The Light of Asteria (35 page)

“I’ll be right back.” I quickly changed. The
back of the dress was completely open, and the material draped past
the small of my back. The bottom of the dress hung in a pool, and
as I walked, I could feel an oval train flowing behind. The
material felt weightless.

“Do you think it’s too bare?” I asked as I
came out of the bathroom.

“Absolutely not. Gavin will love it.” Rena
said.

“I believe the prince has mentioned to Elias
that you wish to share in the traditions of your land. Is there
something I can help you with?” Elaine asked. I nodded, picking up
the nearest sketchpad.

“As a matter of fact, there is. I dreamt of
this the night the lake changed me.” The charcoal burned under my
fingers. Elaine took the sketch, and smiled.

“It is lovely. I will commission our best
jeweler to start on it immediately.” The latch on the door jiggled
and I squealed, running for the bathroom.

“Wait a moment,” Rena shouted, as she ran to
the door. I quickly undressed and Elaine buried the dress and the
sketch beneath the pile of gowns. The door finally opened, and
Gavin entered with a playful scowl on his face. Apparently, we were
causing a ruckus, as Edna would say.

“I could hear your laughter all the way down
the hall. The servants don’t know what to think.”

He crossed the room and kissed me; Elaine and
Rena took their leave. I really did have a hard time wrapping my
brain around the thought of royalty. He never looked the part until
today, and it was a little overwhelming.

Gavin was already dressed for the evening,
and I went upstairs to get ready. The deep V in the back almost
changed my mind. Rena and Elaine were certain this was the dress I
should wear. Uncertainty reigned; a soft knock sounded through the
room.

Come in
. I thought, trying to give
myself a last minute pep talk. Gavin’s desire lunged the minute he
opened the door.

“What do you think—am I presentable?” My
voice was barely audible. I slowly pirouetted, giving him the full
view.

“You are absolutely breathtaking. That’s my
favorite color on you, you know.” He murmured, suddenly standing so
close his heat radiated to me.

I put my hands on his face; he rubbed his
silky palms up and down the sides of my bare arms, his conflict
swirling. The warmth of his hands sent a shiver through my body,
and the charge of energy was almost painful as I leaned into him.
Gavin kept my gaze; his hands slid from my arms up to my neck. My
breath came in small hitches, as they made their way to my shoulder
blades. The feel of his touch inched along, moving downward. I kept
eye contact until his hands reached the center of the V. My knees
grew weak and my head tipped back, as I concentrated on the feel of
his touch. His lips found the hollow of my collarbone. This
sensual, slow burn of promise was something we had never
experienced before. No thought was involved, only awareness. I
gloried in the sensation of our emotions melding together to create
a perfect blend of his and mine. That registered, and I could feel
his face pull into a smile.

“Do you think the queen will like it?” My
voice lowered, sending his emotions running so strongly that it
took my breath away.

“I think she will find you glorious,” he
murmured in my ear. “We need to leave, love, or we’ll be late.” He
put a little distance between us; curiosity rang in my
thoughts.

“If I kiss you now, I will not stop.”
Regretfully, I shut down our circle, and we headed for the
door.

Gavin’s hand stayed at the base of my spine
as we traveled through the private quarters of the castle. His
desire never left, and I knew he was having difficulty controlling
it, but he didn’t seem to care at the moment. The click of my heels
against the stone floor echoed down the corridor, as we walked
toward the formal dining hall.

The opulence of this room reminded me of the
queen’s quarters in the Mighty Oak. A table that could easily seat
fifty proudly stood on the right side of the hall, but the entire
left side was an open space.

Panic briefly ensued, and my grip tightened.
A beautiful woman entered through a formal arch in the back of the
room. Her slender elegance held an air of patrician that could not
be denied. Her gray hair was wrapped similar to mine, and her gown
looked as if it were made from the unicorn’s mane. I suddenly found
it difficult to breathe, and Gavin’s hand tightened as he pulled me
forward. I squared my shoulders, reminding myself of our
purpose.

