“Oh my gosh, this is heaven. Loch, you gotta try this.” Brea’s voice drifted to him in the darkness. They’d ridden hard all afternoon and reached the hot springs near Loch Sol just as the sun began to set.
He’d sent scouts ahead with orders to make camp near the mud springs Loch Sol was famous for. Judging by the sounds Brea was making, it was worth the extra effort to find the springs. But his mind wasn’t on Loch Sol or even Brea who occupied his thoughts often of late. It was with his people.
“Seriously. This is like heaven.”
Something warm splattered across his back. “Did you just fling mud at me?”
“Yes. You should try relaxing. Brooding about your people now when you can’t help them yet isn’t doing you any good.”
“Are you suggesting I join you?”
“Are you suggesting there is something improper about that? I have clothes on in here you know.”
“That’s not how you’re supposed to do it, Brea.” He chuckled at her modesty.
“Well, that’s how I do it. I don’t relish getting mud all up in my lady bits.”
Lochlan snorted as he stood and shed his travel-stained shirt and trousers, leaving his underthings on. She was right—in her way—worrying wouldn’t get him there any faster. Sinking down into the hot mud, Lochlan stifled a groan.
“You could make a fortune selling this stuff to humans.” Brea slathered the mud over her shoulders, rubbing it into her tired muscles.
“Eldurians pay a handsome price for this mud. It has healing properties that keep the effects of aging at bay for a time.”
“Humans would kill for this stuff.”
“Humans are vain creatures.” Lochlan settled back into the mud, feeling the tension ease from his shoulders.
“Not all of us are caught up in our looks.”
“You aren’t human, Brea,” he said softly, watching her profile in the darkness.
“Maybe not in body. But in spirit, I think I always will be.”
Lochlan moved closer to her, unable to keep his distance. She had a way of making him feel better even when it seemed his world was falling down around him.
“It’s part of your charm. Don’t ever lose it, Brea.”
“My mother expects me to.”
“Give her time. Faolan is a good mother, but she is also very stubborn. I imagine that is where you get it from.”
“What kinds of things did you tell my mothers about me after your spying visits?”
Lochlan frowned. He didn’t like to think about Brea’s life before. The parents who should have adored her, treated her like trash. Alona’s biological parents. He could never see much of her in them. They didn’t deserve either daughter. “Lots of things. I told them about your school. About Myles. How you loved your horses when you were young and were sad when your parents had to sell them.”
“What about all the other stuff?” Her voice was small in the darkness. It stirred something inside him, knowing all she went through in the human world. So many times he’d wanted to bring her home, but it wasn’t safe for her then and probably never would be.
“I told your mothers you had nice parents who cared for you as best they could given their limited means.”
“Thank you.” She stood, letting the mud slide down her body.
“For what?” He joined her, resisting the urge to pull her close.
“For keeping my secrets.”
“If I could have changed anything for you, I would have.” He took her hand, helping her out of the mud spring.
“Wait, now what?” Brea looked down at herself with a frown.
“Now we walk to the hot springs.” He pointed across the sparse forest of stunted trees to the clear waters of one of the many hot springs surrounding Loch Sol. Still holding her hand, he led the way.
“There should be a spa hotel here. I’d never leave.” Brea sighed into the cool evening breeze.
“The area around Loch Sol isn’t a suitable habitat. It’s much too hot during the day, and nothing grows here. But I’m sure if you ask your mother, she will bring wagonloads of the mud into the palace and build a mud spring just for you.”
“Here we are. Be careful, Brea, it’s very hot.” Lochlan reluctantly released her hand as she stepped into the natural sulfur spring to rinse the volcanic mud off.
“It can never be too hot.” She tiptoed into the deeper side of the pool, the steam curling the stray locks of her hair falling from the messy knot on top of her head. “I loved taking bubble baths when I was a kid, but my mom rarely let me indulge. Said I made too much of a mess and it cost too much to fill the tub. It was never hot enough or deep enough. And now I have a swimming-pool-sized tub in my bathroom and servants to fill it.”
She sounded so sad, like maybe she missed the drunken fools who were supposed to be her parents.
“Do you miss your home?”
“I don’t have a home, Loch.” She shrugged, dipping her shoulders under the water, rinsing the mud from her underclothes she’d insisted on wearing into the spring.
“Eldur is your home.”
“Maybe some day. It still doesn’t feel like it though. I love the city and the people. I’m just not so sure about the palace or those who reside there.”
He knew she was still upset about the prospect of becoming queen someday, but that day was likely a distant future where Brea had found her role within her family and the people who already adored her.
“Make yourself useful.” He turned his back to her, changing the subject. “Help me wash the mud off where I can’t reach.”
Her hands felt nice against his hot skin as she rinsed the last of the mud away. “There, that’s better.” She turned him toward her, running her hands along his arms. “See, relaxing isn’t so hard. Even you can do it when you try.” She looked up at him with her crooked half smile.
