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Channa Leigh&039;s gaze swept the land around the, all too aware that soon she would be trapped in darkness again But for now, she delighted in everything she saw

As Darkfest had predicted, their anione far He lifted her onto the back of her ilely onto the back of his own

When they stopped to rest the horses later that day, she saw a spiderweb stretched between two bushes She watched, fascinated, as a spotted spider slowly and carefully cocooned its unwitting prey in white silk

They stopped again several hours later, this ti with dozens of silver fish Darkfest dropped down beside her Stretching out on his stoed his hands into the water up to his elbows and, to her delight, caught six fat fish with his bare hands

Wrapping thes "Dinner," he explained

They rode until dusk, then made camp near a s vines and tall slender trees with silver-blue leaves It looked like a fairyland She would not have been surprised to see unicorns peeking through the bushes

She watched Darkfest unsaddle the horses and hobble them nearby and then, with a wave of his hand and ato feel useful, she spread the bedrolls on either side of the fire, filled their water skins She had never cooked fish over an open fire, but when she offered, he told her there was no need He took care of it quickly and efficiently He cut off the heads and tails, gutted the fish, removed the bones, then cut the fish up into chunks, which he put on sticks to roast over the fire

The meat was juicy and tender "Delicious!" she exclaimed "Where did you learn to do that?"

He shrugged "I dinna recall"

"That sees he could do that he had no e simply came to him as needed Some of what he knew he had learned froic seemed inborn His power over fire and the elements was simply there, a part of him for as far back as he could reh&039;sto ie on her mind

"Thank you for this day, an to fade, to darken, until blackness descended on her once again

"Channa Leigh?"

She turned her face away lest he see the tears forrateful to have been able to see for one whole day, and yet having seen the beauty of the world around her only ulfed her seem all the worse

She stiffened as she felt his arh, why do ye weep?"

"I&039;er lifted a fat teardrop from her cheek

" &039;Tis &039;tis only a bit of dew"

He closed his eyes, overwhelmed by her tears, her nearness All too clearly he recalled the kiss they had shared, and hungered for more Just one more taste of her honeyed lips

It was a te her closer, he lowered his head and covered her mouth with his

He felt her surprise and then her surrender as she leaned in to hi around his neck

He was breathless when he drew back, his body hard anting

"My lord," she whispered

"Forgive me"

"You must not kiss me so," she said, her voice as breathless as his " &039;Tis not right"

"Aye," he said, and kissed her again

&039;Twas only a kiss, she thought How could it have such power? Itaway the darkness Her blindness no longermattered but the touch of his lips on hers, the feel of his arh her, the little shivers of pleasure that made her press her body closer to his

She ached deep inside, ached for so she had never felt before The intensity of it frightened her

"Channa Leigh" His voice was thick and ragged, and in sonified the ache deep inside her, left her clinging to him in hopes that he could somehow ease the ache that throbbed in the very core of her being

With a muttered oath, he put her away from him

"My lord?" Confused, she reached out for hi It ca way "My lord, are you unwell?"

Unwell? He burned as with a fever "Go to bed, Channa Leigh"

"But"

"Do as I say!"

At the tone of his voice, she scrambled under the covers and pulled the blankets up to her chin, only to lie there, her heart pounding What had she done to anger hi her sweetly and the next he was pushing her away

She tried not to cry, but the tears caue lave her cheek

"Magick!" Wrapping her arms around the wolf&039;s neck, she buried her face in his thick fur "I&039;lad you&039;re here"

The wolf dropped down beside her, a lohine rising in his throat

"I don&039;t understand him," she wailed softly "I don&039;t understand e" She stroked the wolf&039;s fur "He gave ht today It was so wonderful I saw the sky and the trees And grass, and a waterfall And his face Oh, Magick, I saw his face And he&039;s so handsome And his eyes, they seemed so familiar, as if I&039;d seen them before"

Her words trailed off and she frowned "His eyes" Her fingertips slid up the wolf&039;s neck to his head "His eyes are your eyes," she mused "The same shape, the very same color How is that possible, unless Of course! You&039;re him, aren&039;t you?"

The hined low in his throat

She felt her cheeks groarm as she remembered what she had confided to the wolf, and suddenly she hoped she rong, hoped that the as just a wolf, hoped if he was indeed Darkfest, he would not reuise of the wolf

When she woke in the ain, and she was alone Her first thought was for the wolf Was he athe wolf restore her vision when touching the wizard did not?

Darkfest Sitting up, she folded her arms over her breasts He had kissed her and she had reveled in it

Where was he?

And then she felt a stirring inside her and knew, knew, that he was nearby

"Good h"

The sound of his voice ely roarm as she remembered the touch of his lips on hers, the way she had , too?

"Good ht breakfast"

His voice was closer now He was near, she thought, near enough to touch if she but had the courage to reach out

He touched her shoulder "Here," he said, and placed a plate in her lap "There is bread and fresh berries"