“We should begin the process of clearing out what’s left of the stable. These people will do better if they have something to occupy their minds other than the threat of Fagan’s wrath.”
It would take Olaf two to three days of hard riding to reach Fagan. Even if they set out for the keep immediately, it would take them the same amount of time to return. That gave Merewen’s people a few days to catch their breath and get organized.
“All of you make sure you take time to rest, especially you, Kane, since you stood guard all night. We need to be at full strength when Fagan and Olaf return. I wish I could say that we’d routed them for good, but I do not believe that is the case. Merewen overheard her uncle telling Olaf that the duke himself has plans for her.”
Duncan clenched both fists as he muttered a string of foul curses, a rarity coming from him. “The texts speak of blood sacrifices. Any blood will sustain the magic, but it will flourish with the blood of innocents, especially those who have been blessed by the gods.”
Gideon’s fury tasted bitter and hot. Merewen was no longer an innocent, but that did not mean she was safe.
Kane’s eyes flashed red and hot. “I will look forward to teaching Fagan what happens to a man who bargains for power with his niece’s life. For now, I have a few things to do before I ask the cook for something to eat and then seek my bed. Wake me at sunset.”
“I will. Now, let’s get to it.”
Merewen wished she hadn’t invited Alina into her room, because she hadn’t yet come to terms with what last night meant to her. She had no regrets, but that didn’t mean she wanted to talk about it. The memories were too recent, too precious.
Alina gave her only a passing glance on her way out to the balcony. Merewen changed clothes and then drifted outside after her, curious to see what she would have to say.
Finally, Alina spoke, her voice clogged tight with emotion. “This Captain Gideon, he was gentle with you?”
Of course she would want to know that. Merewen hastened to reassure her.
“He and his men are all noble warriors with all that is supposed to mean. Trust that he made last night special for me. I have no regrets.”
“Where did they come from?”
How much should Merewen reveal? She settled for a partial truth. “I met them the night Fagan set the dogs after me.”
Alina looked poised to say something else, but then she leaned forward to look down at the ground below with sudden interest. Merewen followed her line of sight to see what had captured her aunt’s attention; she rarely looked quite so animated.
The only person in sight was Murdoch. She glanced at Alina’s face and was puzzled by the expression reflected there. If she wasn’t mistaken, her aunt was staring at the big warrior with the same stark desire she’d seen in Murdoch’s eyes the previous night.
Interesting.
She thought he was going to pass by without looking up, but then at the last second he did. Alina flinched and stepped back. Murdoch’s face, most often so stern, softened briefly and then resumed its usual impassive expression. He slowly looked around, most likely to ascertain if anyone else besides Alina and Merewen had been watching him.
He started forward again, only to stop abruptly. What was he looking at? Then she saw it. A mountain cat, a huge one, was poised at the top of the palisade.
“Alina, come watch.”
Her aunt reluctantly joined her at the railing again. “What?”
She pointed toward Murdoch and then up toward the cat, which looked ready to jump down to the ground. Before Merewen could explain about the warriors and their avatars, the cat pounced.
Alina gasped, then screamed, “Murdoch, watch out!”
Murdoch whirled around to see where the attack was coming from and stepped right into the mountain cat’s path. The impact sent both the warrior and his avatar tumbling to the ground in a tangle of fur and man. Shadow came out on top and took a swipe at Murdoch’s face with her tongue, despite the big man’s efforts to ward off the assault.
It took some effort for him to dislodge the determined feline, but he managed to roll Shadow off his chest and sit up. Despite the thoroughly disgusted look on Murdoch’s face, he gave the cat a thorough scratching. As he did so, he glanced up at the balcony where the two women stood, watching in complete fascination. Then he murmured something to the cat.
Alina leaned forward, her eyes wide with wonder. “Is he truly talking to that beast?”
Merewen nodded, not sure how to answer. She settled for the truth. Alina would soon meet the other warriors as well as the avatars. “I found a text in Father’s library that spoke of warriors who could be called upon to champion a cause if the gods felt it was just. That was what I was doing the night Fagan set the dogs upon my trail. Captain Gideon and his men are the warriors who serve the Lord and Lady of the River.”
She paused to see how Alina reacted. Her aunt stared down at Murdoch again and then slowly nodded. “That is why your captain and Sir Murdoch have the same unusual eye color.”
Merewen nodded. “All five of them do. It’s a mark of their gods. Each of them is also linked to an animal, much as I am to the horses. That mountain cat is Sir Murdoch’s avatar.”
Before she could continue, Murdoch stood up and dusted off his clothing. He stared up at the two of them for several seconds as his cat sat quietly at his feet. She yawned, her mouth opening wide and showing her fangs to great advantage.
“Would you like to meet her?” he called up to them.
As soon as he spoke, he looked as if he regretted the offer, but it was too late.
Alina beamed in pleasure. “We would love to, wouldn’t we, Merewen?”
“We’ll be right down, Sir Murdoch.”
Maybe he shouldn’t have invited the two women down to meet Shadow, but it was too late for second guesses. He tried telling himself it was for their own good. When the next battle came, the avatars would be part of the defensive forces—an important part. There had been instances in the past where it had been one of the animals that had actually been given the assignment of guarding their petitioner.
