Oriana rose with her, but she tarried in Adelaine’s chamber long after Myrna had gone. In the solitude, far more remained of Egan’s mother than a treasured fragrance. Faint at first, it gradually grew into an unsettling presence that swirled around her, and then drew her to her feet.
Compelled to end her reverie, Oriana fetched her cloak and hurriedly retraced Adelaine’s final journey up the winding stairs.
Upon his return to the fortress, it took Egan a long while to locate Oriana up on the wall walk. She was leaning into a crenellation meant to shield a warrior, and was gazing out toward the sea. The salty breeze had tousled her hair, and as her cloak whipped about her, she resembled some wild spirit fully capable of fl
ight.
“If you’re keeping a vigil for my safe return,” Egan called as he drew near, “you’re facing the wrong direction.”
Oriana looked up at him with a sad, sweet smile, and he slipped behind her to capture her in a tight embrace. He bent slightly to be heard above the wind. “Or were you hiding from me to avoid fulfilling our bargain? Since you neglected to ask, Kieran and I are both alive and fit, but the challenge will continue on the morrow.”
She had been lost in a crime that had gone unpunished, but relaxed against him and dipped her head slightly. A single glance at the waist-high crenellations was proof Adelaine could not possibly have slipped and fallen through one. There was no doubt her body had been found on the rocks below, but that meant she must have climbed through the crenellation and jumped, or far more likely, been hurled to her death by someone with the strength to carry out the ghastly deed.
Either was such a sickening possibility that she dared not share her suspicions with Egan. Not yet, at least. Not while his life remained at risk.
He was the elder brother, a proven warrior, and logic gave him the clear edge whether the challenge lasted mere days or weeks. She did not want to delay taking him for a lover though, and turned slowly in his arms. “I came up here to avoid not you, but all the others,” she stated convincingly.
“Rather than feel faint with worry, I’ve watched the sea, but now that you’re home, I want to hear all about the day’s challenge.” He had bathed and dressed in clean clothing, and she splayed her fingertips through the soft curls at his nape. “I wasn’t certain you’d accepted my bargain.”
Egan kissed her very lightly, and when she clung to him, he kissed her again. “Aye, I agreed, but we failed to work out the necessary details.”
“There are none,” Oriana assured him. “I trust you to spare Kieran’s life, and I am yours.”
Her slight smile was enchanting, but Egan still suspected she was up to some clever trick. “You are the greater challenge,” he swore with a laugh that caught on the wind. “But come with me now, and I’ll see you safely down the steep stairs.”
Oriana grasped his hand, but to follow him now would provide only a respite from danger, not a true escape.
Chapter Twelve
Sunlight flowed through the narrow slits in the thick stone walls and sent honeyed beams dancing over the flying folds of Egan’s cloak as he rushed Oriana down the winding steps. His resonant laughter echoed all around them, and when they burst into his corridor, he scooped her up into his arms.
Oriana raised her hands to encircle his neck and laughed with him. “You needn’t carry me. I’m content to accompany you.”
“Aye, that may be, my lady, but how far?” he teased.
It was Oriana who reached out to unlatch his door, but rather than set her on her feet, Egan kicked the door shut, went straight to his bed, and sat down with her cradled upon his lap. He longed to say that it mattered not why she had made a bargain that gave him exactly what he wanted, but even gazing into her warm golden eyes, he remained suspicious of her motives and terrified that she would change her mind.
“You’re a remarkable woman, and you’ve offered me something of great value, but the cost is extremely high.”
Oriana feared he had not accepted her bargain after all and pulled away, but when Egan refused to slacken his hold, she ceased to struggle. “I’m not selling myself to you.”
“Oh, but you are, and the price is my half brother’s life. I just don’t understand why you’re so desperate to save him.”
Oriana rested her forehead against his for a moment. His hair was still damp and his skin scented with soap. “He’s not the one I hope to save,” she explained softly. “It’s not the knowing that has convinced me of this, but simply my heart. Please believe me when I say that one day Kieran will be a staunch ally in a time of great need. That’s why he must survive the challenge.”
Egan was reluctant to concede the point, but while she might deny it, he was struck by the hint of prophecy in her heartfelt plea. At the same time, he wondered if she could see into the longings of his own heart, but as yet unwilling to declare himself, he wisely chose not to inquire.
“So I am simply to trust you and spare Kieran’s life now to safeguard my own in the future?” he asked. Before she could reply, he captured her hand and drew her index finger into his mouth to savor her taste. He had slept with many women, but never truly made love to one. Now he wished to take his time and explore every luscious aspect of Oriana’s fair beauty. Unfortunately circumstances made such a lengthy indulgence impossible.
He placed a tender kiss in her palm, and then murmured, “I wish we were still in the forest.”
Oriana thought him very clever for sidestepping her request but was as reluctant as he to waste time in argument. Instead she wove the fingers of her free hand through his glossy hair and was amazed at what a sensual delight the simple gesture brought. For so long, she had deliberately kept her distance to avoid touching him. Now it was difficult to accept the incredible pleasure their closeness brought.
“I’ll tell you in which forest I live and describe exactly where,” she promised. “You could visit me there.”
“Visit?” Egan’s eyes narrowed slightly, but his tone was softly confident, his words a solemn vow. “You’ll not leave me, Oriana; not when the challenge is finished, not ever. You’ll live with me here, always.”
He had sworn he wanted a wife rather than a mistress, but she dared not even dream of marriage when she would bring nothing to their union save love. His need for powerful allies would eventually force them apart, and she did not want to leave alone. The longing for a child was too sad a desire to voice, however, and again avoiding conflict she leaned close, framed his face with her hands, and kissed him deeply.