Still Lilith didn’t answer. The poor thing looked terrified and completely out of her element. She almost felt sorry for those wide blue eyes. What had that giant of a man Lord Sorin done to her? Surely he didn’t break her spirit already? The maid said nothing happened between Lilith and Sorin, but seeing the woman’s pale face, Jayne wasn’t so sure. Some men had strange tastes.
Deciding scared company was better than none, she hoped to spur the woman into action and put her at ease. Jayne leaned forward and kept her voice low. She tugged on Lilith’s arm. “Come with me. I promise Lord Sorin won’t touch you again, but you have to make a fight of it.”
“Wait.” Lilith refused to move.
Damn those almost innocent blue eyes. They instantly drummed up protective, big-sister feelings inside of her. She’d seen that look on the faces of children as they came to the orphanage—scared, confused, hopeful and still capable of love. And then the years would hit them and Jayne would watch those eyes fade and the hope die. The death of the soul was worse than physical death and hurt a lot more.
“What did they do to you?” Lilith whispered, as if scared to hear the answer. “Did they hurt you?”
Jayne tried not to think about how great Ronen’s body felt inside hers and lied, “No, they didn’t touch me, but I don’t want to give them the chance to.”
How could she admit to what she’d done? Especially if someone had gotten paid for her to do it?
“What are you planning to do?” Lilith asked with a tinge of desperation.
“Karre and Paige have been taken south by a couple of the barbarians. With any luck, we’ll be able to find them. Paige seems to know her way around this backwater place.” Jayne again tried to pull her. “The timing is perfect. They’re in there having a party and getting drunk. It will be dark soon. We’ll find a way out of the castle and wait until nightfall. If we travel by dark, we should make it through the prairie to the forest. From there, by the grace of some miracle, we’ll find a trail to follow—”
“You’re going to escape?” Lilith jerked Jayne back, keeping her from leaving. “You can’t, Jayne. I’ve talked to a few of the servants. If we displease them, I think they might kill us.”
“They didn’t kill Paige for running,” Jayne reasoned.
“Yet,” Lilith asserted. “How do you know that’s not what they’re taking her south for? You heard the guard. Her master might dole out a harsh punishment.”
Jayne felt the color draining from her face. “What would you have us do? We can’t stay here forever, waiting for them to get tired of us. What if they try to philter us like the others—whatever that means. What if they make us take on more men? If you saw what I saw walking these hallways, you’d know we have to run. I can’t stay here and be a whore and that’s exactly what I think this place is. A whorehouse.”
“I was told the philter is a drug to make you forget you’ve been here. They said those women from the cell with us were sent home because they were unsuitable.”
“I don’t think that’ll work for us. We’ve been chosen to stay,” Jayne drawled mockingly. Though, it did sting that those whiny bitches from the cell got to go home and they were stuck here. Maybe she should learn to cry and pout more. Perhaps then Ronen would ship her off to be rid of her. Jayne wondered if she even had it in her to muster up fake tears. Fists were much more her thing.
“I think we should stay in the castle for now. Sorin didn’t seem too keen on passing me around to all the men.” Lilith reached to touch her shoulder lightly. “Are you sure you weren’t hurt? Did your man…? Did he make you…?”
“Ronen? No. He didn’t try to pass me out.” Jayne said, only to add silently, yet. “I would have ripped off his balls had he tried.”
Lilith’s eyebrows lowered in thought as she reasoned, “I can learn more here in civilization than in the woods. If we keep our heads low and try to behave, maybe we’ll find a way home. I think we’ll have better luck here at a castle than in the wild. Besides, running is too big of a gamble. How will we survive in the wilderness? How will we eat? What kind of animals are in the forest? Poisons? Flora and fauna? Insects? What about the people the Starians are fighting? What’s out there could be much, much worse than what is in here. Paige seemed really scared when she spoke of the monsters.”
“Paige could be lying. This castle could be a theme place and beyond the compound is a thriving society with technological advances. Whatever it is, I can’t stay here. I’m not scared of dying,” Jayne put forth grimly. “But I will never live as some man’s slave. Please come with me.”
