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It is.
When he began to slow, she knew they were nearing his house, or one of them. Most mastyrs kept several houses around the realm for security.
He finally released her wrist, but held onto her arm to keep her balanced against him. She had both feet settled on his right boot and felt perfectly safe. Of course, she had the ability to levitate as well, so she wouldn’t fall very far if she lost her hold on him. But she couldn’t fly nearly as fast as Ian.
He was a big man, just shy of Mastyr Jude’s extraordinary mass. And for a brief moment, her mind flew back, all those centuries ago, when they’d been lovers. How much she’d delighted in his body. He’d often laughed at her, at the way she touched him and did other things, saying she made a full meal of every muscle he possessed.
And so she had. But what woman with a grain of sense, finding herself with such a banquet beneath her fingertips, wouldn’t take the time to explore and enjoy?
Of course these were hopelessly errant thoughts. She had no intention of taking up with Ian again, not when he’d hurt her so badly. But was she tempted? Sweet Goddess, always!
Yet, she’d kept her physical distance. He’d made his harsh opinions clear to her all those years ago and hadn’t changed his view of her character even a little.
But being this close to Ian, brought the best parts of their relationship fully back to mind.
When he slowed to a hover, then eased around a final bend in the gorge, she saw the house perched on an outcropping of gray striated granite. He’d built his home on the curve of the terrain so that from one side of the house there would be a unique view of an angled stretch of Dark Gorge. The eastern view took the eye all the way to the Leberion Plain.
You built very close to the Dauphaire Rim.
I did.
The geography of the land had steep cliffs in a two-hundred-mile stretch across much of Camberlaune, all angling slightly to the plain below. The region where the cliff was visible from the plain was called the Rim.
Ian pathed. I wanted to be close to the largest portion of the population, yet in the center of the realm geographically. This seemed like the best choice. And I love the view of the mountains, the gorge and the plain.
Are there still only scattered settlements in the mountainous areas?
Yes, on either side of the gorge, shifters mainly. A few trolls. A bulk of the men are strong warrior types and belong to my Shifter Brigade. They do most of the higher elevation patrolling. The Invictus attacks are heaviest on the plain where the population is the densest, especially closest to the Rim. Although until Margetta kidnapped you, I didn’t know her fortress was on the border between Camberlaune and Tannisford.
She felt the weight of his comment like a drag on her soul. He was mastyr of his entire realm and like all the realm rulers, he carried the burden of his people’s safety. She wondered if she’d ever truly understood what ruling was like for him.
She felt a shudder run through him and she wasn’t surprised when he said. “It’ll be dawn soon.”
Any vampire caught in the sunlight would die within minutes. Fae were also sunlight sensitive, though not as instantly harmed as vampires. She would survive a few hours longer than Ian, though not by much. So, she, too, could feel the hour was coming when they would need to seek shelter.
I’m afraid you’ll have to stay here through the day. I know you’d rather be home in Swanicott, but I have a guest room you can use.
She chuckled softly. You could tell me I had to sleep under a haystack for the day and I’d be completely content. Your home is more welcome to me than you’ll ever know.
When thoughts intruded of all that had happened during her month’s imprisonment, she set them aside. There would be plenty of time in the future to deal with the ways Margetta had tortured her.
Ian flew her to what proved to be the m
ain entrance, though on the eastern side of the round, cliff-edge dwelling. Landing on a gravel drive, he led her up several wide stone steps. The front door was arched and made of clear glass with an intricate, protective metal design crisscrossing the outward facing side.
“I love this door,” she said, running her hand along the curves of one of the central metal supports. “It’s almost like something you’d find in the forest, like entwined branches.”
He opened the door for her. “When the architect showed me the design, I had the same response; it had the feel of the nearby mixed forest, especially some of the deciduous trees now that they’ve lost their fall leaves.”
She moved into the foyer, remembering just how much Ian’s warrior nature had a strange companion sensibility that her fae soul loved. Ian had even studied architecture at one time, though a couple of centuries ago. Taking in the lines of the house both outside and now within, she saw this side of his abilities in the complex design of the modern dwelling.
As he closed the door behind, a sudden whirring sound moved through the house.
“What is that?” She turned in a quick circle, wondering if they were under attack.
“It’s only the steel shutters. I wanted extensive views for this house which meant a lot of windows. In turn, I installed a system of heavy screens to come down automatically at dawn.”
She had her hand to her chest and tears touched her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
