She sensed someone close to her and opened her eyes. Rowan had joined her at the railing. The breeze from the ship’s momentum stirred her dark hair. She pulled it back and twisted it a few times to tame it.
“I saw you talking with Aiden earlier. What was that about?”
Kathryn smiled at her question. “You hate not knowing things.”
“Don’t tease me. You know you’ll eventually tell me, so why make me wait?” Rowan playfully bumped her shoulder against Kathryn’s.
“I think she was having second thoughts about coming with us.”
“Where else would she go?”
Kathryn shrugged. “Anywhere.” Kathryn turned to face Rowan. “There have been times when I’ve thought how great it would be to just disappear.”
“I know you have. And I’ve wished there was some way to take some of the burden from your shoulders.”
“Thank you.” Kathryn leaned against Rowan’s arm then resumed her watch of the horizon. “If I were Aiden, I would be tempted to just walk away and get on with my life.”
“I don’t think she could. Balak will see to that. Now that he suspects she’s alive, her path is no longer her own.”
“What do you think of her?”
“I assume we’re not talking about her potential abilities as a leader?”
“No.” Kathryn laughed.
“You mean, what do I think of her besides the fact that she’s incredibly good-looking, which I think I’ve already mentioned.”
“Yeah, besides that.”
“I think she’s led a sheltered life in many ways. I sense she knows how to take care of herself in a fistfight, or a sword fight, but emotionally…”
“What?”
“I think she doesn’t know how to shield her feelings. She’s open, authentic, unafraid because she’s never experienced hurt or betrayal.” Rowan looked at Kathryn, shifting her stance to face her fully. “Earlier, when she spoke with you, she allowed you to see her uncertainty and her self-doubt. Didn’t she?”
“Yes, she did.”
“That’s what I mean. She doesn’t know to shield her feelings. I mean, you won’t use her vulnerability against her, but there are others who might.”
Thinking about someone hurting Aiden in any way made Kathryn’s stomach turn. She wanted to change the subject. “What about Venn? Did you find anything else out about our mystery hero?”
Rowan grinned, and there was a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Not yet, but we have at least another twenty-four hours in close quarters on this ship so I plan to make her my personal mission.”
Kathryn laughed. “I hope she can handle your undivided attention.”
“I have the feeling Venn can handle anything.” Rowan touched Kathryn’s arm. “One more thing.”
“Yes?”
“I get the sense that Aiden has absolutely no experience with women. I can tell that you like her. So if you want something to happen you’re going to have to make the first move.”
“Thanks.” No pressure. She once again turned to look out over the barren landscape that surrounded them.
The wooden craft cast a long shadow behind them due to the sinking position of the sun. It would be dusk soon, and they’d have to stop for the night. Sailing a wind ship wasn’t the same as sailing a square-rigger at sea. The terrain of the ocean couldn’t swallow a ship in an unseen crevice in darkness. She knew the sea held other perils, but sailing at night wasn’t one of them.
Her thoughts returned to Aiden, as they’d done often since the first night they’d met. Maybe she should make the first move soon. At the moment, they were on neutral ground. Once they arrived in Olmstead, Kathryn’s position might be intimidating for Aiden. Not to mention the fact that the affairs of the kingdom would erase any free time to explore the impulses she was feeling. Maybe tonight was the perfect opportunity to test the waters, despite the fact that they were traveling across the driest spot on the planet.
*
Aiden leaned against the aft rail and savored the opportunity to watch Kathryn from a slight distance, unobserved.
The sleeves of Kathryn’s blouse billowed with the wind. She closed her eyes and leaned into the breeze. With her clothing pressed against her from the forward motion of the ship, Aiden was able to appreciate every subtle curve from her shoulders to her shapely legs.
She wondered what Kathryn’s life was like. Probably nothing like hers. Aiden got the impression that Kathryn was always in control of herself and in charge. There was kindness in the way she directed the others, but her strength and position were evident in the way Rowan, Gareth, and Nilah responded to her.