Jayne followed Lilith’s contemplative gaze as she looked to the main hall. They heard a low murmur of conversation with the random bouts of laughter filtering in. If they were going to leave, they needed to go now while the men were distracted with their party. Maids or knights could happen upon them at any moment.
“I can’t go with you,” Lilith decided. “I’m taking my chances here.”
“Do you have a plan?”
Lilith nodded, not looking too sure of herself. “I think so. If I find a way to escape I’ll do my best to let you know about it.”
“And if I do, I’ll try to send word,” Jayne glanced down and smiled, “in a pair of shoes.”
“Good luck to you then.” Lilith looked as if she might hug her, but stopped and instead held out her hand.
“And to you.” Jayne clasped it briefly. “Don’t let them break you. One way or another, we’re going home. I promise.”
* * * * *
“She is my wife.” Ronen stumbled into the wall and frowned at the stone. How did that get so close? He pushed away, continuing up the Mace Tower stairwell, only to hit the other side. When did the stairwell become so narrow? “I will grab her, shake her and tell her, ‘you are my wife, my lady, um, my Lady Jayne’.”
It was a plan. A great plan. A brilliant plan! She’d have to listen to his decree. He was a lord after all and a great leader. Men had to listen to him, why not his bride?
“Ugh,” Ronen grabbed his head as his vision swam. He would declare his position and then to bed. Tomorrow he’d talk to Sera about the mead. It should not have been so strong. He’d only had…
Ronen frowned. How much did he drink? He started to sit down on the stairs only to catch himself. Why didn’t Sera insist he eat something? Or had she? He vaguely remembered throwing a tray of food onto the hall floor.
“Jayne.” He’d forgotten in all his irritation to order food sent to their room for her. Hopefully, Sera remembered. The servant was usually good about those things. It’s why she held the position of honor in Battlewar Castle. “Jayne will be rested and fed and now it will be time for her to listen as I explain her role as my wife. Starting with my bed.”
The thought quickened his steps as he hurried the rest of the way to his chambers. Desire heated his liquored blood, causing his skin to tingle and his cock to lift high and proud. He opened the door, his eyes eagerly seeking the bed. She wasn’t there. Then again, why would she be? This was not her room. Crossing over the floor with purpose, he opened the door to where she would be sleeping.
“Jayne,” he announced, pointing his finger into the darkness. “You are my wife and that means something.”
She didn’t answer. The fireplace in her room had not been lit so he couldn’t see beyond the soft glow coming from his own chamber.
“Jayne,” he continued, holding onto the door frame. “You are a Lady of Firewall and there will be no more talk of you leaving me. The decision is made. I understand that there is nothing in the tradition of warriors choosing women from a group they just met that ensures a great, great, ah…” He frowned, blinking hard. “A great joining of two households, er, people. What I mean to say is at least I didn’t raid your village like my ancestors used to do, grab you and cart you off to my bed. And you chose me for a husband without having ever met me. That must mean something. I didn’t ask for a wife, didn’t pray to the gods for one. You just happened.
”
Still she said nothing. It was just as well she listened. He had much he wanted to get straight with her.
“Though, many of us agree the raids were easier. That way we did not have to leave the battlefront to bother with a ceremony so far north in the kingdom.” He paused, shaking his head. What was he talking about? Oh, his wife. “You are my wife and the gods chose you for me as a reward to my great service in battle. They brought you from your otherworld and we will have sons and if so blessed daughters when I am not at war. I will take care of you and protect you.”
Still nothing.
“I realize earlier I might have been overeager, but I should like to make that up now.” Desire at the idea of bedding her curled within him, stirring his lust to settle heavy in the already thick mass of his cock. “We Starian men have needs and I would not have you turning me away from your bed, but, if you command it, I will leave you be. I am not a monster.”
