Kwin

by Trudie Collins

  He was looking at it closely as his mind touched where hers should have been. Instead of being able to slip into her head, he hit a barrier. Frowning, he tried again. So far, the controller hadn’t registered what he was doing, so he put a little more magic into it. It made no difference. The barrier remained in place. He tried to go around it, over it, under it, but to no avail.

  Usually his gentle probing would result in a little push back, but nothing more. This was like running into a brick wall. No non-magic user should have been able to protect their mind like that.

  He tried harder and the controller lit up faintly.

  “What are you trying to do?” Luka asked. There was no anger in her voice, just curiosity.

  Kwin gave up on his efforts. “I was trying to get into your mind, to influence you to take my shackles off.”

  “Having trouble?” she asked, with an innocent smile.

  Under the table, Canis coughed. If he didn’t know better, Kwin would have said the dog was trying not to laugh.

  “How are you doing that?” he asked, ignoring the canine.

  “Doing what?” she asked.

  Kwin wasn’t in the mood for playing her games. “Cut the crap. You know full well what I’m talking about. How are you blocking your mind?”

  “I’m not,” she said. “My father put a protection spell on me.”

  Kwin shook his head. “That would have worn off when he died.”

  “Evidently not.” Kwin was sure she was lying, but had no idea why. He had never known a spell continue after its creator’s death. He had been told it wasn’t possible. The thought made him realise that Luka’s magic bag shouldn’t still be working either.

  “Would you like to try again?” Luka asked. She, too, seemed to be laughing at his attempt.

  “Would there be any point?”

  “None whatsoever.”

  Noticing that his bowl was nearly empty, Kwin put down his spoon and used a piece of bread to soak up the remaining soup. He then sat back in his chair and waited for Luka to finish eating.

  “I’ve been told that to earn your trust I should let you enter my mind,” he said once she had wiped her mouth on a napkin. “Have you ever done it before?”

  “Yes, with my father. He taught me how to open my mind and allow it to be pulled into his.”

  Kwin hesitated. Allowing a non-trained person into his mind was dangerous. She could accidentally do a lot of damage. Also he had to think about whether there were any memories he wanted to remain private. He could seal them away, out of her reach, but that would go against the whole point of the exercise.

  Almost as if she was reading his mind already, Luka said, “You have to trust me if you expect me to trust you.”

  Eventually he stood up, walked around the table and took the seat next to her. “Place your hands on either side of my head. It’s easier to concentrate if you close your eyes. Reach out to me with your mind. With your father’s wall in place, I won’t be able to reach you until you are outside of the mental barrier he created.”

  “Are you really sure you want to do this?” Luka asked.

  “No, but let’s do it anyway.”

  Chapter 14

  Luka took a deep breath, placed her hands on Kwin’s head and closed her eyes. She relaxed her body and opened her mind. She had been lying about her father placing the mental block on her. He had taught her what to do, but she had been the one to do it. She could drop it at any time she wished, but it would be a long time before she admitted that to Kwin, if ever. While she believed that he would not willingly tell anyone about her magic, she didn’t know if he was the sort of man who would accidentally let it slip.

  If she had wanted to, she could have entered Kwin’s mind herself, instead of waiting for him to drag her in. He would try to stop her, but she was confident that she was the stronger of the two.

  She felt a tentative touch against her mind and did nothing to prevent Kwin pulling it into his head. She gasped in surprise when she realised he had let down all of his barriers; he was keeping nothing from her. She had been expecting him to have created a mental vault around part of his mind.

  Luka didn’t hesitate; she dived straight in, seeking the information she wanted. From his mind she was able to ascertain the type of man he really was; loyal, dedicated, determined, protective of his people. There was no sign that he lusted after women or had any desire to rise above his current rank. He was good at what he did and enjoyed it. He had faith in his abilities, but did not brag about them.

  Images of his bride-to-be filled Luka’s head and she was surprised that there were so few, until she worked out that they had never met and that he was going ahead with the marriage because his king had ordered him to, not because he was in love.

  As far as Luka could work out, the closest Kwin had ever come to love was his friend Gareth, who he loved like a brother. He flirted with Gareth’s sister, but there was nothing more than a mild attraction there.

  She felt his determination to escape and rescue his betrothed, not because he was desperate to get her back, but because it was the right thing to do. She also detected his concern for Gareth. While nothing bad had happened to his friend so far, he was worried that it was only a matter of time.

  She found his curiosity about her amusing, though understandable. He believed that she was too good to be true and her true nature would soon surface. He had spent a lot of his spare time working out how to fight her, should the need arise, a fact he did nothing to hide.

  If she told him the truth about her household, he would not betray her or use the information to his own advantage. He was used to keeping secrets and would keep hers; he would not let anything slip in idle conversation.

  She probed further, trying to work out the depth of his power. He was much stronger and more skilled than he had let on. If it came to a fight, she was no longer sure she would be able to beat him.

