Exiled by Nina Croft Page A

breath and turned her consciousness inward.
    The wall had vanished, only rubble remained and with time, she could sweep that away.
    A sense of freedom and lightness filled her. She’d lived with the fear of her own weakness for too long. Always scared to feel, in case the emotion overwhelmed her and she hurt others in her need to blot out the pain.
    Now she had faced the ultimate test and prevailed.
    She slid her hand into Callum’s. “I love you.”
    “I know.”
    “You two, we have to go.” Jarrod’s voice sounded from behind her. She peered over her shoulder and found him, sitting astride a horse, grinning down at them. “Welcome back,” he said.
    Callum rose to his feet. “Are you are you okay to ride?” he asked, heading toward the two remaining tethered horses. The others had all been released and chased off.
    Cass had been riding for a thousand years, but she took in Freya and Shayla seated behind their men and decided that perhaps she’d keep quiet about that little fact.
    “I’d rather not,” she answered. “Actually, I’ve become a little scared of horses.” Callum cast her a look of disbelief, but he loosened the tether of the second horse and slapped it on the rump. It trotted off, disappearing into the trees. He swung up into the saddle of the big bay mare and held out a hand to her.
    She took it and he pulled her behind him. Wrapping her arms around his waist beneath the cloak, she snuggled in close, resting her cheek against his broad back as they set off. For a while, she was content to rest there, but eventually she couldn’t resist seeing what had become of her old home. Raising her head, she peered around.
    Even in the dim light, she could see the evidence that the world was fading, and her exhilaration drained away. The forest appeared leached of color, many of the great trees dead or dying, and no plants grew on the forest floor. Even the moons hanging lethargic above the tree line seemed lifeless. Only a dull red glow where once they had pulsated with life force.
    She was responsible for this; great power carried great responsibility, and she had abused her power, used it for her own destructive ends.
    Her sense of foreboding returned. She knew the price had yet to be paid and she feared this day would see a reckoning. Soon she would face a hard choice, and this time—no matter the cost to herself—she had to make the right decision. But something else bothered her. When she reached inside for her magic, she found it sluggish and unresponsive. What if her power had deserted her and she couldn’t waken the Goddess? She pushed the worry aside. She would find a way. And if she could put right some of the wrong she had done first, then perhaps she could go with a measure of contentment. She wouldn’t regret that she had found Callum once again. She would just make the most of whatever time they had together. Her hands tightened around his waist as if she could hold him so close he would never leave her again. He must have sensed her desperation, because he glanced back over his shoulder.
    What he saw in her face made him pull the horse to a halt.
    He twisted in the saddle, slid his hands around her waist, and dragged her in front of him. She rested sideways across the saddle, cradled against his chest, her arm wrapped around his shoulder.
    Holding the reins in one hand, he nudged the horse into a walk.
    Cass stared up into his beautiful face. This close she could see the black ring around his irises, the sensitive curve of his full lower lip. She shifted her hand around the back of his neck and pulled him down toward her. Taking his lips with hers, she slowly pushed her tongue deep into his mouth.
    He groaned, his palm cupping her cheek as he held her to him and deepened the kiss. His hand stroked over her face, his fingers gliding down her throat, then lower, to dip inside her cloak. All that covered her breasts was a thin film of silk. His palm rubbed over her small breasts, and her