Free Pagan Fire by Teri Barnett Page B

visiting her.” She pouted. “Do you think I didn’t see your spirit leave last night as you sent it to the anchorage?” She raised herself up on her knees and ran her hands through his long black hair. “You’ve stirred a great fear in the girl. Now, they want to beat the fear out of her.”
    “That doesn’t make sense. There was nothing fearful in the dream.” He shook his head. “I don’t understand.”
    “What you don’t understand are these Christians. They fear what happens between a man and a woman. It is their greatest fear. They run from the power of it.” She grimaced. “I find it distasteful and I don’t mind telling you, I long for the old days when men and women shared freely the pleasures of the flesh my brothers and sisters and I gave them.” She caressed his cheek, then ran her hands lightly over her breasts. “Come, Dylan. Worship me.”
    A groan rose in his throat as Morrigu slipped her hand under his tunic and massaged him to hardness. “Not now,” he protested. “I have to see to Maere.”
    Morrigu embraced him. She nibbled his ear as she answered, “Leave her to the sisters and priests for now. Nothing will happen until dusk.” She pushed him to the moss-covered ground. “You realize, Dylan, she’s almost of age? She doesn’t need to be your concern any longer.”
    His eyes locked with the goddess’. “Her coming of age is exactly what I need to be concerned with. If Eugis should get to her first—”
    Morrigu didn’t respond, only leaned in closer, her red lips hovering over his. She was strong, this goddess, and he closed his eyes in surrender to her passion. She was right. He could wait a short while longer.
    Morrigu smiled. “Yes, that’s it,” she whispered against his mouth. “Let her go for a time, that you might concern yourself only with me.”

Chapter Nine
    Maere sat cross-legged near the anchorage opening she’d crawled into only a few days earlier. Thin pink rays of dusky light filtered in through the narrow hole. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, and watched as dust danced and twirled in the fading beams.
    Her fingers absently played with the citrine disk necklace she’d slipped on a moment before. The golden gem was smooth and warm beneath her touch and her thoughts drifted to her mother and father. Still disturbed by the words of her visitor and the drawing he’d left behind, she suddenly recalled that he had known her mother’s and father’s names! How had she missed that?
    Wearily, she rubbed her eyes. Given the chain of events that followed his visit, she supposed it wasn’t surprising she’d let that detail slip by her. Maere tried to conjure up the faces of Manfred and Rhea cu Llwyr. Had the stranger known them? No matter how hard she concentrated, though, no images would come from her memory. It was as if a stone wall existed in her mind, thick and impenetrable, keeping the secrets of her past hidden from view.
    The rustling of leaves outside told her someone was coming. The moment she’d been agonizing over all day had finally arrived. It was time for the public admittance of her sins and the beating that would follow. Why had she said anything? She had known what she was inviting, but had spoken out just the same. What was wrong with her that she couldn’t keep her mouth closed? Surely, the abbess had told her many a time her tongue was much too loose.
    Had she really been so foolish as to believe Father John would treat her any differently than he treated the other novitiates? Had she really been silly enough to think he was a messenger from God, sent to her as she prayed for guidance? Why, after all, would she expect Him to send someone to look after her and her needs, lowly maiden that she was?
    “Maere?”
    Surprised, Maere turned her head in the direction of the voice. “Seelie?”
    “Aye.” Seelie reached a hand through the opening. “Grab hold. I’ll help you.”
    Maere flattened herself against the dirt