The Duke and the Dryad (Elemental Series) (5 page)

She knew she should control her
anger. When she didn’t, things could happen. Sure enough, a limb from the tree broke off and hit Lord Wolfe on the head. He looked dazed for a moment, then stood so quickly he almost fell over.

“God’s eyes, what’s going on around here?” He looked up to the tree and then
back to her. “I don’t know how, but you did this, didn’t you?”

“I don’t know wha
t you mean.” Satisfaction pursed the corners of her mouth in an upward position. She hadn’t intentionally wanted to hurt the man – or did she? Either way, she couldn’t control her powers of telekinesis. When she got angry or excited, she was able to move things with her mind, whether she wanted to or not.

“You are some kind of witch, aren’t you? Or mayhap a demon or a pagan goddess of some sort.” He rubbed his head and she knew that branch hit him hard and he’d be hurting by this evening.

“I thought you didn’t believe in magick,” broke in Sir Braden.

“I don’t,” he said, then looked back to her. “Or
I didn’t think I did. What are you, some sort of sorceress?”

“She’s an elemental, my lord, just as I’ve told you.” Juturna
reached over and helped her brush the dirt from her ornate gown. “What is your name, darling?” she asked.

“I am Rae-Nyst.
I am an elemental and guardian of the forests of Manterra.”

“I told you, they are my forests,” remarked the duke.

“I have seen another like you,” said the old woman, ignoring Wolfe completely. “Her name is Brynn-Riletta. Mayhap you know her?”

“Brynn!” exclaimed Rae. “She is my friend, but I haven’t seen her since the four elementals became s
eparated many years ago.”

“There’s more of you?” gasped Sir Braden.

“Aye,” she explained. There are four guardians of the elements. Fire, Earth, Air and Water.”

“Enough!” Wolfe, noticed the crowd coming closer. He didn’t need to feed the fire already brewing within his castle walls by letting them tell tales in front of the onlookers.

“Now I’ll have no
more of this talk of witches or magick again.”

“Elementals,” said Rae
-Nyst. “There is a difference.”

“Not in my book there isn’t. And now that you’re mine and will be staying at the castle, I’ll expect you to obey and abide by my rules.”

“What is he talking about?” asked the healer.

“’Tis true,” explained Rae. “I have been traded for a bull. And now Lord Wolf
e expects me to pull his plow, serve his meals and warm his bed.”

“Is thi
s true, my lord?” asked Juturna in a voice that sounded as if she thought he was a horrible person.

Wolf
e could hear laughing behind him now and even his captain of the guard could not keep from grinning. He didn’t need people ridiculing his choices. He’d had that ever since he was a child and would tolerate it no more. He was a duke now, and he alone had the power to stop this. Aye, he would show his people that he stood by his word, and no one would ever laugh at him again.

“T
he back field needs plowing,” he told his bull’s replacement. “And after that, I’ll expect you cleaned and at my side for a meal. And tonight you’ll warm my bed.”

The courtyard
’s laughter turned to silence. Both the old woman’s and Sir Braden’s mouths hung open and the girl’s eyes opened wide as well. But no one said a word.

“That’ll be all for now,” he said
in satisfaction. Then with a slight nod to them and also to his people, he continued. “You can all get back to work now, and you, my servant sprite, are dismissed.”

Chapter 3

Rae stood behind the wooden plow in the field, with several peasants by her side. Lord Wolfe’s demesne was quite large, and his fields too big to expect anyone to plow by hand. Juturna had decided to stay at the castle for a while to tend to Rae’s health, even though her strength was mostly regained. The seer insisted on coming with Rae to the fields, telling the duke she had to monitor her actions. Since Rae felt uncomfortable in the dukedom, and especially in Lord Wolfe’s presence, she was secretly glad for the company of the kind, old seer.

“He can’t expect you to pull a plow,” Juturna said disgustingly
, a scowl on her face and her hands on her ample hips. “What kind of a man is he, anyway?”

Rae had been wondering that herself, but she knew
warriors never backed down from their words. She was sure he did it, if only to prove a point. A man like him was powerful in his own right, and also very proud. She’d heard the inhabitants of his dukedom laughing and talking behind his back. That had to bother him immensely. And losing a prized bull to a bunch of druids, she was sure, did nothing for his morale either. She also entertained the idea that he possibly felt threatened by her and her powers. Good, she thought. He should. She could call nature to her aid whenever she needed, and there was naught he could do to stop it.

“’Twas a deal we made,”
Rae explained, “and tho I was more or less tricked into it, I intend to follow through with the promise. I was the one who stole his bull, and the druids were the ones who killed it. I don’t feel right about that, so now I will give him what he wants just to suffice him.”

“We will help you plow the field,” said one of the peasant men. “’Twill be nearly impossible without the aid of the bull.
If we all help you, it could possibly be completed today.”

“No need,” she said with a smile. “But thank you all the same.” She dismissed
the men, though grateful for their gracious offer. They walked away shrugging and shaking their heads.

“You should have taken them up on the offer,” said Juturna.
“I don’t know what you were thinking, child.”

“Nay,” she answered, scanning the work to be done as she spoke.
“They would only be punished for helping me in the end. I can’t have that on my conscience too.”

“But you can’t pull a plow, sweetie. And
this field is so large, ’twould take most the day with a beast of burden to do the work for you.”

“I’m not going to plow it,” she said with a laugh.
“I agree that notion would be insane.”

“But won’t Lord Wolf
e be angry when he finds you’ve disobeyed him?”

