Adrienne to me, all will be in order at Dalkeith-Upon-the-Sea… the Hawk and all his people being protected from any harm, alive and in the best of health with no tricks played… and Adrienne will be bringing her cat safely back through time with her… and…"
Adam's face, once beautiful, was a livid mask of hate, "I will not lose! I will find a way to defeat you, Hawk."
"… and you will forgo any thoughts or actions of revenge against the Douglas…"
Adam waved his hand and Adrienne appeared, looking utterly stunned, clutching a clawing cat in her arms.
The Hawk shuddered imperceptibly, knowing this was just one more trick by Adam to get him to break his command. Five months, five horrible, heartless months without a glimpse of his beloved's face, and now she stood before him. Breathtakingly, heart-wrenchingly lovely. Hawk's gaze rested hungrily on her face, her silvery mane, her lush body, her round belly…
Her round belly? His eyes flew to Adrienne's, wide with astonishment and awe, as a violent possessiveness rocked his frame.
His child! His daughter or son. Blood of his blood—his and Adrienne's.
Adrienne was pregnant.
Hawk was speechless.
Adam grinned wickedly—and the Hawk saw it.
He would not lose Adrienne. He had too much to read yet. With iron force of will, Hawk averted his eyes from his beloved wife.
It was the hardest thing he'd ever done in his entire life.
Adrienne's eyes devoured him.
She was afraid to interrupt, afraid to move. Somehow she'd been miraculously yanked right out of her library, and Moonie, who had been across the room by the fire, was curled snugly in her arms. She could still see Marie's startled face fading before her eyes.
And there was the Hawk, beloved husband and life itself.
"How could you resist me, Beauty?" Adam was suddenly the smithy again, kilt-clad and glistening. "I am every bit as beautiful as the Hawk and can please you in ways you can't even dream. I could turn you inside out and make you weep with ecstasy. How could you forsake me?"
"I love my husband." She'd spent many months clinging to the hope of the Hawk's child growing inside her and studying everything about Celtic lore she could get her hands on in hopes of finding a way back. But the Hawk, it seemed, had found it for her.
"Love. What is this love thing you mortals prize so highly?" Adam sneered.
Enough, fool, came a silvery peal of the Fairy Queen's sigh.
Even Hawk slurred over his words, midsentence, at that voice.
And enough from you, too, beautiful man, legendary Hawk.
Sweeter than the chiming of bells, her voice was a sensuous stroke of heaven. But Hawk continued, without interruption, "… and as used in this command, the word person shall mean and include, where appropriate, an individual or other entity; the plural shall be substituted for the singular and the singular for plural when appropriate; and words of any gender shall include any other gender…"
Adrienne watched her husband, her eyes blazing with love and pride.
The fool will obey me. I am his Queen.
Hawk paused a whisper of a breath, not enough to break continuity, but enough to acknowledge.
And besides, you're past commanding. You're pontificating and being positively redundant. Still, well done, mortal. She is safe, you both are. I will see to it for now and always.
Hawk continued, "… all elements conjoined by ifs, ands, or buts, or other conjoining verbiage shall not, when seemingly in conflict, operate in exclusion or limit in any fashion but shall function conjunctive, overlapping, and allowing the broadest possible definition of the terms as used herein…"
The Fairy Queen sighed. Ahhh, I see. You will not cease this drivel until I offer you assurance. Clever man. You seek my troth? I grant it. You have the sworn oath of the Fairy Queen upon the pact of the Tuatha De Danaan. T'will never be broken, lest our race vanish.
Hawk released the scroll and it rolled shut with an audible snap. Only then did Adrienne see the tremor in his hands as he met her gaze, eyes triumphant.
"She has given us protection and fealty." His smile could have lit the Samhain bonfires. His eyes swept her from head to toe, lovingly lingering on every inch in between.
"We're safe?" Adrienne whispered, tears springing to her eyes.
I shall see to it myself, the silvery voice lilted. Now and for always. Fool?
Adam growled.
Since I can't seem to keep you out of trouble you have a new companion. Aine will spend the next five hundred years with you. She will endeavor to keep you in line.
Not Aine! Adam's plea was a shade away from a whine. That snoopy little fairy has a crush on me! I could spend my time pleasing you, my Queen. Let me!
You will please Aine, fool, or you will spend the next thousand years in the foot of a mountain by yourself. You think you're bored now?