The Witch's Dream - A Love Letter to Paranormal Romance (Black Swan 2) Read Online Free PDF Page B
Author: Victoria Danann
nightmare, she sat down on a step of a little-used, side staircase and began absently stroking her flat stomach with her fingertips. "Okay. You're scaring me now. Just what am I in for here?"
Ram frowned. "Are you tired?"
"Of course not."
Ram gracefully lowered himself to the step next to her and snuggled close, smiling as he put his arm around her. "The babe has two parents who are Black Swan knights. If he was no' a little firecracker, somethin' might be off."
Elora laid her head on his shoulder, turned her face into his shirt, and groaned. He chuckled softly.
"Even if he turned out to be exactly like me, I believe I would handle it better than did my own da. We will sure no' have him livin' on his own like a half feral. You and I, we're goin' to keep him close and smother him with hugs and kisses every day whether he wants 'em or no'. He's goin' to know we want him.
"As for us, my feelin' is, that if we can survive vampire, we can survive strong-willed offsprin' and find a way to have fun doin' it." He had a way of rearranging perspective so that things never sounded half bad.
"I love you, Ram."
"You know, if you did no' weigh near three hundred pounds, I'd be scoopin' you up and takin' you to bed for naps."
She laughed and raised her head to look at him. "Wonder how much the baby's going to weigh. You think you're going to be able to pick him up?"
"Very funny."
He stood. She raised her hand. "Help me up?"
Ram cupped his hands and yelled down the hallway: "We need a winch and pulley in the mud galley stairwell!"
She slapped at his leg, holding her stomach and laughing so hard no sound could come out.
The day promised to be busy for guest arrivals. Kay had come in the night before. He'd caught a commercial flight from Houston and said he was amazed that even first class on commercial airlines was crowded, uncomfortable, and generally barbaric.
Baka was expected from Edinburgh mid morning, Storm in mid afternoon, and Kay's entourage - composed of sisters and fiancé - would be arriving late in the afternoon.
The breakfast room at the palace in Derry, the seat of the Irish monarchy, was a long rectangle with twenty-five-foot ceilings, original wood floors and a wall of tapestries that were almost as old as elfdom. The other side of the room was a wall of windows ten feet high that looked out on gardens built in terraces above idyllic sheep pastures beyond. Spring flowers had begun to show themselves and Elora could see that the display would be dazzling in another month.
Residents and guests had come and gone from breakfast, but Ram and Elora were lingering with Tepring until late morning. The three occupied one end of a dining table that would accommodate fifty, yet somehow Ram's mother made it seem like an intimate family conversation. One of the staff brought Elora a small silver pot of hot chocolate and set it in front of her with a smile, which Elora returned with thanks and an expression of delight.
"Is the cord ready?" Tepring asked Ram, including Elora in the question with a glance her way.
Ram blinked.
"The cord?" Tepring was beginning to look concerned. "Rammel?"
"Um. I did no' think about it. I've no' done this before, you know."
Tepring made a regal huff and turned to Elora. "We must have a cord for the handfastin'. Traditionally the bride and groom choose the materials and braid it themselves. 'Tis customary to keep it somewhere prominent in the couple's bedchamber, as a symbol of the way you felt on your weddin' day. 'Tis a gift to yourselves really because there may be days when the physical, visible reminder may help you get through times that are no' so fun. There's still plenty of time, but you should attend to it sooner rather than later."
Elora nodded. It wasn't one of her traditions, but she liked the sound of it and it certainly couldn't hurt. "How long should it be?"
"Split the difference between your heights."
She looked at Ram absently while she mentally pictured how much that
Ram frowned. "Are you tired?"
"Of course not."
Ram gracefully lowered himself to the step next to her and snuggled close, smiling as he put his arm around her. "The babe has two parents who are Black Swan knights. If he was no' a little firecracker, somethin' might be off."
Elora laid her head on his shoulder, turned her face into his shirt, and groaned. He chuckled softly.
"Even if he turned out to be exactly like me, I believe I would handle it better than did my own da. We will sure no' have him livin' on his own like a half feral. You and I, we're goin' to keep him close and smother him with hugs and kisses every day whether he wants 'em or no'. He's goin' to know we want him.
"As for us, my feelin' is, that if we can survive vampire, we can survive strong-willed offsprin' and find a way to have fun doin' it." He had a way of rearranging perspective so that things never sounded half bad.
"I love you, Ram."
"You know, if you did no' weigh near three hundred pounds, I'd be scoopin' you up and takin' you to bed for naps."
She laughed and raised her head to look at him. "Wonder how much the baby's going to weigh. You think you're going to be able to pick him up?"
"Very funny."
He stood. She raised her hand. "Help me up?"
Ram cupped his hands and yelled down the hallway: "We need a winch and pulley in the mud galley stairwell!"
She slapped at his leg, holding her stomach and laughing so hard no sound could come out.
The day promised to be busy for guest arrivals. Kay had come in the night before. He'd caught a commercial flight from Houston and said he was amazed that even first class on commercial airlines was crowded, uncomfortable, and generally barbaric.
Baka was expected from Edinburgh mid morning, Storm in mid afternoon, and Kay's entourage - composed of sisters and fiancé - would be arriving late in the afternoon.
The breakfast room at the palace in Derry, the seat of the Irish monarchy, was a long rectangle with twenty-five-foot ceilings, original wood floors and a wall of tapestries that were almost as old as elfdom. The other side of the room was a wall of windows ten feet high that looked out on gardens built in terraces above idyllic sheep pastures beyond. Spring flowers had begun to show themselves and Elora could see that the display would be dazzling in another month.
Residents and guests had come and gone from breakfast, but Ram and Elora were lingering with Tepring until late morning. The three occupied one end of a dining table that would accommodate fifty, yet somehow Ram's mother made it seem like an intimate family conversation. One of the staff brought Elora a small silver pot of hot chocolate and set it in front of her with a smile, which Elora returned with thanks and an expression of delight.
"Is the cord ready?" Tepring asked Ram, including Elora in the question with a glance her way.
Ram blinked.
"The cord?" Tepring was beginning to look concerned. "Rammel?"
"Um. I did no' think about it. I've no' done this before, you know."
Tepring made a regal huff and turned to Elora. "We must have a cord for the handfastin'. Traditionally the bride and groom choose the materials and braid it themselves. 'Tis customary to keep it somewhere prominent in the couple's bedchamber, as a symbol of the way you felt on your weddin' day. 'Tis a gift to yourselves really because there may be days when the physical, visible reminder may help you get through times that are no' so fun. There's still plenty of time, but you should attend to it sooner rather than later."
Elora nodded. It wasn't one of her traditions, but she liked the sound of it and it certainly couldn't hurt. "How long should it be?"
"Split the difference between your heights."
She looked at Ram absently while she mentally pictured how much that
Similar Books
The Siren Series 3: Brandon (A Siren Novel)
Marata Eros
Diary of an Ugly Duckling
Karyn Langhorne
Raucous
Ben Paul Dunn
Beneath the Secrets, Part Two (Tall, Dark & Deadly)
Lisa Renée Jones
Exposure
Iris Blaire
Oscar Wilde
André Gide
Day of Deliverance
Johnny O'Brien
Dead Is the New Black
Marlene Perez