“Nay, because I won’t be disobeying Lord Wolfe.
The work will be done – and by me, but not by the sweat of my brow.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Just watch.” She took a few deep breaths and then raised her hands to the sky. She threw back her head, letting the sun shine on her face and the wind blow through her hair. And when she felt the vibrations of the earth running through her, she asked for the help she needed.

“Earth beneath me, come to my aid. Plow the field under until ’tis made
. . . with furrows of soil rich and overturned . . . earth beneath my feet begin now to churn.”

Juturna looked at her and shook her head. The wind picked up and she secured her wimple with both hands.
She glanced out to the field and then back to Rae. “Was something supposed to happen?” she asked.

“Just wait,” she said, looking around the empty field. Then she felt the earth come to life beneath her feet. The low rumbling of the soil became louder
and louder as the earth split open and turned itself over as if an invisible plow made the furrows for her.

“Truly amazing,” said Juturna, watching in awe as the earth tilled itself
right before her very eyes.

“Won’t Lord Wolf
e be surprised?” Rae thanked the earth silently and nodded her head.

“Aye,” said the old woman with a nod
of her own. “I think shocked is a better word to describe how Lord Wolfe is going to feel. And I am not sure I want to be around when he finds out.”

* * *

Wolfe paced back and forth in his solar, feeling bad for what he’d ordered the fae girl to do. ’Twas impossible for a female to pull a plow, and he knew he’d have to reprimand her when she didn’t carry out the task as ordered. He didn’t want to hurt her, he truly didn’t. But he could not allow himself to look weak in the eyes of his people, so he’d had no choice but to send her to the fields to carry out his orders. He was a strong warrior whom people feared. He had his reputation to uphold.
Duke the Destroyer
was not going to go back on his word even if she was a beautiful, intriguing woman.

A knock at the door took his attention.

“Enter,” he said, wondering who is was since he hadn’t called for anyone to join him in his chamber.

Sir Braden
hurried into the room, leaving the door open behind him. Excitement was evident upon his face.

“What is it, Sir Braden? Do tell me
before you burst with the news you are holding within.”

“’Tis the f
ae girl, my lord.”

“Aye,” he said,
in thought. He walked over to an earthen basin of water on his nightstand, splashing water on his face preparing himself for the upcoming meal. “I know she hasn’t done as instructed, and I’ll have no choice but to reprimand her.” He pulled his tunic off over his head, standing there bare-chested and in naught but his skin-tight hose.

“I have not only plowed the field, but washed up and changed for the meal and also helped the kitchen servants prepare the food.”
Wolfe heard Rae’s voice from behind Sir Braden.

His
eyes shot toward the corridor. Rae-Nyst stood in the doorway, and before he could even acknowledge her presence, she pushed past his knight and entered. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw him. Her gaze travelled down his bare chest, landing below his waist. He felt himself growing beneath his hose and turned back quickly, pretending to busy himself at the wash basin.

“Sir Braden, you are dismissed,” he said, wanting to be alone with the girl.

“Aye, my lord. I will see that the meal is ready for you now, Your Grace.”

“Lord Wolf
e,” he corrected him. “And close the door on your way out.”

Rae heard the thud of the door closing, trapping her in the room alone with
The Wolf
. She felt her heart beating quickly, and when he turned back toward her, she couldn’t keep her eyes from settling once again on his near naked body.

This man was strong, and his muscled arms and chest told no lie of the warrior he was known
to be. His hair was ebony black, cut short, just ending at the nape of his neck. The ends bent upward into a slight curl. He had a ruggedness about him that called out to her, and a sereneness that made him look relaxed or tired. His thick stubble of a beard and mustache made her think that he hadn’t slept or shaved in days.

His face was very handsome, and his
intense grey eyes drew her in. ’Twas as if he were undressing her with his gaze, and she felt helpless to stop it. Still, he made her feel alive inside, and she couldn’t help but wonder how it would feel to kiss him. He perused her as much as she did him. Though she felt like running, she raised her chin bravely and daringly matched his stare.

She was a child of the forest and not experienced with the likes of men. She’d often seen the lord and warriors as they rode past
, but she’d always blended into her surroundings effortlessly rather than to make her presence known. Her eyes continued scanning down his body and stopped at the bulge under his hose. Instantly, she felt her face redden so she looked away.

“There’s no use hiding my huge desire
to lay with you,” he told her. “Something about you intrigues me more than any woman I’ve ever had.”

She looked to the floor and wet her lips, but did not answer.

“Come here, Rae-Nyst. Or I think I’ll call you Rae.”

When she didn’t respond
or move, he repeated his order.

“I told you to come to me, darling. Now I suggest you do as I command. Or do I need to remind you of the deal we’ve made because you stole and killed my prized bull?”

She walked to him slowly, no longer looking at him. His words and stare frightened her, yet excited her at the same time. She’d never felt this way before, nor did she know what to do about it.

“I didn’t forget,” she said. “But you need to know that while I stole your bull I did not kill it.”

“I saw you with the axe in your hand, so do not lie to me. And how did you steal the beast to begin with, without my men seeing you?”

“I have skills even though you may not think so. And I am apt at getting what I want, and even you can’t stop me.
Your defenses are so weak that no one even noticed as I left with the bull, sneaking out right under their noses and through the front gate - unnoticed.”

“Another lie,” he grunted.
“As well as insisting you’ve plowed my field and also prepared a meal in this short of time. ’Tis impossible.”

She had lied about how she’d stolen the bull, but he didn’t need to know it. Let him worry that he and his defenses were not up to par. She liked rattling his confidence as well as his pride. It
gave her power over him, and satisfied the playful fae side of her as well. With the way he was breaking her down inside just by his perusal, she felt she needed any advantage she could get.