Love in the Fortress (12 page)

It felt so familiar to take the tray from the fortress housekeeper. How many times had Yvonne handed them to her over the years? Thousands.

Yvonne met and held her gaze, then nodded slowly, her lips curving into a soft smile. “I guess this is our last tray.”

Tears brimmed in Sandra’s eyes. “I guess it is.”

Yvonne once more wiped her eyes. “Sleep well and we’ll see you at full dark if not before. The Troll Brigade will be patrolling through the day here at Eva’s farm, so you’ve nothing to worry about. And now, I’m rejoining my family.” She waved once then slipped through the door to rejoin her family.

The stairs leading to the basement were near the front door. Sandra led the way, tray in hand. Griffin offered to carry it for her, but for some reason, maybe because it was the last one Yvonne would ever give her to carry, she wanted to complete the task.

But Griffin preceded her down the stairs, moving slowly. He didn’t want her to fall and told her to mind her gown. It was so sweet, but unnecessary. She’d carried trays to all parts of the fortress through the years and if she slipped she’d glide into levitation.

At the bottom of the steps, the landing space was surprisingly roomy and tall enough for Griffin’s Guardsman height. Clearly the home had been built to accommodate all species.

A table and two large chairs had been laid with a linen cloth and a small vase of roses set in the middle. The large, Guard-sized bed sat against the far wall with a bathroom off to the left. It was an excellent sleeping room for species caught out in the open at dawn.

Griffin stood very still, staring at the table. “This is incredibly thoughtful.”

Sandra agreed. “It is.”

Yet somehow she wasn’t surprised. Eva was, after all, her mother’s daughter.

Sandra asked Griffin to sit down and in the same way she’d served the Ruby Fae, she set everything out in the usual order. In an odd way, she felt as though she was saying good-bye to her time in the fortress.

She then brought two bottles of dark ale from the mini-fridge and placed them in front of Griffin. “I need your strength to get these twist caps off, which I hate with a passion.”

He chuckled and with barely any effort at all, he opened the beers.

She sat down and took the bottle he offered to her. He didn’t drink right away, but held his up. “To the woman I never believed possible.”

She smiled. “And to the man who controlled my dreams for months.”

His eyes crinkled as he laughed and the furrow between his brows softened. For a moment, she could see all the way into the future, to a man who eventually learned how to breathe a little. She knew she would ease him in that way as he would gentle down her grief.

He clinked bottles with her, then she took a swig, joining him.

After enjoying a meal of cold cuts and a spicy potato salad, with a few red pepper strips on the side, Sandra took her shower first. She made liberal use of the lavender-scented soap, grateful to have a strong floral fragrance to replace the old fortress smell.

When she was done, she wrapped a towel around her body, but found neatly folded stack of clothes sitting on the counter.

She opened the door slightly and saw Griffin sitting at the table, a book in his hand. “You’re reading?”

He nodded and held up the cover for her to see. It appeared to be a book on the oceans of the Nine Realms. “Something I haven’t done in a long time.” He was frowning. He’d lost a year of his life and probably wondered what else he’d missed.

“Question. What are these clothes?”

He glanced into the bathroom. She was partially hidden behind the door. “Oh. Right. Eva brought them down. She’d sent a request out to her family and neighbors on your behalf. She guessed at your size. She said not to worry if nothing fits. She’d have more for you to try on this evening.”

“I’ll be out in a sec.”

“Take your time.”

She closed the door, needing a moment. She was completely overwhelmed. The styles had changed a lot in thirty years, but the garments were basic; bra, underwear, shirts and jeans. And at the bottom of the pile was a beautiful, dark green floor-length negligee.

For some reason the sight of it made her burst into tears. This was essentially her first night as Griffin’s bonded blood rose and the thought she could be normal and have something pretty to wear for him, turned her inside out.

After a moment, she pulled herself together and splashed water on her face. She brushed out her long, damp, red hair and brushed her teeth; everything had been provided for them. She was grateful beyond words.

She slid into the negligee and though it was snug across her breasts, the rest fit her like a glove. Besides, she was pretty sure Griffin wouldn’t mind the splendid show of cleavage.

