by Linda Mooney
Along with the belts were vests, saddles, and other leather goods. The workmanship on every item was impeccable. Rather than ask each Mutah compound to freely donate their items, he had bartered with them, giving fair market value in trade.
Following West Crestin was Wallis, which brought a keg of lemon verbossa for each Battle Lord. “A word of warning, gentlemen. One mug of the stuff will land you flat on your ass, but the kick is worth it,” Yulen warned with a smile.
As each Mutah compound presented their works and worth to the Battle Lords, he further pressed the issue. “You asked why should you join with the Mutah? This is why. Think of the commerce! Think of the trade!”
“I think you’ve succeeded in what you intended to do.” Atty smiled up to him.
“Well, it was you who gave me the idea in the first place.”
“Me?”
“Yes. When you gave me this belt last winter. It was the first thing I thought about.”
In the distance, he spotted a soldier was running toward him. Yulen and Atty stepped away from the head table as the man arrived and quickly saluted.
“Jueltice?”
“A new Battle Lord has arrived. He apologizes for his tardiness.”
“At least he arrived before the conference was over,” Yulen said. “Have him and his men escorted into the outer courtyard to set up their tents, then bring him here. What’s his name?”
“D’Jacques, Sir.”
Yulen and Atty froze. “What?”
“He says his name is Rafe D’Jacques, from the compound of Alta Seran. He says he’s your half-brother.”
Yulen felt the blood drain from his face. He had no idea he had a sibling, much less a half-brother. He remembered sending an invitation to Alta Seran, but the compound was simply another name on his list. He’d had no idea who was in charge.
“On second thought, show his men where to set up their tents, but bring D’Jacques to my lodge. Also, notify my mother, and ask her to join us.”
“Trouble?” MaGrath appeared at Yulen’s side. “What about your mother?”
“A new Battle Lord has arrived,” Yulen informed him. “He says his name is Rafe D’Jacques, and he claims to be my half-brother. Liam, why didn’t you tell me I had a sibling?”
“I didn’t know.”
“What about Mother?”
“I can’t speak for her, but I can’t imagine her keeping something like that a secret all these years. A half-brother? Older or younger?”
“Let’s go find out.” Yulen let go of his wife and turned to face the men being inundated with gifts. “Gentlemen! I hate to leave you on such short notice, but I need to greet a new guest who’s just arrived. I suggest that you spend this time getting to know each other, and perhaps work out a few trading and marketing deals that will benefit you both. In the meantime, I’m having trays brought in of more Mutah food I think you’ll enjoy, since many of you commented how much you liked last night’s dinner. I’ll return shortly.”
Taking his wife’s hand, Yulen and Atty jogged toward the inner courtyard. His mind remained in a state of confusion. His top priority had been the conference. He’d let Berta oversee the details for the wedding, and she had done an excellent job, not to mention having to prepare three times the meals for their guests. Note to self, be sure to thank her profusely for all the work she’s put in. However, with this new development, suddenly his concern over the conference took a temporary hiatus.
A brother. I have a brother! A half-brother. Rafe D’Jacques. A D’Jacques.
He came to an abrupt stop a few yards away from the lodge as another realization occurred.
Dad and another woman? My father created a child with another woman? My father was unfaithful? How will Mother react?
Alta Seran. He remembered being slightly amused by the name, since Alta Novis was a name created out of thin air by his ancestor, back in the earliest days of survival. Alta Novis referred to no real location on a planet forever changed. It was not the name of its finder. It was two words snatched from his imagination, which his great, great, etcetera grandfather declared fitting. Which was why finding a compound with a similar name had surprised him, but he hadn’t bothered to investigate further. There had been more pressing matters that needed his attention.
Alta Seran. That explained the name, then. But why had it taken so long for Yulen to find out?
“Atty, find out exactly where Alta Seran is. I need to see a map.”
She nodded, gave his hand a quick kiss, and hurried away. He watched her leaving for a moment, then passed through the gate to enter the inner courtyard.
He didn’t have to wait to reach the lodge before meeting the new arrivals. They were already waiting in a tight knot on the main walkway.
Yulen slowed as his eyes locked on the man standing at the head of the group. The face, the hair, the build¯a strange feeling rose from the pit of Yulen’s stomach. There was no way anyone could deny Rafe D’Jacques’ parentage. The son was almost a mirror image of the father.
He stopped a few yards away, his sword hand resting on the hilt. His brother immediately realized who he was, and the pair sized each other up.
A small cry of dismay broke their concentration. Yulen glanced over to see Madigan stumbling toward them. Her hands were clasped over her mouth, her eyes wide in disbelief. Tears rolled over her fingers.
“Mother, I would like to introduce you to Rafe D’Jacques, my half-brother, from the compound of Alta Seran.”
“Older half-brother,” Rafe corrected. He smiled at Madigan, then bowed in deference. “Lady Madigan, I’ve always wondered what kind of woman held my father’s heart. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
Liam moved up to stand at Madigan’s side. Rafe smiled at him. “And you are…?”
“Dr. Liam MaGrath. Madigan is my wife.”
Rafe glanced back at Madigan. “Wife? You left him?”
“My father is dead. Killed in a skirmish with Bloods a couple of years ago,” Yulen supplied.
