Beyond Time: A Dark Order of the Dragon Novel (The Dark Order of the Dragon Book 2)

by Sandra Bischoff

  “I know what you are going to say.” Elizabeth met her gaze head on.

  Elaine approached the tub, lifting a bath sheet from the stack on the table next to it. She unfolded it and held it up before her. “I don’t think you do. But after seeing the mark on your shoulder what I came to say is a moot point.”

  Standing, Elizabeth allowed Christian’s mother to wrap her in the sheet and help her from the tub. Elaine led her to the stool by the fireplace and motioned for her to sit. She lowered on to the seat, still on guard for what was coming.

  “Lady Elaine--”

  “No. You are not to address me that way. Not anymore.” Elaine lifted the brush and began passing it through Elizabeth’s damp locks. “The last time we sat here like this, I warned you to stay away from my sons. Did I not?”

  “Aye, but--”

  “You went against my wishes. You followed your heart. I understand that, Elizabeth.” The brushing paused. “Had I been in your shoes, I’d have done the same.”

  “You would have?” Elizabeth whispered.

  “Aye, and I did, once upon a time. How do you think Christian came to be? If I had ignored what the Lady of the Lake commanded, none of us would be sitting here right now like this.” Elaine slipped around and sat on the chair opposite her. “Part of me is pleased you disobeyed me, another is extremely angry. Not because of the betrayal, but because I tried to deny fate to begin with. Fate hates that. It always finds a way.”

  “You are not angry with me then?”

  Elaine reached out and took Elizabeth’s hands in hers. “No, love. I am not angry with you. I am happy to know my son has found his other half. I am overjoyed to have someone to call daughter and know that someone is you.”

  Tears rolled down Elizabeth’s cheek. She hadn’t expected Lady Elaine to be this accepting. “Why did you seem so upset when you came in?”

  “Because, my dear, it should have been Christian who told me. I should not have learned by seeing his mark on your shoulder.” Elaine tsked. “That boy should have known better than that. I mean, really? Does he not understand the clothing we must wear? It will be on display for all to see. But don’t worry, I’m here now and we will make some minor adjustments. No one will know, yet.” Her Ladyship frowned. “Unless that’s what the two of you intended? Were you using his claim on you to break the betrothal?”

  “Nay! I love Christian. Everything that happened last night was out of that love.”

  Elaine’s brow rose. “What else happened between you? I can assume from the bite you are no longer a maiden. Is there something more?”

  Elizabeth took a deep breath. “Christian and I are wed. Hand-fasted last night by Merlin’s apprentice, Zephyr.”

  “I see. Well, it’s only right. I’m glad the two of you didn’t do this haphazardly.” Elaine released her hands. “How are we proceeding forward with this? Are we going to seek and audience with the King? We should do this soon or your betrothed may decide to take you with him when his tournament events are done.”

  Staring into the flames, Elizabeth tried to collect her thoughts. All she wanted to do before now was take the bath and return to the tournament below as quickly as possible. She wanted to watch the archery. No, that wasn’t it entirely. She wanted to watch Christian, wanted to be close to him. She needed to be close to him.

  “I had not thought of that. Christian already sent word to my uncle seeking an audience, but I do not know if it was granted yet.”

  Clapping her hands, Elaine stood. “Well, then I guess it’s good you have Lancelot and I as your in-laws. I shall go to the King-”

  “Nay, My Lady. Please do not.”

  Elaine’s head tilted to the side. “Why ever not?”

  “Christian wants to do this himself. It is important to him.” Elizabeth smiled. “Please allow him his moment.”

  Tears welled up in Elaine’s eyes. “He doesn’t need me to fight his battles, does he? Lancelot keeps telling me I baby our sons and he is absolutely correct. I missed out on so much with him and now he doesn’t need me.” She wiped away the tears. “I’m sorry. I’m blubbering.”

  Elizabeth rose and closed the distance between them. She embraced Elaine, whose arms wrapped gently about her. “Nay, ‘twould be a tragedy if you did not -what was that word? Blubber.”