We stopped, and I bowed as Rena had taught
me. I would stare at the woman’s feet for the rest of my life if
she would just give us her blessing. Gavin flinched, obviously
remembering our earlier conversation; my shield became solid.

“Nora, I would like you to meet my mother,
Queen Lera of the Alfar, daughter of the great King Frey.” Gavin’s
voice rang in the hall. I had a feeling these were the first words
ever spoken here.

“I am honored to meet you, your grace,” I
said, ever thankful for Rena’s tutelage at the Mighty Oak.

“As I am you, Nora of Light, love of my son,
Gavin of Frey.” Her voice was surprisingly wise. I deliberately
inhaled through my nose. Her scent was of lilac and honey. The
combination reminded me of the botanical gardens. I glanced at her
face. Her eyes were most exquisite. The solid quality was
reminiscent of Tark, but the coloring was similar to a light purple
opal. Gavin’s creature pleaded not to shut him out, and I changed
the shield to a light fog.

Sorry, I just want her to like me. I’m
nervous and don’t want to lose control.
The queen gasped, and
immediately I brought back the blue, fearing the worst.
What
happened?
He surprised me by kissing my cheek.

“When you weakened your shield, she sensed
your intent. It was purer than any she has seen in this millennium.
She has never been to your land and has only heard the stories of
the Dokkalfar. But as I tried to explain, you are one of a
kind.”

“Please come and sit, Nora. Let us dine
together.” Her voice was now open and friendly.

Gavin put his hand once again on my lower
back; his eyes mischievously twinkled in the soft light. Queen Lera
sat at the end of the long table, Gavin sat to her right, and I
next to him. Drinks and the first course were brought by elves
whose gaze never left the ground. I cleared my mind.

“Nora, Gavin refused to tell the tale of how
you met. Could you share the story?” I glanced at Gavin. He smiled
and reached for my hand. I took a deep breath.

“I was helping friends move into their dorms
at the local university east of my home ...” The queen’s rapt
attention made me lose all trepidation, and my shield automatically
morphed into a cloudy fog. It was difficult trying to find the
right words to explain what it felt like the first time Gavin
touched me, but I tried. I went a bit further, and told of finding
Gavin on the hill, and the fall festival.

Silence rang in the room.

“Mother, are you all right?”

She cleared her throat. “Nora, it appears you
have earned my gratitude. Thank you for saving my son. I now
understand why Gavin would not share this until I felt your intent.
I simply would not have believed it.” Gavin and his mother stared
at each other, having a private conversation.

Queen Lera continued to enquire about the
many aspects of earth. I focused on the beauty of Edna’s mountain
and the similarities and differences between the two worlds. The
food was wonderful, and now with the pressure off I became
emotionally drained. The pears and apricot chutney dessert came
out. I honestly couldn’t eat another bite, but not wanting to
offend the queen I made myself take a taste. She admitted earlier
in the evening that this was her favorite dessert.

“You’re right, this is delicious.” I smiled,
forcing down another bite.

“Gavin, Nora seems tired, and I know she
sleeps. I would love to hear more of your adventures in the other
realm. Can we dine again tomorrow night?” She turned to Gavin and
then to me.

“I would love nothing more, my queen,” I
said, and Gavin raised his eyebrows, surprise coursing through his
emotions.

“I think that means we will see you tomorrow
evening.” Gavin chuckled. The queen stood and we followed suit.

“Good night, Nora of Light. Sleep well. Gavin
tells me you are his tomorrow, but I would like to meet with you
regarding the plans for the upcoming ceremony. I am sure there are
rituals in your land you would like to include,” she finished,
obviously thinking that I already knew she approved.

“I look forward to it.” My expression warmed
with sincerity.

Gavin hugged his mother, and she surprised us
both by reaching for me. I went to her and hugged her back amazed
everything had gone so well. We bid her good night and started down
the long corridor. Gavin’s palm slid down my spine, and I
grinned.

“Oh no you don’t,” I whispered, and I sped up
as he playfully tried to touch the bottom of my back. Finally
stopping at his door, I grabbed both of his hands. His expression
grew tender as he traced the lines that wrinkled my palm. Trying to
ignore his effect on me, I concentrated on my lifeline, wishing
that the lake had just replaced those with smooth skin like
his.

