Shadows and Light

rage slowly faded as Keely stared at the stallion. A smile lit her face. “Oakdancer!” Then she frowned, leaned toward Breanna, and whispered, “I didn’t hit him with a clot of earth, did I?”
    “Not likely,” Breanna replied dryly. “He’s a horse. He knew enough to get out of the way.”
    Sidling past Liam, Keely walked over to the stallion and began petting him.
    “Are you all right?” Breanna asked, offering him a hand.
    He slipped his hand into hers, not because he needed help getting to his feet but simply because she had actually offered it.
    “A couple of bruises,” he said, trying to sound dismissive as he brushed dirt off his clothes. In truth, now that it was over, fear put a tremor in his hands. The power these women could wield—and what they could do with it—was something else he’d never given much thought to. He looked at the swirling wind and earth. “How—?”
    “Keely’s branch of the Mother is earth. Mine is air. It was the fastest way to stop her from hurting you.”
    Breanna raised a hand. The swirling wind gradually slowed, depositing a pile of earth in front of her. She sighed. “Edgar is going to be annoyed about having the drive torn up like this.”
    “Edgar?”
    “The groundskeeper. We take care of the kitchen garden and our own flower beds, but he maintains the rest.” She hesitated, her gaze fixed on Keely and the stallion. “What did you mean about losing your family?”
    “There’s been trouble in the eastern part of Sylvalan. Bad trouble. My mother is worried about what might happen if that trouble comes here.”
    “So what is it you want from us?”
    “I don’t want anything from you,” Liam said. It sounded harsh, so he went on quickly. “My mother wants me to use my position as the Baron of Willowsbrook to keep you and your family protected.”
    “And if you don’t?”
    He swallowed hard. “She’ll leave the family home, taking my young sister with her, and move in with her kin.”
    “With her—” Breanna’s eyes widened. “Here? She’ll move in here?” Using both hands, she pushed her hair away from her face. “That would certainly be grist for the gossip mill, wouldn’t it?”
    “I don’t give a damn about that,” he said sharply, but remembering to keep his voice low to avoid disturbing Keely. “They’re my family. I love them. I don’t want to lose them.”
    Understanding softened Breanna’s face. “I know how that feels.” She sighed. “I’ll talk to Nuala. She’ll be more persuasive where Elinore’s concerned.”
    “Thank you.”
    Breanna hesitated, seemed to be arguing with herself. “Is that the only reason you came here?”
    It seemed crude right now to admit that it was, so he said nothing.
    She winced a little. “You see, I’d wondered if you’d also come to demand a stud fee.”
    Liam felt his jaw start to drop. “A—a stud fee ?”
    Color suddenly blazed in her cheeks. A little defiant, she lifted her chin to indicate the stallion. “Well, that one comes visiting when he pleases, doesn’t he? It wasn’t as if we’d planned on ...” She huffed.
    “You had a mare in season on one of those visits,” Liam concluded.
    “And him acting the ardent lover, and not a fence that can keep him out when he puts his mind to getting over it.”
    Liam tucked his hands in his pockets—and firmly tucked his tongue in his cheek. He hoped it took her a little longer to fumble through this explanation. He was enjoying seeing her flustered.
    “It wasn’t like there was anything we could have done about it by the time Clay came running to tell us your horse was helping himself to our mare.”
    Liam made little coughing noises to keep from laughing out loud. “So what did you get out of his helping himself to your mare?”
    “A filly.”
    “Can you afford to keep her?”
    Breanna’s eyes slashed at him. “We aren’t paupers.”
    “I didn’t think you were.” Especially after seeing the house and the well-kept grounds. “But that doesn’t mean you’d want an extra horse.”
    She looked uncomfortable again. “There’s good bloodlines on both sides, and she is a sweet little thing. I would like to keep her.”
    “Then let’s just consider the filly a peace offering,” Liam said quietly.
    “Thank you.”
    “Well.” He scuffed the toe of his boot in the dirt. “I’d better collect my horse and get back to my work.”
    He watched the dog trot up to Breanna, dragging the linen that must have blown