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Chapter 11
Cal threw a look at Maggie but said nothing. Even if the food wasn’t enchanted, she didn’t want to be unwisely trusting or drunk. While she avoided it whenever possible, Maggie seemed to seek it out, unfortunately.
Relian’s gaze followed Cal. She twitched, then tried to control every movement she made. Her body threatened to explode in a thousand different directions, otherwise. Her hands clenched in her lap. God, would he stop staring? Sensations, disturbing yet exciting, stirred within her. She tamped down the emotions. Denial was much easier.
In direct opposition to her will, steamy images roared through her mind. Heat spread over her face and down her neck. Him and her. Together. Oh, lord. She refused to think of that now. Being so far out of her element, where did she begin her dealings with him? Though every corded muscle and sleek plane of his body was familiar, she tongue-tied herself into a twisted noodle when faced with the truth of him.
She cleared her throat and attempted to steady her voice. “Please, I’ll have a cup of tea.”
Relian nodded. Kenhel poured a glass of wine for Maggie, while Relian did the same for Cal with the tea. When Kenhel set the drink before Maggie, Relian had still not moved to place the cup before her.
She forced herself not to stir, even though his close presence caused her hormones to sit up and beg for his attention. He seemed to be waiting on something but what?
“Do you require cream or sugar?”
Cal jumped in surprise. Oh, cream and sugar. “I'll have both. Thank you.”
Relian gave her a stiff nod that looked odd coming from him. “Think nothing of it.”
His strong, lean hands swiftly yet gracefully complied with her wishes. Many women would die to move like that back on Earth. Heck, she’d love to be able to move like that. And somehow it didn’t seem feminine on him.
Relian drifted closer to set the cup down, his hair gliding over her bare arm as he leaned over. As she reached for that dang cup, her fingers brushed his. She froze, just as he did, and glanced into his eyes. Big mistake. All intelligent thought fled her brain. Her world narrowed to one person, and she couldn’t remember why she was afraid.
Their audience faded away as he lowered his face. His warm breath played across her parted lips, and her eyes fluttered closed. All worries, even her past, ceased to exist. Only this moment mattered until a coughing, hacking sound rudely forced its way into her consciousness. Coughing sound? Reality intruded and broke her little bubble. Cal’s eyelids shot open, and she met Relian’s glassy stare.
Maggie, the king, and Kenhel...oh, lord. What’d she been thinking? To nearly lip-lock with Relian? In front of everybody at the table? A cringe shuddered through her. He—and this world—had destroyed her childhood and teenage years. She couldn’t forget that so easily yet she was.
Noise pierced the silence again. She and Relian each whipped their heads toward the direction of that sound. The sight of Maggie’s red face almost caused her to huff in exasperation. Maggie and alcohol—nothing ever good came out of that match. On second thought, Maggie’s interruption saved her from a potentially embarrassing gaffe. Let her drink on.
Maggie’s flush deepened while she continued to cough. Cal groaned and glanced around the table. Kenhel looked amused, whereas King Talion apparently couldn’t decide between amusement and annoyance. Relian? She didn’t know and didn’t care to look.
Nobody said a word until Maggie’s sputters died away. When she spoke, her voice was hoarse. “Sorry, I guess this wasn’t a proof that should be guzzled down.”
King Talion recovered from the situation the quickest. “Lady Calantha, your tea will get cold if you don’t drink it soon. Lady Maggie, you might want to slow down.”
Cal froze at his last words. Oh, no. Maggie was somewhat of a loose cannon when angered, and what he said seemed designed to arouse that emotion. But Maggie settled for throwing him a dirty look before scowling into her wine cup. A silent sigh of relief left Cal. After giving the king a tentative smile as she tried to moderate her breathing, Cal reached for her cup.
Relian moved away from her to sit again. “Ah yes, you should drink your tea.”
His normal reserve had snapped back into place. But were the points of his ears, which were peeking through his hair, just a little red? Did elves blush? The idea was oddly endearing, especially on him. Cal started. That thought couldn’t be good. She needed to stay impartial.
Taking a moment to glance sideways at him, she processed the fact he wore very formal robe-type garments. That mode of dress wasn’t unfamiliar. In some of her dreams, she saw him clothed that way. Well, when he had clothes on at all. Heat flickered between her legs when she remembered what all too often happened to those fancy garments when they removed them.
Her gaze encompassed the two other males at the table. A combination of light and dark is how they all appeared seated next to each other, their hair capturing the rays of the setting sun. Even their dispositions spoke of contrasting traits. The prince gave the impression of being imposing and introspective, whereas Kenhel was somewhat audacious. Even though the king’s personality resembled Relian’s, he possessed their shared traits in a seemingly more pronounced manner. Talion had a relaxed self-assurance she attributed in part to his prominent station and the authority he wielded. And age. He seemed more devilish and sardonic, though Relian could probably hold his own in these areas if need be.
Overall, the males at the table offered up a powerful and heady combination. She flushed. Clothes. Yes, turn back to the clothes. That was a much tamer subject.
Both Kenhel and the king were dressed similarly to Relian. Hadn’t the king said something about a celebration? That’d explain the lavishness of their robes. What had they been celebrating? Probably some harvest or another such rite.
The king graced her and Maggie with a smile. “You probably wonder what you two are doing here in Eria. I wish I could give you a short and simple answer, but we don’t know all the details ourselves. So please bear with me as I attempt to explain what we do know. We also have many suppositions, but those can wait for the most part.”
Cal threw Maggie a desperate yet eager look. Finally, they might discover what was happening and why. When and if they could go home was a question running forefront in her mind.
No matter how attractive she found Relian, Cal longed for home, for Earth—and the familiarity and safety it represented. Not to mention, her family would become worried if she were gone too long. So would Maggie’s. A twinge of guilt assailed her. Regardless of what Maggie said, she shouldn’t have involved her. Now she’d not only the problem of getting herself home, but she also had to worry about Maggie, too.
The king spoke again. “Lady Calantha, when elves court, they often do so in the hopes of finding the one who completes them spiritually and physically. By that, I mean a joining between two individuals who can meet soul-to-soul, freely and willingly, in a completion bond that is unbreakable except by death. By contrast, other levels of bonding exist, which are much more common. Though many elves strive for a complete or total bond, only some are lucky enough to find it. Of our own volition, we may choose any form of bonded mate, though we don’t take this process lightly. Any bond is a serious one, no matter the depth.”
Cal nodded her head, listening intently to what the king said. Where was he going with all this? The churning in her gut alerted her that she wouldn’t like the next words out of his mouth. She kept her eyes centered on Talion’s face. Fighting down the impatience to prod him along, she knew she’d have to just sit back and wait.