It would be far better for the women to get used to them now rather than at the last minute. He just wished he knew whether it was the women or himself he wanted to convince of that fact.
“They’re coming, Shadow. We’ll both need to be on our best behavior.”
The cat flashed one of her toothy smiles. Most people ran for cover when a shadow cat looked at them that way, and for good reason. Two pairs of footsteps approached, stopping some distance away. How sensible of the two women to do so. Startling a mountain cat was never wise.
He pitched his voice just far enough for them to hear, keeping it low and soothing. “You can come forward one at a time.”
Although Merewen was the more adventurous of the two, it was Alina who appeared at his side. That pleased him far more than it should have.
“Lady Alina, this is Shadow.”
“May I pet her?”
The big cat answered the question by prowling over to where Alina stood and brushing against her legs in much the same way a house cat would have. At first, Alina looked startled by the cat’s unexpected action, but then she smiled.
It was the first time he’d ever seen the lady look truly happy. His heart twisted in his chest as he memorized her sweet beauty, knowing that image would live on in his dreams in the years to come. With a happy sigh, Alina dropped to her knees to pet the cat, totally oblivious to the dust and dirt getting on her gown. Shadow, for her part, was only too happy to soak up all the attention Alina was willing to give her.
He stood there like a stone wall, watching the two females enjoy themselves and wishing he could join in the fun but not knowing how. Then there was the issue of Lady Merewen looking on. As observant as she was, it was likely that she’d noticed him staring across the hall at Alina last night as Gideon had escorted the lady up the stairs.
He started to invite Merewen to approach, onl
y to find she was gone. Where had she disappeared to? He very much feared that she’d felt as if she were intruding on a moment meant for two. Well, three, counting the cat. He wanted to curse Merewen’s discretion but couldn’t find it in himself. What harm could enjoying these few minutes in Alina’s company do?
His conscience answered the question for him: plenty. The lady already had endured the pitying whispers of the people who should have protected her from that bastard Fagan. Murdoch would not give them cause for further gossip. He had to walk away.
“She’s beautiful, Murdoch. How did you come to be friends?”
Alina’s soft voice pounded on his good intentions with all the power of a smith’s hammer, leaving them shattered in pieces on the ground. Perhaps it would better if the two of them walked rather than continuing to lurk in this deserted part of the bailey.
His decision made, he said, “If you would care to stroll the garden with me, I’ll tell you the story.”
“I would enjoy that.”
He offered her his arm, ignoring the surge of awareness that flooded his senses when her fingers fluttered down to rest on his sleeve. He risked patting her hand, settling it more firmly on his arm.
Could she feel his pulse pounding through the layers of cloth between her fingertips and his skin? He hoped not. It was bad enough that he could barely think through the onslaught of attraction and desire he fought.
“Well?”
Well, what? Oh, yes, how he met Shadow. “When I first encountered Shadow, she’d been wounded.”
Once he got started, the story rolled off his tongue. Even avoiding any mention of his real age or his service to the gods, he was able to keep her entertained. Shadow trailed after them for a while, but she quickly lost interest in the meandering path he was taking around the keep. She deliberately bumped into him, letting him know she had better things to do. Before disappearing, she also did another pass to rub against Lady Alina. Evidently the lady had won the cat’s approval.
That both pleased and saddened him. In a more perfect world, one in which he was free to do as he chose, it would make him happy to know that the two females who mattered to him actually liked each other. But this world was far from perfect: Murdoch’s life wasn’t his to live as he saw fit, and Alina yet belonged to another man.
At least he could do something about that last part. Even if Fagan hadn’t been targeted by the gods for their own reasons, he would have found a way to free Alina from the man’s tyranny. If that cost him when he stood beside Gideon and the others at judgment time, so be it. For Alina’s sake, he’d accept whatever fate the gods meted out.
Merewen watched Alina and Murdoch from the shelter of the doorway. Clearly her presence wasn’t needed or even really wanted. They were adults and in no need of a chaperone. Evidently the big warrior had a talent for making her aunt smile. As uncertain as the future was right now, she wouldn’t deny them the comfort of each other’s company.
What should she be doing now? If any of the horses were in great distress, she would have sensed it. However, last night Jarod had mentioned they’d need more of the burn salve. Her first stop would have to be her workshop to make more. As she rounded the corner, she found the bailey bustling as the men tore down the stable. It was her first view of the damage in the daylight.
Her feet wouldn’t move. The devastation was heartbreaking. Her father had overseen the construction of the stable, doubling its original size, when she’d been a young girl. Seeing it broken and burned struck her with a crippling pain, as if she were losing her father all over again.
“Don’t see it as it was, my lady. See it as it will be again.”
Kane’s deep voice from over her shoulder startled her, but his words comforted her, soothing some of the anger and sorrow. “My father designed that building.”
“He did a fine job. We’ll see it restored in a way that will honor his memory.”
The warrior’s thoughtfulness surprised her. She turned to face him with a smile. “Thank you, Kane. You are most kind.”
