He turned into her touch. Closing his eyes, he let the heat of her hand soothe him. “What do you suggest?”
“We must speak with Roderick. Find out the exact nature of his arrangement with Father John. We need to know where the children were taken when they left the castle. Jack said this was the second winter they’ve passed in the ruins. Were they under Father John’s care for the previous three? We need to know what happened. What changed?”
Kissing her palm, Gideon said, “Give me ’til sunrise with the priest and I will have your answers.”
She chuckled moving closer still. “I suspect he deserves that and more, but I prefer a less violent approach. The children will watch how we conduct ourselves. What message do you want to send them?”
He framed her face with his hands and kissed her gently, slowly. “I would tell them I trust their Lady and bow to her expertise in this matter.”
Naomi circled his neck with her arms and smiled into his eyes. “For how long?”
Chuckling softly, he pulled her against him. “For as long as I feel we are making progress. If the time comes that I feel your gentler methods are not working, I will visit Father John.”
* * * * *
After escorting Naomi back to the castle, Gideon went to find Daniel. Naomi’s determination to investigate the situation with the orphans frustrated Gideon to no end. Information was for monks and scholars. He was a man of action. The children had immediate needs and he intended to address them.
Daniel stood before the barracks with two of the knights they had recruited for Naomi’s private guard. Gideon motioned Daniel to him, out of earshot of the other men.
“What ails you now?” Daniel asked, his dark eyes flashing.
Three days into their grand adventure, Gideon convinced Alyssa that England was as good a place as any for their relocation. Daniel hadn’t been pleased.
“I need your assistance.”
Daniel’s eyes narrowed and he tossed back his mantle, freeing his sword arm. “Why do I have the feeling this is more along the lines of scrubbing floors than slaying giants?”
Gideon grinned. His restlessness had quieted upon his arrival at Monthamn, but his friend’s discontent grew in keeping with Gideon’s calm.
“We have uncovered a great injustice that must be put to rights.” It was really unfair to utilize the one call to arms Daniel couldn’t resist, but the orphans needed help.
“You’re a manipulative bastard,” Daniel said, but amusement stirred within his black gaze. “May I presume that ‘we’ is you and Lady Naomi?”
“You may.”
“What is the nature of the injustice?”
“I will show you but provisions must be gathered and loaded into some sort of cart,” Gideon explained.
“What sort of provisions?”
Gideon steered him toward the stables. “Food, blankets, the basic essentials of life. Would you please find the marshal and see to the cart? I will begin gathering what we will need.”
“You have Alyssa playing nursemaid to your—”
“Watch which words you choose to describe Lady Naomi,” he said tersely.
Daniel’s dark gaze turned intent. “What is so special about this human?”
“She is unique, Daniel,” Alyssa answered from behind them. “She is warm and caring, shrewd yet innocent.”
“She is not all that innocent,” Daniel scoffed. “I know where she spent last night.”
Gideon sprang. Twisting his fists in the front of Daniel’s tunic, he slammed him back against the stable wall. “You will not mock her. Do you understand? You will—”
“I don’t believe this!” Daniel shoved him back. “You are in love with her. You. In love with a human! This is unreal.”
Gideon didn’t deny it. He hadn’t applied a name to the emotions Naomi unleashed within him, but he refused to lie to himself any longer.
Ignoring Daniel’s indignation, he turned to Alyssa. She looked adorable in her servant’s garb, her flame-red hair now soft strawberry blonde. “Where is she—Elspeth?”
Alyssa smiled and dropped into a quick curtsy. “My lady is in the great hall with her Lord Uncle.” She slipped effortlessly into her role.
“You are both acting like fools,” Daniel muttered.
Gideon pulled Alyssa against his side but met Daniel’s angry gaze. “Will you find the marshal?”
“Aye,” Daniel said, obviously annoyed.
* * * * *
Roderick coughed repeatedly into a cloth, his thin shoulders shaking. Kruthers handed him a cup of heated cider as the spasm ended and Naomi’s heart lurched. In the few short days since she had come to MonthamnCastle, her grandfather had become incredibly dear. She didn’t want to watch him die, and if she were brutally honest, she didn’t want to face the responsibilities of Monthamn without him.
“So what’s this about the orphans?” Roderick asked.
They sat at the small table in Roderick’s counting room. Kruthers handed Naomi a cup with the spiced apple cider and then silently slipped from the room, leaving the door ajar.
“What did Father John agree to do for the children and how is he compensated for the service?” Naomi gently took his hand in hers.
“Father John found homes for the orphans.” Roderick’s voice was thin and hoarse. “He had them housed in the old cloister down by the mill for a time, but their numbers dwindled until a separate building was no longer necessary. He kept the last few with him at the parish church until they were placed with families. As for compensation, I gave him whatever he needed and he asked for support from the Bishop of Chichester. This parish is in his diocese.”
She stroked the back of his fingers, reassured by the warmth of his skin and his responding squeeze. “Is Father John the only priest in this parish?”
“Aye.” Roderick stifled a cough by taking a long drink from his cup. “He had an underling a few years back, but I do not know why he left. Probably too ambitious for his own good. Priests usually are.”
