake. How do you feel?” Thea slid closer and knelt by the woman's side, taking her hand.

“I feel warm,” she said softly. “I was cold, so cold that I could not stop shivering. But the sun came out and now I am warm again.” Glancing past Thea, Linne frowned at her husband. “What is wrong, Rolfe?”

“I thought . . . I thought . . .” The man could not get out the words to explain what had happened. “I know not what happened.”

Rolfe stared at her and Thea wondered what he'd seen. She could not explain it, either, but it seemed as though something moved through her into Linne and stopped her from dying. But that was not possible. That would be . . .

Dangerous.

Women were thought to be in league with evil if things such as what had just happened were spoken about. Women were killed over such matters.

“I placed some herbs and bandages in as a packing, Linne,” she said quickly. A complete lie. “You must rest until I return on the morrow to remove it. I would not want the bleeding to begin anew.”

“You will rest, Linne,” Rolfe repeated. “I will not lose you.” It was an order given with such love that tears came to Thea's eyes as she heard it.

Thea stood and shook out her gown, blood staining the front of it now.

“Can she feed the baby?” Rolfe's mother, Hilde, asked from where she stood.

“Aye,” Thea said, nodding at Hilde. “But she must
remain abed until I return on the morrow.” Hilde crossed her arms over her chest and nodded. Thea knew that no one would disobey Hilde when she was in charge.

Thea tossed one of the lengths of cloth she'd brought with her over her basket and walked to the door. It hid the fact that none of her rolls of bandages had been used. And that her herbs remained untouched.

She left and walked aimlessly up the path of the village. Her mind could not figure out what had happened. Well, she knew what had happened—Linne had not died when she should have. But the how and why of it were the true mystery.

Thea thought on what had happened and realized that, for the first time after a birth or healing, she had not grown overheated. Usually by now, she was seeking out a cool place or the cold water to temper the increasing heat within her. Yet, just now, it was Linne who spoke of the heat.

What had happened to change this pattern?

Her talent for healing had always been strong. Though her mother taught her the way of it, Thea had gone on and learned how to do much, much more. Some treatments and concoctions just seemed the right thing to do or make, while others were learned through observation and trial. Her skills at delivering even the most difficult births and keeping both mother and child alive had put her much in demand.

And Jasper had hated her for it.

He'd hated that she gained attention for being something other than his wife. He'd hated that she'd
answered every call, no matter the hour of day or night, refusing no one in need. He'd grown to hate her. She shivered then as memories of his hatred rose from the place within where she tried to keep them.

The only good thing was that their marriage had only lasted for three years. Longer than that and Thea doubted not that she would be the one buried in the graveyard next to the church instead of Jasper.

Shaking off the past, she walked back toward her cottage, needing to change her gown and wash before the day was full upon her. When someone called out her name in greeting and she glanced up to reply, she saw Tolan on his way up to the keep. He walked with purpose, for he was an important man to Lord Geoffrey.

Important enough to accompany the nobleman on this recent journey. Indispensable to the success of the lord's lands. Too important for a woman like her to marry. If she had not had her own reasons to avoid marriage already, then Tolan's status and importance gave her additional ones.

Thea made quick work of changing out of the bloodied gown, washing the worst out of it and dressing in a clean one. With her basket and satchel filled, she felt ready to follow through on her plan, the one she'd set for herself when Jasper died.

She would use her skills and talents for the benefit of those living here and never expect more than the joy that it gave her. When she had first married, she expected to have children, many of them, but Jasper's beatings had taken away her ability to have them. So
she would find joy in bringing new life into the world for others.