Druid Knights 02: Knight of Rapture

by Ruth A. Casie

  He turned to Jaxon. “You and me.”

  “Quick, you’ve got to see this,” one of the students yelled as he ran past the open classroom window. “At the barn,” he shouted over his shoulder.

  The garrison was empty within minutes. Rebeka grabbed her staff and followed the stampede. When she arrived at the barn, the crowd was so thick she had to force her way to the front. “What’s going on?”

  One of her students leaned toward her and pointed to the two men wrestling. “So far Jaxon hasn’t been able to get Lord Arik on the ground, no matter what he tries. I’d have my money on Lord Arik, if I was betting.” He focused his attention back on the wrestlers.

  “Me, too,” Rebeka said. She watched and shouted her encouragement with the others before she retrieved Arik’s things by the fence where she enjoyed a ringside seat. There was something familiar in the dance.

  The startling déjà vu feeling tingled as it crept up her back.

  She could predict Arik’s graceful movements. They flowed from one hold to another. Had she seen this all before? That’s wasn’t possible.

  Finally, without a winner, the men ended the match with a handshake. The crowd applauded and screamed their enthusiasm. Arik spoke to Jaxon, who gave him a wry smile. Jaxon ambled over to the water barrel.

  The woman in the yellow sweater gave the overheated Jaxon a cup of water. He gave her a thankful nod and while his eyes held hers, he poured the cup over his head—to her delight. His T-shirt stuck to him and outlined his well-defined body. The soldier lazily took off the wet shirt, showing off his well-ripped abs and washboard stomach. His biceps, knotted from the exertion, rippled when the woman placed her hand tentatively on it. With her eyes focused on him she gave him another cup of water. This one he drank. She found herself breathing a bit heavily. Jaxon certainly gave the ladies a good show.

  Rebeka saw all their guests were engaged with the soldiers. She pulled her attention back to Arik. His black T-shirt was wet with sweat and clung to him like a second skin.

  “You could use a splash of water yourself.” Rebeka came toward him and handed him his things. She bit her bottom lip, trying to quiet her body.

  She wanted him—all over her.

  “Yes, I could. The exercise felt good.” He took his things from her.

  “Perhaps a dip in the lake...” Her voice trailed off as she peered in the direction of Elfrida’s cottage. “Stuart, he wouldn’t wrestle…” Her voice was soft and distant. There was a quizzical expression on her face.

  “Who is Stuart?” She stared at him, disoriented. She knew the name but couldn’t place the face. It was just out of sight.

  “Stuart and his family owned Autumn Chase in this period. Perhaps you saw his name in some research.” No, she didn’t see it in any research. It was someone she knew. Dammit, she couldn’t place who it was.

  “Arik.” Her voice was hesitant. She rested her hand on his chest and felt his pounding heart. He was real.

  “Arik,” she said confidently. The hard lines of his face softened. She was free, not locked in the room at Skara Brae. But already the mist was pulling her back.

  “Don’t give up on me.” His face brightened. “I love—”

  “Dr. Tyler. Dr. Tyler.” She glanced past him. Marle was waving as she rushed toward them. A cold chill ran up her spine, ending in a quick, stabbing pain in her head.

  Something had been familiar but the idea was lost.

  She stared at Arik but couldn’t put it together. “I’m sorry, I lost my train of thought,” she said to him then stepped past him. “Yes, Marle?”

  “Ms. Richards is waiting for you with her quarterstaff.” She rolled her shoulder. The bruise was still there but not the pain.

  She checked her watch. “I forgot.” She sniffed the air. “Smells like we’re in for a lightning storm.” She left without another word.

  “What was all the commotion about?” Louise pulled out her quarterstaff.

  Rebeka entered the clearing by the lake. “The men had a spur-of-the-moment wrestling match. You should have been there. Arik and Jaxon put on a good show.”