“I don’t,” he whispered. Gavin pulled my palm
to his lips and placed whisper soft kisses across the lines. “Your
hands have character and strength. They show a life of love and
hard work, yet they remain soft. You spoke of Edna’s hands this
way, and I think of yours as the same. I love your hands just the
way they are.” He finished, kissing the inside of my wrist. My
fingers automatically wrapped around his smooth defined jaw.

I held my breath; I couldn’t open my mind to
him here, and the sensations were building. I grew with energy, and
quickly pulled open the door and jerked him inside. He laughed,
taking me in his arms. One hand slipped under the side of the dress
around my bare ribcage, and he took the stairs two at a time. The
feel of his glassy palm on my side increased the pressure of the
power building. Energy burst in the room the minute the doors
closed. The spiders’ webs blazed, and the release was wonderful. I
could feel Gavin humming, his emotions immediately surged. He put
my feet on the ground and then kissed the base of my neck. My
breath sped as his supple lips found a spot particularly sensitive
to his touch. He should always kiss me there.

“As you wish,” he whispered through a smile
and found the spot again. Our circle increased. My heart pounded,
the webs softly flickered.

“I think that went well, didn’t you?” I said
breathlessly.

“You were magnificent,” he murmured; his lips
found their way to my shoulder. He released my waist, turning me
around. Tracing kisses to the back of my neck, he stopped only to
concentrate his effort at the notch starting my spine. He explored
every vertebra until he got to the tips of my shoulder blade. The
combination of his soft lips and his warm breath caressing my back
in such an intimate way sent wild energy surging through him; the
sensation caused my pulse to pound and weakened the strength in my
knees. My legs literally gave out, and he caught me.

“Nora, what happened? Are you all right?”
Concern drowned out passion as he carried me to the bed. Gavin was
almost panicked, and I assured him it was just this crazy effect he
had on me.

“Can I ask you a question?” I said, changing
the subject.

“Of course, what are you curious about?” His
arms tightened around me.

“Why on earth would you have all of these
curtains if there are no windows? Is it because the stone walls
grow cold in the winter?” That would be reason enough. Gavin
grinned and gazed at the curtains. I felt his directive for them to
move, and they did as he commanded. The windows behind them ran the
length of the wall, overlooking the entire kingdom. Amethyst
moonlight bathed everything in shades of lilac and blue.

“Wow! We should have these curtains opened
every night.” Gavin pulled me back into his arms.

“As you wish.” His hand found its way to my
back; desire warmed his eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 22—The Ancient
One

Numerous watchtowers stood guard over the
land, and the forest spread for miles. The lush landscape could be
seen in the morning light, past the grazing fields to the river
beyond, and I knew this was my new mountain. My blatant
appreciation caused diaphanous strands to flicker.

Did anyone else ever cause the spiders’ webs
to glow?

“Not since the ancients were in power before
King Frey,” Gavin explained, coming out of the dressing room
adjoining the closet. “When the clans split into light and dark,
the ancient ones were so grief stricken they refused to share their
secrets with anyone. The whole Alfar race lost millennia of
education due to selfishness.”

“Are any of the ancient ones still alive?” I
wanted to thank them for the power of the tree if I could. Gavin
mulled over my thoughts.

“There is an ancient left, and he lives in
this very castle. He refuses to see anyone, and has lived off the
energy of the mountain for so long, no one remembers what he looks
like.”

I would like to meet him, if he will let
us.

“His dwelling is deep within the mountain. He
has not answered anyone’s request mentally, but it would be
interesting to see if he would answer yours, as you understand the
energy of the tree.” He peered out the window.

“Nora, I lived in the portal’s cabin for
years, and never has the tree given any hint it was anything other
than a dwelling. Yet you are there less than a month and it opens
its power to you and makes it at your disposal. I cannot fathom
it.” Gavin’s emotions churned as he contemplated the puzzle of the
tree. I headed off to get ready for the day.