The tension in Estrella’s shoulders eased. “Yes, your grace. I’ll see that word gets out to the evacuees. About the invad—about the Protector of Braugne. Shall I turn him away?”
“No, please show him to my office.” As Estrella left, Lily looked at Prem and said, “He promised me flirting. This should be good.”
Glee danced in Prem’s eyes. “Oh, your grace, that’s amazing. Do… do we welcome it?”
“That depends entirely on what he does.” Shrugging, Lily walked back into her office and waited.
She looked out the window until, behind her, Estrella said, “The Protector of Braugne, your grace.”
Lily turned, but the words she had prepared in greeting died unspoken as Wulf strode across the room to her. He looked the same, a powerfully built, hardened man wearing armor, cloak, and sword, but in one hand he held a large bouquet of vivid red roses.
For a moment the illusion held perfectly. She even caught a whiff of scent that smelled like roses. Then, as he drew closer and she stared, she realized the bouquet he held was made of the velvet roses from the shop he had broken into.
Smiling, she held out her hands for them. “They’re beautiful—thank you. I swear I even smell roses.”
“I sprinkled perfume on the blooms.” As he gave them to her, he bent in to steal a swift kiss. Warming with pleasure, she kissed him back.
“I take it you added more money to the jar behind the counter.”
Smiling faintly, he said, “Did you doubt me?”
“Not at all.” She buried her face in the soft velvet blooms, inhaled with pleasure, then set them aside. “I also checked the shop yesterday afternoon when I returned to town. It was exactly as you had said. The coin has remained undisturbed. In fact, I think there was even more than what you originally put there.”
“Of course.”
Leaning back against her desk, she asked, “What can I do for you, Wulf?”
“If you can spare an hour, I would like for you to give me a tour of the abbey. From all accounts I’ve read, it’s a beautiful place. I’d like to hear the things you love about it.”
She lit up even further. “Let me get my cloak.”
They walked through the grounds and the temple while they talked. He tucked her hand into the crook of his arm, and she allowed it.
Not everyone welcomed the sight of them together. While they were greeted with infallible politeness, the psyches of some glared at them with fear and hatred because people were people, and even though Wulfgar was not responsible for the violence that had come to Calles, it had still come because of his presence. And change was hard.
At the end of the hour, they paused at the top of the steps that led to the dock. Looking down at her, his expression serious, he said, “It’s as beautiful as everyone said.”
“I think so.” She frowned as she tried to gain clues about his change in mood. The wolf in his psyche had turned away from her, head down.
Kissing her mouth and then her cheek, he told her, “I’ll see you soon.”
When he left, he took the brightness out of the wintery day and what warmth there was with him. She watched him walk back to the mainland where a cadre of his soldiers stood vigil. Once he joined them, they moved away, back to the army camp.
That set the pattern for the next few days. The next day whenWulf returned, he brought ancient manuscripts.
“Ooooh, the ancient manuscripts,” Lily said while she rubbed her hands together in delight. “Wait, those were supposed to be a bribe.”
“They were not a bribe! They were a gift. You were just too afraid of me to accept them.”
“I wasn’t afraid of you! I went into your army camp all by myself, didn’t I? It was the politics, the appearance of supporting one side over another.”
He laughed. “Well, that ship has sailed, hasn’t it? Take them, love, and enjoy them with my welcome.”
That ship had, indeed, sailed.
“Thank you.” Smiling, she accepted the gift. “I will.”
He always kissed her in greeting, and he never failed to kiss her when he left. It made her happy, but restless too. A hunger for him developed. It scratched at her underneath her skin and made her toss and turn at night.
Once, she opened up the window with the broken latch just to glare down at the pitons that ran down the side of the tower and were clearly not used enough.
Meanwhile, many of the townsfolk migrated back into town, and decorations began to appear. Calles was beautiful in midwinter, with the lights glowing in the houses and shops and brightly colored banners and ribbons festooning the doors and windows of every building.
The abbey decorated for the holiday too. It was always such a deep pleasure to pull out with reverence the ornaments and decorations that were generations old. The Masque was a celebration of all the gods—those that were called the gods of the Elder Races on Earth—and not just Camael, so they set up representations for all seven.
As god of the Dance, Taliesin always came first. Half male and half female, Taliesin was first among the Primal Powers because everything dances, the planets and all the stars, the other gods, the Elder Races, and humans. Dance is change, and the universe is constantly in motion.
There was also Azrael, the god of Death; Inanna, the goddess of Love; Nadir, the goddess of the depths or the Oracle; Will, the god of the Gift; Hyperion, the god of Law, and, of course, Camael, goddess of the Hearth.
As she helped set out the decorations, Lily fussed extra long over Camael’s arrangement in the temple, whispering to the goddess, “Because I’m partial.”
As a gentle waft of air passed through the temple, she thought she caught a hint of the goddess’s smile.
In Calles, the Masque was held in town. The procession of the gods passed down the main street, and then those who wanted to participate opened their doors for the evening.
Music played on street corners, everyone danced, several people drank too much, and sometimes a couple of fights broke out because of it, but overall, the Masque was always tremendous fun.
The day before, Jermaine and Lionel came to meet with Estrella and Margot about how best to provide security. As much as people had relaxed to enjoy the moment, nobody had forgotten that a war had just begun.
Afterward, Margot brought the plan to Lily to approve. “Since the Braugnes will be pulling out of Calles the day after the Masque, Jermaine said the commander wants to leave an armed presence in the town—he said it’s for our protection.” Margot searched her gaze. “Have you already talked this over with Wulfgar?”
For a moment, Lily lost her breath. Then, very carefully, she straightened a few papers on her desk while a fine tremor ran through her fingers.
“No,” she replied. “We haven’t discussed any of that.”
Margot covered her hand. “What’s going on?”
I have no idea, she wanted to say. He touches my face and… and when he kisses me, his mouth feels desperate. But his wolf has turned away from me. He has changed his mind, and I don’t know why.