Read Souls of Aredyrah 1 - The Fire and the Light for Free Online Page B

grinned and popped a grape into his mouth.
Whyn’s eyes widened with horror.
    Ruairi sucked in his cheeks and winked. If he
aimed the grape just right he could probably pelt the back of
Labhras’s head with it. The man was standing before the crowd, his
back to the table, extolling the virtues of the royal family and
his future son-in-law who would one day lead Tearia to further
greatness as the Red King. Ruairi was tired of it all and knew that
the grape, now primed for battle in his mouth, could add a bit of
interest to the otherwise boring speech. But an icy stare of
disapproval from his mother brought his plans to an abrupt halt. He
scowled and spit the grape onto his plate.
    The reaction from the crowd brought his
attention back to Labhras who was now holding a wine goblet in the
air. The long-winded toast was over at last. Ruairi straightened
his aching back and smiled, nodding to the crowd that had turned
their eyes to him and Cinnia rather than to her father. He stood
and took Cinnia’s hand in his and kissed it. The guests clapped and
cheered their approval.
    But Ruairi’s relief was short lived and hope
for a private moment with Cinnia on hold. The reception line had
formed to their right. He surveyed the room, contemplating a quick
escape, but one look in his father’s direction quickly doused the
notion. The man was watching him, his brows raised in warning.
Clearly he had no intention of letting his unpredictable son spoil
an otherwise lovely affair.
    Ruairi groaned for the thousandth time that
evening and walked down the steps of the dais to the eternal line
of well-wishers. An hour of handshaking, small talk, and forced
smiles left him with the overwhelming desire for fight or flight.
While fight was not possible, flight certainly was. The instant the
last guest departed the line, Ruairi turned, grabbed Cinnia’s hand,
and pulled her from the stifling room and out to the fresh air of
the gardens beyond.
    The yard was bathed in silvery moonlight, and
the scent of the botanicals that enveloped the garden filled
Ruairi’s senses. But it was the essence of Cinnia that made his
head spin.
    “Gods, I thought we would never get out of
there,” he said. He took her face in his hands, pulling it toward
his eager mouth, and kissed her deeply. The concerns of the day
evaporated.
    Ruairi had kissed Cinnia many times before,
and though she always left him wanting more, he had never taken it
much further. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to; he was a healthy
young man, after all, and was more than ready for the intimate
touch of a woman. But he was patient with the desires of his body,
believing it best to wait until the time was right. That time, he
knew, could only be with Cinnia. And that time would hopefully be
tonight.
    Cinnia pulled back and glanced over her
shoulder. “Someone might see us,” she whispered.
    “But Cin, we are betrothed now,” Ruairi said,
leaning in for more.
    “You know I want to,” she said, “but it is
too risky. What if we are found out? My father would be furious.
And your father—”
    “Oh, who cares about them. They are nothing
more than a couple of old men who have long forgotten what it is
like to be kissed by a beautiful woman.”
    Cinnia laughed. “Oh, I doubt they have
forgotten. They do have beautiful wives after all.”
    “None as beautiful as you,” Ruairi said. He
traced a finger down her breastbone and felt her shiver at his
touch.
    Cinnia glanced around, then turned back to
him and smiled. “Very well, meet me in my room later. I will leave
a candle in the window to let you know when it is safe.”
    Ruairi glanced toward the window that arched
above them. Cinnia’s room. He would have no trouble finding his way
there. He was well acquainted with Labhras’s great estate; in his
childhood, Ruairi’s family had spent a great deal of time there. It
was in this very maze of a garden that he, his brother, and Cinnia
had played hiding games and planned fantastic