see if my barrier will hold.”
“Take my hand, then.” He held his arm out.
Coira took a deep breath, brought the dunes to the forefront of her mind and took Logen’s hand in both of hers.
The dunes dissolved and the roar of the angry surf crashed over her. Coira pulled away from Logen and shuddered. “Too much.”
“I’m sorry. I...these records were poorly kept.”
Was it only irritation with his task she felt? Or was there something else angering Logen as well? “Please, I’d like to try again.”
At Logen’s nod, Coira closed her eyes and rebuilt her barrier, higher and stronger this time. With a fingertip, she touched the back of his hand, tentative at first, then with more confidence as her barrier held. She opened her eyes to meet his gaze. Heat flared like the rising sun on a summer day, the sand of the beach scorching her bare feet, burning away his irritation. An unexpected wave of emotion of a very different sort crashed over her, drenching her in his longing.
Sucking in a breath, she stepped back, diminishing, but not breaking, the link between them. “Logen...”
He shook his head and blinked as if dazed, then met her gaze. A hot flush stained his cheeks red. “I apologize. I didna mean for ye to feel that. I tried to stop it...”
“Nay, dinna apologize. I expected anger. Ye startled me. But Logen...” Her fingers curled into her palm as she fought for calm. She could not make the same mistake again. He might want her, but not in the way she wished for.
“Dinna say it.” He stood and moved away, anger now rolling off him in waves.
At himself, she was sure. He desired her and had not meant to let her know. She saw his chest rise and fall as he took a deep breath and began to control his emotions, seeking calm. She mirrored him, sighing and forcing her body to relax.
“I willna ask ye to do, to become, anything ye dinna wish for,” he said, turning to stare out the window. “I ken the reception the clan would give the idea of…ye with me. ’Tis too soon. I ken it. But ye are no’ the only one alone here.”
He paused and she held her breath. What would he say next?
“Ye please me. Yer gift fascinates me. And ye can help me. Aye, ’tis self-serving, I ken that, too. But ye may be the only person here I can trust.”
“Ach, Logen.” Her fingers spread, and she lifted her hand toward him, fully aware of what that admission cost him. But she dropped her hand back to her side without touching him. Could she make him understand? “Ye can trust me. I do wish to help ye. But I dinna ken if I can…it may be too much for me.”
His gaze shifted away from her. “All I ask is that ye try.”
Coira could not fail to sense his disappointment. She fought it off, determined not to reflect it and make it worse for him. “I’ll go now and leave ye to yer books.”
Logen didn’t turn from the window. “Perhaps that’s best.”
That he would not face her stung a bit. But given the import of what he’d just revealed, not only his desire, but his isolation, his— aloneness —she understood. Truth be told, she felt much the same—on both counts. Unlike him, she knew the possible devastating consequences of acting upon either of those feelings.
She opened the door a crack and waited for her gift to alert her, then peered into the hall just to be sure. No one. Silently, she slipped out and closed the heavy oak softly behind her, then continued on to her chambers, where she’d been headed, in tears, before Logen intercepted her and changed everything.
****
Logen watched the activity in the bailey below his window. It all looked so normal—movement and shouting, animals and people milling around, going about their normal daily activities. Beyond that, he could see the curtain wall, then the endless sea and sky, interrupted only by the line of mountains on the islands to the west. The view made him feel small and insignificant.
Most of his life, he had been insignificant, one of
“Take my hand, then.” He held his arm out.
Coira took a deep breath, brought the dunes to the forefront of her mind and took Logen’s hand in both of hers.
The dunes dissolved and the roar of the angry surf crashed over her. Coira pulled away from Logen and shuddered. “Too much.”
“I’m sorry. I...these records were poorly kept.”
Was it only irritation with his task she felt? Or was there something else angering Logen as well? “Please, I’d like to try again.”
At Logen’s nod, Coira closed her eyes and rebuilt her barrier, higher and stronger this time. With a fingertip, she touched the back of his hand, tentative at first, then with more confidence as her barrier held. She opened her eyes to meet his gaze. Heat flared like the rising sun on a summer day, the sand of the beach scorching her bare feet, burning away his irritation. An unexpected wave of emotion of a very different sort crashed over her, drenching her in his longing.
Sucking in a breath, she stepped back, diminishing, but not breaking, the link between them. “Logen...”
He shook his head and blinked as if dazed, then met her gaze. A hot flush stained his cheeks red. “I apologize. I didna mean for ye to feel that. I tried to stop it...”
“Nay, dinna apologize. I expected anger. Ye startled me. But Logen...” Her fingers curled into her palm as she fought for calm. She could not make the same mistake again. He might want her, but not in the way she wished for.
“Dinna say it.” He stood and moved away, anger now rolling off him in waves.
At himself, she was sure. He desired her and had not meant to let her know. She saw his chest rise and fall as he took a deep breath and began to control his emotions, seeking calm. She mirrored him, sighing and forcing her body to relax.
“I willna ask ye to do, to become, anything ye dinna wish for,” he said, turning to stare out the window. “I ken the reception the clan would give the idea of…ye with me. ’Tis too soon. I ken it. But ye are no’ the only one alone here.”
He paused and she held her breath. What would he say next?
“Ye please me. Yer gift fascinates me. And ye can help me. Aye, ’tis self-serving, I ken that, too. But ye may be the only person here I can trust.”
“Ach, Logen.” Her fingers spread, and she lifted her hand toward him, fully aware of what that admission cost him. But she dropped her hand back to her side without touching him. Could she make him understand? “Ye can trust me. I do wish to help ye. But I dinna ken if I can…it may be too much for me.”
His gaze shifted away from her. “All I ask is that ye try.”
Coira could not fail to sense his disappointment. She fought it off, determined not to reflect it and make it worse for him. “I’ll go now and leave ye to yer books.”
Logen didn’t turn from the window. “Perhaps that’s best.”
That he would not face her stung a bit. But given the import of what he’d just revealed, not only his desire, but his isolation, his— aloneness —she understood. Truth be told, she felt much the same—on both counts. Unlike him, she knew the possible devastating consequences of acting upon either of those feelings.
She opened the door a crack and waited for her gift to alert her, then peered into the hall just to be sure. No one. Silently, she slipped out and closed the heavy oak softly behind her, then continued on to her chambers, where she’d been headed, in tears, before Logen intercepted her and changed everything.
****
Logen watched the activity in the bailey below his window. It all looked so normal—movement and shouting, animals and people milling around, going about their normal daily activities. Beyond that, he could see the curtain wall, then the endless sea and sky, interrupted only by the line of mountains on the islands to the west. The view made him feel small and insignificant.
Most of his life, he had been insignificant, one of
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