  He was also a good fighter. She would have to consider getting him a sword and maybe some knives and other weapons. He would never use them against her or her household and they would be a good deterrent for anyone wishing to cause her physical harm. He had killed many people, men and women, and would not hesitate to do so again, if there was a justifiable need. He didn’t like killing, but would if it meant saving himself or others.

  When she had seen all she wanted to, Luka withdrew her mind and opened her eyes. Kwin had his eyes closed and looked almost peaceful, though she now knew he was far from it. He was ready to react, should he need to.

  “Gareth is a remarkably attractive man,” she said.

  Kwin smiled as he opened his eyes. “I thought you might comment on that. You and he would get along well.”

  “I’ll have to make sure I meet him sometime. Maybe I’ll get myself invited to Ofar’s next party, though that would involve having to meet her brother again.” Luka shivered at the thought.

  “Have I shown you enough?” Kwin asked. “Now, will you tell me what is really going on?”

  Luka stood up. “Come with me.”

  She led him to her office, where she opened a drawer in her desk and took out some papers. “These are ownership papers,” she said and handed them to him.

  He flicked through them. He had been taught to read as well as speak the Wayvern language so he had no trouble confirming what Luka had said. The top one was his own. It felt strange seeing himself referred to as property. The owner’s name clearly stated Luka Steel.

  The rest, however, were different. Koal, Drake, Shelby, all of the slaves he had spoken to. Everyone’s ownership papers were now in his hands, though the names in the owner field confused him. Instead of Luka’s name, it was their own.

  “I don’t understand,” he said.

  “The reason I don’t call my servants slaves is because, other than you, they aren’t. I released them all. They are here because they want to be, not because they have to be.”

  Kwin handed the papers back to her. “But they are still s
hackled.”

  “Actually they aren’t. Their shackles are harmless replicas, worn to stop visitors asking awkward questions.”

  Kwin looked doubtful, so Luka led him to another office down the hall. The door was open and Drake was inside. Luka, however, still knocked before entering.

  “I’ve told Kwin the truth about my so-called slaves,” she said, registering the look of surprise on Drake’s face with amusement.

  “Already?” he asked.

  “Yes. He let me read his mind.”

  “I see,” Drake said and put down the document he had been reading. “And I take it he doesn’t believe you.”

  “What makes you say that?” Kwin asked.

  “The fact that you are here.”

  Luka took one of the seats in front of the desk, indicating that Kwin should do the same.

  Drake leaned forward when he addressed him. “I don’t know exactly what you have been told, but whatever was said is the truth. None of us here are slaves. In return for our service, Luka feeds us, clothes us, gives us a roof over our heads and protects us from other Wayverns. We want for nothing. Our lives here are easier than they were back in Tippet. We can leave any time we want to. We wish to stay here. Luka has earned our respect and our loyalty.”

  Kwin still didn’t look convinced. “You say you are free to leave, but what’s stopping you being picked up by the peacekeepers and resold if you do?”

  Drake glanced at Luka, who nodded her permission for him to continue.

  “If ever any of us wish to return to Tippet, Luka will see that we make it safely across the border, as she has done for others in the past.”

  “So why do those ‘escaped’ slaves never mention this?”

  It was Luka who answered. “Because they would know that they would risk putting my household in danger if they did. If ever anyone found out that I was releasing slaves, action would be taken against me.”

  She was only partially telling the truth. In reality she put a compulsion spell on every slave she helped get back to Tippet, preventing them from speaking about her.

  “Why do you stay when you can go home?” Kwin asked Drake. “Why do any of you?”

  Drake smiled. “Because we want to.”

  Kwin did not look happy. “I’m going to need some time to process this. Do you mind if I spend some time alone for a while?”

  Luka glanced at the timepiece on the wall of Drake’s office. “No time for that I’m afraid. The dressmaker will be here shortly.”

  “In that case, I’ll be in my room until she arrives.” Kwin stood up and was almost out of the room when Luka spoke to him.

  “Kwin, are you going to tell Gareth?” She was curious rather than concerned. If Kwin trusted his friend enough to tell him, then she knew he could also be trusted to keep her secret.

  “I don’t know yet,” he said and left the room.

  “Who’s Gareth?” Drake asked as soon as he and Luka were alone.

  “His friend. He has a telepathic link with him so he can speak to him whenever he wants to.”

  Drake sighed and the look he gave Luka was more like one a father would give to a daughter than a servant to an employer.

  “Are you sure you should have told him?” he asked.

  Luka nodded. “Yes. He will not betray us.”

  “Exactly how much have you told him?”

  Luka knew what he was asking. “Only about the slaves. I haven’t yet told him that I am a magic user.”

  “And why not?”

  Luka thought for a moment. “I don’t know,” she said honestly. “Something tells me he is better off not knowing.”

  “I’ll let everyone know.”

  The doorbell ringing interrupted the conversation. Luka closed her eyes and concentrated on the door, seeing who was on the other side of it. “The dressmaker is here,” she said. “Please show her to my suite.”

  The dressmaker was there for a long time. She had brought a lot of material with her and pinned many different outfits to Kwin’s body, promising to have them finished by the end of the week.

