Free Divine by Choice by P.C. Cast

“One face has nothing but eyes. The mouth has been seared closed. The rest of it is featureless. Another has only a gaping, fanged maw, terrible to behold. The eyes of that face are hollow holes. The third is unbelievable in its beauty. That face is said to look exactly as he did before he betrayed Epona.”
    I sipped my tea, trying not to notice that my hand was shaking. “And there are people in Partholon who worship him?”
    â€œNo. Or at least if there are they are only in the most obscure parts of the nation.”
    â€œBut Guardian Castle isn’t an obscure part of Partholon.”
    â€œNo, it’s not. But the people there had been corrupted, whether by the Fomorians or by greed and sloth before they infiltrated the castle—the sequence of events have never been entirely clear. What is apparent is that Pryderi had been influencing them for some time.” He touched my cheek reassuringly. “Don’t worry, love. People must be open to Pryderi’s poisonous whisperings for him to gain a hold on their souls, and Epona’s Partholon will not so easily open itself again to such darkness. We need not fear that the new Guardian Warriors will forget their duties.”
    â€œGood.” Purposefully I shook off the creepy feeling discussing Pryderi had begun to give me. “So, you think my idea is going to work?”
    He smiled. “Yes, your orders to make Guardian Castle a working school to train warriors resonated with its new inhabitants.”
    â€œVigilance and education—always an excellent mix.”
    â€œIt is certain that Guardian Castle will not fail Partholon again,” he said soberly.
    â€œYou don’t think enough Fomorians survived to attack us again, do you?” Those creatures were evil, vampiric beings that belonged in hell. Yes—the thought of them plotting to come back through the mountain pass Guardian Castle had been built to guard definitely made my skin crawl.
    â€œI believe the pox and their losses in battle weakened them to the point of annihilation, but we must remain prepared for their resurgence.”
    â€œYou think they took pregnant women back over the pass with them?” I asked, horrified.
    â€œI pray they did not.”
    Which really didn’t seem like a positive answer to me.
    â€œSo we stay prepared and keep our eyes open.”
    â€œYes,” he acknowledged.
    â€œOkay.” I yawned and his ears pricked (not literally).
    â€œWhen your body tells you to rest, you must rest,” said the father-to-be.
    â€œFor a change, I won’t argue with you.” I stood, stretching like a cat. Even after the rather morbid dark god subject, the warm broth and tea, and the absence of worrying that I might have a fatal illness, had made me feel more than ready for a long night’s rest. Not to mention the wonderful orgasm.
    â€œPerhaps your not arguing with me will be a nice side effect of your pregnancy,” he said as he followed me to our bed.
    â€œI wouldn’t count on it,” I retorted through another yawn.
    He folded himself down onto our mattress first, then I settled into a position curled comfortably against him. I realize it should be an awkward pairing, a being who was half horse, half man, sleeping with a human woman, but it wasn’t. No matter how I lay, one of his hands would find the small of my back, or the curve of my leg, and rub gentle circular patterns over my skin. His warm caress was like a sleeping pill. I loved that his touch could lull me to sleep. My eyes were already closed when his voice interrupted my foggy thoughts.
    â€œIt surprised me that you did not use the Magic Sleep to visit me.” He paused, then added, “Or did you come to me, and I failed to feel your presence?”
    â€œNo…” His question brought me fully awake. “I have not had the dream-thing since your battle with Nuada.”
    Except for a quick grunt of acknowledgment,