Now she and Rowan were laughing together about something. Then Rowan went below deck and Kathryn turned to face her. For a moment, they held each other with their eyes. At least that’s the way it felt to Aiden. Like a physical touch. And after another moment, Kathryn smiled and turned away.
Heat warmed Aiden’s cheeks. She wasn’t sure if that warmth was from the low-hanging sun or the attraction she was feeling for Kathryn. Aiden leaned back against the railing and watched the desolate landscape speed past.
Chapter Fourteen
Aiden was seated near the center of a long plank table. Dinner in the main galley had been a casual affair. The sails had been lowered and the ship was anchored for the night so the deck was solid and unmoving. Aiden was grateful that the motion had stopped. The constant rocking had proved a bit unsettling for her land loving stomach. When she was younger, one possibility she’d imagined for herself was a life at sea. She’d have to rethink that given this recent discovery of a weak stomach.
She’d eaten in silence, listening to the conversation and banter at either end of the table. The only other person who hadn’t joined in the friendly mealtime exchange was Venn, seated across from her. Every now and then she caught Venn watching her, but after a few seconds, Venn would look down as if the food on her plate suddenly held some great interest.
What was her story? Aiden was dying to know more, but she wasn’t going to ask. If Venn wanted to connect with her then she’d have to make more of an effort. For some reason, Aiden didn’t feel like making it easy for her.
Nilah’s crew was friendly enough, and Gareth and Nilah seemed to have some history. Maybe they’d been more than friends at some point. There was certainly a flirtatious air between them. Aiden didn’t understand some of the things that they spoke about. The meanings were hidden, like inside jokes. At least Gareth’s mood was better and his injured shoulder didn’t seem to bother him too much. She figured the vast amounts of wine he was consuming had helped his mood and dulled his pain.
Aiden envied the easy way that Kathryn was with Rowan and how she laughed with the others. Part of her wanted to be included in their circle. But if she were honest, what she really wanted was a chance to be alone with Kathryn. She just wasn’t sure how to make that happen, or if it would be a good idea if it did happen. And if she did get Kathryn alone, then what? She’d have no idea what to do next.
Frustrated, she pushed away from the table and quietly left the room for the small quarters she’d been assigned onboard the ship.
Aiden dropped onto the narrow bed mounted to the wall in her room. She folded her hands behind her head and stared at the plank ceiling. She hadn’t been lying there long when she heard a soft knock at the door.
She was surprised and secretly elated to see Kathryn.
“I’m sorry to disturb you, but you left dinner rather abruptly. I wanted…well, I just wanted to see that you were all right.”
“I’m sorry. I should have said good night. I was…I don’t know what to say. Sorry.” Aiden knew she was fumbling with her words.
“May I come in?”
Aiden’s stomach clenched. Her silent wish had just come true. Now what? “Of course. Please come in.” She stepped aside for Kathryn to enter the narrow space. Accommodations on the ship were private, but very small.
Once Kathryn was inside and the do
or closed, Aiden was at a loss. Should she ask Kathryn to sit? The only place to sit was on the bed, but that didn’t seem right. She nervously ran her fingers through her hair and smiled weakly at Kathryn.
Kathryn took a step toward her, and Aiden reflexively took a step back, but there was nowhere to go. Her back was against the wall. She looked down at Kathryn’s upturned face as Kathryn moved even closer.
“Is this okay?”
“Yeah.” Aiden’s voice cracked. Her heart thumped against her breastbone.
She caught her breath when Kathryn’s hand rested against her torso. Then Kathryn’s hand, warm even through Aiden’s shirt, slid around her waist. She lightly pressed her soft lips to Aiden’s.
Aiden froze. Her arms were at her sides, her hands open but holding nothing. The heat of Kathryn’s mouth against hers settled in her stomach and then dropped lower.
Kathryn’s tongue brushed against her lips so she opened them and invited Kathryn to deepen the kiss. Aiden realized she’d been holding her breath and tried to relax into the kiss. Instinctively, she swept her hands up Kathryn’s arms and then let one of them rest at the small of Kathryn’s back.
“Hmm, that was good,” Kathryn whispered against Aiden’s mouth.
