Page 28 of Enchanted

Chapter Eleven

Rosalyn and Keiran exited the castle through the back door and entered the rear courtyard. Rosalyn smiled at the memory of the lessons she’d had there with the other women this morning. What would Keiran think if she told him she’d learned how to fight and defend herself with the dagger that was now strapped to her thigh in the same manner Aria wore her own weapon?

It was probably best to keep that information to herself for now, but wearing the weapon and having the knowledge to use it bolstered her confidence. She was no longer defenceless. Though she doubted she would need protection from Keiran, even as she wondered where he was taking her. “Where are we going?” she asked as they headed for a brick building near the kitchen.

“The mews.”

“Is that not where you keep falcons and other raptors?”

“Among other things since my return.” Keiran opened the door then stepped aside for her to enter.

Afternoon light passed through the slatted windows, illuminating the stone interior of the chamber. In one corner of the chamber was a barren tree branch upon which sat not raptors, but a long-eared owl with a bandage around one of its feet. Beneath the perch was a pile of hay on which rested a brown rabbit with a bandage around its middle. Keiran moved to the rabbit and bent down, allowing it to nuzzle his fingers.

Rosalyn watched as he moved about the chamber, feeding the animals. He offered bits of sliced apple and carrots for the rabbits, grain for the smaller birds, and a small fish for the owl before moving to a mother cat curled in the corner of the chamber beneath a small table with two chairs.

“’Tis all right, Midnight,” he cooed to the black and white mother cat nursing one tiny kitten. “I simply want to see how you and your babe are doing after such a challenging delivery. The wee one looks healthy, as do you, milady.”

“What do you mean ‘after a challenging delivery’?” Rosalyn asked, kneeling beside him to look at the two cats.

“I found this mama cat at midnight three days ago in a rainstorm. She was labouring hard and had delivered two stillborn babes before I found her and brought her here.” Keiran reached out and gently stroked the white streak running up the kitten’s nose. A loud purring sound filled the air. “I was able to help her deliver this wee one, and then I healed the mama cat before she bled out.”

Keiran turned to her and smiled broadly, his eyes alive with joy. The lines and furrows of the worry she had seen on his face since yesterday were now completely gone. She met his smile with her own. “It is unusual for men to bring life to the world.”

“Aye, men are usually the ones taking life.”

“Yet you save life.” Rosalyn sat back on her heels as her hand moved to her abdomen. “You heal animals and humans.”

“I help those who will accept my healing.”

“I would like to help you take care of these animals, if I might,” she said, expecting him to dismiss her as her brother always had. Instead, he nodded.

“We can care for them, together.”

She had not experienced a “together” moment with anyone since her mother died. It had been Rosalyn alone against the world, for seven long years. Her brother had frightened away any friends she tried to make or any connections she had sought. She had not one loyal friend, even within the household staff. They were too frightened of her brother’s wrath. The thought of Keiran as a friend sent a quiver of nervous energy through her.

Only yesterday this man had been her enemy, a fierce warrior. He was also the man who had restored her life and who saved kittens. Which man was the real Keiran? Did she want to find out? “What did you name the kitten?”

He turned back to look at the small creature. “I will leave that up to you. The kitten is yours if you want her.”

“I will have to think on that,” she replied. Was he asking her to take the kitten with her when she left, or was he asking her to stay? If she named the tiny beast, it would be a commitment on her part. But a commitment to what?

Keiran moved out from beneath the table, close to her, making her heart flutter. She scooted back to allow him to stand. He reached out his hand to aid her in rising. At his nearness Rosalyn lowered her gaze. Keiran was completely at ease standing among the straw, caring for the lives he had saved. Including hers. “What you do here is a miracle. You said the fairies gave you your gift. How does it work exactly? Is it magic or something more?” she asked, curious about what he had done not only to her but also these animals.

“Take a seat.”

She did as he directed and put the book she’d brought with her on the table between them. He sat opposite her, leaning his arms on the table and steepling his hands, as if in prayer, before he reached out to turn his palms up. “Place your hands palm down on mine.”

She hesitated a moment before doing as he directed. His hands were warm compared to her colder ones. He did not try to capture her fingers. He simply allowed her to rest her palms on his. She studied him in the dim light, trying to read his intentions. What would she find if she could delve into his mind? Was the desire to kiss her as strong as hers was to kiss him? She startled at the thought. The last time she had kissed someone it had cost her nothing but heartache, humiliation, and pain.

Instead of tensing and pulling away, she found herself leaning forward as the heat of his hands intensified and flowed into her body. The sensation was calming, comforting. This was magic, no matter what he claimed.

“I do not know how my gift of healing works exactly. Over the years I have found that if I touch an injured area, it responds to the warmth. The first time I used my healing powers in Fairyland, I had broken my leg while trying to keep up with the other fairies. Left alone in the mud, I straightened my leg and put both my hands on the broken bones. Immediately the pain left, and I could feel my body knitting itself back together, until I was able to stand and run again.”

“That is what I felt when you healed me. At first there was intense pain, and I felt my strength and my life force leaving my body. Then you touched me, a spark flared, and the pain vanished. I drew a breath, filling my lungs, and warmth invaded every part of me. The same warmth as I feel now.” She frowned as the heat intensified. “Do you pass this warmth on to everything you touch?”

“Nay.” He met her curious gaze. “Only things that need healing.”

She jerked her hands from his. Her breath stilled. She was not injured, not physically at least. “Enough of this.” She reached for the book. “We are here to teach you how to read.”