  Louise swung around. “He did? I would have loved to see that. I could only imagine him all glistening and damp, and those arms of his. How they must look all knotted and strained. Did they strip down to their loincloths?” She laughed, fanning herself with her hand and letting out a deep breath. “Have you ever watched him from behind? He’s got the tightest little—”

  “Do you want to exercise or do you need a cold shower?” Louise was getting annoying with her Arik talk.

  Louise smiled. “I don’t know why you insist on denying you’re attracted to him. Really, Rebeka, have you taken a good look at him? He’s quite the man and he doesn’t seem to be only brawn. He has brains, too. I like them smart to a point, then smart is the last thing I want. I prefer to set the pace.” With a wink she left Rebeka where she stood and took her stance in the middle of the clearing.

  Rebeka ignored her.

  She had no intention of telling Louise how the man seemed to seep into all her thoughts, even her dreams. No, the less Louise knew about her and how she felt about Arik, the better. A deep breath and a shake of her shoulders loosened her muscles. Clearing her mind of the brawny brainy guy wasn’t as easy. She took her place next to Louise and gave her head and shoulders another shake.

  She was set and ready to go. They warmed up with their flourishes. Rebeka eased into the familiar routine and got into her stride.

  “I haven’t a lot of time today so let’s get right to it.” Louise set her stance. Rebeka didn’t mind; she followed suit.

  They held their staffs ready for freestyle and feigned engaging.

  “Timid today?” Louise smirked. “Lord Arik doesn’t like timid women. I have firsthand knowledge.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm. “You would think he likes to be in control. Well, he does, sometimes.”

  Rebeka stiffened at the idea of Louise with Arik, but she let the comment roll off. She knew Louise’s tactic.

  The woman’s moves were not elegant. Instead she relied on provoking her opponent to break the structured pattern. That was the easy way to fail.

  But the image of Louise and Arik played over and over in her mind.

  “If you’re going to play defensively, then I’ll have to start.” Louise brought the tip of her staff down for a low attack at Rebeka’s legs. Rebeka blocked her. They circled and parried, creating a steady rhythm of attack, block and set up to the beat of their wooden staffs.

  Louise double-tapped Rebeka’s staff. The break from the rhythm, along with her distracted mind, threw Rebeka off balance. Louise spun, took aim and hit her hard on the back. The strike sent her to the ground in the wet grass along the shore. She rolled a full circle before coming back onto her feet.

  “You’re not concentrating.” Louise advanced. Rebeka blocked and set her staff vertically, with its tip on the ground wedged into her instep. Louise circled and swung at Rebeka’s unprotected midsection. But Rebeka spun to the side. When Louise’s staff hit hers she kicked up her staff, rotated it with a corkscrew motion and knocked Louise’s staff away.

  Louise was quick to counter with an overhead attack. Rebeka thrust her staff at Louise but missed.

  Louise spun around and hit Rebeka full force in her side.

  Rebeka held her staff across her body, her hands at either end. Louise advanced, striking first from below, and then above. Rebeka blocked the repeated onslaught.

  On a downward stroke Louise kicked up dirt.

  “Hold,” Rebeka called and stopped to clear her eyes.

  Her eyes still closed, Rebeka turned in time to see that Louise had taken advantage of the distraction and was about to spear her foot with the end of the staff.

  She blocked the attack. Louise knocked the staff from Rebeka’s hands.

  Rebeka took an aggressive stance and let her instincts take over. She didn’t need to see. Her body told her where the threat came from. The dirt still i
n her eyes, she didn’t have to wait long for Louise’s next attack. She was ready. The woman charged her staff at waist level. As the staff came within her reach, Rebeka grabbed it and pulled it hard to her right.

  The momentum and Rebeka’s redirection caused Louise to lose her grip. Now in Rebeka’s hand and her eyes still closed, Rebeka swung long and hard, catching Louise behind her knees. As she fell forward, Rebeka wound tight like a spring and released, hitting Louise in the chest. Louise flew backward into the lake, sitting in several inches of water.

  At last the dirt cleared from her eyes. Rebeka, breathing hard, bent over with her hands on her thighs and gulped air.

