Return of the Danu Read online

  She gently pushed his big fingers off her arm and left him standing alone, looking both suspicious and foolish. It was a good look for the big warrior. But she needed to be much more careful in the future. The man saw entirely too much.

  ***

  It turned out that Amelia did not have a problem with her staying. Welcomed her in fact.

  "You can stay in Katrine's old room." She licked her lips and looked from Elena to the big warriors who took up all the space in the small room. "I can bed down with Jaak and let you have my room," she said looking as briefly as she could manage at Ansgar. Before Elena could protest anyone taking the woman’s bed she was going on. "I am not sure where I can put the rest of you." If Elena was not mistaken, she did not like having all the warriors around, but she had no problem with the Danu.

  "I stay with the witch, we have need for only the one room." Ansgar said, his hard voice leaving no room for question or in Elena's case, argument. "My men need not concern you."

  Elena ground her teeth and forced a smile for Amelia's sake allowing his proprietary dictates with an effort. It would do none of them any good to start a battle she had no hope of winning. No matter how much the warriors high handed ways irked her.

  Amelia looked as doubtful as Elena was feeling but she too feigned serenity and saw Elena to her room since Ansgar insisted on seeing it. The warrior parade following close behind.

  Elena was tempted to slam the door on the men but Ansgar was too close. He walked into the room as if he owned it, nearly stomping on her heals as he did. He took one look at the airy pleasant space and sent one of his men to guard the garden doors from the outside. The other he left in the hall.

  The bed, Elena was surprised to discover was big enough for two, if she had wanted to share it. But since she would see the man pecked to death by wild geese before she shared her bed with him, she wondered which of them would be relegated to the cold hard stone floor. If it was her, she was going to sleep in the garden, no matter what he said. Stone might be a soft enough bed for a Southern warrior, but it did nothing for her but sap her strength and make her skin itch for brown dirt and Green growing things.

  Amelia looked from her to the warrior and opened her mouth to speak. A clear question in her eyes. Instead Elena saw the exact moment when she decided against it. Ansgar was looking at the room as if he was searching for hidden assassins. Then he nodded his head brusquely at Amelia.

  "This will do," he stated.

  Elena shook her head at his proprietary attitude. Must be from being a prince and heir to the throne, she decided. Surely not all warriors were this annoyingly high handed.

  Amelia opened the closet and motioned. "There are still a few things that Katrine left behind if you need a change of clothes or something to sleep in. I'll ready the bathing room for you, so you can clean up before bed." Amelia looked her over. "Unless you would prefer, it sooner. I can wait dinner until you are ready if you needs clean up now."

  "Thank you," Elena said. "A bath would be appreciated. But after dinner will be soon enough." A bath first would have been heaven, but she was already putting out the young widow enough, without making them all wait for dinner. In any case she planned on sleeping fully clothed and armed with the company she was going to be keeping. Still it would be nice to clean up and put on something not blood encrusted. And eating sounded divine, no matter what state she was in when it happened.

  ***

  It was not until dinner that her son, Jaak, brought up a subject it was clear Amelia was just as interested in, if her perking attention was anything to go by.

  "You saw Katrine claim the Green?"

  "I did," Elena said, thankful to see that there was plenty of fresh vegetables harvested from the Danu garden for her to eat. "And the skies."

  Jaak's eyes went wide, and he looked from her to Ansgar the Bloody that sat on her right as if for confirmation. "The skies?"

  "Yes," Elena said smiling and giving him big eyes to match his own. "It is a thing of legend among my people, that a true queen of the wilds can call down the very heavens to do her bidding." She felt eyes on her, but she did not need to look away from Jaak to know Ansgar the Bloody was watching her, he was always watching her. "When the Southern Army let loose their fire arrows, the new queen of the Danu raised her arms, and the clear skies went grey and before the arrows could scorch the Green, rain fell in buckets to put out the fires." She made her voice as dramatic as any six-year-old would appreciate. "The skies split with lighting and thunder, and everywhere she stepped the Green stepped with her. She walked onto the North road and every step she took the Green reclaimed for its own."

  "Wow," Jaak breathed out the word, clearly awed by the retelling. Elena turned to find Amelia with eyes nearly as big as her sons, only she clearly had a lot less enthusiasm for the tale as trepidation stole across her face as she pictured what Elena was re-telling.

  "Of course, as soon as the fires were put out the rain stopped. It was not Katrine who wanted the war." Elena winked at the tense woman across from her and Amelia relaxed blowing out a tension filled breath. "She has too many friends living in Haven, and a husband who is a Southern Prince."

  Jaak was more awed by the telling then interested in the politics so as soon as she had told him all she knew of the small but spectacular battle that had taken place that morning he was lamenting that he had not snuck out and joined the warriors at the walls to see it all happen first hand.

  Amelia choked on her stew and gave her son warning eyes. "If I ever hear of you doing such a thing, I will tan your hide so long and hard you won't sit down for a week."

  Jaak realizing what he had said out loud and in front of whom, looked sufficiently cowed, but Elena could swear she heard him mutter under his breath. "It would be worth it," and nearly choked on her own soup, for laughing at the rambunctious child. His mother narrowed her eyes at him but smartly pretended not to hear him.

