hand lightly on his chest. His arm came around her, and he kissed her soft temple.
Ranulph saw the tenderness, and ached inside. “Are you saying that mortals, with their short lives and eternal souls, are more fortunate than the long-lived, soulless Folk?”
Kamana gave him a glance of mild exasperation. “All things that live are formed of spirit, Ranulph. The trees around us, the grass beneath us, all creatures great and small. That includes the Fair Folk, so I’ll hear no more talk of our lacking souls.”
His gaze went back to the image of the two young mortals. They were kissing now, and Leah was beautiful. Beautiful in a quiet, far more profound way than the dazzling faery glamour that Ranulph had granted her.
“Those two are soul twins, which is why their love could not be affected by faery spells,” Kamana said softly. “When Duncan’s uncle asked me to protect the boy, I traced the thread of his destiny, and found that without magical aid, he would die at Waterloo.”
She shook her head with regret. “Despite my efforts, he was injured in body, and even more in spirit, on that terrible day. The physical wounds were not hard to heal, but an injured spirit is much harder. When I looked again at his destiny line, I realized that the best remedy would be to bring him to Leah. Ordinarily it would have taken them longer to come together, longer still to realize that they were true mates. But because you and I had touched them with faery magic, they both sensed their fate almost instantly.”
“It sounds to me as if you interfered with their so-called destiny,” Ranulph said with heavy sarcasm.
“I was merely an instrument of fate, a way of bringing them together. The same is true of these two.” She gestured and a new image showed in the pool. Lord Townley and Lady Wheaton were also on a sofa, but the activity they were involved in was nowhere near as innocent as mere kissing. Ranulph’s gaze sharpened with interest at the sight of the tumbled skirts and passionate movements, but before he could get a clear look, Kamana waved away the image.
“Lord Townley asked nothing for himself, but I thought I would speed him toward the secret wish of his heart,” Kamana explained. “My aid was not essential. I merely helped him recognize his destiny sooner.”
Exotic and beautiful, Kamana gazed at Ranulph with slanting eyes that had seen mysteries half a world away. She was so alluring that he almost reached out to draw her to him. Instead, he retreated, scowling. “So you went to London as a spy.”
She grinned. “Indeed I did.” There was a shimmer of light, and the faery was replaced by a large black cat with long silky hair and golden eyes the same shade as Kamana’s. Purring, the beast rubbed against his ankles in sensual invitation.
He had to smile. Scooping the cat up in his arms, he said, “You’re an excellent shapeshifter.” Still purring, the creature settled into the crook of his arm. Ranulph stroked the soft-furred belly, thinking that a cat might be a good companion in the lonely nights of winter.
Suddenly Kamana returned to her own form and he was holding a glorious, half-naked female in his arms. She was warmly alive and scented with the rare perfumes of Araby, and his hand was on her full, silk-clad breast.
Throatily she said, “Shapeshifting isn’t all that I’m good at.” Her hand slid down his body, arousing him with indecent ease.
Furious at how cleverly she manipulated him, he dropped her like an armful of burning timber. As she gave an acrobatic twist that landed her on her feet, he snapped, “You said that I was carnally unskilled compared to the Folk of your land. Why would you want to mate such a clumsy creature as I?”
“There is more to mating than mere technique.” Her eyes gleamed wickedly. “You’re quite arrogant enough already. I didn’t want to feed your vanity by saying that never had I known such passion, or such satisfaction.”
“But why?” He
Ranulph saw the tenderness, and ached inside. “Are you saying that mortals, with their short lives and eternal souls, are more fortunate than the long-lived, soulless Folk?”
Kamana gave him a glance of mild exasperation. “All things that live are formed of spirit, Ranulph. The trees around us, the grass beneath us, all creatures great and small. That includes the Fair Folk, so I’ll hear no more talk of our lacking souls.”
His gaze went back to the image of the two young mortals. They were kissing now, and Leah was beautiful. Beautiful in a quiet, far more profound way than the dazzling faery glamour that Ranulph had granted her.
“Those two are soul twins, which is why their love could not be affected by faery spells,” Kamana said softly. “When Duncan’s uncle asked me to protect the boy, I traced the thread of his destiny, and found that without magical aid, he would die at Waterloo.”
She shook her head with regret. “Despite my efforts, he was injured in body, and even more in spirit, on that terrible day. The physical wounds were not hard to heal, but an injured spirit is much harder. When I looked again at his destiny line, I realized that the best remedy would be to bring him to Leah. Ordinarily it would have taken them longer to come together, longer still to realize that they were true mates. But because you and I had touched them with faery magic, they both sensed their fate almost instantly.”
“It sounds to me as if you interfered with their so-called destiny,” Ranulph said with heavy sarcasm.
“I was merely an instrument of fate, a way of bringing them together. The same is true of these two.” She gestured and a new image showed in the pool. Lord Townley and Lady Wheaton were also on a sofa, but the activity they were involved in was nowhere near as innocent as mere kissing. Ranulph’s gaze sharpened with interest at the sight of the tumbled skirts and passionate movements, but before he could get a clear look, Kamana waved away the image.
“Lord Townley asked nothing for himself, but I thought I would speed him toward the secret wish of his heart,” Kamana explained. “My aid was not essential. I merely helped him recognize his destiny sooner.”
Exotic and beautiful, Kamana gazed at Ranulph with slanting eyes that had seen mysteries half a world away. She was so alluring that he almost reached out to draw her to him. Instead, he retreated, scowling. “So you went to London as a spy.”
She grinned. “Indeed I did.” There was a shimmer of light, and the faery was replaced by a large black cat with long silky hair and golden eyes the same shade as Kamana’s. Purring, the beast rubbed against his ankles in sensual invitation.
He had to smile. Scooping the cat up in his arms, he said, “You’re an excellent shapeshifter.” Still purring, the creature settled into the crook of his arm. Ranulph stroked the soft-furred belly, thinking that a cat might be a good companion in the lonely nights of winter.
Suddenly Kamana returned to her own form and he was holding a glorious, half-naked female in his arms. She was warmly alive and scented with the rare perfumes of Araby, and his hand was on her full, silk-clad breast.
Throatily she said, “Shapeshifting isn’t all that I’m good at.” Her hand slid down his body, arousing him with indecent ease.
Furious at how cleverly she manipulated him, he dropped her like an armful of burning timber. As she gave an acrobatic twist that landed her on her feet, he snapped, “You said that I was carnally unskilled compared to the Folk of your land. Why would you want to mate such a clumsy creature as I?”
“There is more to mating than mere technique.” Her eyes gleamed wickedly. “You’re quite arrogant enough already. I didn’t want to feed your vanity by saying that never had I known such passion, or such satisfaction.”
“But why?” He
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