"That means four mages sharing their power together, not just three," Brianna expanded. "What if that's even more powerful?"
Right on the heels of her words, Lyall added, "What if the twin law was designed to make mages less powerful, rather than more?"
It made a strange kind of sense. "Four mages working together would be almost unbeatable," she said. "Not that three would be easy to beat either."
Lyall gave a wry grin. "No, not much. But sometimes it's the smallest amount that makes the difference. Perhaps the rule was created by a greedy king who was powerful enough but could have been overthrown if his rival had just a little bit more power than he did? We can't possibly know, but if we can be more powerful if we work together … "
"Then we can defeat the trolls and prove that we don't both have to marry you," Mianna finished for him.
"Exactly," Lyall smiled.
Terion still looked uncertain, but he didn't voice any objections. And when Mianna reached for his hand and squeezed it, he squeezed back.
"We should double the guard at the pass, then try to get some sleep," Brianna said quietly. "Hopefully the trolls will wait until morning to attack."
"I think so," Lyall agreed. "You blasted them pretty well. I think we're probably safe until morning." He looked over at Mianna. "I hope you don't mind me crashing on your couch for the night?"
Mianna stared at him, her mind in turmoil. Her first reaction was to offer him a bed, but the only one in the house big enough for his frame was the one she shared with Terion. They could sleep in with the girls, there were spare beds there, but only enough for two. Brianna would have to stay with Lyall. For some reason, she still felt uncomfortable about that.
Why? Why did she feel bad? It wasn't like Brianna hadn't slept with the mage prince before. Had a child with him as well. They were all but married. They would be if it wasn't for that stupid law. A law that was probably made out of spite or jealousy or power grabbing. A law that had caused so much misery, and not just for them. It was a law that should be overturned.
"Don't be silly. You and Brianna can have the bed. Terion and I can sleep in with the girls for a night. Poor Brianna gets child duty often enough," she said firmly.
Brianna stared at her, then threw her arms around her, half strangling her. "Thank you!" she mumbled into her hair.
"Don't be silly," Mianna said roughly. "It's no different than what you've done for me all these years. The two of you deserve to be together as much as Terion and I do."
"Thank you," Lyall said seriously. And he smiled.
It was easy to see what Brianna saw in him. He was certainly handsome enough, even worn and blood-spattered as he was. But her sister wasn't one to be won over by a pretty face. It would have been his sensitivity, and his willingness to accept change and uncertainty that had convinced Brianna he was the one for her. He was like Kylis had been, in some ways, though a lot more mature.
Perfect for Brianna.
But not for her. He was too intense, too wild, for what she wanted. She turned and smiled at Terion. She already had the perfect husband.
*****
Brianna helped Lyall into one of Terion's spare shirts and then insisted he lay back on the pillows. His colour was better now, but she still didn't trust it. He had been dead, his breath and heartbeat had stopped. That he was alive at all was a miracle.
That he was here, in bed, and she was about to climb in beside him, was impossible to take in. She hadn't expected this to ever happen, especially not with her twin's knowledge and acceptance. She had no idea where things would go tomorrow, and didn't even want to think of the coming battle and the possibility that none of them would make it out alive. For now, she intended to enjoy this one night. To pretend that she and Lyall were husband and wife and were entitled to do things like sleep in the same bed together.
Not that anything would happen tonight. With the impending threat of the trolls, and his weakened state, they needed to sleep. Snuggling next to him would be enough.
If they defeated the trolls, there would be plenty of time for everything else later. She ignored the presence of Lyall's father and his mages outside the village walls. She could only deal with one problem at a time, and right now, the trolls were more of a threat.
"It was kind of your sister, suggesting we share a bed tonight," Lyall said softly.
Gratitude towards Mianna overflowed Brianna's heart. "Yes, it was. She's the best." She pulled back the covers and slid in beside Lyall, a tingle running through her where her leg touched his.
Lyall opened his arms, and she snuggled into them. He pulled her tightly against his chest and kissed her hair.
Despite her insistence that tonight would be about nothing but snuggling, every place her body touched his felt like it was on fire. There was something intimate about sharing the soft feather bed with Lyall, even though they were both still fully clothed. His lips on her forehead were soft and warm, and his hand drifted down to the curve of her buttocks, reawakening feelings she hadn't experienced since she'd left.
"I want you," Lyall breathed into her hair. His voice was uncertain, as though asking her permission.
"We should sleep, you were dead earlier," Brianna joked, but her breath caught on the words.
"I feel fine now. More than fine." Lyall nudged his hips against hers.
Brianna groaned. She wanted nothing more than to forget about talking and just experience this moment. But that moment of fear, when she had thought he was dead and she'd never see him again, wouldn't leave her. "Are you sure it won't … well … hurt you?"
Lyall laughed softly, one hand caressing her hair, the other her thigh. "You've done an excellent job of healing me. I promise I'm fully functional."
Still she hesitated. It seemed so impossible that he could have recovered so completely from the wounds he had received. That she could have been the one who had done it. "But what if I made a mistake? What if I did something wrong?"
"Then I wouldn't be here," Lyall said simply.
That thought started the tears flowing. "I thought you weren't going to be," Brianna sobbed, clutching at him as though she never wanted to let him go. "I thought you were dead."
Lyall held her gently, stroking her hair. "It's all right," he said soothingly. "Let it all out."
Brianna sobbed out the agony of the evening, the fear of the trolls and the worry about tomorrow morning. She'd never been one to cry, she'd always held it in, and even more so since returning to her village to find her mother dead. She'd needed to be strong for Mianna, not to let those fears and weakness show, or her twin would fall apart.
But she didn't need to be strong for Lyall. He was strong enough for both of them. He was a powerful mage, and he didn't seem to be afraid of anything, even the thought of dying. That thought brought fresh tears. What if she were to lose him, now, after just winning her sister's support for the relationship? Or what if they made it through this battle only to have her village, or his father, insist that it was all or nothing-a twin marriage, or none?
"What are we going to do?" she sobbed, not having the energy to explain, her words encompassing all her fears at once.
"We're going to get a good night's sleep so that we have the energy to face those trolls in the morning." Lyall's voice was matter of fact, and it made Brianna smile. She probably would have used the same words on Mianna.
She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "What if we lose?"
Lyall's arms stiffened around her, then relaxed. "Then there is nothing more we can do."
Blunt. Honest. And terrifying. "What about the village? The rest of the world?"
"My father will have to deal with that, not us."
Brianna drew in a shaky breath. She voiced her worst fear. "What if you die and I live? Like Kylis."
There was a long pause. "Is Kylis the one you and Mianna were going to marry?"
Brianna nodded. Strangely enough, though a sadness filled her heart, the memory brought no fresh tears. "He died fighting the trolls. I wasn't allowed to go, or I would have fought at his side. Mother said that since Mianna and I would rule the village if anything happened to her, that we needed to stay at home."
Lyall's hand reached up to stroke her cheek. "Do you miss him?" he asked softly.
"Every day. But it hurts a little less now." She'd never forget Kylis. He'd been her best friend. They'd planned so many wonderful things together. Things that would have meant she'd never have met Lyall. Or if she had, that none of this would ever have happened.
Would things have been different if he'd lived long enough for her and Mianna to marry him? She would have still been here when the village was attacked, she wouldn't have missed out on that battle, a thought that still haunted her. But could she really have changed the outcome? Or would she just have died trying, leaving her twin alone and her village defenceless?