Thanks so much to LuvinEvian and Courtaney for all of their help and support during this chapter, and this series!
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Credit to Evian Dreams for the pic!
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Julian looked at Eve, his eyes brimming with hope.
"My darling, are you saying you remember being my wife? You remember the love we share?"
"Yes, Julian. I remember everything of our lives together. I'm so sorry for the pain you've gone through because of me." Eve pressed a kiss to his cheek.
"Eve, you could never cause me pain. I just thank God that you have come back to us."
Her eyes misted over as she caressed a sleeping Helene under her chin.
"Our beautiful baby girl. How could I have forgotten her? And you, Julian? I don't understand what happened to me."
"Nor I, my darling. You did not hit your head, or any such thing to cause injury to your person." Julian's gaze fell upon his wife's full lips. "Not that I would not have enjoyed examining you from head to toe to be certain."
"Julian!" Eve laughed in spite of herself. "You're incorrigible! We have to determine what made me unable to recall my life as your wife and Helene's mother."
"We will, we will. However, I do think we have a more pressing matter to attend to at the moment." He began to nuzzle her neck. "It has been far too long since I held you in my arms, my sweet. Since we took one another to passion's greatest heights." Julian's nimble fingers began to slide her nightgown down her shoulders.
"Mmm, Julian--our daughter is lying not two feet from us," Eve breathed. "Do you really think that this is the appropriate time and place?"
"Yes, to the first inquiry, and I will remedy the second this very instant," Julian replied, sweeping Eve quite literally off of her feet. "I need you, my darling wife, and I want to make love to you," he whispered, carrying Eve over to his sleeping roll. Laying her down, he smiled down at her, as his eyes drank in every inch of her curves.
"Lord Crane, you make me blush." Eve looked at him through lowered eyelashes. "You seem to be undressing me with your eyes."
"That I am, Lady Crane, but my hands are quite willing to assist as well," he purred, pulling her gown down even further. A lump rose in his throat. "How I've missed you, my love," he murmured as he worshipped her breasts with his tongue. He then raised his head, and Eve almost cried at the love in his eyes.
"I love you, Julian," Eve said, her voice low and filled with emotion. "I wish to never be parted from you in any way ever again."
"You will always be at my side, my beautiful wife--always," Julian murmured, divesting himself of his dressing gown while holding Eve's gaze. "We were fated to love one another, even before I carried you to my mountain home." He held Eve's face in his hands, his eyes on her trembling lips. "I love you, my darling. Let me show you how much..."
"Julian, I think we have more than made up for our time apart, wouldn't you say?" Eve laughed, playfully swatting his hand away from her breasts. They lay spent after a rather tempestuous lovemaking session.
"My love, I never grow weary of you. Your inviting hips, your luscious breasts, and your delectable lips are all I crave, night and day," Julian replied, his hand cupping her breast once more. "Would you deny your husband his wife's body?"
"And what of my mind, my lord? Do you not cherish that as well?" A mischievous smile curved Eve's lips.
"Your sweetness of heart and kindness of soul made me your captive, Eve, before I ever had the privilege and pleasure of touching your wondrous body," he whispered.
Eve's eyes filled with tears at Julian's words.
"How did I ever forget what you meant to me?" she sobbed, burying her head in his chest.
His arms wrapped around her, holding her tightly.
"I wish I knew, my darling. It was so sudden--I did not know what to do. I tried everything, including bringing you here to my cave to spark your memory. In a sense, I suppose it did, for you now remember the love we share."
"I dreamed of you, Julian--you as the giant, and I remember it frightening me so."
"I regret that I caused you any pain, Eve, then and now." Julian kissed her temple. "Yet, I too wonder what caused you to forget Helene and me."
"It is strange, like some spell had been cast over me. But that couldn't happen, could it?" Eve wondered aloud.
Julian's eyes widened at her words, then narrowed as he pondered what she had said. A spell! Why had he not thought of it before? Because Tabitha Lenox had made it so he wouldn't!
"Tabitha Lenox," he growled. "That devil's servant is the cause of all of this! She did this to you, to the two of us. I remember now! She first made you turn into a cat, then this latest horror--forgetting you are my wife, and a mother! I will kill her for this!" Julian vowed angrily.
"Julian, she is too powerful to cross. She turned you into a giant for all of those years, then what she did to me--you can't go against her," Eve pleaded. "I don't want to lose you."
"You won't lose me, Eve. Tabitha Lenox is not all-powerful, because our love overcame what she tried to do to us. Once and for all, I will show this spawn of Satan that she cannot defeat true love!"
Julian arose from their bedding and walked over to the hot spring. He held his hand out to Eve.
"Let us wash, and then leave this place. I will not rest until that witch has met her fate."
A sense of foreboding washed over Eve, but she shook it off. She was certain that she could convince Julian not to confront the Lenox woman. At least, she hoped she could.
Tabitha Lenox peered into her scrying bowl. Lord Crane rode hard toward her cottage, Lady Crane hanging onto him.
"Fluffy, what is this I see? Lord and Lady Crane, nearing my humble abode? Perhaps Lord Crane needs a love spell, to make his wife fall in love with him all over again!" she cackled. "Then again, there are some things even I cannot do!"
She went to the door and opened it, as Lord Crane drew near and dismounted, holding his hand out to assist his wife.
