She certainly wouldn't be here with Lyall now. And she knew for a certainty that nothing but magic was ever going to stop the trolls for good.
Still, she shied away from the fact that Kylis's death had been best in the long run. She didn't want to think that thought.
"I promise you, I won't leave you alone," Lyall's voice interrupted her thoughts. His hand still stroking her hair brought her back to the present, to her fears right now.
"I don't think you actually get a choice in that," she joked.
Lyall's lips brushed her hair. "No, we don't get a choice, not anymore."
A fear stirred at his words. "What do you mean?"
"We're all connected now, all four of us. If one of us dies, I don't think the rest of us will survive. The bond doesn't work like that."
Brianna remembered the stories about the twin bond. If one twin died, the other followed. Did the same hold true for the marriage bond? She tested the strength of her feelings for Lyall, remembering the moment she had thought he was dead. The moment he had been dead. She'd been frantic, devastated, but she hadn't felt like dying.
"I don't think it works like that. Not when we're all separate like this," she mussed.
"What do you mean?" Lyall asked sharply.
Brianna reached up a hand to cup his cheek. "If you died, I'd miss you terribly, and it would leave a huge hole in my heart." She paused, considering, but the truth was inescapable. "A much bigger one than when Kylis died. But even so, I don't think I'd die. I didn't feel that way when you died tonight. I think it might be because of Mianna. Our bond would hold me together."
"And Terion would hold her together … " Lyall said slowly. "The more I look at this arrangement, the more I can see that we are far stronger this way. With the twin marriage, all an opponent had to do was take out one person and he took them all out. This way, we remain strong, even if one of us dies."
A tiny fear eased its grip on her heart. "If one of us dies, the other three can still defend the village."
Lyall nodded. "With any luck, the trolls will be able to see that strength and they'll retreat. I'm not sure even their numbers can stand against the four of us."
Was it possible? Did they really stand a chance of defeating the trolls? For good? The idea seemed impossible, but then, so did the idea that she would be here in bed with Lyall. And yet, here she was.
She reached out to feel his chest, firmer and harder than she remembered. He had changed in the last few years in more ways than one. Her hand explored his chest, the firmness sending slivers of excitement through her body. She found one hard, tight nipple, and she rubbed it gently.
He groaned softly and pulled her closer. His lips brushed her neck, then his tongue.
Brianna shuddered. A small part of her held back, responsibility telling her they had a big day tomorrow. But then, wasn't this a part of their day? This bond she and Lyall shared could help them defeat the trolls. They should make sure it was good and strong.
Her lips curved into a smile. Yes, that was a much better thought. She bent and found Lyall's lips and claimed them with her own, kissing him with all the years of pent up passion. How many nights had she imagined just this moment?
Lyall's hand brushed her side as it travelled up, and Brianna pressed her body against his. She needed to be closer to him, but their clothes were in the way, keeping them apart.
Not letting her lips separate from his, Brianna wriggled out of the skirt she wore. Lyall smiled as she tossed it over her shoulder. She had to break contact just for a moment to divest herself of her shirt, but that gave her a moment to look down at him.
The lamplight flickered, reflected in his eyes as he stared back at her, and Brianna's breath caught in her throat. She refused to think about the morning, or how fleeting this moment was. Instead, she bent and kissed him again, her breasts brushing against his chest. Lyall's arms pulled her down until she rested against him and his hand tangled in her hair.
Then he pulled back and Brianna moaned a protest. Until she realised that he was removing his clothes as hastily as she'd removed hers. Then she murmured in approval.
He took his own moment to look down at her, a smile curving his lips. His hand stroked the side of her face, brushing her hair out of her eyes. He slid down beside her and pulled her close to him, his body now free to slide against hers, warm and hard.
Brianna's breathing quickened. She wanted this to last all night, and she wanted him now, inside her. It was the only way to be close enough to fulfil the desire coursing through her. The only way to complete the connection she craved.
She tugged at his hips, urging him closer and he groaned. Lying side by side, she hooked one leg over his hips, opening herself to him, and tugged him closer.
Lyall accepted her invitation, sliding closer to her, his hardness nudging at her folds. Anticipation built in her, and she wriggled her hips to the perfect position, moaning softly when he slid into her.
It was an intimate position with their legs tangled together and their hands free to roam each other's body. Lyall rocked back and forth, alternating between kissing her hungrily and pulling back to stare into her eyes. Brianna's hands ran over every part of him. She wanted to memorise this moment, to imprint it into the very core of her being, just in case. She wanted it to last forever.
But the desire building in her had other ideas. It had its own need and it was very insistent. Brianna groaned and rocked back and forth in time with Lyall, her breathing coming in short, sharp gasps. A sheen of perspiration coated his chest now, and he stared into her eyes, his expression intense. One hand cupped her cheek, and he moaned her name as he thrust into her.
Brianna answered in kind, and the urgency built in her, mirroring his own until it overflowed in an intense wave. Lyall shuddered against her, pulling her close, his lips finding hers and kissing her desperately.
She felt it then, the magic tug at her senses, flowing through both of them, almost like an expression of their love.
"Anna," Lyall whispered softly.
"Lyall," she murmured back, pulling him close to her.
His lips on hers were gentle now, their urgency satisfied. For now.
Brianna ran her hands over him, wishing she could preserve this moment, to hold it close to her, to keep her warm in future nights. Whatever they might bring.
"You can't let her go in there, not when they're both in the same bed."
"Of course I can. He's her father, remember?"
The whispered conversation outside his door pulled Lyall from sleep. Slivers of early morning light passed into the room through the closed shutter. He was aware of Brianna's body curled around his. As the door creaked open, he had just enough time to be glad that they'd decided it was best to be dressed in case the trolls came.
Tiny feet pattered across the wooden floor, then Lylis heaved herself up on the end of the bed and regarded him solemnly.
Lyall couldn't stop a slow smile spreading across his face. His daughter, named for him, even though he hadn't been here at her birth. The thought caused a stab of guilt, but he had to remind himself that it hadn't been by choice. If he had known …
"Wha you doin in bed wit my Mama?" The little stare was accusing and Lyall shifted uncomfortably.
"I … We … " Words failed him. How did you explain this to a child?
He was relieved when Brianna rolled over beside him and held out her arms to their daughter. "Lyall was hurt by the trolls, and I was just making sure he was all right while he slept," she said.
Lylis gave him one last accusing stare and then threw herself into her mother's arms, snuggling into the bed between them. Lyall smiled at Brianna over her head, and she smiled back.
"I'm going down to cook breakfast." Mianna's voice sounded totally normal through the partially ajar door.
It was almost possible to forget that there was a deadly threat, preparing for invasion just over the ridge. Lyall looked down at his family, the image warming him and sending him cold at the same time.
Could he keep them safe?
Never, in all his twenty-seven years, had he doubted his magic could protect him. But then again, he'd never seen a threat like these mages. The other mages had always seemed like a fairy tale, a story to frighten children at bedtime. He'd always half thought that they must have died or never existed in the first place.
Even when his father had said they'd sensed their magic, and that they were coming, he'd been sure they would be able to be reasoned with, negotiated with. But how did you negotiate with trolls? They didn't even speak the same language.
A door crashed open below them. Mianna's scream carried through the floorboards, followed by the childish scream of Kylis. Lyall's heart froze. They'd be too late. By the time they made it down the stairs, Mianna, Terion and Kylis would be dead.