  “Louise, you seem to be all wet.” Rebeka took her staff. Louise got out of the lake, a surprised expression on her face. “I’ve got to change for a class. You may need ice for that.” She pointed to the bloodred welt that showed through the top of Louise’s shirt. “You know the way out,” she said over her shoulder as she made her way back toward the manor.

  “She remembered. For a moment she remembered.” He was with George and Cora at Autumn Chase staring across the sculpted gardens.

  Cora put down her cocktail. “Are you certain?”

  “I saw the recognition in her eyes. She spoke of Stuart. I’m certain she would have said more but Marle interrupted us and when I searched her eyes again they were vacant.”

  “You said there were small signs that she recognized you.” George offered him a refill. Arik waved him off. “Perhaps you should be closer to her, stay in the manor rather than at the garrison. I’ll think of a way to get her to move and have you both under the same roof.”

  The distant sound of heavy machinery caught Rebeka by surprise. She peered out the manor door and watched as the machines converged on the parkland. What are they doing? The noise added to her building headache. The longer she listened to the din the more she gnashed her teeth. Unable to sit still any longer, she charged toward the gate. She was going to get to the bottom of this one way or another.

  It wasn’t until she got to the tractors ripping up the parkland that she slowed and realized her headache was at full tilt.

  Her students were clustered around Arik who seemed to be holding court, giving instructions. More than annoyed, she stomped up to him. “What do you think you’re doing?” she shouted over the noise in front of everyone.

  She pulled at his arm to turn him around. He didn’t budge but rather stood solidly in place and glanced in her direction, giving her a scathing stare. The people around them dispersed quickly.

  “I said,” she shouted even louder. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  A long moment ticked past as his gaze seared hers. Three more heartbeats passed before he returned to watching the activity.

  “We’ve harnessed the horses to plow the ground and help with the clearing.” Rebeka’s very excited historical agriculture student approached Arik holding some papers. “The plan is to plow straight over to the western edge.” The student gestured to the far end of the field.

  “No. That side of the field is lower than the rest and floods. The seeds will wash away. It’s best to stop over there—the area marked by the cypress trees.” Arik pointed to the stand of trees short of the western edge. The student nodded and trotted off to instruct the others.

  “Who told you to plow this up?” Rebeka paced a small spot wearing out the short grass.

  “We discussed it three days ago when you gave Bill and the mason the order for the mill.” She rubbed her temples. Her headache cut between her eyes. She had to get a grip on this. Her mind was more jumbled than usual.

  “We did not. I clearly remember discussing the parkland but I didn’t decide whether to move this forward. I don’t like this, Arik. You’ve come here like you own the place. You don’t. I do. No decisions will be made without my direct orders. Do I make myself clear?” Her chin rose in a blatant challenge. She blanched at the dangerous glint that flashed in his eyes but stood her ground.

  She’d certainly told him. Now he knew who was in charge.

  He wheeled around to her. He made no attempt to hide the storm that brewed underneath. “We ordered the grain when we ordered the items for the millworks. You placed the order yourself because you wanted to be in control. I am not one of your students, Dr. Tyler, and will not be treated as such. Do I make myself clear? I’m here to do a job and I will do it the best way I know how.” He left without waiting for her to respond.

  She pulled out her cell phone, dialed George then stomped back to her cottage.

  “George, how long do you intend for Arik to stay under my roof?” He had charmed not only the women who visited the manor but now George.

  She was breathing hard. She marched up the drive, frustrated and agitated.

  “Rebeka, it’s not your roof. Technically, it’s still the National Trust’s roof. At this moment, they can take the bloody roof down if they want.” Startled by his verbal attack, she was rigid with shock. He had never spoken a harsh word to her.

  When he continued, his voice was calmer. “We can speak about this later. I’m off to court.”

  She ended her call and shoved her phone into her pocket as she entered her cottage. Nothing seemed to calm her. Perhaps a run would get rid of this pent-up energy.