When she was better composed, she opened the door. Griffin glanced at her, his gaze sliding head to toe, and immediately stood up. He set his book down on the table, and moved toward her. “You look beautiful. Was this in the clothes I set on the sink?”

She nodded. “Yes, but it’s a little tight.”

He growled softly, holding her arms in a gentle clasp as his gaze fell to her breasts. “It’s perfect.”

He released her almost immediately. “But you’re clean and I’m not.”

He kissed her once on the lips, then headed into the bathroom, closing the door.

Sandra felt oddly nervous, like a bride on her honeymoon. She moved around the bedroom. She placed the tray outside the door with the dishes arranged neatly on top. She drew the beautiful handmade quilt back, folding it in several neat rows, then let it fall onto the bench at the end of the bed. She plumped the two large pillows. She even brought the flowers over to the nightstand, then took them back to the table, then returned them to the nightstand.

She put a hand to her chest, trying to tell herself to calm down and that’s when she realized two things. First, her heart was laden, which meant she’d made a new supply for her man, for Griffin, because she was his blood rose. And second, the nerves she felt weren’t just her own.

She sat down on the side of the bed and chuckled. She could feel Griffin and how much his excitement and anxiety matched her own.

When Griffin finally emerged from the bathroom, he had a towel around his waist. His long hair was wet, but he’d combed it straight back so that his strong cheekbones angled to form beautiful, masculine planes.

She rose to her feet.

“I can feel you,” he said.

She nodded, her lips curving. “I’m oddly nervous.”

“Me, too.”

“We’ve made love twice, Griffin, so why am I trembling?”

He drew close and planted his hands on her hips. “Because it’s a lot more than anxiety. I’m feeling your love for me at the same time and your excitement about being back in bed with me, and something more, like you’re smiling at the future.” He petted her head, then pushed her hair behind her ear. “I used to love seeing your braid dangling over your shoulder. Sweet Goddess, the sight of you first thing each evening filled me with hope.”

“I felt the same way. I couldn’t wait for you to arrive in the slaves’ dining hall.”

He smiled. “You always saved a place for me.”

“Of course I did. You were my best friend and now, well, you’re everything.”

He cupped the back of her neck and kissed her.

Sandra slid her hands up his arms. She could feel two sensations at once, how her touch felt to Griffin and the smooth strength of his biceps.

She parted her lips for him, savoring this first connection of his tongue in her mouth, sliding in and out, making a wonderful promise.

But what was this like for Griffin? All of it?

~ ~ ~

Griffin drew back, staring into luminous green eyes. Love swelled his heart, a completely foreign sensation. He was bonded to this woman as well, married to her, though the ceremony was yet to come. “I love you.” His voice was only a whisper.

“Make love to me, Griffin.” She caressed his face and kissed him. “I never thought I’d have a husband again. And maybe one day, we’ll have a family together, just as you said.”

Her words washed over him like an enormous wave, cleansing him from the dark past of his solitary life, of his imprisonment serving as a sparring partner for Margetta’s army, and from his guilt that his participation was a betrayal of his brothers-in-arms.

He started to lift her, but she stopped him with a smile and a hand on his chest. “We should get rid of a couple things first.” When she slid her hands into the tucked-in waist of the towel, his thigh muscles and abdomen tightened.

Pulling the towel apart, she let it fall to the floor. She touched him afterward, caressing his cock with her hand, then kissed him.

When she drew back, his gaze fell to her cleavage. He leaned down and took his time kissing his way to the silky green fabric.

He didn’t stay too long. “Yeah, this needs to go.” He chuckled softly and grabbed the hem of her negligee, pulling it up and over her head. He let it fall to the floor on top of his towel.

He lifted her, cradling her in his arms, then gently laid her out on the bed.

As he stretched out on top of her, he kissed her for a long time, then drew back. “You’re a beautiful woman, Sandra, inside and out. And I love you with all my heart.”

She returned his gaze, her eyes warm with affection. Her hands caressed his shoulders then his arms. “Can you believe we found something so wonderful in the horror of Margetta’s fortress?”