  Luka couldn’t help smiling at the look on the woman’s face when Kwin stripped down to his underwear. He really did have an impressive body. Luka didn’t say anything, but she was sure the dressmaker was touching Kwin more than she really needed to. From the looks he kept throwing her way, Kwin thought the same thing.

  “Thank Hellan that’s over,” Kwin said when the dressmaker had finally packed up her things and departed.

  “What’s the matter? Don’t you like being fitted for new clothes?”

  “I felt like a doll being dressed up by a child. Or the dressmaker’s latest plaything.”

  Luka laughed lightly. Kwin was still wearing almost nothing and part of Luka didn’t want to tell him to get dressed, but she had to. While she thought a man’s naked body was not worth looking at, a partially clothed one was another matter. “Come on, we need to get moving. That took longer than I was expecting.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “Into the town.”

  “Why?”

  “You need shoes to go with your new clothes.”

  The look of despair on Kwin’s face had Luka laughing again.

  Chapter 15

  When Shona woke, she forced herself to get out of bed and go over to her mirror. She didn’t want to see her face, but she knew she had to.

  She looked as bad as she thought she did. The area around her mouth was bruised and swollen and there was still a trace of dried blood on her split lip. She shuddered, remembering what Fillen had made her do. She tried telling herself that it could have been worse, but it didn’t help.

  Her thoughts were disturbed by a knock at the door. She turned around as Dani entered, carrying a breakfast tray. The young lady gasped when she saw her.

  “Lady Shona, what happened?” Shona had tried many times to get Dani to drop the ‘lady’, but eventually she had given up.

  Shona could have lied and said she slipped, but it wasn’t in her nature. “Fillen,” she said. She didn’t need to say anything more.

  “Let me clean you up,” Dani said, but Shona shook her head.

  “I’m alright. I’ll feel better once I’ve eaten. Thank you for your concern.”

  Dani didn’t look convinced, but didn’t contradict her. She persuaded her to get back into bed, then placed the tray on her lap.

  “Would you like me to stay with you?” Dani asked, trying to smile at her but not quite managing it. Shona shook her head. She would rather be alone. Dani might ask for more details and she wouldn’t be able to answer without revealing Fillen’s secret which, despite the fact that she now loathed the man, she would never do.

  It wasn’t until after Dani had left that she realised that she hadn’t brought her breakfast since she had moved into the suite. She wondered why she had now. Maybe Fillen regretted his actions and was trying to make it up to her. Then again, maybe not.

  Shona forced herself to eat, though it was painful. Every bite pulled on the cut on her lip. By the time she had finished, the wound had reopened and blood was trickling down her chin.

  She washed her face before climbing into the shower, drawing in a sharp breath as the touch of the cloth sent pain running through her.

  By the time she was dried and dressed, she had decided to stop feeling sorry for herself. It wouldn’t help her in any way. She needed to find something to do to take her mind off it.

  Dani returned as Shona was about to leave the room and she was not happy that Shona hadn’t waited to be dressed. Not in the mood for an argument, Shona apologised then asked for the girl’s advice. She needed to get away, but would not be allowed to leave the grounds.

  Dani suggested she go for a ride. Fillen owned many horses and allowed the servants to take them out, as long as they stayed on his estate. The animals appreciated the exercise.

  Agreeing that this was a good idea, Shona allowed Dani to help her change into something more suitable, then
the two ladies went to the kitchen, where the chef was more than happy to provide Shona with a picnic lunch.

  Dani carefully explained how Shona would know the estate boundaries, as there were no fences, then told her to have fun.

  The morning went well. Shona didn’t realise how much she missed riding. With the sun on her skin and the wind blowing through her hair, she let her troubles evaporate. She felt free and alive and though she knew it was just an illusion, she didn’t let that knowledge spoil her good mood.

  That all changed when she heard her name called. Fillen was cantering toward her. She considered pretending that she hadn’t seen him and galloping off, but he would know the truth and would punish her for it later.

  He seemed hot and tired when he pulled his horse up beside hers. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere,” he said.

  He didn’t sound angry, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t. The past few days his mood had turned suddenly on more than one occasion.

  He dismounted and ordered her to do the same, which she reluctantly did. He grabbed hold of her chin before she had chance to step away, moving her head from side to side so he could examine her.

  “I’m sorry. I should not have hit you.”

  His words took her by surprise. They sounded genuine.

  “You’re right,” she said. “You should never hit a woman, not unless she hits you first.” There was a bitterness in her voice that she couldn’t hide.

  Fillen winced, though whether at her words or her tone she couldn’t be sure.

  “I haven’t reacted well to Brend’s illness. I have been behaving very badly.”

  Shona said nothing. She could have agreed with him, but was unsure how he would react.

  “Please forgive me. I will try not to let it happen again.”

  Shona wasn’t sure whether to believe him or not. Even if he meant what he said, she had no confidence that he would be able to control his temper, especially when Brend was not around to keep him calm.