Bliss offered her own thoughts. “If I were to guess, you and the other two present a more direct threat—able to produce an abundance of heirs between all of you. Therefore, the curse would be fueled and extended for who knows how long.”
“I suppose, but something still doesn’t seem right about it all. Something stares us in the face, and we cannot see it and I fear the consequences if we do not at least give it thought.”
“Would the problem not be more easily solved if we all, my sisters and their husbands, were able to discuss it together?” she asked, hopeful he might agree, and she would finally be reunited with her sisters.
“Most definitely,” Rannick agreed but before Bliss could feel even a spark of excitement, her husband continued. “Unfortunately, it is not safe for any of us to travel right now. Odran and Brogan agree with me, especially Odran with Elysia being with child. And I do not blame him. I would worry myself senseless if that were you, and I would forbid you from going anywhere. I am relieved I do not even have to consider it.”
Guilt jabbed at Bliss. She had given her word she would speak the truth to him, but she had done just that when she had told him that the mixture of plants and herbs he insisted she take was worthless in keeping her from getting with child. He had not questioned her about it since then, therefore, she had not lied to him.
“There is winter to consider as well,” he said. “There is always the chance of being caught in a snowstorm. Messages will have to suffice for now. Besides, your sister will need you in the spring when it comes time for her to deliver the bairn.”
If Bliss’s calculations were right, she would be due sometime in the spring as well. She did not know how she would do it, but she intended to be there for Elysia when her time came.
“From Brogan’s message, he and Annis have much going on with the construction of their village and the number of people who wish to reside there.”
There was something in her husband’s voice that made her ask, “Was there more to Brogan’s message? Is Annis all right? I thought to hear from her soon but have received no message. Please tell me she is well.”
“Annis is fine and is relentless in her efforts to come here to see you.” His brow pinched with annoyance, and he hesitated a moment before continuing. “Brogan says that he and Annis have discovered much that I should know but not through a messenger.”
“And you just decided to tell me this?” she asked, upset he had not told her.
“I only found out about it today and my first thought was that you would rush off to see Annis.”
“Aye, that is what we should do. We, not me,” she emphasized. “You should be just as eager. What if they have found the witch? That would mean there is a chance to bring the curse to an end.”
“Or be disappointed again like so many other countless times,” he confessed with a shake of his head. “I cannot tell you how often Brogan, Odran, and I faced disappointment. Or the hell I went through in foreign lands in search of someone, anyone—a demon if necessary—who could help end the misery and pain.”
Bliss hurried to place a comforting hand on his chest, her heart aching for him. “I am truly sorry for what the curse has made you suffer, but you cannot give up now after all you have been through.”
Rannick’s hand closed around his wife’s slim wrist. “It isn’t that I fear what may come of it if news of the witch has been discovered. It is what I would become once again to make certain the witch tells us all we need to know.”
Her brow creased with concern. “You are a good man, Rannick.”
His grip on her wrist tightened. “You would not say that if you knew some of the things I have done, have been willing to do to break this curse. If it proves true that the witch has been found and she is the one who helped Lady Aila condemn us to hell, then I assure you she will rue the day she met me.”
“You cannot battle a witch,” she said, the thought insane and the consequences that could come of it frightening her.
“I can,” —his eyes burned with fiery anger— “I already have.” He pulled her against him when she went to respond, their warm naked bodies pressed tightly together. “Do not ask me to explain that. The only thing I will tell you is that when I got done, I knew I had lost not only my soul but my humanity.”
“That is not true,” she said as her hand went to rest on his cheek. “Your soul and humanity may have been damaged but you did not lose them. If you did, you could have never tended me with such kindness when I needed help, and you could never love me to the deepest depths of your heart the way you do.” She kissed him lightly. “You will fight no witch; I will not allow it.”