Aiden opened her eyes to see that Kathryn was smiling.
“Could we do that again?” Aiden asked.
Kathryn’s smile widened. Without speaking, she put her hand at the back of Aiden’s head, then filled her fingers with Aiden’s hair and pulled her into another kiss. Aiden’s knees trembled and went weak as Kathryn’s body pressed against hers. The sensations she’d felt during their embrace in the woods came rushing back and, along with those feelings, many others. A deep ache began to build at Aiden’s core, and she tightened her arms around Kathryn, pulling Kathryn up on her tiptoes.
Breathless, Kathryn broke the kiss. “Will you take your shirt off?”
Aiden smiled against Kathryn’s cheek. “You seem to have a thing about taking my shirt off, but since it pleases you so much, I’ll do it gladly.”
That made Kathryn laugh, and Aiden’s stomach muscles twitched when Kathryn’s fingertips touched bare skin as she helped tug Aiden’s shirttail free.
She wanted to ask Kathryn to take her shirt off too. Luckily, she didn’t have to muster the nerve to ask. Her breath quickened as she watched Kathryn loosen the bodice over her shirt, toss it aside, and then pull her blouse over her head. Her breasts were larger than Aiden’s, her skin creamy and smooth. Perfection. Aiden moaned as Kathryn’s soft breasts pressed against her bare chest.
She filled her fingers with Kathryn’s hair and kissed her tenderly.
Kathryn reminded Aiden of the Alpine lakes that dotted the terrain that surrounded the monastery—pristine, their glassy surfaces reflecting the deep blue of a cloudless sky. But from the edge of the pool, you were never sure of their depth or of what hazards might hide beneath the still surface. That’s how Kathryn felt to Aiden. And every fiber in her body wanted to dive in, regardless of what dangers might lie beneath the surface. She felt as if she were already underwater anyway, struggling for air, fighting against her arousal to breathe.
Kathryn slid her hand down Aiden’s firm arm but drew back quickly when Aiden flinched.
“Sorry. I forgot about the cut on your arm.” She studied the dark stitches.
“It’s okay.” Aiden was breathing hard and her face was flushed.
“I never asked you how that happened.” Kathryn traced the skin around the cut with her fingertips, careful to be gentle. “That day at the stream I meant to ask, but then…I forgot.” She’d forgotten to ask because they’d almost kissed. It was difficult to remember to ask now because Aiden was feathering kisses down her neck.
“It happened in the pub in Evesham. This guy got angry that I was talking to his girlfriend—”
“This happened because of a woman?” Kathryn jerked back.
Surprise registered on Aiden’s face as Kathryn pulled away. “Uh, sort of.”
“What do you mean, sort of?”
“I was talking to this woman in the pub, she kissed me, and the guy got mad and pulled a sword on me.”
“So you were in the cell in Eveshom because of a fight over a woman?” Kathryn knew she was growing louder with each word, but she was incredulous. Rowan had said Aiden was inexperienced. Brawling over a woman in a bar didn’t sound like an innocent to her.
“Yes.”
“Was she pretty?”
“Well, yeah, but, wait…are you mad at me?”
“No, I’m not mad at you. You’re an adult; you can do whatever you like, with whomever you like.” Kathryn hated her childish petulance but was powerless to hold it back. Flustered, she couldn’t stay there a moment longer. She began gathering her discarded clothing.
“You say you’re not mad, but you seem mad. Are you leaving?”
“I’m going back to my room. This was a mistake. I don’t know what I was thinking.” She certainly wasn’t thinking like a queen. She must appear no better than that barroom tart throwing herself at Aiden like this.
“Kathryn, I don’t know what just happened. Can we talk about this?” Aiden reached for Kathryn’s arm, but she shrugged away.
Once she was safely inside her chamber, she fell face-first on the narrow bunk and cried. What was wrong with her?
She’d had such an instantaneous and visceral reaction to the thought of Aiden with another woman that she’d made an utter fool of herself. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t been with other women. Two days ago, she hadn’t even known Aiden existed. Why did this upset her so much?
