AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He shook his head. “I’m not most. And as for my silence, I was thinking about the witch. If she had such power, she would have used it to protect her son. She lashed out at you to hurt your father, the only way she could, as he had hurt her son.”
“But she threatened my father with death—”
“And out of fear, he remained frozen in his tracks. He allowed himself to believe her able to strike him dead. But if she truly had such powers, she would have used them to protect her son.”
“I never considered that,” Tara said.
“You were too young and full of guilt and fear to think clearly. When either rules, they cloud sound reason and prevent people from taking action.”
“But most do not think like you,” Tara said.
Reeve smiled. “As I told you, I’m not most, and I have Bryce to thank for that. The day he found me, he began to teach me how to survive, but he never realized that he also taught me to always keep learning, never stop. And as I watched and learned from him, I did the same not only with others, but from the animals in the forest, the birds that take flight, the weather that is unpredictable, and so much more. That is the reason I can hear your tale, question it, and make sense of it.”
“I wish I could see it like you, believe it like you, but I am living the hell the witch has inflicted uponme.”
“Your fear and guilt give it power. Cast the spell off and let it be no more.”
“I haven’t the skill to do that,” Tara said, while wishing she had.
“Then we’ll find someone who can.”
Her eyes widened, and she felt a flutter of hope. “Do you think that is possible? Do you truly believe we could find a witch with the power to remove the spell?”
“Why not?”
“I had thought of it,” she said. “But I was never able to pursue it. My father forbids witches, seers, anyone with dark powers to cross his land. Are there any witches in your clan?”
“None that I’m aware of, but I’ll inquire, discreetly, of course.”
“The healer who isn’t a healer,” Tara said, excited.
“What are you talking about?”
Tara’s excitement grew. “Mercy told me of Bliss, the Pict healer who heals but isn’t truly a healer. I wondered if perhaps she could help me.”
Reeve nodded. “You may be right. I have heard Duncan and Mercy talk of her and her extraordinary skill in healing people with a simple touch.”
“You’ve given me hope,” Tara said, smiling brightly.
“Good, now can we make love?”
Tara’s smile faded. “I don’t want to take the chance of losing you.”
He reached out for her hand, but she slipped away. He shrugged. “All right then, let’s make lust.”
“So you only lust after me but not love me?” Tara asked.
“You’re making this very hard, and while I’d love you to makemehard, this is not what I had in mind.”
“I love making you hard. And I truly love the feel of you hard in my hand.”
“That’s it. We need to make lust right now.”
Tara stood slowly. “Then tell me it is lust pure and simple. Tell me you have no love for me in your heart and I will gladly, willingly, happily couple with you.”
Reeve stood so quickly that he rattled the table. He glared at her, raised a hand and pointed at her, opened his mouth then closed it, shook his head, ran his hand through his hair, and then released a low growl that turned to a grumble that finally burst into a frustrated roar.
Tara took a step back, fearing she had pushed him too far.
