Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90574 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90574 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
“How did I get here?”
“I thought you would answer that question.”
“Anna, John?” She stared at the couple. “ What are you doing here?”
“They searched for you and found you,” Rogan explained.
“I was lost?”
“You disappeared when I went to fetch your healing basket,” John said.
“No, I waited for you.” Aliss was adamant.
“And?” Rogan asked, concerned to hear what followed.
Aliss glared at him for a moment, wrinkled her brow and shook her head. “I do not remember.”
“You do not know how you came to be in the woods?” Rogan asked.
Aliss was startled. “I am in the woods?”
Rogan slipped his arm beneath her back and helped her to sit up. “See for yourself.”
She looked about her. “Motherwort,” Aliss said, pointing to a reddish-violet plant. “I must pick some.” She attempted to stand.
“Stay where you are,” Rogan ordered.
“I often gather motherwort for the women,” Anna said. “I will get some for you.”
Aliss stared at Anna for a moment.
“Is something wrong?” the young woman asked.
Aliss shook her head. “Something about—” She shook her head again. “My mind is foggy.”
“You will rest. Anna will see to the plant,” Rogan said and waited, prepared for her to disagree.
“That is a good idea. Will you help me up?”
He almost fell back, so surprised was he by how easily she had agreed. She grabbed his arm and he lifted her to her feet. She seemed uncertain of her footing and kept her hand gripped to his arm. He slipped his other arm around her waist to steady her until he was certain her legs would hold her.
When her steps were finally stable, she continued to cling to him, pressing her body close to his. He drew her into the nook of his arm, wanting her to know she was safe, wanting to keep her safe.
During the short walk to the cottage, Rogan gave thought to Aliss’s disappearance and discovery. She had not been that far into the woods or her body that concealed that it should have taken so long to find her. Which led him to wonder if the prophetess, Giann, had a hand in this.
“It is odd that I do not remember how I came to be in the woods,” Aliss said when they entered his cottage.
He reluctantly released her to sit on the edge of her bed while he stoked the fire to ward off the chill that pervaded the room. He wanted her warm and comfortable, safely tucked away in his home where no harm could befall her, if only for the day.
“I do not recall entering the woods,” she said. She tugged off her boots, crossed her legs and tucked her feet beneath her, her elbow on her knee and her chin resting in her hand.
Rogan sat beside her, her covered foot pressed against his thigh. Her foot was small, her toes playing against his muscled thigh, stretching and kneading the ache away.
“What do you recall?” he asked and reached beneath her skirt to take hold of her foot and massage the tender flesh.
She sighed long and softly, and it tingled his insides.
“Waiting for John as he had told me to do.”
“I had thought you fearful of the woods and never would have expected to find you there.” His fingers worked on the sole of her foot, kneading and rubbing and feeling her relax to his touch.
“The eyes—” She paused, and her brow creased. “Hmmm, that feels so good.”
“What about the eyes?” Curious himself.
She shook her head slowly. “I cannot . . . hmmm, your hands work magic.”
His hand drifted up her ankle to knead her silky flesh and she leaned her head back, closing her eyes and sighing her pleasure.
“Magic, pure magic,” she said with a smile. “I know there is much that I should be thinking on but right now I do not want to think on anything.”
“You deserve to rest.”
“No, there is something I should remember. Something important.”
“It can wait—”
“Why can I not remember?”
“Do not concern yourself with that now,” he said, feeling that he had surmised correctly. Giann definitely had had a hand in Aliss’s disappearance. Her skills were great and could make one forget she had ever been in her presence.
She rubbed her head and slouched against him as though she had fallen into the comfortable position a thousand times before.
“This confuses me.”
“Do not worry over it. It will do you no good.”
She raised her head. “I am missing something.”
Her faint pink lips were soft and moist like the petals of a freshly bloomed flower kissed by the morning dew and much too near his own. He ached to taste their flavor, yet knew one taste would not suffice. He would want more, much more.
“What do you miss?” he asked.
He watched her eyes settle on him as he ran his tongue over his dry lips, leaving them damp. Her breathing grew labored as her eyes remained on his mouth and there was no doubt to her thoughts.