to burn at the way Caleb’s eyes poured over her, drinking her in like cool water. He looked quite astonishing himself stripped bare to the waist with muscles that seemed alive when he moved his arms, his bronze hair tousled around his face.
“Shauna gave me the gown and did my hair.” She fingered her tresses that fell in loose thick waves down her back.
“I like it,” he breathed and looked at his sister.
“I knew you would,” his sister drawled. Caleb threw her a surprised look, and then smiled at her. She returned it warmly but frowned at his bare chest a moment later. “Go get some clothes on. Supper will be ready soon and Ermile is on his way over.”
“But I invited Jonas.” Caleb almost winced when his sister dropped the wooden ladle she was clutching.
“Why did you do that?” she choked.
“Because he journeyed with me. I thought he could use a home-cooked meal. And you know how he loves your cooking.” There was, Willow noted what appeared to be a tiny smile on his lips when he spoke.
“Uninvite him, Caleb. Please.” Shauna tried to sound threatening, but her lower lip trembled.
“Shauna,” her brother gently argued, “It won’t hurt to just sit and eat with him.”
“No, I mean it. If he comes here, I’ll not serve him. And what if he’s rude to Ermile?”
“Well, if you won’t serve him, you’re the one being rude,” he pointed out. “But I’ll warn him before he even steps through the doorway.” He bent to pick up his tunic and cast his enchanting smile at Willow. “Don’t go away. I’ll be back shortly.”
Willow nodded as he left, then turned to Shauna, who by now had lost all motor skills in her hands. “What is it? Has Jonas hurt you in some way?”
“No, I…we…” Shauna couldn’t continue and turned back to the pot on the stove, its contents now boiling as fiercely as her blood.
She may have led a sheltered life, but Willow wasn’t a complete halfwit. And besides, Shauna was quite easy to read. “You and Jonas?” she asked, her eyes grew wide imagining the huge, heaving brute with this delicate pale haired woman.
“It was nothing really.” Shauna bent to retrieve her ladle and wiped it clean with a rag.
“Is that why your hands are shaking?” Willow asked. “Because it was nothing?”
Throwing her head back, Shauna sighed deeply. “Jonas and I were betrothed.”
Willow stared at her, completely stunned. Jonas? “What happened?”
Shauna went back to the stew and stirred it, and though she did her best to sound strong, when she spoke her voice quivered. “Three years ago, my brother declared war on Culderia. Jonas didn’t want me to battle with them because I’d been injured in the war against Londa’s nobles the previous summer and—”
“You...you fought with the men?” Willow stood dumbstruck in her spot. She had to have heard the slender woman wrong. Shauna was tall but to fight in battles with the Warriors… “You?” was all she could bring herself to ask.
“Yes. But you must never tell Ermile. He doesn’t know I’m a Warrior.”
“A Warrior?” Willow echoed, stunned to disbelief. Suddenly she began to laugh. “I’m sorry.” She held her hand over her mouth. “The way Caleb described you and seeing you now- so beautiful and ladylike. It’s just impossible for me to believe that you fought alongside Jonas! I mean, I’ve seen that man fight, Shauna. He is brutal.” She stopped laughing and stared at Caleb’s sister when the other woman frowned at her mirth. “You really fought beside him?” She swallowed, suddenly realizing exactly what Shauna was capable of.
“Beside him and Caleb and the others. Caleb and I were trained from an early age. Jonas was my teacher. I loved him beyond reason. He wanted me to stop fighting and we argued bitterly. I left and traveled to Hadvarti. I didn’t come back for over a year. I met Ermile there and told him nothing of my love for Jonas or that I was a Warrior of Predaria.” She stepped back, away from the stove and pushed a blond tendril off her face with her wrist. “When I returned to Shondravar I was already betrothed to Ermile. Jonas was very cordial, but it was too hard for me to be around him. So I avoided him as much as possible. I still do.”
“Oh, Shauna.” Willow sighed and shook her head. “Do you still love him?”
“Of course she does.” Caleb returned, wearing a fresh sapphire blue shirt with wide sleeves, light