  Jaak peppered her with questions for the rest of the meal, but she had no real answers to give him.

  Elena had to admit sadly that she had never had the privilege of spending time with Katrine, since she had been lost to them, while the rest of the Danu were in hiding. It was the truth but there were things she could have said. Things she would not say when she was surrounded by warriors with big ears and lasting anger toward magic users. Jaak took it in stride. Finding out that he probably knew more about Katrine than she did made him both proud and disappointed at the same time. It was a comical look.

  "I think you know more about the Queen than I do." The little dark boy with his chest puffed out in importance while he pouted at not being able to hear more about his beloved Katrine.

  The whole picture made her laugh, it was just too adorable for words. So, she laughed while the small boy regaled her with questions and his mother looked on both worriedly and with obvious affection for her son.

  Elena felt something and turned to find Ansgar watching her. His carefully blank face held more than a little speculation, and a whole lot of suspicion. He knew very well why she was not answering the boy’s questions. The open hostility pushed out the rest of her humor.

  She looked away and sighed. The man seemed to have only negative emotions where she was concerned. In her logical mind she understood it. It had been the Danu who broke the peace talks and started the first war, but it had not been his people decimated by fire. Nor was it his people who faced extinction even now. So perhaps he could look at her with less suspicion and rage on that brutal face. He looked at her like she was a liar and any moment she was going to show her true colors and try to destroy him and his kingdom. She had not even ever lied to the man. Misled, maybe, but nothing she had said had been an outright lie, per say.

  Not sharing the full extent of her power was not the same thing. And she would never be foolish enough to give the man any information on what was left of her people to use against them. Not when there were so few of them left, and all of them so very young and newly coming into
their power. She was not going to feel guilty for keeping secrets from Ansgar the Bloody.

  She just wished she knew why that look on his face, directed at her bothered her as much as it did. It was not as if she expected them to be friends. The man had nearly killed her, and the fact that he had been aiming for her brother at the time he threw that dreaded knife was not exactly a point in his favor.

  Since she could not sort her own emotions even to herself, Elena let them go and glared a warning at the big warrior at her side and ignored the constant pressure of his gaze on her skin, as best she could.

  Chapter Four

  The households bathing room was small by Ansgar’s standards, but well kept, and like many of the bathing rooms in Haven heated by the hearth fire. The lady Amelia had made sure that there was a great deal of hot water at their disposal as well as drying clothes and scented soaps.

  He watched Elena wander the rock-built rooms her hands trailing through the water that lapped hot and waiting in the big center bath. Dug into the mountain rock as it was it had a natural shelf that allowed comfortable lounging, and as it was a family bath it was big enough to hold multiple bathers at once. Like the people of the South the Northerners were communal bathers. If a person was lucky enough to have a home with a bathing room that community was the family that resided in the home. If you not, then you could use one of the public houses for your baths. Not something Ansgar cared for, as it was both dangerous and not nearly as pleasant when you shared your water with who knew how many others before you.

  This, he thought, was looking a sight better than the cold rivers he dipped in as quick as possible, though not nearly as nice as the few places that had hot springs feeding them and moving the water constantly, such as could be found at the palace, and a few of the better inns he could name from his travels. Still, this bathing place, as nice as it was, felt twice as dangerous as any of the others from his memory. It contained Elena, the beautiful witch. One he knew was keeping secrets from them all.

  She had already surprised him more than once in the short amount of time they had been together since the almost war ended. What else was she capable of? How much of the draw to her was his reaction to a beautiful woman and how much was a magic induced trap?

  "What are you doing?" she asked her voice almost breathless in the quiet of the chamber. The movement of the water and the crackle of the hearth fire was the only sounds, besides what his leathers and armor was making as he removed them.

  He raised a brow and looked around the vast empty chamber. "This is a bathing chamber," he said mildly enough. "I am preparing to bathe."

  The witch Elena suddenly looked appalled. The serenity that annoyed him so thoroughly gone in an instant. "What?" she asked clearly aghast. "I assumed you would be guarding me from the door. The other side of the door," she added pointedly.

  Ansgar almost snorted aloud at her answer. His only response was to drop the rest of his clothes to the rock floor by his already removed boots and carefully placed weapons. The shock on the girl’s face was nearly as satisfying as the color that flared in those alabaster cheeks before she twirled to present him with her back. The sight would have been more satisfying without the crusted blood on her shoulder to show where he had hurt her. It made him uncomfortable to see.

  "Enough of this maidenly foolishness," his voice he knew showed his impatience at her sorry state. "Take off your clothes and bathe while the water is still hot. I assure you that I have seen enough naked females that the sight will not send me into immediate throws of uncontrollable passion."

  He did not need to see her face to know that she was grinding her teeth. Again. If they kept company too many days, she would wear those perfect white teeth to nubs. And his jaw would be on permanent lock down. The last he acknowledged ruefully. Knowing that as much as she reacted strongly to his ways. He was just as affected by her.