"Lord and Lady Crane, as I live and breathe! What brings you to my happy home? I will be happy to make you some tea, to refresh you after your ride," Tabitha said with a grin. She then backed up as Lord Crane advanced on her, his hand on the sword at his waist.
"You unholy demon, you have failed in what you attempted to do to my wife. She remembers her life with me--all of it. I will make certain that you never do the devil's work again, for I am here to slit your throat!" Julian hissed, drawing his sword.
Eve's eyes widened. She was glad that they had left Helene with the Bennetts, for she had not wanted their daughter anywhere near the evil witch. Julian had tried to convince her to remain at the Bennetts as well, but Eve flatly refused, insisting on staying with him.
"I know nothing of which you speak, Lord Crane," Tabitha retorted. Secretly, she was stunned. Her spell was powerful, yet they had managed to break it. How?
Her eyes narrowed at the two of them. She knew just how to exact her vengeance on both of them, and this time, they would not be able to overcome her magic.
"Lord Crane, surely you would not want to hang for murder? I don't think that you would want to leave your lovely wife and daughter without your protection." Tabitha watched Eve's expression. "What charge could you profess against me, at any rate? You would leave them alone for some kind of imagined wrong against you?"
Julian held his sword at her throat, angry at her words.
"You changed my wife into a cat, then made her forget that she was even my wife! And the fact that you cursed me to become a giant! You deserve to die a very slow, painful death!"
"Lady Crane would never have met you if you had not captured her, so I venture I did you a favor! As for the rest of it, you still cannot prove that I had any hand in it, and I do not believe anyone else could."
"Julian, she's right. Please, let's get away from here, and never come here again," Eve pleaded, her hand on Julian's arm. "She can't hurt us anymore."
"Heed your wife, Lord Crane. Be gone from here, before you do something that you and your family will regret," Tabitha crowed, enjoying the look of fury on his face.
Lowering his sword, Julian stared hard at the old crone. His eyes were cold as ice.
"I spare your worthless life only for the sake of the family that I hold dear. Mark my words, harridan, you will not harm my wife or my family ever again," he warned. Holding his hand out to Eve, Julian led her out of Tabitha's home without a backward look.
Tabitha smiled as evil intentions filled her thoughts. "You have not learned your lesson, after all of these years, Lord Crane. Fortunately for you, I do not mind repeating the instruction."
Eve held onto Julian as they rode, relief in her heart. As much as she realized and understood her husband's desire to kill the woman, she feared that he would hang for it, no matter his position and wealth. Yet she realized that Julian had not done so, because of his love for her and Helene.
Julian fumed silently. He did not regret protecting his wife and daughter, but he wanted to rid the earth of the evil known as Tabitha Lenox. One day, he vowed, he would accomplish it.
"Julian!" Eve yelled, "Can we stop for a moment?"
He pulled on the reins and slowed the horse to a stop. Dismounting, he held his hand out for Eve and helped her down.
"Are you all right, my darling?" he asked, his eyes searching hers.
"I am, but I know you are not. You wanted to kill that Lenox woman."
"She is no woman, but a demon masquerading as one. She deserves no less than death."
"You know why I did not want you to kill her. I could not bear to lose you, Julian. Helene and I need you."
"I know, and I love the two of you more than life itself. Yet, I cannot forget what treachery that witch has committed against myself and my family."
"Would you try--just for me?" Eve threw her arms around him. "I love you, Julian."
"And I you, my darling--ahhhh!" Julian doubled over in pain. Eve held onto him, her eyes wide with concern.
"Julian, what's wrong? What is it?" she asked. Her eyes grew wider when she realized that her arms could not fit around him at all. She backed away from her husband. "Julian, what is happening? Tell me what is happening to you!" she cried.
"Oh, no! It's happening again." Tree limbs snapped as Julian's head and shoulders shot through the towering oaks. Julian scooped her in his hand, protecting her from the falling timber. Several quiet moments passed.
"I think it stopped, Julian," Eve said, shading her eyes from the bright morning sun. She wrapped her hands around his large finger. "How could this have happened?"
"I know how," Julian answered with a frown, lowering Eve to the ground. "You have done something."
"What?"
"I don't see anyone else around here, and I did not do this to myself."
"Julian, you can't think I did this to you. Why would I do such a thing?" Eve studied him closely. Sadness filled her heart. Julian's gaze held hers. He saw her, but he didn't see her. She was a stranger to him.
"Change me back this instant!" he demanded. "I refuse to be in this inhuman state."
"Julian, I am your wife. I love you. I would never do anything to cause you any pain."
"My wife? I have no wife! I haven't the faintest idea who you are. But no matter--you will come with me, and you will remain my prisoner, until you come to your senses and change me back!" Julian reached down for her, and placed her into his pocket. Eve sat in stunned disbelief. She was a prisoner of a giant once more. This time, her jailor was the husband she loved desperately. The husband who couldn't remember her.
Tabitha Lenox laughed uproariously at her handiwork. Not only had she restored Lord Crane to his gigantic state, but she caused him to believe his beloved wife was the cause of it.
"Now, their so-called love won't break my curse! With Lord Crane convinced she damned him to his size, he'll never forgive her! And he won't recall wedded bliss with her, either!" Tabitha smirked as she looked into her scrying bowl.
"What fool said true love lasted forever? So much for happily ever after!"
End of Part 2 of the Giantheart Chronicles: Ever After
Coming soon: Giantheart Chronicles: Far and Away