Naomi fidgeted on the narrow wooden bench. Perhaps Gideon had it right. She imagined engaging Father John in a decidedly physical confrontation. Already it was evident that he had been lying to Roderick.
“You said he housed them in a cloister. Were the nuns available to care for the children?”
“The cloister was abandoned. The nuns are long gone. What is this about?”
She started to explain but couldn’t bring herself to speak the words. Roderick had borne enough already. He had more than earned what peace he could find.
“Nothing, Grandfather. I just overheard someone talking about the orphans and wondered what had become of them.” She set her cup on the table and offered him a beaming smile. “I never got the opportunity to thank you for the tower room. It was a wonderful surprise.”
Roderick returned her smile with a bit less enthusiasm. “That was Gideon’s doing. He has been a godsend.”
Naomi bristled at the phrase. It had been many years since God sent him anywhere.
“I’ll not keep you.” Naomi scooted off the end of the bench. “You need your rest.”
“I have everything I need, young lady. But you do not.”
The sudden strength in Roderick’s tone drew her attention. She paused beside the table.
“What do I need that I lack?”
“A husband.” He paused for a moment before he said, “I will be frank, Naomi. I know where you spent last night.”
Her heartbeat sped up and she worried her lower lip. Had she really believed no one would notice?
“Sir Roderick.” Gideon spoke from the doorway. “I have every intention of wedding with Lady Naomi. I had hoped to secure her agreement before I brought my petition to you.”
“You seem to have the cart before the horse here, lad.” He pushed to his feet but his legs wobbled beneath him. Mustering a scowl that must have been fierce in his prime, Roderick stared down the younger man. “Generally a man asks permission of the guardian before
he woos the woman.”
“I am asking your permission now.”
“Don’t see that there’s much of a choice. The wedding is supposed to come before the bedding too.” He shook his head. “If your intentions are honorable, I’ll leave the details to you.”
Tension emanated from every nuance of Naomi’s posture. Her jaw was set, her eyes narrowed, her hands tightly fisted at her sides. This was not good. She met his gaze, but Gideon could not read her expression. She offered her farewell to Roderick and followed Gideon out into the great hall.
He watched the tempest gather within her eyes. Despite the intimacies they had shared, she wasn’t ready to accept him as her mate.
“Do you age?” she asked as they started across the room. “You told me you have been banished from the light for nearly a century and yet you look to be a man in his prime.”
“There has been no change in my physical appearance since I was banished,” he admitted.
“You cannot…you told me you are unable to father children. God took the ability away and you have hated humans ever since.”
“I do not hate you, Naomi.”
She ducked his outreached hand. “But you are unable to father children.”
“Aye.” He took a deep breath. “Why is this of such importance now? You were contemplating your final vows when I first met you. Nuns do not have children.”
“My circumstances have changed, Gideon. I have changed.” She was silent for a long time. Her lips trembled and she clutched the embroidered edge of her sleeves. “What happens when your punishment ends? Will you return to Heaven?”
“I don’t know.”
Releasing her sleeves, she made a broad gesture with both hands. “Then how can you expect me to wed with you?”
“I expect nothing,” he said softly. “I want you with me. That is all.”
Silence descended again.
He hadn’t expected her to relent easily, but it didn’t make the disappointment any less painful. Raking his fingers through his hair, he squared his shoulders and asked, “Where are you bound?”
“I’m going back to the ruins to speak with Jack,” she said, stubbornly fighting back tears. “Will you please accompany me?”
Quickly averting his gaze, he made certain she didn’t see how well the question pleased him. “Daniel and Al…err, Elspeth are gathering provisions. Wait for me here.”
Naomi watched him walk out into the night. Her heart hung heavy in her chest and tension banded her middle. If only he were human. If only…
Just like Gideon’s passionate interest in the orphans. We always want most what we cannot have.
But how could she accept a husband who could not give her children? She must produce an heir to solidify her claim to MonthamnCastle.
And she wanted no other husband but Gideon.
She forced away the useless thoughts and retrieved her cloak from the chair where she had laid it earlier. He had asked that she wait, but he knew where she was bound and she was anxious to question Jack. Gideon would catch up with her.
Walking briskly through the moonlit night, Naomi soon reached Monthamn Major. Why had the orphans left the cloister? If Father John was attempting to find them homes, why had they abandoned his care for the uncertainty of the forest? Something was not right and she intended to find out what it was.
She paused before the huge stone church in the center of the village, tempted to pound on the door and demand answers from the priest. Gideon would have approved of the plan but the time was not yet right. She moved on along the rutted lane.
Swirling mist curled around her ankles as she moved deeper into the trees. Naomi shivered. Moonlight silvered the area, creating eerie silhouettes and pockets of darkness. A leafy branch brushed against her arm, a twig snagged her cloak. She walked faster, suddenly wishing she had waited for Gideon.
Something rustled in the bushes to her right. She veered sharply to the left and collided with a tree.