For once, not overthinking his actions, Loch, pulled her close, his hands settling around her as his lips brushed hers. A gasp of surprise escaped her as she tilted her head back to look at him, her body warm against his. He pulled her closer, and she pressed her lips against his, her fingers dancing through his hair as she deepened their kiss. Lochlan growled as her fingertips traced the shape of his pointed ears. A shiver shot through him at the simple touch.
“Do me.” She broke away, turning her back to him with a nervous laugh.
“What?” His kiss addled brain couldn’t grasp what she was saying.
“Rinse the mud off my back.”
“I can do that.” He murmured in her ear, scooping up a handful of water he let his hands slide down her back until the tension left her shoulders and the last of the mud rinsed away.
“Thank you, Brea.”
“For what?” She murmured in a sleepy voice.
“For keeping my mind off things I can’t fix right now.” He pressed a kiss against her throat and took her hand to lead her back to camp.
~~~
Traveling over the mountain pass, through the Northern Vatlands and into Iskalt took longer than expected after a fresh snowfall left them seeking a different path—and warm clothes for Brea. She hadn’t thought that far ahead when she packed her things to follow.
It felt good to be home—doubly so having Brea with him. Part of him wanted to show her his home, but he wasn’t here for sightseeing. He had a village to inspect.
“Are we there yet?” Brea asked.
“Almost. The village lies in the valley below. You can just make out the buildings on main street.”
“Oh, I see it.” Brea leaned over her saddle. “It’s bigger than I thought.”
“It’s a milling town. They have a thriving economy and are remarkably self sustaining this far from the capital city.
“It’s like a little Alpine village.” Brea smiled. “It’s adorable.”
“There’s a nice inn where we’ll stay tonight. The men can make camp just outside the village while we investigate these strange deaths.”
“I’m looking forward to a warm bed and a hot meal.”
“We used to come here often when I was a kid. I still remember the candy shop and the bakery.” Lochlan realized he was more eager to show Brea around the village than finding out what his uncle was up to. He needed to get his head on straight before he let himself get too caught up in Brea and her infectious smiles.
“It’s awfully quiet,” Brea murmured as they entered the outskirts of town.
Something wasn’t right. The village always thrived with activity.
“Loch.” Finn slipped off his horse, waving several of Loch’s men to fan out behind them with their weapons drawn. Lochlan gave his friend a nod, he could feel it too. Something was very wrong.
“Oh,” Brea whispered a moment later as they made their way past the mill. It had snowed recently, but just a light dusting to cover the bodies that lay strewn about. They were all dead.
Dread filled Lochlan’s mind as he walked ahead to find villagers laying on the sidewalk and in front of store windows. All dead.
“What happened?” Brea’s voice broke with the anguish Lochlan felt at the sight of so much death.
Lochlan stopped at the center of the town square. Children had played here while their parents went about their business in town. He fell to his knees beside a child no more than six, his cold frozen body seemingly unharmed. The boy’s lips were blue, and his cold dead eyes stared back at Lochlan with an accusing glare. He should have been here for his people. He should have challenged his uncle for the throne years ago. He was a man now. No longer a boy hiding behind Faolan’s skirts. But he’d stood by and let this happen.
“This was powerful magic,” Finn whispered. “Callum lost control of it. He’s not powerful enough to complete the boundary spell on his own.”
“They’re burned. Just like the others.” Brea bent to examine a little girl with winter flowers in her hair. She didn’t deserve this. None of them deserved to have their lives cut short because his uncle was a madman.
Lochlan couldn’t breathe. Everywhere he looked he saw dead children. Mothers with their daughters, come to town to sell their ribbons and eggs. Father’s stocking up on supplies for the coming winter storm. Shopkeepers and townsfolk just going about their day, all struck down by some kind of insane magical boundary spell his uncle couldn’t hope to pull off. Yet he’d sacrificed an entire village just to see if he could do it.
“Finn, send a messenger back to the troops. Tell them to come down from the pass. We have work to do.” Brea turned toward the hardware store. “You three.” She pointed to the soldiers who’d accompanied them into the village. “Round up all the supplies we’ll need.”
“For what, my Lady?” the soldier asked.
“These people deserve a final resting place, and we’re going to give it to them. We’ll need shovels and carts and lots of manpower.”
“The ground is frozen, my Lady. In Iskalt they burn their dead and scatter the ashes in the mountain pass.”
“Then we’ll need to visit the mill for wood for a few pyres. We will not leave these poor people to rot in the sun when the weather warms.”
“Yes, my Lady.” The soldiers went to do her bidding.
“We’ll start with the children.” Brea grabbed another group of soldiers and set them to work gathering up the children from the town square and laying them carefully on a wagon bed.
As she issued orders, Lochlan sat in the snow, his heart shattering into a thousand pieces over the unnecessary deaths of his people. People he should have protected.
Before long, Brea had soldiers clearing each building, one by one. She was a natural leader. She led by inspiring others to join her. She never asked them to do anything she wasn’t willing to do herself. His men leapt to do her bidding, and Lochlan only hoped that one day he could inspire such loyalty in his people. But he had to protect them first.
~~~