  She jogged over toward the lake, stowed her towel and water bottle by the large boulder. Her eyes focused on the trail that was a natural track around the lake. She did her stretches and lunges. She jogged in place to get in the right frame of mind. The gentle lapping of the lake, the rustling of the trees all had a calming effect but she needed more. She started out with a slow, even gait and increased her pace until it was an all-out sprint, running as if the devil himself were chasing her. After a while her muscles were screaming. She pushed harder to the halfway point then eased back on her stride. She was calmer than she’d been in days.

  She had a lot of work to do to prepare for Angus Hamilton, a guest lecturer, who was coming from Oxford tomorrow. That was a coup. He was a guest lecturer and an expert in linguistics. The Trust would recognize his translation. That would work very nicely. Louise was bringing John Blake, a member of the Trust Board to hear the lecture. Angus’s work was great but in person he would be more compelling.

  Blake. She was certain his primary mission was to see the manor. Receipts hadn’t been as good as expected. She needed to put his mind at ease and it had to be something substantial and impressive.

  Her mind wandered to the conversation about the seed order. She had ordered seeds rather than harvested grain. She should straighten that out with Arik. Why had she gone off like a madwoman? Was it to cover up the strong desire that drew her like a magnet? Or was it his outstanding knowledge of the seventeenth century?

  She stopped. Could it work? She resumed at a trot. Everyone would be in costume when Angus and Blake arrived. She had wanted to show both of them the reenactment and the authenticity they had created. Arik was the most authentic and magnetic personality of the group. If she could get him involved… She needed to think this through.

  She saw him ahead by the large boulder with one of the men and jogged over to them.

  “It might work. We should be able to drain the water off that lower part of the field into the lake,” the engineering student said.

  “Good. Add that to the plans and give Mr. Hughes an estimate of the cost.” The man made his notes. He and Arik started toward the manor.

  She put her hand on his arm. He looked at it, then at her. “You go on ahead. I’ll meet you at the field,” Arik said. The student nodded and continued on the path.

  He said nothing, just stood there. She removed her hand, opened her pouch and took out a bottle of water, trying to decide how to begin.

  “That’s a nasty scar on your leg.”

  She glanced at the deep scar on her thigh. She hadn’t considered it in months. She agreed it was ugly.

  “It must have been serious. How did you get it?” She bit the side of her cheek, tryin
g to figure out what was so important about her scar.

  “I don’t like to speak about it.” George and Cora had also questioned her about the mark. She would be more than happy to tell all of them but she had no idea how she got it. “You’re right, I did order the seed.” She paced in front of him. “I don’t know what made me so angry.”

  He didn’t say anything.

  She stopped and let out a deep breath. “I’m not myself lately.” He turned to leave.

  “Wait. Please.”

  He glanced over his shoulder toward her, his eyes more blue than green, a sign he was in a temper. “For what?” he snapped. She deserved that after making a scene in front of the others. What had she been thinking?

  “I don’t know what’s come over me. One minute I hate you and another I—”

  “Yes, I’m quite aware of your feelings. They’re of little concern. I’m here to make Fayne Manor as profitable as possible and I will do that whether you hate me or find me agreeable.” He had the most compelling blue eyes when he was in a fit. They also pinned you in place. She wanted to look away but she deserved the scolding. She stood straighter and apologized with her eyes, hoping he saw her sincerity.

  “Yes, I understand.” She took a deep breath.

  “I assure you I am not the enemy.”

  She had the notion his voice was gentler. “No, you’re not, but something inside me fights you.” Her voice was a whisper. “Perhaps we should start over.”

  “Perhaps.” But she didn’t think he meant it. Her head hurt with his indifference. She had no idea when his approval had become so important to her but it had. Without it she was drowning, searching for a safe haven when there was none. “Enjoy your run.”

  He took her staff and held it out to her. Her touch made the staff glow. She stared at it then at Arik. “The sun must have caught it just right. Or maybe it’s a magical sign.” Arik’s gaze met hers. He remained silent but Rebeka saw the disappointment on his face.

  “I was… I didn’t mean to offend you,” she hurried to add. Hadn’t she made things bad enough? He gave her a curt nod and released her staff.