I'm a fan of Rory Ni Coileain's work and this story is no exception.
When Trevor Macleod moves to his cottage in the Cuillin Hills in Scotland, he'd wanted peace and quiet from his old life and release from the hurt he'd experienced in his life. He found it in the wildness of his surroundings, the stillness of the Loch and the beauty of the hills. But Trevor also finds something, or someone else. He finds Darach, a sensual tree spirit, as old as the landscape, as beautiful as the sunrise and as attuned to the earth as the oak tree in which he lives during the day. And it's during the night that the two men find each other's souls and hearts. Trevor is lost, his outer shell breached by the warmth, the gentleness and the love that Darach offers him.
At first Trevor is frightened, stunned by the depth of emotion he feels for Darach. Darach revels in Trevor's touch, his scent and his awakening emotions.
"I am out of my mind. And just for tonight, that's all right."
The two lovers come to know each other intimately, emotional and physical needs being met with passion and eroticism, with something Trevor has never experienced before. But he's also scared, especially when he sees something that shocks him to his core, something about his lover that he has trouble believing. He tries to flee but the lure of Darach is too strong.
Beautifully written, evocative with the warm yet sometimes harsh tones of the landscape and Trevor's life adding to the story to bring it to life, this is a true love story, a coming of age almost for Trevor. My only objection was that it was too short and I would have liked to read more about Trevor's and Darach's story, and find out how they finally manage to be together, not just at night around the warmth of a bonfire but forever each day, too.
I recommend this to anyone who wants a tender, sexy read couched in magick and imagination.