  The two of them stood in comfortable silence until all their tears had been spent. Elaine was the first to break away. She wiped the dampness from her face and smoothed her hands on the front of her gown. “You should get dressed. Christian won’t hold up the event until you make your presence known forever.” She gave Elizabeth a knowing grin.

  As giddy as a child, Elizabeth donned her clothing. Elaine assisted with her laces and proceeded to tame the wild mass of red curls on her head. By the time she was done, Elizabeth was as beautiful as a glowing bride on her wedding day.

  “You really do love him, don’t you?” Elaine arranged a dark green cloak over Elizabeth’s shoulders.

  “Aye, I do. More than anything.” Elizabeth nodded.

  Elaine removed a brooch from her pocket and used it to clasp the cloak together. Her smile waned as Elizabeth traced the wolf design with her fingertips. “Do you love him enough to let him go?”

  “Let him go? I thought you said--”

  “I know what I said. But I also told you once he would be leaving. What happens if he can’t take you with him?” Elaine framed Elizabeth’s face with her hands. “It’s something you must think about.”

  “The Lady Semiramis gave us her blessing. She said we would not be parted. She told us I would go with him when he returned to his kingdom.” Elizabeth frowned.

  “Were those the words she used?”

  Elizabeth frowned. “Not exactly.”

  Elaine let go of Elizabeth’s face and linked arms with her. They left the chamber and started down the stone passageway to the main hall below. “Lady Semiramis, has she been acting strange to you?”

  Elizabeth mulled that over. There were moments on the ride back that the Lady did say something unusual. Then again, she didn’t know Semiramis as well as the others. “Strange how?”

  They hit the main hall and fell silent. Too many eyes were on them. Too many ears perked up to listen to the latest gossip. They merely nodded a greeting at the Lords and Ladies who took their rest from the autumn sun. It wasn’t until the doors to the bailey closed behind them that Elaine resumed her train of thought.

  “Her attitude toward me earlier was a bit off. She acted as if she never laid eyes on me before, especially when we have such a long history together. One would think I was no more familiar to her than a street urchin soiling her delicate boot.” Elaine shook her head. “No, my dear, there is something not right with her. We must tread carefully. I have a bad feeling where Semiramis is concerned.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  A cloaked woman slipped from the kitchen and through the garden gate. She made a bee line for the sea of tents camped out on the edge of the clearing below. Each man she passed stopped what he was doing and greeted her. The woman hurried past, hell bent on her mission to reach the large black tent in the center of it all.

  The guard posted outside saw her coming and pulled the flap aside, bowing to her as she passed through. With a flourish she pulled the stifling cloak from her shoulders and tossed it aside.

  “Lady Semiramis, I trust you have good news for me. Come, share my table.” Lord Rimmon held out a chair for her.

  The woman sat in the seat he offered him. “Ugh, please stop calling me that. It makes my skin crawl.” She shook out her hair and the color went from jet black to the palest white. Her stormy grey eyes changed to their natural demonic black state. “You realize I hate you even more for having me do this, don’t you?” She picked up a chicken leg and bit into it, practically purring as the grease dribbled out the corner of her mouth and across her chin.

  “Aye, Meridia but you are the best chameleon I have. You adapt so well to any given task I give you. You are bril
liant at blending in.”

  Rimmon ran his finger across her chin. Her lips quivered. “Aye, I am. But there may be a problem.”

  “What kind of problem? You did manage to curse their hand fasting, did you not?”

  Meridia gulped down the bite of chicken in her mouth. “Aye, that went well. ‘Twas what happened after that might be an issue.”

  Anger flared across Rimmon’s face. Growling, he sprung from the table and grabbed her around the neck. Meridia squeaked in surprise. He held her fast against the thick post in the center of his tent. The demoness clawed at his hand, struggling to breathe.

  “I gave you a simple task. Curse their union and return to me with a full report. How did you fuck that up?”

