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Oriana lay snuggled against Egan’s side, and after awaking with a start, she was relieved to find him sleeping peacefully. A fur rested low on his hips and the line of Albyn’s uneven stitches danced down his left side like the tracks of some frantic bird.
Avoiding that gruesome sight, she stared at the flatness of her husband’s belly and followed the gentle curves of his hip bones. He had such a handsome body, and all of it so exquisitely male. She loved him so desperately, she did not care how many scars he carried.
“Don’t touch him,” Albyn cautioned from his place by the hearth.
Badly startled by Albyn’s command, Oriana sat up so quickly that she nearly rolled off the side of the bed. She had meant only to kiss Egan’s cheek, not throw herself upon him, but she had not realized they were not alone. Badly embarrassed, she rose with as much dignity as she could muster, then hesitated briefly to make certain she had not disturbed Egan’s rest.
“You should have announced yourself earlier,” she whispered.
“I hadn’t noticed you were awake,” Albyn replied. “Are you feeling better?” He was seated in the chair and appeared more exhausted than relaxed.
“No, I’m sick clear through. I don’t understand any of you.”
There was no fire burning, but Albyn found it easier to contemplate the heap of ashes on the hearth than meet her smoldering gaze. “Yes, you made that abundantly clear. Fortunately, Egan was too far away to hear you condemn the whole of the Dál Cais, but no one who heard found it endearing.”
Unconcerned by the opinions of the loathsome crowd, Oriana’s expression remained contemptuous. “You sided with Garrick and Neal. Did you explain that to Egan while you tended him?”
Albyn enjoyed the honeyed tones of her voice so greatly, he strove to forgive her caustic words. “There was no need to explain. He saw Kieran reach the rocks first.”
“Yes, but only by turning Egan’s own compassion against him, and you Druids rewarded Kieran for doing so. Have you no sense of honor?” Oriana accused.
“We could debate that question for days, but in the case of a challenge, your question is misplaced. A victory is still considered a victory regardless of how it’s achieved.”
Drawing comfort from her husband’s presence, Oriana remained close to his bed. “So the fact Egan won yesterday in a straightforward manner counts for no more than Kieran’s shameful win today?”
“Unfortunately, no. The challenge stands at a tie and will continue on the morrow when Kieran will choose the manner of contest. Now I have an important question for you. How could you have failed to warn Egan of the real danger Kieran posed?”
His words were closely clipped, and sharing his barely controlled rage, Oriana did not take offense. “Had I received a warning, I would have conveyed it immediately, but sadly, I was as surprised and horrified as Egan must have been by Kieran’s vicious ruse.”
Albyn remained skeptical. “Yet you’re widely admired for your visions of the future.”
The comment was a taunt rather than a compliment, but again, Oriana appreciated his dark mood and held her temper in check. “My own fate is hidden from me, as is Egan’s, and those close to him. I can only glimpse your future, not describe it in detail.”
Startled by that revelation, Albyn was instantly on his feet. “Tell me what it is you see.”
With the wide bed at her back, Oriana had no avenue of retreat. He was making her horribly uncomfortable. “Now which of us is rudely issuing commands?” she asked.
Albyn pointed toward Egan. “Do not trifle with me while the best friend I can ever hope to have lies so badly wounded. It’s a gift from the gods that Kieran failed to gut him, and with fish nibbling his entrails, Egan would never have emerged from the sea alive. It’s all I can do not to take up his sword and go after Kieran myself.”
He had removed the robe that disguised his muscular build, and after providing such a sickening description of what Egan might have suffered, Oriana readily believed he possessed not merely the righteous anger, but the size and strength to kill Kieran with a single mighty blow. She also knew he had sufficient control of his desires to allow Egan to act first.
Badly in need of refuge, she sat down beside her husband and slipped her hand into his. He had such capable hands, and she hoped he would not awaken too weak to defend himself. She had seen the blood seeping through his fingers, and feared he had lost more than his body could swiftly replenish.
“It’s difficult for me to think of anything other than Egan either,” she began, “but for your sake I’ll try.”
She looked away for a long moment, and then spoke with her customary confidence. “There are many paths leading to the same destination, Albyn. Rather than regret your years with the Druids, please view them as a valuable step along your way. While I wish there were more to reveal, you must believe in you
r future.’ Tis an enviable one.”
Albyn wasn’t impressed by her encouraging, maddeningly vague promises. “If I leave the Druids, where should I go?”
“You’ll hear the call when it comes,” she assured him.
Baffled, Albyn raked his hands through his sun-streaked hair. “I thought I’d been called to the Druids.”
Oriana again attempted to ease his anguish. “You were, but you’ve learned all they have to teach you, and you must continue your journey on your own.”
“I have always been alone,” Albyn complained bitterly.
