The Grey God

"I hate to be away from you," she replied. "What was so important Jule dragged you out of our bed?"

"Rumblings of a war between immortals. Nothing new," Darian replied.

"Is that all?"

"Yes, love, that was all."

Claire seemed relieved. Darian started towards the palace, intending to take her to bed with him once more before he started his official duties.

"I planned something for us," she said and pulled away from him. Claire jogged to one of the trees and lifted a small satchel from its roots.

"Breakfast under the trees I love?"

"Better. Breakfast in the forest where we went the first night we made love."

"Beautiful." Darian mounted his horse. Claire tucked the satchel into the saddlebags.

"Must they come?" she asked, gaze going to his Guardians. "I can defend you against anything that attacks us."

Darian glanced at his warriors. He was so accustomed to them, he barely noticed them.

"Do you want them to remain here?" he asked.

"I want us to have a beautiful morning together."

"Then they stay," he said, signaling for the Guardians not to follow. He pulled her up behind him and nudged his horse into a quick walk.

They left the orchard for the quiet city, which had not yet begun to awaken. Darian guided the horse through marble streets marked by statues of his forefathers and beyond the city into the wood running along a stream that ran through the immortal countryside. He maneuvered his way through the forest until he found the place near the warm springs at the center of the stream, where they'd gone their first night together.

The sound of the trickling stream joined with the voices of birds waking to face the new day. Darian dismounted and lifted Claire off the horse, settling her gently beneath a tree.

"The best day of my life," she murmured. "I'll always remember it."

"The best day was when we met," he said and sat beside her. "You wore that dress the same color as the blooming apple trees."

"And you all in black."

"I wore green that day," he said with a chuckle. "Dark green."

"I'm not one for details," she said and smiled. "I fell for you that day, Darian."

"We fell for each other. It took some strong-arming to get you out of the betrothal you were already in with … what was his name? Isac?"