“This is ridiculous,” she muttered, rubbing her bruised shoulder. “You are frightening yourself.”
She stood there for a moment, dragging the crisp night air into her lungs. The fresh scent of damp earth soothed her and the evening breeze cooled her skin. Lifting her face to the moonlight, Naomi released the tension in her body with a long exhale.
“You should not be wandering in the forest alone.”
Naomi spun to face the speaker. She didn’t recognize his voice. A tall figure lurked in the shadows, the details of his appearance concealed by the night.
“Who are you?”
“Who I am is not important. I have come to help you.”
“Help me with what?” Naomi asked casually, but her eyes searched the ground for a weapon. If she ran toward the ruins, she would lead this person to the children. He blocked her way back to the village and the underbrush on either side of the trail was dense.
If he tried to harm her, she must fight!
“You cannot fight me, Naomi. You would be foolish to try.”
The faintest taint of sulfur sharpened the air as if she could smell his breath. Fear gripped her stomach. This was no random act. He knew her name. “What do you want with me?”
“I want only to warn you.” He took a step forward and moonlight touched his face.
Naomi recoiled from the creature, ready to scream. In an instant he stood in front of her, his hand clasped around her throat. The scream became a strangled sob and waves of revulsion washed over her. His flesh was icy and his nails bit into her skin. She grabbed his wrist with both hands. His hold remained steady.
His features were ordinary, his hair light and long, falling to his shoulders in lank strands. But his blank, soulless eyes radiated evil.
A demon held her—a demon who knew her by name!
Trembling within his hold, Naomi could do nothing but await his next move. She was helpless and they both knew it.
His fingers loosened yet remained on her throat.
“Warn me about what?” she whispered.
“Gideon belongs to us. He always has. He always will! The longer you continue to confuse him, the harder it will be for him to accept the inevitable end.”
She tensed, repelled by his touch yet more appalled by his words. “I do not accept that his end is inevitable and neither does Gideon.”
“I know. That’s why I have sought you out. Gideon will Fall. The only real question is, will he drag you down with him?”
Feeling the pressure of his fingers relax, she shoved his hand away and took a quick step backward. “Gideon will not Fall. He has made great strides toward the light. You fear you are losing him. That is why you have sought me out.”
He laughed, his putrid breath gagging her.
“The first thing he did when he saw you again was to take your virginity. Was that his stride toward the light or your descent into darkness?”
“You know nothing about it. He has shown kindness and selflessness in the past few days. He is trying to improve himself. He wants—”
“Not even Gideon knows what he wants.” The demon sneered at her. “A few pots of ink and a kind word to orphans do not change the basic nature of a predator. That is what Gideon is, Naomi. He is a predator.”
She stared at the creature and doubt flickered to life within her. What did he mean?
“He has not told you, has he?”
Laughter lightened his tone and Naomi stiffened. Anything that amused this creature could not bode well for her. “Told me what?”
“What Michael did to him.”
“Michael?” Naomi relaxed just a bit. “Michael banished Gideon from the light. He already told me about his punishment.”
“Did he now? And what did he tell you?”
Tension gripped her again. Why did he still sound smug? “Sunlight burns his skin and drains his strength.”
“That is true but it is incidental. Did he tell you what he must do to survive? Did he tell you how he feeds?”
“I will
not listen to any more of your lies.” She turned toward the ruins but he was in front of her again.
“I do not lie. Ask your lover on what he feeds.”
She watched in fascinated horror as the demon disintegrated into a cloud of foul-smelling vapor.
Ask your lover on what he feeds.
Fear and dread held her motionless on the moonlit trail as the words echoed over and over through her mind.
Chapter Fifteen
“Why did you not wait for me?” Gideon asked, carefully restraining his anger.
After confirming that a cart had been readied with food, clothing and blankets, Gideon returned to the great hall and discovered Naomi had left without him. She sat now against a section of the ruined wall, little Midge curled on her lap.
“You knew where I was going,” she said. “I was too anxious to just sit still.”
Gideon searched her steady gaze, not understanding the quiver in her tone or the tightness in her expression. She raised her hand to stroke the child’s hair. Her hand trembled. If Gideon didn’t know better, he would think she was afraid—of him.
She averted her gaze and continued to cuddle the child. Gideon braced his feet apart and inhaled deeply. The scent was subtle but he could definitely smell fear.
“What is amiss?” he asked gently.
Her throat worked nervously and Gideon shifted his gaze to her mouth. She had been angry when he left her but not afraid. He had overcome her fear long ago. What had rekindled it now? Clasping his hands behind his back, he fought down his own anxiety.
“Where is Jack?” he asked when she didn’t respond to his first question.
“No one has seen him since he rushed into the forest earlier.”
His heart leapt within his chest. Was her fear for the boy? Had he misunderstood her expression? Energized by hope, Gideon relaxed his stance. “I will find him. Wait here.” He paused and smiled at her. “May I have your word that you will?”
She only nodded.
If her mood didn’t lighten once he had found the boy, Gideon would question her more closely. Much had happened this day. Perhaps she was just overwrought.
Rage and Redemption Page 17
