Lina stood over her packed suitcase as if in a dream, the gray canvas blurring before her eyes. Her heart screamed to get as far away from Brad as possible, but her conscience whispered for the flora of Paris. She couldn’t be certain the war was over. The Order must have brought Brad and her together for a reason, and not a romantic one. Who cared anyway? Their romance didn’t hold any charm.
His clock on the nightstand read fourteen minutes past three in the morning, and he still hadn’t returned home. Not that she’d made it pleasant for him, but what was he doing? Had he decided to find a way back to Germany, or had he continued to place shields over the trees?
Packing a suitcase didn’t get her anywhere. She couldn’t catch a flight at this hour, but she might be able to book one. If she had the energy. It only served to remind her how emotional her actions were. She slumped onto the bed, resting her head in her hands. The initial arousal she felt every time she lay on the bed—and thought of Brad tangled with her—had cooled to emptiness. Nothing. Not a single desire for him. Just hurt and disappointment. Sure, he’d saved her life, but what for? Her or Paris?
The man was fighting a crusade. Did he even consider her?
Snap out of it. She’d been born a sage, which was more than she could say for him. Her purpose remained to save the planet, to heal, to revive, and to keep. No time for pity parties. Forget about her longing for true love. When had she picked up that dream again? Years ago, she’d decided it would never happen to her. Brad, oh, Brad. How did you worm yourself into my heart without even trying? You revived my dream only to dash it to the ground.
“Lina, open up.”
Had he heard her thoughts? “What?”
“Hurry. I don’t have a new key.”
She stood up but didn’t move. It wasn’t like he didn’t live here, too. She couldn’t be such a monster, so she rushed to the door and opened it for him.
“You have to help.”
“What?” Her body went cold as ice.
Brad stood soaked, water dripping onto the wooden floors. “She’s escaped. Well, I think it’s her. Trees are still falling. Everywhere. We don’t have much time. And my shielding isn’t working. My powers are waning.”
“You’re tired. You need to sleep. We can deal with it in the morning.”
He grabbed her shoulders, and, for a second, she thought he’d shake her. Instead, he glared at her with clarity in his eyes, firmness in his stance. “This is no joke. Your life is at risk. Not just yours, but mine and everyone else’s. Have you lost your fire?”
Tears sprang to her eyes, so she averted her gaze.
“I love you.” His grip tightened. “Don’t you realize that everything I’ve done was for you?”
“No. I don’t see it. I don’t feel it.”
“I had to leave the hospital. You were dying, and the only way I could ensure your survival was to make sure the trees weren’t killed off.” How much had he done and for how many hours? “I thought you knew more about The Pinnacle than me.”
With every ounce of good sense and good conscience, she nodded, and met his gaze. “I never considered that.” Her hurt had clouded her thinking so much.
“When I realized I had the power to protect the trees, I left you in the good care of the honey locust in the hospital parking lot. He promised to watch over you. I trusted him. I think he succeeded if you were discharged. People don’t heal in a few hours from—”
“I know, I know.”
He let go of her shoulders and took her hands. Heat transferred from the simple touch. Longing surged into her like water bursting from a broken dam. She wanted a kiss—the sweet sensation of his warmth and passion.
“Lina, say my name in your sexy way.”
“What?” She pulled away, the trance broken.
He stole a kiss on her forehead before she could make a decent distance between them.
“No, Brad. I’m leaving.”
“It’s your choice.” He shot through to the kitchen. The clunking of dishes filled the flat, and she presumed he was preparing himself a snack or drink.
Desperate for space between them, she went out onto the almost-bare balcony, wishing for her plants to talk to. The air still felt strangely stuffy for early winter, and clouds covered the stars. The street lights brought the view to life, but she couldn’t make out any trees in the dark.
Why were Brad’s powers waning? Weariness seldom wore out her powers. Even late at night after a busy day, one simple touch of love could heal a plant. She’d always thought maternal love would be the same if not better. No matter how tired, the instincts took over.
She sighed and grasped the railing, sorrow for her unconceived child still large in her heart. Relieved as she felt that she hadn’t died, her emptiness increased with every breath.
Her thoughts kept returning to Brad. When had he discovered who he was? How had he felt at first? She had been so entrenched in her own resentment she hadn’t bothered to hear his story.
Loving someone had proved frightening. She’d never felt so vulnerable. The trees stood solid, always dependable, forever loving, gentle, and wise. She’d never known an evil one. But humans?