  “I did as you bade.” She croaked. “Everything went well until this woman arrived.”

  “What woman?” He snarled an inch from her face, baring a lethal set of fangs.

  “She said she was his mother.”

  Rimmon’s grasp abruptly left her throat and Meridia fell to the floor gasping for air. He slammed a fist into the table, splitting it in two and sending food flying everywhere. “Let me guess, you treated her like a commoner and she gave you an earful. You fucking worthless whore! Do you have any idea what you have done?”

  Meridia shrank back. “My Lord, she ordered me away. How was I to know they knew each other?”

  “Because, everyone in that castle knows everyone else, damn it. You may have ruined everything. If Lady Elaine even suspects that you were not Semiramis-” An icy calm fell across his face.

  “No my Lord, please-,” she begged.

  “You have become a liability, Meridia.” A fireball formed in his right hand. He hit her with it full force. The last thing he heard from her was a gut-wrenching scream as the fire burned her flesh from her body, leaving nothing but dust in its wake.

  Twenty Five

  When he had left Zephyr’s little crypt, Lance wasn’t sure what he should do. Part of him wanted to be rid of the vampire all together. Staking Zephyr would save Lance from a lifetime of torture. He would love to do it, but deep in his heart he knew he couldn’t. Z had centuries ahead of him. If he disrupted that, Lance himself might even cease to be.

  Instead he threw himself into getting the tournament ready. Rolling out the hay bales and moving logs to the field set aside for the competition gave him plenty of time to mull over everything that happened over the last twenty-four hours.

  He claimed his mate and wed her. He had the blessing of his foster mother and Goddess of the Lake. He protected Beth from the demon at large. And, he had proven himself to be a formidable adversary for said demon.

  All without using the wolf or its power.

  Damn life is good right about now.

  Lance stood back and surveyed the work he and Galahad put into the archery field. Set on the flattest field on the north side of the castle, the circular straw targets were protected from the glaring sun. With any luck, the sun would pass right over, east to west, and not cause any visual interference, something that could be horrendous for an archer.

  Hefting a bundle of bows onto his shoulder, he turned away from the large bulls eyes and counted out the paces for the first round. Since all of the archers given to him were children, starting them out at five yards seemed more than fair. Maybe he was underestimating them. Archery was a way of life to these children. They needed to learn it at a young age to survive, as he had.

  Lance remembered the first time he lifted a bow and tested its weight. It felt like an extension of his soul, something a sword had never done. Maybe that was the first indication to his parents that he would be better off with Sam. He was more inclined to be patient and calculating when it came to a weapon rather than impulsive and physical. Shooting a bow had taught him that above all.

  Take your time. Wait out your prey or enemy. Eventually they will slip up, and then they are yours. The wolf understood this.

  Unfortunately though, he never got it right when it was forced on him. He felt smothered and trapped every time Zephyr started a training session. The wolf lashed out. Why? Because it went against its nature, against everything he had taught himself from that first arrow he shot at five years old.

  Why couldn’t anyone else see he was only doing what came naturally?

  The soft scent of heather broke his concentration. Lance paused from laying out the bows at each station. He inhaled deeply and smiled. Lifting his gaze from his task, Lance looked in the direction from where the scent originated.

  Beth.

  Dropping the rest of the bows, he tapped Galahad on the shoulder. His brother turned and watched along with him as their mother and Elizabeth strolled arm in arm toward them.

  His brother let out a low whistle. “Do you think she knows?”

  Lance sighed. “I’d bet my life on it. When has she ever not known what you were up to?”

  “Point taken.” Galahad chuckled. He slapped Lance on the back. “Go see to your Lady and our mother. I shall finish up here.” Picking up a bunch of quivers, his brother set off to fill them with arrows, leaving Lance to deal with the potential disaster heading his way.

  “Gee, thanks, bro.”

  Meeting the ladies half way, he swept down into a completely awkward bow. Elizabeth hid a laugh behind her hand. When he finally straightened he offered each of them an arm.