He shook his head, treasuring all that she was as his bonded blood rose. “It will be a beautiful story we tell our children and their children.”

He made love to her taking his time and hoping that the block walls insulated by the earth, would keep their shared moans from reaching too many ears.

He hardly cared. What meant something to him was giving Sandra pleasure in as many ways as he could. When he finally released his seed into her, his hope was that it would take root and begin the family that would anchor them in Camberlaune for the rest of their long-lived lives.

~ ~ ~

Two weeks later, Sandra stood on the front porch of the home Griffin had owned prior to his abduction. Mastyr Ian, ruler of Camberlaune Realm, had taken custody of the house when Griffin had been abducted. His intention had been to one day return the house to Griffin, should he escape whatever bondage Margetta had placed him in. Or in the event he learned of Griffin’s death, to give the home to the Camberlaune Fae Guild to use as they saw fit.

When Griffin had finally met with Ian directly and shared the details of his captivity as well as the size of Margetta’s army, Ian had welcomed him home and given him the keys to the house. Griffin had wanted to immediately rejoin the Guard, but Ian had insisted he take at least two weeks to be with his blood rose.

Griffin hadn’t protested very much, and for that, Sandra was grateful. The more she was with him, the more she craved him. In many ways, this had been their honeymoon.

She felt more connected to him than ever.

Griffin’s home was in the outskirts of the city of Mercata, in the foothills of the Venaset Mountains. Situated on an elevation, Sandra looked out at the glittering city lights of Mercata, clouded ever so slightly with her own spelled mist. Now that she’d advanced in power, she’d begun serious spellcasting especially those designed for protection. Griffin’s property was now cloaked and only the most powerful Realm-folk would be able to detect its existence. Certainly, very few Invictus pairs could ever get through the spell. If they reached it, they’d be turned back with an overwhelming sense they’d gone the wrong way.

Her fae senses told her clearly that she and Griffin were in no way a priority for Margetta.

“Sandra, where are you?” Griffin sounded like he was in the back of the house, maybe as far as the master bedroom. Their home was a single story and had every modern convenience. But it was fairly large and the distance from the front door to the bedroom was a nice trek.

“I’m on the front porch, envisioning how I want to re-landscape the slope to the driveway. Are you about ready?” She’d fed him, of course, because this would be his first night back battling the Invictus as a Guardsman.

“I’ll be there in a minute,” he called back.

She felt completely torn about his leaving. She wanted him home with her and she wanted him safe. But she’d married a fighting man and knew he had to do all that he could to keep the Realm-folk of Camberlaune safe. He’d also gown antsy over the past few days. He needed to be with his brother’s-in-arms. The war was heating up and rumors were flying everywhere that Mastyr Stone of Tannisford Realm was engaged in organizing a major offensive against the Ancient Fae. Very soon, Ian would head to Tannisford for a meeting with all the ruling mastyrs of the Nine Realms.

A week ago, when Sandra and Griffin had shared a meal with Mastyr Ian and the Ruby Fae, Sandra had felt the depth of Ian’s sadness over the loss of his second-in-command, Mastyr Ben. He’d served as Mastyr Ian’s right-hand-man for over half a millennium. Griffin had been shocked, having considered Ben one of his closest friends.

But there’d been another layer that had felt like betrayal to Sandra. She would probably never know what really happened, but her fae senses told her Ben’s death had been necessary, which made her feel sick in a way that had caused Griffin to offer a questioning brow. She’d shaken her head, doubting she would share her concerns with him. Because of the hurt in Ian’s eyes, she’d also avoided asking any other questions about Mastyr Ben.

Reuniting with Regan had been an amazing experience and a very long hug had followed along with a few dozen tears shed by them both. Regan had thanked her over and over for her bravery in getting the tower cell key to her.

Of course, Regan had known at the outset of their reunion that Sandra had become a blood rose much in the same way Sandra could detect the similar power within Regan. A long conversation had followed, separate from the men, about what it was to be a blood rose and the tremendous intimacy that had followed. The men had stood side-by-side across the room, each drinking tumblers of whisky. She’d heard snippets of their conversation, but it was all about the war and the coming meeting in Tannisford.