Warrior's Touch (Immortal Warriors #2)

Chapter Fourteen: Midnight's Kiss

Kat's senses were on overload. The walls of the hedge maze were high enough they blocked out much of the light given off by the stars and the lanterns set about the garden. Aiden had grabbed one of these before they fully entered the maze. Thankfully the path itself was illuminated by vibrant stones which gave off an icy blue light so she didn't have to worry about tripping over a root or a loose rock. Between the aromatic perfumes of the exotic bushes and various flower beds that made up the maze, the glasses of wine at dinner, and Aiden's intense nearness, Kat felt lightheaded.

Aiden's voice was deep and quiet which did the strangest things to her skin. She felt both hot and highly sensitized. As they traversed the twists and turns of the labyrinth, he pointed out different flowers and their unfamiliar names as they passed them: Dragonsbane, Starling, and Midsummer Glory to name a few. Each time he'd pull the flower close, allowing her to smell as he explained its origin, leaning in to whisper and making it seem like a secret between them. A few times she'd turned a little quickly and he was close enough to kiss, which was making her have all sorts of unsafe thoughts about the broad-shouldered captain.

God! What was wrong with her? She was acting like she'd never been around a hot guy before. Granted, no one she'd ever dated had ever been in quite the same category as Captain McKenna and sure, maybe they hadn't been warriors, or immortals, or quite so tall but was that really an excuse to act like a simpering, tongue-tied moron?

Her treacherous thoughts quickly turned to wondering how good someone like Aiden would be with their tongue. He struck her as the hot and heavy type but maybe he was more like a slow burn – until you felt like the very walls were melting.

They turned another corner, entering the heart of the maze. Aiden's voice cut through her sexy, entirely too dangerous thoughts. 

 "This is the center of the maze," he said stopping so she could look around. 

Kat took a minute to get herself back together. It was a little easier as the center of the maze truly was a sight to behold. The center of the labyrinth was designed for people to stop and take notice.  Stone benches circled a large fountain with a commanding stone figure set in the middle. The statue was some kind of goddess or nymph if she had to guess, and looked to be made out of white marble or a similar precious stone.

"Who's that?" she asked, admiring the beauty and perfect symmetry of the maze's centerpiece.

"The Moon goddess," Aiden replied.

She could here the respect in his voice. "Like Selene?" she asked. At the confused look on his face she explained further, "Selene is the Greek goddess of the moon where I come from – a Titan actually. She was one of the original goddesses in Greek Mythology."

Aiden only shook his head. "Nay, lass. I doona recognize the name she is only the representation of the moon by the Fae. She has no name."

"Oh," she said quietly. Kat stared at the statue and felt the gooseflesh rise on her upper arms. She was almost lifelike in her regal repose. There was no water in the fountain only the goddess. Her face was turned down demurely, as if looking down at her feet, a small smile playing on her lips. As she watched, Kat had the distinct feeling the goddess was smiling at her, which would seem a little weird on a normal day but since this day was anything but normal, it seemed just about right.

Actually nothing was going right – at least not in the way she thought it would. She had imagined coming here would be exciting and it was, but it was also a little dangerous and strange and Kat knew this was only the beginning. She didn't really know what the next month would have in store for her and now a small thread of worry was starting to work its way into her thoughts.