  He led them to one of the logs that had been placed for spectators. “To what do I owe the pleasure of having both of you to myself?”

  Elaine sat and arranged her skirt around her. “I think you already know.” Her hard hazel gaze met his. “Why didn’t you tell me first?”

  “Come on, Maman. You really want to do this here? Now?” He paced away a few steps and ran a hand through his hair. “It’s not like we had a chance to write out invitations and arrange a reception. Beth and I had to take care of this for her protection.”

  “In case she is with child?”

  Lance dropped his head back and stared at the fluffy white clouds above. “No. That actually wasn’t what we were thinking about. That never even occurred to me. But thanks for the little reminder.” He returned to the log and knelt before his mother. “I claimed her as my mate. But you knew I would, didn’t you?”

  She nodded. “It was inevitable. You had no choice but to claim her.”

  “Then, why the inquisition?”

  She framed his face with her hands. “Because I want to make sure you are happy, not just playing the hero.”

  Lance covered her hands with his. “Maman, I love you, but you really have to stop worrying about me.”

  “That’s next to impossible. I am your mother. It’s what mothers do.”

  Lance chuckled and patted her hands as he stood up. “I know, I forget that sometimes.” Taking Elizabeth’s hands in his, he stared down into her amazing emerald depths. “Beth and I know what we’re up against. Her betrothed isn’t what he seems and I wasn’t about to let him have her.”

  Elizabeth beamed up at him. “I told your mother about Lord Rimmon and your suspicions. I also tried to reassure her we had already joined our hearts before we found out. The ceremony was a formality.”

  Lance brushed a stray tendril of red hair behind her ear. “Yes, it was.” His gaze lifted and drifted over her shoulder where Galahad welcomed the children who would be competing. He gave Beth a tender kiss. “I think it’s time for me to get to work. Sit and enjoy the show.”

  He waited long enough for Elizabeth to get settled next to his mother and headed off to join his brother. They took a few moments to explain the rules, which were simple. Each ring on the target was assigned points and each competitor got six arrows. After they shot their set, the points would be added up. The top scores in each age group would move on to the next level and the targets would be moved back another five yards. The winner would then be required to hit a target at fifty yards away. The arrow closest to the center would be the winner.

  Throughout each round, Lance and Galahad
encouraged and helped the children competing. There were few tears after each elimination, but plenty of smiles when the children realized they would get a prize for participating.

  Lance handed shiny red apples out and looked over at the two women who meant the world to him. Elizabeth smiled back, waving. His mother glowed with pride watching her sons work together. The day was as perfect as it could get for him.

  When the final round came, the crowd around them had gotten so large other knights had to intervene and keep the people back. There were two competitors left, a brother and sister --Rowan and Brianna. Both were extremely skilled though, neither had ever shot a target at this distance.

  The first set of arrows fell short of the target by a yard and a half. The second set only a mere foot closer.

  “’Tis impossible. No one could hit that target once, let alone twice,” Rowan complained.

  “Aye, I agree, brother. Then how are we to see who won?” Brianna blew her unruly blonde hair from her face, leaning on her bow.

  Elizabeth rose from her place on the log and approached the two. “Mayhap you need to see another make the shot. Christian?”

  Lance chuckled. “My Lady beckons and I must oblige.”

  He picked up his bow and quiver to join them. The three stepped aside to give him room. Lance selected and arrow, setting it to rest on his finger. He lifted the bow, sighting on the target at the edge of the clearing. Standing stock still, he released the string and expelled the breath he held. The arrow sailed through the air, hitting the target in a dead on bulls eye. A roar of approval went up behind him.

  Lance faced the crowd and cut an exaggerated bow. His brother came forward, slapping him on the back and cheering along with the rest. He reveled in the attention, laughing along with the others until his gaze fell on Elizabeth. She didn’t cheer him on. She didn’t express any kind of surprise that he could make such a shot. All she did was stand demurely to the side with a slight smile plastered to her lips.