longed to slip lower, to glimpse the shadows and swells displayed. He kept his sight trained on her face. Enchanted words caressed the air in her soothing soprano.
She had a lovely voice, made for singing. Bryton tried to focus on the song. It made no sense to him. The language was foreign and the melody achingly beautiful. The knot in his chest loosened, and he sighed. Heaviness blanketed him, the pull of slumber easing his muscles until they released their rigid hold. Damp air flavored with a hint of honey tempted his nose and he breathed deeply. His head fell to the side as dreams descended.
Chapter Five
A lullaby crooned in a hushed voice. Crickets and spring peepers kept time with the humming song. The bright fire dispelled the night’s gloom and sent lively crackles and pops into the air. Contentment rumbled in his belly as he rubbed his hand down the team’s flanks. They could have pushed on, made it back to Thistlemount before nightfall, but with a nursing infant, Katina had wanted to make camp. He rounded the wagon and stopped, drinking in the sight of his family, his life, haloed by the fire’s glow.
“She eats like you do.” Katina laughed.
“Oh, and just what does that mean?” He settled beside her, nudging the yellow blanket away from her breast. Jana’s tiny fist was curled tight as she had her supper.
“It means you’d think she was starving.”
“She has a lot of growing to do.”
A golden flickering danced in Katina’s eyes. “If you grow any more, we’ll need a new bed. Your feet already reach the edge.”
“Yeah, but I wasn’t about to insult your father and not take the bed as a wedding gift. So what if my toes end up poking out of the blankets?”
“He and Mama were so happy we came. They loved seeing Jana. I don’t think Mama put her down for more than a blink all week.”
Katina’s hair was pinned, leaving fair tendrils curling around her nape. Peach-tinted skin on her cheeks flushed to apricot as his fingers stroked from her neck to the curve of her breast where their newborn fed. Her gaze was filled with the same longing that gnawed at him.
“Soon,” she whispered.
“I know. Just take care of her. I’ll wait.” He leaned close and pressed his mouth to Jana’s fuzzy hair then caught his wife’s lips. “Impatiently but gladly.”
Fussing and squirming parted their kiss. Jana kicked at the swaddling. Katina propped the infant on her shoulder and rubbed her back. A burp far too loud for her tiny body widened their eyes. “She belches like you, too.”
His laughter died in his mouth as his vision went white and enchantment burned his blood. She dies…she dies…she dies… “Oh, shit. No, please…”
“Bryton, what is it?”
“Come on, in the wagon, now.”
Katina scrambled to a stand and his body jerked. He reached for her. Sight returned with a shock, like icy water hitting him full in the face. Wide blue eyes with flecks of green and gold searched his face. “Tell me.”
She dies…
“Skullmen.”
“This close to Thistlemount?” The fear in her voice magnified his horror. Clutching the baby tight, silver pooled in her eyes. “Jana.”
She dies… But which she?
Powerless to change what he knew was coming, wishing there was something, anything, he could tell her to lessen her fear, he gripped her arms and swallowed. “Kat, listen to me. They’re almost here. Take Jana and hide.”
“Where? The trees are too far apa—”
“Magic, sweetling. Use your spells and hide, please. There are too many for me alone.”
“She’s only a few weeks old. I’m not strong enough yet.” Her mouth opened and shut. Her trembling shook one of the pins loose from her hair. Her slim hand covered the baby’s head and she slowed her breathing by force, raising her chin. “But I can hide Jana.”
She dies…
Fuck! He nodded and pushed her toward the wheel. “All right, do it. Then get under the wagon.”
Mystic words in a soft alto whispered behind him
She had a lovely voice, made for singing. Bryton tried to focus on the song. It made no sense to him. The language was foreign and the melody achingly beautiful. The knot in his chest loosened, and he sighed. Heaviness blanketed him, the pull of slumber easing his muscles until they released their rigid hold. Damp air flavored with a hint of honey tempted his nose and he breathed deeply. His head fell to the side as dreams descended.
Chapter Five
A lullaby crooned in a hushed voice. Crickets and spring peepers kept time with the humming song. The bright fire dispelled the night’s gloom and sent lively crackles and pops into the air. Contentment rumbled in his belly as he rubbed his hand down the team’s flanks. They could have pushed on, made it back to Thistlemount before nightfall, but with a nursing infant, Katina had wanted to make camp. He rounded the wagon and stopped, drinking in the sight of his family, his life, haloed by the fire’s glow.
“She eats like you do.” Katina laughed.
“Oh, and just what does that mean?” He settled beside her, nudging the yellow blanket away from her breast. Jana’s tiny fist was curled tight as she had her supper.
“It means you’d think she was starving.”
“She has a lot of growing to do.”
A golden flickering danced in Katina’s eyes. “If you grow any more, we’ll need a new bed. Your feet already reach the edge.”
“Yeah, but I wasn’t about to insult your father and not take the bed as a wedding gift. So what if my toes end up poking out of the blankets?”
“He and Mama were so happy we came. They loved seeing Jana. I don’t think Mama put her down for more than a blink all week.”
Katina’s hair was pinned, leaving fair tendrils curling around her nape. Peach-tinted skin on her cheeks flushed to apricot as his fingers stroked from her neck to the curve of her breast where their newborn fed. Her gaze was filled with the same longing that gnawed at him.
“Soon,” she whispered.
“I know. Just take care of her. I’ll wait.” He leaned close and pressed his mouth to Jana’s fuzzy hair then caught his wife’s lips. “Impatiently but gladly.”
Fussing and squirming parted their kiss. Jana kicked at the swaddling. Katina propped the infant on her shoulder and rubbed her back. A burp far too loud for her tiny body widened their eyes. “She belches like you, too.”
His laughter died in his mouth as his vision went white and enchantment burned his blood. She dies…she dies…she dies… “Oh, shit. No, please…”
“Bryton, what is it?”
“Come on, in the wagon, now.”
Katina scrambled to a stand and his body jerked. He reached for her. Sight returned with a shock, like icy water hitting him full in the face. Wide blue eyes with flecks of green and gold searched his face. “Tell me.”
She dies…
“Skullmen.”
“This close to Thistlemount?” The fear in her voice magnified his horror. Clutching the baby tight, silver pooled in her eyes. “Jana.”
She dies… But which she?
Powerless to change what he knew was coming, wishing there was something, anything, he could tell her to lessen her fear, he gripped her arms and swallowed. “Kat, listen to me. They’re almost here. Take Jana and hide.”
“Where? The trees are too far apa—”
“Magic, sweetling. Use your spells and hide, please. There are too many for me alone.”
“She’s only a few weeks old. I’m not strong enough yet.” Her mouth opened and shut. Her trembling shook one of the pins loose from her hair. Her slim hand covered the baby’s head and she slowed her breathing by force, raising her chin. “But I can hide Jana.”
She dies…
Fuck! He nodded and pushed her toward the wheel. “All right, do it. Then get under the wagon.”
Mystic words in a soft alto whispered behind him
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