She rolled over and let out a long, shuddering breath.
Because she cared, that’s why. She knew she already cared too much. Dammit.
Chapter Fifteen
Aiden stood shirtless in the center of the small space in numb silence. What had just happened? Anger quickly replaced confusion as she tugged on her rumpled shirt. She had one thought on her mind, getting off the ship. She yanked at the door and stormed into the narrow hallway.
A strange energy pulsed through her system. She felt so tangled and wound tight inside that her usual solution of simple physical exertion like splitting wood or climbing a sheer rock face would not come close to relieving the tension squeezing the breath from her. This was deeper. She wanted to punch something. Hard. She felt like bursting into tears. Then she wanted to punch something again.
She didn’t fully understand why, but she was fairly certain that her current miserable state was all Kathryn’s fault. She burst onto the deck of the ship. A lone sentry walked along the railing beside a gangplank that had been lowered to the ground.
Aiden took a deep breath and feigned nonchalance. She nodded a greeting to the sentry, then strolled down the gangway. Once she was on the ground, she picked up her pace. She didn’t care where she was going as long as it was away.
Every so often, she turned to look over her shoulder. She could still see the dim lights of the lanterns along the deck in the utter darkness that surrounded the ship. She figured there was no way to get lost as long as she kept the ship in sight. She marched north in a straight line as fast as she could walk. She was breathing hard from the physical exertion and the dry climate. In hindsight, it might have been prudent to bring a little water along, but her thirst was a welcomed, however small, distraction from her churning thoughts. She halted and bent to brace her hands on her knees to catch her breath.
When she looked up, something glowed faintly before her. The bright orb was blurry at first, then began to take the shape of a wolf.
Aiden’s pulse quickened, and she reached for her sword. Damn. When she grasped empty air, she was reminded that she didn’t have one. She’d borrowed Gareth’s during the skirmish in the clearing, but she’d returned it. Aiden dropped to one knee and averted her eyes. She wanted to make herself small and nonthreatening. Direct eye contact with a wolf might be interpreted as an act of aggression. Getting mauled by a wolf would be th
e perfect end to a terrible day.
Aiden stared at the ground as the animal brushed against her like a cat. The wolf swept the top of its head across Aiden’s shoulder. Her heart thumped in her chest so hard she was sure the wolf could hear it and would sense her terror. If eye contact didn’t invite attack, then the pungent scent of fear surely would. But the wolf surprised her by nudging her chin as if it wanted Aiden to raise her head, so she did.
The wolf sat down and cocked its head like a playful puppy.
“What do you want?”
The animal stood and started to walk away, then looked back when Aiden didn’t immediately follow.
“Okay, I’m coming.” Aiden got to her feet. She’d only taken a few steps when the wolf circled back so that the ruff of hair at its neck passed beneath her hand. She sank her fingers into the wolf’s thick fur. The moment she did she heard a scream.
Shocked, she released the fur. She stepped away from the wolf and spun in every direction, searching for the source. She could no longer see the lantern lights on the ship. She was surrounded by utter darkness. No stars, no horizon line. Aiden took another step back, suddenly dizzy.
The wolf circled her legs, as if to reassure, to comfort her. She filled her hands with its fur again to steady herself. This time she didn’t let go. She squeezed her eyes shut and held tight.
When she opened her eyes again, Aiden found she’d been transported to a great hall built of stone. Torches were mounted at regular intervals along the high rock walls. A maiden rushed past her as if she weren’t there. A second woman was running straight at her, and Aiden braced for impact. But the woman, carrying a basin of water, passed through her as though she were ghost. She looked down, where her fingers touched the wolf. The wolf was still with her. She wasn’t dead. She could still feel its fur in her hand.
Still, she was moving without walking, following the maidens who’d run past her. Suddenly, without opening any door, Aiden was inside someone’s bedchamber, as if she’d simply materialized on the other side of the wall. The furniture in the room was ornate, and the draperies covering the windows and hanging around a tall, framed bed were lush, indicating the occupant must be of some importance.
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