Free The Skeleton King (The Silk & Steel Saga) by Karen Azinger Page B

touch, a jolt
raced through her. She knew he felt it too, a promise of the pleasure to come.
Clasping his hand tight, she stared into his mismatched eyes.
    Duncan smiled. “I found the oldest grandfather tree
in the forest. My people believe the older the tree, the deeper the roots, the
more binding the vows.” He voice was laden with meaning. “The roots of this
tree delve deep.”
    Kath tore her gaze from Duncan
to look at the tree. An immense live-oak, the trunk was wide enough to hide a
horse, the branches thick and gnarled, and amongst the branches hung half a
hundred shields. Tears crowded Kath’s eyes, as if the heroes of the Octagon had
come to witness her vows. “It’s perfect.”
    Duncan nodded. “As if the gods arranged it, your
people and mine.”
    She gave him a solemn smile. “What must I do?”
    “We keep one hand clasped,” his grip tightened on her left hand, “and
place the other on the tree.”
    Kath mirrored Duncan,
the oak’s bark rough beneath her right hand.
    “Now I sing the tree awake.” He closed his eyes, and began to hum a deep
wordless tune that shivered with ancient meaning. Masculine and strong, the
melody wove around Kath like an embrace. She strained to listen, seeking to understand,
but the meaning beneath the melody remained out of reach, a primal language of
leaf and bark. The humming came to a sudden stop and Duncan’s eyes snapped open, holding her with
a burning gaze. “And now we say the words that bind us.”
    Kath stared at him, feeling as if she stood on the threshold of a dream.
    Duncan ’s voice was clear and certain. “By Leaf and
Bark, by Tree and Root, I, Duncan Treloch, pledge my life, my love, and my body
to you, Kath of Castlegard, forever wed in the sight of the trees.”
    Kath took a deep breath, knowing it was her turn. “By Leaf and Bark, by
Sword and Shield, I, Kath of Castlegard, pledge my life, my love, and my body
to you, Duncan Treloch of the Deep Green…forever wed in the sight of the trees.”
    In the back of her mind, Kath heard a chime, as if the gods sealed their
vows.
    Duncan stepped toward her. “It is done.” His arms
captured her, pulling her close. His mouth sought hers, a tender kiss that
deepened to more. She melted against him, feeling the pounding of his heart. But
then he pulled away, leaving her confused. His voice was rough with wanting,
“Now we seal our words with our bodies. I’ll light a second candle to guide
you. Come to me in the depths of the forest.” He gave her a hungry glance and
then slipped into the velvety darkness.
    Kath stood alone in the candlelight. Now came the moment she both longed
for…and dreaded, but their vows would not be complete until their bodies were
joined. She fumbled with the ties of her clothing. Jerkin, shirt, pants and
small clothes, it all came off, including her gargoyle. Bundling everything
into her cloak, she tied it tight. Lastly, she unbound her hair, the tangled
tresses falling just below her breasts. Naked and exposed, she shivered against
the night chill. Her face flushed, but she refused to hide. Holding her sword
belt and her bundled cloak in one hand, she lifted the candle and stepped
barefoot into the forest.
    A second candle glimmered nearby.
    Her skin prickled in the cold. Taking a deep breath, Kath went to her
marriage bed. Stepping carefully passed gnarled roots and rusted swords, she
walked with her head held high, her hands away from her body, determined to
show Duncan there was no doubt.
    He stood in the light of the second candle. Her gaze drank him in. Broad
shoulders and a chiseled chest, a line of dark hair traced a path to his tapered
waist and down to his loins. Her gaze followed the path, needing to see all of
him. His manhood stood rampant and proud like a battering ram. Kath quailed at
the sight.
    His voice was soft and soothing, “There’s nothing to fear. The first time
is always the hardest for a woman, but I promise you the pain will be slight,
outweighed