  "This may come as a surprise to you," Elena said, her voice as biting as the sudden snap of tension in her back. "But I have actually never seen a naked man before, no matter what your experience."

  The silence following her statement lasted longer than he intended, but her words had an unexpected effect on him. Truthfully, he liked the idea that she was innocent, but it was his bodies reaction to the thought of being the first man she had seen naked that caused him to take that extra telling moment. He went rock hard at the idea. And all the ideas that followed the first one. He forced his thoughts under control and hoped she did not turn back around until he had the rest of himself handled. Or she was going to get a broader education than she was ready for.

  "Is that a Danu thing then, keeping their people in ignorance or is that saved for young females, as in the times of old?" His tone, he was satisfied to note, held the right amount of scorn and boredom, showing none of his inner idiocy.

  "Be as insulting as you like, but it has more to do with the fact that there are no adult male Danu left, if you don't count my brother, which I do not. I'm afraid you can blame my ignorance on Southern expansion and the decimation of my people, rather than social mores."

  Ansgar winced at her words, feeling the sting of them, probably because it had just then occurred to him for the first time how very few of the Danu there actually were left in the world. But he bit back the unexpected and unwanted bite of guilt just as fast. He should be happy there were so few magic users in the world. As far as he was concerned it meant that much more safety for him and his. "You will have to get over this absurd girlish shyness sometime. You are no longer frolicking in the Green, but a part of the world again."

  If he had really been interested in an end to her ignorance he would not have banned his men from the bathing room while his little Danu witch was in it. He had bathed in the presence of his men too often, and with enough females, to know it was on her account that he had done it. He did not know if it was the thought of her seeing the other men that way, but he did know without a shadow of a doubt that he did not want them seeing her.

  He could not explain why this was even to himself. Not without facing some truths he was in no mood to consider. He was protecting the little witch and that made her his until such time as that changed. It was enough of an explanation for his overprotective urges without tacking on any further reasons. Like irrational rage at the idea of the small female naked with anyone but him.

  In his culture sex was as casual as nudity, at least until a mate was taken. Communal baths were not for the claimed, male or female, unless it was with each other, and sex did not happen outside a bonding once that bond was formed. A bond mate was a sacred thing. A bonding meant children and the building of family and dynasty. No man or woman would disgrace either without also forfeiting honor. And a man who could not be trusted as honorable, had no place within the warriors of the South. But before a bond was formed no one would think twice about it. He just did not want anyone getting any ideas about the little Danu witch that was presently under his protection.

  He did not trust her, that was enough reason to keep her well away from his loyal men.

  "Enough wasting of my time, little witch, strip and get clean or I will do it for you."

  The little Danu whirled to glare at him and ended up blinking with her mouth hanging open as her eyes drank all of him in. Then she whirled just as fast back around and cleared her throat, obviously struggling to get back the anger she had lost momentarily.

  "You might be a prince of your people Ansgar the Bloody, but you are no ruler of mine," she finally bit out. "I have explained that I will not bathe with you, and why. When you are finished, I will take my turn alone and in peace."

  Her firm words would have been more impressive if she could have looked at him when she said them. As it was, her back to him gave him the opening he needed to get close enough to grab her. He hefted her on a near shriek and turned, ignoring her furious struggles to toss her into the large bathing pool. Clothes, boots and all. She went under and came up spitting mad, her eyes blazing at him as he came
into the water beside her and proceeded to remove her gear.

  She hissed and spat and struggled against him, but as much magic as she might have in the Green, she was no match for him physically, surrounded by cold rock and strangers. Though he was surprised by both her speed and dexterity a few times in their struggle, and as satisfying as it was to finally have her naked, her sopping Danu forest gear thrown about the bathing chamber, he could not deny that she had landed more than one good throbbing blow that was going to leave a bruise.

  As soon as she was naked from head to toe, he released her and settled back to his bath, while she flailed about a bit before she settled on a glare from the other side of the large pool.

  "You are a cretin," she announced scathingly, her color up, her hair falling around her shoulders bedraggled and wet, half in half out of her Danu braids.

  He shrugged, choosing a clean forest smell from the soaps offered before he began studiously ignoring the witch and washing. "I have been called worse."

  "Of that," she ground out between clenched teeth. "I have no doubt."

  She did not try to leave the pool, so he left her to it. Though if she did not start washing by the time he was clean, he would take more matters into his own hands. Probably not the best idea, considering how much he had enjoyed their last tussle. For a little witch out of the Green, she was not weak. Wrestling with her had been fun. Unfortunately, it had done nothing to calm other bodily reaction he was trying to ignore. As much as he told himself she was Danu and not to be trusted. His body had no trouble seeing her as a beautiful, wet, naked female. One with fire to match his own.

  He told himself he was not disappointed when she raised her little nose at him and went to the side of the pool to pick her own scent out of the offering. Herbs, he thought as the scent of her soap choice drifted to him as she went back to the other side of the pool. Green growing things and wild flowers that grew where paler flowers floundered and died. It was what he would have chosen for her himself. It was a scent he would appreciate smelling on all the secret places of her skin, when the time came.