She didn’t answer. Did that mean she accepted him? He took a step toward where the bed would be hidden in the darkness. Reaching out, his fingers bumped into the mattress. Excitement pumped in his veins and he prayed to all his gods that he’d be able to satisfy her this time. His hands remembered the feel of her skin. His mind conjured the silk of her flesh, the softness of her breasts, the athletic perfection of her form.
Pulling out of his tunic, he tossed it aside. Ronen crawled onto the bed, feeling around for her. Whispering, his hands shook, as he admitted, “I would have happiness between us, Jayne, and perhaps in time affection. I know it’s not required in a marriage, or even sought, but I would have us come to care for each other.”
Why wouldn’t she speak? He’d laid bare his soul, a feat harder than facing a hundred Caniba warriors in battle.
“Jayne?” His hand slid over the bed. The coverlet hadn’t been ruffled. In disbelief, he kept searching. If she wasn’t in here and she wasn’t in his chambers, then…
The realization sobered him greatly. She wasn’t there. He leapt from her bed. Running to his room, he grabbed an unlit torch and thrust it into the fire. Once lit, he went back to search for her. Torchlight cast over her unruffled bed and revealed the unused chair and vanity.
“Jayne?” he called, knowing he wouldn’t receive an answer from the empty space. He checked his own room again, his gaze scanning over the bed and trunk. Finally, they landed on this weapons’ wall to the spot where the jeweled blade he’d had since childhood should have been.
Ronen’s first thought was the Caniba had snuck in and stolen her away. He quickly dismissed it. That was not how the Caniba fought. They attacked in the open, crazed man-eating beasts without reason or thought, driven by their primal needs. There was no way they’d slip through the gates, pass through town and a castle filled with knights and servants. Not looking and acting as they did—smelly, pelt-covered monsters with sunken eyes and sharpened teeth.
But if not their enemies, then it would mean she’d left him on her own. Hoping that she’d gone in search of food, or to explore, he rushed down the stairs still carrying his torch. He turned away from the main hall’s entrance, going to the maze of halls running behind it. Seeing a servant, he handed her the torch. “Have you seen Lady Jayne?” At the woman’s blank look, he clarified, “My wife. Have you seen her?”
The maid shook her head in denial. “No, my lord.”
Ronen’s heart beat heavily in his chest, echoing in the caverns of his ears. With each person who told him they hadn’t seen her, the more panicked he became. The servants and guards joined in the search, spreading from inside the castle to the inner bailey.
Sera brought him herbs to help clear his head of the liquor, but clarity of thought only convinced him that Jayne had run away. Thoughts of his brother’s first wife, Bianka, filled him with fear. What if he was cursed to relive Sorin’s pain? Seeing the torture the evil woman had put Sorin through had torn at Ronen’s heart. His brother had never been the same. A vital part of him had died, leaving a hard shell.
What if Jayne did to him what Bianka had done? What if she suffered the same fate?
In the very short time he’d been in her presence, Ronen didn’t suspect the lady to be a selfish witch who drained the very life force from those around her. But then, Sorin had thought Bianka a tender heart in need of protection. Only later did her true, cruel nature come out. Her own people had shoved her into a fairy ring to be rid of her.
Ronen thought of what he’d been prepared to confess to his new bride, of his desire for something more, deeper, in their lives together. If the men were to find out it would be an embarrassment, let alone if word reached his older brother. How could he have been so stupid? How could he have bared his soul like that? It was a small blessing she hadn’t heard, and he would not be making the same mistake twice.
“Ronen!” Sorin stormed across the torch lit bailey. Tension radiated from his stiff movements and he looked like he’d crawled through the very heart of Caniba. “What news is this?”
“Jayne is gone.” Ronen took a deep breath, trying to hide the pain he felt at admitting the words out loud. “You were right. I should have stayed strong and not allowed her to influence my choice. Now I have dishonored—”
“No,” Sorin stated, cutting him off. He put his hand on Ronen’s shoulder, drawing him near as he quietly stated, “We will find her before she dishonors you or our family. Are any horses missing?”
“No.” Ronen shook his head.