“Can I make you tea?” His weary voice behind her made her back prickle with awareness.
“Um…I suppose.” She didn’t deserve his kindness, but she hadn’t eaten or drunk anything for hours. Earl Grey sounded delightful.
Within minutes, he returned with a tray, placed it on the simple round table, and sat on the wrought iron chair. She settled opposite him, keeping her gaze toward the city lights. If she’d booked a flight straight after getting back from the hospital, she wouldn’t be here, enduring the awkwardness, the ragged tension between them.
Brad scoffed down chunks of bread and gulped a huge mug of tea. He seemed almost out of breath as though his hunger and thirst were overwhelming. Something pinched inside her—a painful potion of compassion and longing mixed with hounding irritation.
Unlike spacious African houses, European homes were tiny. She couldn’t get away from him here. His closeness suffocated her, stirred up all the doubts and questions that had tortured her the last few days.
“It’s not helping.” He came up for air.
“What do you mean?”
“My powers haven’t returned.”
“How can you tell?” What would they do if his powers didn’t return? How would they save the city? She dug sharp nails into her palms.
“I suppose you’ve always had yours. I know the difference between being ordinary and being gifted.”
Her breath caught at how handsome he looked. He’d changed. His rugged appearance had intensified. Seemed like courage and purpose had had an impact. “Did you hope food would make a difference?”
“Or sleep, but I don’t have time for that. I think I’m too wired to sleep.”
“Me, too.”
“Do you have The Pinnacle here?”
She nodded and stood. He had every right to read it. After retrieving the book from her suitcase, she placed it on the table. Then she picked up her tea and savored the sweet, warm liquid as it passed down her throat. Glad he’d brought a big teapot, she helped herself to more and reached for a sandwich. Brad opened The Pinnacle and paged through, reading bits here and there.
“Shoo, I was hungry.” She couldn’t help speaking to the man near her. His forgiving and unassuming face drew her.
“My powers came from our oneness.” His gaze remained gentle on her while his finger held a spot on the page. “I wanted to check it in The Pinnacle. I think that might be why my powers are waning.”
She plonked her tea cup down and pulled her arms tight around her chest. “What are you saying?”
“We need to become one again.”
“So, once more, my romantic life is a science experiment.”
He frowned. “Is that what you think?”
She shrugged and ran her fingertip along her teacup’s rim. He focused on the book again, sifting through the yellowed pages. Every muscle in her body ached with the fight. He spoke right, and she couldn’t ignore the truth. But, oh, how weary she felt. How she wished she could return to her little nursery in Pretoria and have her boring life back. But then what?
“It says here a true century sage finds his abilities when joined with an honest sage. If she passes on or their union is broken for some reason, the century sage’s powers fade away and eventually vanish. He still carries the sage gene and will pass it on to his offspring, but unless the bond is sure with his sage wife, he cannot function as a century sage.”
Lina nodded, her throat tightening.
“The powers belonging to a century sage are unique and complementary. A century sage doesn’t just heal trees but also protects them and influences the ordinaries—the ungifted humans—to help the trees. Not only can he wield his power against any enemy like the Order sages can, but, combined with the powers of his wife, he can eradicate the evil forever. Together, they have the ability to birth new trees and revive a city.”
Goose bumps tripped up her arms, despite the war within her soul. She had skimmed past those pages in The Pinnacle, never considering they might affect her life in any way. Century sages seemed so rare.
“Listen to this. A century sage is born every hundred years, though it may be longer. They are rare because the bonding of two sages does not happen easily. Often, evil forces work to pull the sages apart because the resident evil that still ripples through the planet, seeking to kill the trees and ultimately the whole human race, despises any union between a dormant century sage and a tree sage above all else.”
He gazed right into her, his true nobility evident in his eyes. Could there be more at play in her heart than simple disappointment and hurt?
She swallowed and placed the sandwich back onto the plate, half-eaten. “How did you find out your heritage?”
“When I went to Austria, in fact, before that, I kept hearing the trees talking to me or even to each other. I thought I was going crazy because of all the stress of our problems. I didn’t expect….” He shook his head. “I couldn’t sleep the night before I came back. I spoke with the trees at the resort for hours, and they explained that I was a century sage. It made sense. I’d always loved trees as a kid, used to spend most of my childhood up one. The night I couldn’t sleep, maybe I sensed you were in danger. I took a train to Paris and met this strange man who told me things about myself and about my future. Creepy, yet reassuring. I only discovered I could shield the trees when I spoke to the honey locust in the hospital parking lot.”
