Powerful Magic (17 page)

          
"Look."
 
Her voice trembled as she pointed to the crystalline castle that wavered and shimmered like an illusion in front of them.
 

          
Despite his misgivings, he smiled down at her.
 
Her expressive face was alight, reminding him of a small child who had been handed some sweet. Only beautiful Megan, with her full mouth and wide, amber eyes, was no child.

          
Again, he felt an overpowering urge to take her in his arms and claim her mouth with his.

          
Resisting, Kenric cast a suspicious glance at his sister.
 
But she appeared to pay them no attention, focusing instead on greeting several of her retainers.
 
Elfin men, tall and slender and golden.
 
All of whom stared with interest at his Megan.

          
His
Megan?
 
Kenric shook his head, bemused.
 
Where had that thought come from?
 
Probably more of Rhiannon's enchantment, meant to befuddle and confuse him for her own devious entertainment.
 

          
Even after all these years, he still did not trust her.
 
He did not trust any of them, these people of Faerie, of magic.
 
After all, someone from Rune had killed his human family.
 
Someone from Rune had destroyed his world.

          
Pushing the bitter memories aside, he focused on Megan.
 
She, he couldn't help but notice, watched the elfin men with a sort of curious interest.
 

          
"Who are they?"
 
She whispered, leaning close, her lovely caramel eyes wide.

          
Wondering if she knew how tightly she still clutched his hand, Kenric drew her closer, until the curve of her hip was nestled against his side.
 
Though the gesture spoke of possession, it was a message he felt necessary to send to the other men, if only for the absentee Roger's sake.
 
           
"Faeries."
 
He told her, nearly laughing out loud at the way her eyes widened.
 

          
"Are they... that is..."
 
She swallowed, never taking her gaze from them.
 
"Wow.
 
I didn't really believe your sister was a faerie, you know?"

          
He chuckled.
 
God help him, he was beginning to understand her strange dialect.
 
He actually knew what she meant by that last, disjointed statement.

          
Rhiannon broke away from the group, her tinkling laugh grating on Kenric's nerves.
 

          
"Come, Megan Potter."
 
Extending a hand, the Queen of all Faeries beamed at them both.
 
"Let me show you to your room."

          
About to protest, Kenric refused to release Megan's hand when she sought to pull it free.
 
Unease prickled along his spine.
 
For some reason he did not want to be separated from her.
 
Long ago he had learned to trust his instincts.

          
"Kenric?"
 

          
Not sure if it was Rhiannon or Megan who had called his name, Kenric lifted his head and scented the balmy breeze.
 
He smelled nothing but the pleasant odor of the flowers, and the scent of fresh cut grass.
 
Of course the danger he worried about must be imaginary, for no one would dare to hurt the half-brother of their queen, changeling or no, nor his human charge.

          
Still, he did not wish to be parted from Megan.

          
"I will go too."

          
Rhiannon laughed again, making Kenric grit his teeth.
 
 
"Do not be foolish, my brother."
 
Rhiannon reached out, touching the back of his hand lightly so that he felt it involuntarily open.
 
Still, to his gratification, Megan did not immediately pull free.
 

          
With an amused sigh, Rhiannon took Megan's hand in her own slender one.
 

          
"Kenric and I,"
 
Megan spoke up, her husky voice sounding strong, though it trembled, "stay together."

          
Feeling an inordinate amount of pleasure at her words, Kenric looked down at her heart shaped face.
 
It seemed this little Megan was wise as well as beautiful.
 

          
"That's right."
 

          
"My dear,"
 
Rhiannon spoke with the patience of one who is sorely tried, "you must freshen up and put on some suitable clothes."

          
He saw Megan glance down at herself.
 
Sans blanket, she still wore Kenric's too large tunic and baggy pants.
 
Her pale face colored at Rhiannon's comment, making Kenric instantly sorry that he had not thought of it himself.

          
"My sister is right."
 
Though he did not like it, Megan had need of a gown, at least in this place.
 
When they left, she could resume her masculine disguise, but as long as they were here there was no need of it.

          
Wariness in her gaze, Megan watched him.
 
Something she saw in his gaze must have reassured her, for she nodded.
 

          
"I will go with you."
 
She told Rhiannon, once again speaking with the dignity of a lady born.
 
"If Kenric says it’s all right, then I’ll believe it is."

          
Hoping her blind trust wouldn't be misplaced, Kenric watched as his sister led Megan away.
 
Who was this strange maiden, that she spoke so strangely yet comported herself with such quiet grace?
 
