The House Of Gaian

very much. But I don’t know you well enough yet to invite you to my bed.”
    Falco nodded. “What about kisses?”
    He was persistent. “Kisses?”
    “Do you like kisses?”
    “Well... I... Yes.”
    Something about the way his gaze focused on her mouth before he raised his eyes to look into hers made her palms go suddenly damp. Watching her, he leaned forward slowly.
    Just before his lips touched hers, she felt a prickle along her neck. She pulled back, turned her head.
    Liam was leaning against the washhouse doorway, watching her.
    Clay had his arms over the back of a gelding. He had a grooming brush in one hand, but he wasn’t making any pretense of grooming the horse.
    Looking around to see what had distracted her, Falco cleared his throat and eased back.
    “Ah...” Breanna wasn’t sure what to do. Go back in the house? Pretend nothing happened? Pick up her quiver of arrows, march over to the washhouse, and smack Liam over the head with it?
    Quiver. Arrows. The bow leaning against the bench where Falco had set it after her confrontation with the Lightbringer.
    ‘Target practice,“ she said, bouncing to her feet.
    “What?” Falco blinked.

    “You were supposed to help me with target practice.” She brushed past him, picked up the quiver and bow. “Come along.”
    “You want target practice now?”
    “The bales of hay are stacked as tall as I am,” Breanna said patiently.
    “So?” His puzzled expression turned to understanding. “ Oh .” He took the quiver from her and smiled.
    As she and Falco started walking toward the kitchen garden and the bales of hay, Breanna glanced back at Liam. Which part of him would win the inner struggle—brother or man? She suspected she already knew, but she hoped the man would struggle long enough for her to try a kiss or two before the brother joined her and Falco for target practice.

 

     
     

Chapter 4

 

     
     

     
    waning moon
     
    Standing in the doorway of the Clan house, Ashk hesitated, wanting some excuse to delay. But everything was ready; the huntsmen who were going with her had already gone up the shining road to Tir Alainn, and her companions were waiting for her.
    She studied them as they talked quietly among themselves, all of them carefully avoiding glances at the Clan house to allow her a private good-bye.
    Aiden and Lyrra, the Bard and the Muse, were coming with her to record the events that would alter their world in one way or another and to use their gift of words to help her in whatever way they could.
    Sheridan, Bretonwood’s Lord of the Hawks, was coming as one of her huntsmen—chosen from others because he was also Morphia’s lover. As the Sleep Sister and Lady of Dreams, Morphia’s ability to use sleep as a defensive weapon had proved useful when hunting down the nighthunters and when she had stopped two Inquisitors from hurting a family during the Black Coats’ attack on Bretonwood, but there was no way to tell how effective that gift would be on a battlefield. Morphia was mainly coming with them in order to stay close to her sister, Morag.
    And Morag ...
    The Gatherer had looked so pale and shaken when she’d joined them for the morning meal, Ashk hadn’t dared ask what was wrong. They needed Morag, not just as mercy for the mortally wounded but as a warrior. Would she falter when she was needed most because of her passion for life?
    No. Morag would do what needed to be done. And so would she.
    “You’re going now.”
    Ashk turned around. Padrick stood back from the doorway, not quite within arm’s reach. “Yes. It’s time.”
    Then she was in his arms, taking and giving a kiss that was as fierce as it was loving. She didn’t want to leave him, didn’t want to leave their children, didn’t want to leave the Clan that had become her people.
    But they couldn’t wait for the battle to come to them. Not if they wanted to survive.
    Padrick broke the kiss, then buried his face against her neck. “Come back to me, Ashk. Just... come back to me.”
    Tears stung her eyes. As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t promise him that. Instead, she whispered,
    “I will hold you in my heart. Always.”
    He stepped back slowly until they were no longer touching. “They’re waiting for you.”
    She took a moment more to look at him before she walked out of the Clan house. When the others saw her, they mounted their horses. She swung into the saddle and turned her horse toward the forest trail that led to the shining road,