“I’m sorry.” Tears sprang to her eyes. “I’ve allowed so much….” She clamped her mouth shut to hold back a sob, but a moan escaped.
He knelt by her, setting his hands on her lap. “I know you find it hard to become one with me just as part of your job. I also don’t want it like that, but we have to fight the evil. I have a feeling there is much at stake this time. I sense an urgent need to go out and continue shielding the trees. Seems like I have some evil to fight, too. But we have to be one first. We have to put aside our hurts and differences and make our marriage work.”
“How can I pretend?”
He stroked her leg, and fire shot through her. “Are you really pretending?”
The simple sex-infused words sent her stomach into a flurry. He kissed her bare knee, and she melted. The soft contact of his lips brought all the feelings back. Rising, he took her hand, heat and energy in his gaze. She nodded, her sobs subsiding, and followed him to the bedroom, her heart racing like mad. It felt as if they’d never made love before. The man she knew had changed.
He stood taller. He even seemed more muscular. As he removed his clothes, she took in the beauty of his sculpted flesh. Tingles zinged through every nerve ending of her body. With shaky hands, she worked to remove her barriers, unsure what he expected.
He came to her in a second and pressed a finger against her lips. “Shhhh! Wait. I want to spoil you. It’s been so long. Lie on the bed.”
She did as he asked, incapable of refusing, unable to process anything except the beauty of his body and the sudden turn-around to her feelings. Sure, she might not love him or trust him, but she needed his body, craved his touch.
He rummaged in his wardrobe for something and came to her. He placed a furry sleep mask over her eyes, and then he tied something soft and fluffy around her wrists. As much as she doubted his devotion to her general well-being, she did have complete confidence in him sexually. He’d always been the gentlest lover.
Arousal pooled in her core, radiating to each extremity. She loved that she couldn’t see, and her other senses were piqued. He unbuttoned her blouse and, though she wished to see the lust in his eyes, she could feel it. That was more than enough to fan her spark of arousal into a powerful flame. He ran something soft from the base of her neck to her navel. Shivers rippled through her, turning into spasms while he showered the same path with kisses.
He removed her skirt and panties, continuing his path to her pussy. She opened her legs for him, hoping he’d progress farther and place a finger or tongue inside her. Instead, he caressed her arms and kissed her sensitive arm pit, making her giggle. His chin stubble gave him a rough texture, the sensation prickling her skin, stirring up more need.
“Oh, Brad.”
He hugged her. “Lina.”
He sucked in a breath, and a rush of heat burst off him as though he were the sun and she the earth. She drank in his energy and vitality, and warmth entered her soul. If only she could be sure he loved her and she loved him. That their oneness could last.
For the present, though, they needed to focus on their physical union.
While he cupped her breasts, she arched toward his erotic contact. He gave her nipples a little rough flick, and she groaned. Then he took them in his mouth. She sensed the hot, wet cavity straightaway, the smoothness of his tongue teasing her peaks and sending more spasms through her, causing cream to gush out of her pussy. He stopped, but she couldn’t make out his movement. Anticipation built her desire, winding her tight like a spring. Then she felt wetness on her clit, trailing a line down to her pussy.
“Aaah!” She lifted her hips toward the source of her bliss. “More!”
He teased a nipple while he continued to place a finger or tongue inside her pussy and on her clit. The man sure knew what she needed. Spasms of joy spurted to her soul, easing every muscle ache and deflating the balloon in her chest. The next moment, his wet mouth and tongue collided with hers, and he sucked her lips. She arched, pressing against his chest while the rock-hard length of his cock rubbed her thighs. She loved being open and vulnerable to whatever he did to her. The feeling exceeded her expectations, taking her to another plane.
He pressed down on her, his strength and power sending her into overdrive. As they wriggled and squirmed, his length sank deep into her wet pussy. Friction in her moist channel combined with his licking of her breasts around the areola and up to the pinnacle made her lose control. She screamed.
He thrust toward her grinding motion, throbbing until he came. Everything went black for a flash then she came to and kissed him all over his neck and face several times. The union with him surpassed any other she’d experienced. Waves of ecstasy crashed over her, and she clung to him, never wishing to let him go.
With languid tongue movements, he kissed her then cuddled her until sleep took over.