Her words clearly shocked him. “I’m not sure I’ve ever been accused of that before.”
She bit back a smile. “Well, we can keep it our little secret. Now, I should start working. I need to replenish some of my medicines.”
Kane walked with her as far as the workshop. “I’m off to get some rest, but send for me if you need anything.”
“Thank you for the offer, but I should be fine.”
She spotted Jarod hovering nearby, clearly waiting for her.
“Looks as though I have my first customer of the day. Sleep well, Lord Kane.”
He bowed and walked away.
Chapter 21
A ripple of whispers drew Fagan’s attention to the front of the hall. A familiar figure briefly paused at the entry but then started right for him. His throat tightened, knowing Olaf’s unexpected arrival would not be to deliver good tidings.
“My lord.”
Fagan stared at Olaf with disgust. It was bad enough the man had followed him to court, but at least he could have bathed before approaching him. Right now, the fool reeked of trail dust, horse sweat, and something akin to fear.
That last element was interesting, the source of the fear even more so. It pleased Fagan to let his captain suffer in worried suspense for a few seconds more. He poured himself another taste of the duke’s best wine and savored the rich flavor before finally acknowledging Olaf.
“Speak. What has happened that is so drastic you would abandon your post?”
The warrior looked up with his eyes wild and sweat beaded on his skin. His face looked as if it had been raked by claws. What had happened to him? Now Fagan was at least mildly concerned. Olaf was many things, but a coward was not one of them.
“I said speak, Olaf. Don’t leave me standing here playing guessing games. I’m expecting the duke to summon me anon. Rest assured it does not pay to keep him waiting. Any displeasure he expresses with my tardiness will spoil more than just my day.”
Olaf jerked his head in a nod. “I regret to inform you that the keep was attacked, my lord. Those last two men you hired and that scholar who paid to use the library turned on us, as has Lady Merewen. She has been plotting against you and brought in a band of mercenaries to drive us from the keep.”
Fagan forced himself to set the wine back down on the table rather than give in to the temptation to heave it against the nearest wall or, better still, at Olaf. Calm. He must remain calm. Here in the citadel, Keirthan had spies everywhere. Even something as simple as a broken crystal goblet would reveal far too much to those watching eyes.
He forced a smile, telling Olaf with his eyes to do the same. “It is a pleasant day. Let us walk outside.”
“But—”
“I said outside, Olaf. I find that I’m in need of some fresh air.”
Fagan quickened his steps, hoping to reach the door that opened out into a spacious garden before Olaf once again lost control of his tongue. As they stepped out into the overbright sunshine, he veered off to the left, aiming for a bench that would make it difficult for anyone to get within listening distance without being seen.
It didn’t take long. He let out a slow breath, hoping to ease the tightening coil of anger in his chest. Or maybe it was fear. He watched the flitter of birds in a nearby tree that was covered in blossoms the color of fresh blood. He shuddered at the image before he could stop himself.
He turned his attention in a safe direction, the citadel itself with its plain gray stone walls. He would not let himself think on what those walls hid, especially in the labyrinth that snaked its way under the entire building.
“Compose yourself; then tell me everything. No lies. No excuses. I have neither the time nor the desire to wade through them to get at the truth. It will go better for you to admit your own mistakes as well. I have no patience with fools.”
Olaf leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and stared at the ground. He looked to be hovering at the edge of exha
ustion, but Fagan took no pity on him. He needed to know what had happened more than Olaf needed a bath and a bed. Lives depended on it, including Fagan’s own.
“After you left, I warned Lady Merewen she was to remain in the keep and not to go wandering off by herself.”
Olaf looked up briefly. “She defied me and disappeared for most of the day. When she returned, I ordered her to return to her room to await suitable punishment.”
Fagan didn’t call him on the lies. It would do no good; besides, he’d been unable to control her himself. If she weren’t a constant source of frustration, he might even have admired her determination to thwart him at every turn.
“My niece is as she is, Olaf. I know that. Now continue.”
It was if he’d lanced a boil, and all the infection poured out into the fragrant air of the garden. Olaf took him at his word and did nothing to color his description of his own role in the tragedy that had played out three nights ago.
“So let me summarize.” Fagan held up his hand and counted off the significant points. “My keep has been taken over by an unknown number of men-at-arms, all sworn to serve my niece. We have no knowledge of where they came from, but you are convinced they overpowered you with magic.”
He stared at the deep gouges on Olaf’s face. “Oh, yes, you were attacked by a bird while you were in my niece’s bed, the one place I gave you specific orders to stay away from until we ascertain what purpose the duke has for her. Is that everything? Because, I have to say, Olaf, I’m surprised you managed to escape with your life.”
His captain flinched when Fagan clenched his hand into a fist. “Care to tell me how you and a handful of my men managed to survive against these overpowering forces?”
Olaf’s grimace made it clear that Fagan wasn’t going to like the answer. “There were too few of us to stand against their superior numbers, so I set fire to the stables. In the confusion, we escaped through the front gate. It was the only way we could survive to bring you the news. With your permission, I will return to reclaim your home, but I will need to hire more men.”
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