“Then she is on foot. With the celebration tonight it would have been easy for her to slip through town and out the gate without being noticed. None of us thought another bride would run from her wedding night so soon after Lady Paige. It will not happen a third time. Precautions will be made in the future.” Sorin motioned his hand to a nearby page. “Our horses!”
Several of the men heard the command and hurried to order their mounts as well, without having to be asked to ride out.
“We will find her, Brother,” Sorin assured him. “Feet cannot outrun horses, even if she has hours upon us. And, if you have to, you will lock her away in a tower to keep her safe. This will be made right.”
Ronen didn’t answer. He knew Sorin also thought of Bianka’s escape. Only, with Bianka, they’d not found her in time. Firewall Castle had been closer to the borderlands and all who lived there were busy with the fire. By the time Sorin and Ronen were told of her disappearance, it was too late. She’d crossed over the Caniba border and propositioned one of their raiding parties. First, they took what she offered, then they took her valuables and her horses, and then they took her for food. It was a nightmarish day they would never forget.
“She is not Bianka,” Sorin hissed, willing it to be so with the hard tone of his voice. Even so, his gaze wavered in its certainty. Turning, he yelled, “Twenty men. We ride!”
Ronen blinked, spurred into action as he strode to take his horse. Two pages arrived, carrying weapons from the armory for the brothers. Another handed Ronen a tunic shirt.
By all the bloody battlefields, do not let the Caniba take her.
“Good ride, my lords!” the young boys yelled, unable to hide their excitement. How little they understood what happened.
Ronen ignored them, grabbing the reins and swinging up before slipping on his shirt. Then, taking the weapons, he rode for the gate, letting the horse guide the way as he tightened the cross strap of the scabbard over his shoulder and across his chest to his waist. To himself, he cursed, trying to forget his fears as he held onto his anger. “My wife has run away. The gods truly frown upon me.”
Chapter Four
As they rode through town, word spread about the missing bride and, with the peasants searching to find Jayne, she wouldn’t be able to hide within the city walls. Ronen ordered six of the men to ride north to investigate the only trail leading away from Battlewar Castle. The treacherous route was an unlikely escape, but he would not leave ground uncovered. The underground tunnels and secret passages were locked away and too har
d to get to without knowledge of the castle.
Ronen didn’t speak as he led the remaining knights in the most logical direction—south to the Hanging Forest. The full moon shone bright over the prairie grasses, giving the knights enough to see by as they rode hard over the fields. So many people had passed that way over the years it was hard to distinguish fresh tracks in the night.
Sorin rode next to him, equally as quiet. He gripped his reins, forcing the animal faster as if he couldn’t run from the castle fast enough. Ronen knew his brother well and could easily gather he ran from Lady Lilith. As head of the family, Sorin would be duty bound to capture the wayward Jayne, but he didn’t have to look so inclined to do it.
The wind hit him hard, causing his hair to slap across his face. All the knights riding with them had trained at Battlewar as children. They knew the prairie and the forest. They would find her.
I will find her.
“She could not have gotten far on foot,” Sorin yelled over the noisy wind. The horses naturally slowed as they neared the tree line. If they rode too fast, the horses could lose their footing and break a leg. “No matter how much Divinity told them, these women cannot know what lies in our forests. With luck a bird will frighten her and we’ll find her soon enough.”
The words were hardly comforting. There was more to the forest than birds and innocuous insects. Wolves, wild boar, bucks, any number of creatures could attack her. He touched his sore eye. Though she threw a decent punch, he doubted she’d survive a pack of hungry wolves. What if he couldn’t get to her before something bad happened?
Sorin lifted his hand and pointed to the east then west, ordering the knights to spread out over the distance and begin their search. Each man would remain within whistling distance, should the lady be found. When he finished, Ronen finally answered, “She does not know what she faces, even with my knife to arm her.”
“The forest at night can be a daunting thing,” Sorin comforted. “Rest assured in that we are far away from the battlefront. The Caniba tribes will not have ventured this far. One look at a wild beast and she’ll scream for us to save her.”
Fighting Lady Jayne Page 5