Why, he wondered too, did she trust him so deeply on the basis of a few days acquaintance?
  

          
Then again, he supposed she had no choice.
 
He was all she had, until he restored her to her Roger.

#

          
Megan wondered if it was wise, letting Rhiannon separate her from Kenric.
 
She felt no danger in the other woman's presence, but with the strangeness of her life lately...

          
"Here we are."
 
Rhiannon smiled, once again impressing Megan with her loveliness.
 
She pushed open a heavy door, made of some material that resembled leaded glass, and lead the way into a room.
 

          
"Your bed chamber."

          
Stepping into the room was like stepping into a storybook. Everything was white, silver, or crystal.
 
And, while she would have thought those colors would make the room cold, the room fairly vibrated with a glowing kind of warmth and serenity.

          
"Wow."
 
Megan grinned, gingerly testing the overstuffed bed with its downy white quilt.
 
"I think I like it here."

          
Rhiannon's expression turned serious.
 
"This is good.
 
It is time for my half-brother to embrace his destiny."

          
Uh-oh.
 
Megan should have known there'd be a catch to all this.
 

          
"I'm sorry."
 
She told the other woman, trying to pretend Rhiannon
was
just another woman, not a powerful faerie Queen.
 
"Please don't try to involve me in your schemes for Kenric.
 
I only want to go home."

          
"Do you?"
 
With this enigmatic comment, Rhiannon tilted her head.
 
"Perhaps we can be of help to each other."

          
Megan froze.
 
She hardly dared breathe.
 
"Can you…”
 
She cleared her throat.
 
Voice breaking, she tried again.
 
“Can you help me get back home?"

          
"Will you help me with my half-brother?"

          
Now she felt like she was in some convoluted game show or old movie, the hapless pawn who always makes the wrong choice.
 
For a second, Megan closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them.
 

          
"Kenric has saved my life.
 
I won’t do anything to hurt him."

          
"I am his sister."
 
Rhiannon seemed to tower over her, shimmering and beautiful in the sparkling light from the crystal chandelier.
 
"I would not harm him either.
 
But Kenric has great power, power that he must come to terms with to fulfil his destiny.
 
He is a man torn - I only want him to find happiness."

          
Megan hoped Kenric would forgive her.
 
She hated to pry into his private life, especially since he'd not invited any confidences.
 
"Are you saying he’s not happy now?"

          
The stunning queen's eyes grew sad, her shimmer dimming.
 
"He is but a shell of a man.
 
Afraid to be faerie, afraid to be human.
 
He doesn't believe in love, or hope, or magic.
 
The Welsh revere him, though he hates them.
 
They know of his mixed heritage.
 
He carries a self-imposed burden so heavy that he is bowed beneath it, so he exists on the fringes of life."

          
Thinking of the cave that Kenric had claimed for his home, Megan thought Rhiannon might be right.
 
Kenric
had
said he had no family.
 
Zero, zip.
 
He'd totally left out his sister, and any relatives he might have here, in this strange and magical place.

          
"Umm…"
 
Swallowing, Megan wondered why she was prying even as she realized she had to know, "What is this burden you say he carries?"

          
Rhiannon's luminous eyes grew wide.
 
"He blames himself for the killing of his human family."

          
Killing?
 
Megan swallowed, trying to remember what exactly Kenric had said.
 
“He told me his family was dead.”

          
“Yes.”
           
With a slow nod, Rhiannon confirmed this.
 
"They were murdered by his enemies.”

          
“Enemies?
 
Here?”

 
         
“Not in Rune. All here know of Kenric's great power - and of his refusal to use it.
 
He is mentioned in prophecy, for his is a destiny is a path of greatness, if he will but take it.
 
But, there are those of our kind," she waved her hand, silver streamers of light following the graceful movement, "who hate him, both for that and the fact that he is half human."

          
"And those were the ones who killed his family?"

          
Her expressive face full of pain, Rhiannon nodded.
 
"We call them the Black Faeries, Faeries who are willing to fight and kill for their own, dark reasons."

          
"But why?"
 
Megan couldn't understand it.
 
"What would they possibly gain by attacking innocent people?"

          
"One named Myrddin leads these black Faeries.
 
He believes the prophecy is about him, that it is he would should carry the power that Kenric refuses to claim.
 
We believe it was he who went to Blackstone Keep to kill Kenric and everything that made up who Kenric is.
 
But Kenric was not there, so Myrddin and his followers destroyed everything else."