Moon Burning - By Lucy Monroe Page 0,57
looking for power at the end of a fist.”
“She comes from a people who all believed were myth.”
“Not all,” she said, reminding him that Verica, too, was raven.
“How could your clan remain ignorant of your dual nature?”
“Éan are taught from childhood to mask their true scent.”
“But the Chrechte nature does not show itself until a body begins the physical journey to adulthood.”
“For the Faol. Ravens do not shift until that time, but the ability to mask emotion and scent is one we are born with.”
“All ravens?” For not all Faol had the gift.
“As far as I know.”
“And this other gift?”
“It is manifested after our coming of age ceremony.”
“You have a ceremony for such?”
“All Chrechte used to, but the Faol stopped performing theirs once they joined the clans.”
“’Twas too wrapped in violence and sexual mating.” He remembered the stories but could not imagine participating in the type of ritual his ancestors had done. Especially at the age the ceremony had at one time been performed.
“The Éan’s is more mystical.”
They had moved from the topic of her fear and he was not ready to let it go, even to discuss the fascination that was the Éan. “You have naught to fear from me.”
“I have everything to fear.”
“I already promised never to harm you.”
“But can you promise never to break my heart?”
“Nay.”
She jerked back and frowned, clearly upset by his answer.
“If you love me as you claim you might, my death in battle would break your heart and I canna promise that willna happen.”
“Oh.”
“I willna ever touch another woman.”
“If you are my true mate, you won’t be able to.”
He grinned. “If I am your true mate, you’ll know my heart though I’m not fond of talking about what resides there.”
The smile breaking over her features made her beauty glow from within. “You’d best watch out then, as the thing I feared most was that we were sacred mates.”
“Why fear such a gift?”
“Look at what it cost my mother.”
“Why do you say that?”
“My father was confident in his ability to protect her. He refused to allow her to hide her raven heritage. She did not tell him of Circin’s and my dual nature. It was something we had to hide from our father as we did the rest of the clan, but Mum was so certain to reveal it would put us at risk.”
How difficult that must have been, and continue to be, for Verica, a woman of rare honesty. “His belief his own warriors shared his honor destroyed them both.”
“Yes.”
“The decision of who to reveal your raven to will always be yours.” It was more than a promise, it was a vow.
She shook her head, the expression in her eyes one of utter disbelief. “No warrior is as understanding as you show yourself to be.”
He almost laughed aloud at that assessment of his character but saw she meant it, so bit back his mirth. ’Twas no understanding to choose to protect his mate with every defense at his disposal, including that of subterfuge when necessary. “I’m glad you think so.”
“You don’t.”
“I am not always a patient man.” A warrior had to have forbearance, but he was Chrechte and waiting did not come naturally to Earc.
“I gathered that.” She laughed softly. “When you announced our marriage was to be this e’en.”
“Are you reconciled to it then?”
She bit her lip but nodded.
“What concerns you now?” He did not mean to sound provoked, but affairs with a female Chrechte were no less complicated than if she had been human. And after seeing his former laird and lady struggle to make their mating a success, he had hoped if he ever mated, doing so with one of his own kind would make things simpler.
“You make it sound like I have a basketful of them.”
She did, but he suspected saying so would not encourage her to reveal this latest one, so he merely gave her a look he hoped inspired confidences. It worked for his little brothers.
“I am untouched.” She made it sound shameful, instead of the gift he considered it.
For both of them.
“So am I.”
The black pupils of her eyes nearly swallowed the blue surrounding them. “You are?”
“Aye. Talorc discouraged wolves from sex outside of mating.”
“By discourage you mean?”
“He is strongly opposed.” What did she think? That Talorc had levied severe punishments if his advisement went ignored? Perhaps with a past laird like Rowland, such a thought was not so darkly fanciful. “Barr ignored Talorc’s strictures, but I did not. He was my laird.”
Barr said a laird