Apollo's Raven by Linnea Tanner

Author:Linnea Tanner [Tanner, Linnea]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Apollo Raven Publisher, LLC
Published: 2017-04-10T06:00:00+00:00

29

Raven’s Attack

The raven suddenly dived at Marcellus in an all-out assault.

Marcellus carried Catrin to midstream where he set her down. He scooped water into his hands and rinsed her body as if he was performing a healing ritual before they began their separate journeys. A deep sense of remorse washed over him that he would leave her when she needed him most. Not only did she carry the burden of not knowing what Marrock did to her, she also faced an uncertain future with a foreign husband she did not love. Her nakedness against him did not evoke a lustful desire, but something stronger—a deepening bond. Now that he had pledged his love to her, would his promise torment him after he left Britannia? How could he ever leave now, not knowing if she was all right? The heartache of losing her pierced into his soul.

Marcellus tenderly massaged Catrin’s shoulders. A serene smile floated across her face and he again fell under her spell. He pressed her back against his chest and cupped her rounded breasts. Feeling her heart beat in synchrony with his, he whispered, “I love you.”

Suddenly, to his dismay, she leaned over, clutched her stomach, and groaned as if she was ready to vomit. Trembling, she waved him back. “Something is wrong. I feel sick. My head is spinning. It is as if …” She touched her temple. “I need to be alone.”

He reached for her hand. “What do you mean ‘be alone’?”

She slipped into the water’s current and waded downstream. “I need to make an offering to Epona and ask for her blessing. I must do this alone. Go ahead, finish bathing. I will be ready soon.”

A cold breeze over the water made Marcellus shiver as he watched Catrin swim to the riverbank. On shore, she hurriedly dressed and armed herself with a sword. His heart began pounding with trepidation when he observed her wandering aimlessly near the trees, staggering as if she were drunk. Worried that she was deathly ill, he rushed to shore to check on her.

As he stepped on the embankment, a raven suddenly darted over Catrin’s head like an arrow shot straight at him. He dropped to the ground like a rock, but the creature’s sharp talons sliced his head as it swept over him. Keeping low on the ground, he listened for flapping wings. The only sound he could hear was his rapid heartbeats in his ears.

A moment later, the raven shrieked, chilling him to his bones. He glanced sideways. A few feet from his face, the creature was perched on a moss-covered log. The raven bobbed its head and blasted another teeth-shattering screech.

Marcellus scooted away from the ruffled bird and cried out, “Is this raven warning me of something?”

Catrin yelled, “Yes, get away now!”

The raven cocked its head sideways and peered at Marcellus with its glowing amber eyes.

He bounced to his feet and shuffled backward, shouting, “That raven looks like it is ready to make a feast of

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