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The lower and farther west he flew, the less my teeth chattered, till finally I was just plain cold and miserable, rather than freezing to death and waiting for a limb to fall off. Kieren skimmed deep into a valley, one story above the earth.
A lake spread wide like a multi-fingered hand, jutting into perfect, tree-lined coves. Ideal for a summer home, a getaway from the world, tucked into a lush valley. Of course, even under the cloak of night and full cloud-cover, I could see that nothing was green and the trees were bare. But in summer, it would be lovely.
“It’s so beautiful,” I murmured.
“That’s Pearl Bottom Lake.”
The moon broke over the wind-rippled water like slivers of white glass, sparkling iridescent like pearls. Cool mist rolled along the edge. Kieren cut a sharp left into a dense growth of evergold trees. There weren’t many in or around Gladium, but I loved them because they kept their leaves the longest, falling finally in the dead of winter. The moonlight shone on the golden leaves, gilding the lakefront area in a vibrant halo. One of the trees was huge, four-men thick, with branches stretching out like a great beast to protect its lair.
Kieren swept under the ancient tree, lighting not thirty yards into the grove where a river-rock cabin stood. It blended so well with the woods that I gasped in surprise when he set me down.
Kieren stepped up to the alarm panel and punched in a lengthy series of numbers, letters, and symbols. A stone door slid sideways into the wall. He swept an arm for me to enter, glancing over my shoulder.
“Not completely rustic, is it?”
He tapped the alarm pad, sealing the door shut behind me. “After my father died, Kol had an alarm system installed in the place, complete with twelve-inch thick granite.” He laughed in a bitter sort of way. “At the time, I thought he was acting a bit overzealous and paranoid. But now I’m damn glad he did.” He said the last with an edge of regret.
I peered around the room, hugging my body, shivering. Thick wooden beams cross-hatched cathedral ceilings, opening the room into a wide space. Morgons liked their rooms big and open. Two huge, round skylights were symmetrically placed in the ceiling, both sealed off at the moment. There was a second floor loft, but no stairs. White cloth draped the furniture. Kieren whipped off a blanket from a plush, earthy-brown sofa. The cabin had a familiar feel to it, like that of Kol’s place in the Feygreir Mountains.
“Sit. I’ll get a fire going.”
He opened a door next to the river-rock fireplace and pulled dry kindling and logs from a pantry. I sat down while he blew a puff of orange flame, licking a fire to life. Must be nice to have warmth at their fingertips. Or at the tip of their tongue, actually.
Though still cold, I had stopped trembling.
“I’ll get you some towels and a blanket.”
He disappeared into what must have been a bathroom, returning a minute later. He tossed me a clean towel, using another to dry his hair. He reached one hand behind his back to unzip the back flaps of his shirt under his wings. As he was about to pull the shirt over his head, he paused, realizing he was about to strip half-naked in front of me. And damn it, I was staring. Not because I found Kieren attractive, but because I found Kol mind-blowingly sexy. And he looked too much like his brother. Perfectly defined bronzed abs peeked out from where he’d lifted his shirt, his upper torso broadening at the shoulders. But he wasn’t Kol, and no sparks flared as they would for him.
I glanced away, remembering how Kol used his body on me, how he’d made me climax over and over till I was a bag of bones, how he’d held me against him all night long afterward, tucked safe in his arms.
“I think I’ll change upstairs.” He winked. “The way you’re carrying my brother’s scent, it’s like he’s in the damn room.” With two beats of his wings, he landed on the loft and shouted down, “And I won’t be accused of coming on to you or anything. He’d kick my ass, and I wouldn’t blame him.”
I was glad he left the room, so I could be alone a moment with my thoughts of seeing Kol soon. What would I say to him? Forced together out of necessity, we’d been reluctant professional partners, never behaving very professional at all. Then we’d become more than willing partners of another kind. Sex had broken down barriers, wiping away our walls of isolation. Yet, neither of us was comfortable with vulnerability. And neither of us had voiced emotions beyond profound pleasure and desire. I told him I needed him. And I did. Not just my body, but something else deeper inside yearned for his presence, his scent, his…everything.
Kieren returned in dry clothes, his shape so much like his brother’s, my heart ached. He must’ve seen it in my eyes, throwing me an apologetic glance.
“I had to borrow some of Kol’s clothes.”
“You don’t have your own things here? I thought this was the family summer home.”
He grunted, stoking the fire with a cast iron poker. “Once, yes. Not so much anymore.”
His expression hardened as he stared into the flames. That wasn’t a subject I wanted to broach with him. He glanced back at the door. “The others will be along soon.”
“You’re not afraid for your sister?”
“Valla?” He snorted. “No. I might be more afraid for the Morgons on the other side of her Drakonian steel.”
I laughed, remembering how she moved like liquid, dodging every thrust of her opponent’s sword, slicing through the air as if her weapons were a part of her. Her enemy had never landed a blow before Kieren had hauled me out of there, concerned for his brother’s mate.
“Kieren, you said you wouldn’t let anything happen to Kol’s mate. But…I’m not his mate. I mean, not in the way Morgons…that is…” I felt like a stammering child, unable to express what I meant. I wanted to say, yes, Kol and I were lovers, but we hadn’t shared soulfire. And Kol hadn’t offered or even mentioned the idea. We’d only recently crossed that particular intimate line.
Kieren shifted his focus from the flames to me, a broad grin fixed in granite planes. He opened his wings partway, then refolded them, as if stretching.
“Moira. I realize you’re human, and you’re unaware of Morgon ways. And senses. But let me explain something to you.”
If I wasn’t dying to hear what he had to say, I would’ve smacked him for his condescending tone.