Rafe showed no remorse at the news. Instead, a partial grin cocked one corner of his mouth. “Which is why you’re now the Battle Lord of this compound.”
Yulen narrowed his eyes. The man was being polite. Too polite. On top of that, he was choosing his words before he spoke. Something wasn’t right. In fact, this whole scenario felt very, very wrong. Before he could respond, Rafe continued. “My apologies for not making it to your wedding yesterday, but my compound is too far away to have made it in time. I hope I’m not too late for the summit.”
“The summit began today. You are welcome to join the other Battle Lords now, or we can retire for the moment to my lodge. It would give us the chance to catch up on past history. Heaven knows I’m curious to hear it.” Yulen gestured toward the lodge. Rafe looked over the two-story structure and nodded. “We’re tired, but we’re also parched and need something to eat.”
“Not a problem. I’ll order it brought to us.”
A movement to the rear caught everyone’s attention. An older woman with golden hair and jewels around her throat joined them. Although Yulen wasn’t knowledgeable about women’s fashion, and heaven knew Atty scorned such things, he instinctively knew the woman’s gown had to be expensive. She stopped at Rafe’s side and placed a ring-encrusted hand on his arm. From her age alone, Yulen already knew who she was.
“Yulen, may I introduce you to my mother, Janelle Callahan. Mother, this is Yulen D’Jacques. And this…” He waved in Madigan’s direction. “This is Yulen’s mother, the woman my father left you for.”
The dark smile Rafe gave Madigan made Yulen sick to his stomach.
Chapter Nineteen
Impressions
“I ask little of my guests,” Yulen cut in heatedly. “But one requirement I do expect is for them to be courteous. There was no call for your insult.”
The sharp words brought a flush of red to Rafe’s face, but he bowed his head to Madigan. “My apologies, my lady.” He gave no explanation for h
is outburst, but Madigan took his regret with typical grace.
“Apology accepted…Rafe. Oh, sweet heavens, you look exactly like my Rory. How old are you?”
“Thirty-two.”
“Then you…”
“Was conceived before your own son.” Rafe pointedly looked around. “Are we going inside or not?”
Yulen forced himself not to say anything further. He knew that it wouldn’t take much to offend the other D’Jacques. And antagonizing a guest, and blood kin, would not make him look good to the other Battle Lords. He had to keep a cool head, regardless of Rafe’s behavior.
A glance at his mother revealed she was taking the news as calmly as she could. Liam held her one arm at the elbow, providing support. News of another D’Jacques child had stunned her, but there was nothing that could be done about it. What Rory had done was past history.
With luck, he’ll leave after the conference, and we’ll never hear from him again. At that moment, Yulen had no intention of ever communicating with the man again. Before he closed the lodge door, he glanced around for sign of Atty, but she was nowhere to be seen. He looked forward to later that evening, when they would be alone, and he could vent his worry and anger to her, and hear what she would say about the matter.
Rafe’s men remained standing behind their leader. Rafe and Janelle took two of the upholstered chairs closest to the fireplace. Madigan took the third, with Liam taking a stance behind her. Yulen sat in the remaining chair. The guests eyed their surroundings.
“All right. Let’s hear the story,” Yulen urged.
Janelle lifted her chin and smiled. It didn’t appear forced, but rather reminiscent. There was a distant pain in her voice when she spoke, and Yulen realized she had loved his father deeply.
“My father and Ransom D’Jacques fought together. They were co-comrades. Practically brothers. They defeated the Bloods and cleared the area of their presence. There was already a small compound in that vicinity, but it had been overrun years before. It was there they decided to build Alta Seran. Ransom already had Alta Novis. Alta Seran would be Father’s compound. Years later, Rory accompanied his father back to Alta Seran, and that’s how I met him.” The beautiful woman cast her emerald green eyes toward Madigan. “I fell instantly in love with him. I was only seventeen, but I knew I wanted to live the rest of my life with him. But he…he told me he was already spoken for. He said there was a young woman back at his compound that he loved, and he was planning to marry her. I’ll be honest. I tried to dissuade him. I did everything I could to make him love me instead. I tempted him, and finally managed to get him into my bed, but in the end, he left me. I never told him I had his child. I persuaded Father not to seek retaliation or recompense. Rafe became everything to me. Not only was he half Rory, but he looks like his father.” She took a deep breath. “And that’s pretty much the whole story. When Father passed away, I ran Alta Seran until I felt Rafe was ready to assume command.”
“Then why did you break your own vow and come here? Why now?” Liam asked in a tight voice.
“It was your invitation,” Rafe said. “I’ve known for years who my real father was. I just didn’t know I had a younger sibling until I received the missive.” His smiled widened. “I guess you can say my curiosity got the better of me.”
“Are there any others?” Janelle asked.
“Others? You mean, other than me?” Yulen said.
Madigan shook her head. “No. He’s an only child. Soon after Yulen was born, Rory contracted measles. He was ill for weeks. The doctors think the disease destroyed his ability to father more children.”
“That’s too bad,” Rafe commented in a tone that made Yulen sit up straight. The man was actually happy about not having another sibling. He says one thing and means another. It was not a good sign. He could see what had started off as a near-disastrous beginning was quickly sliding into dangerous territory.
There was a sound at the door. All eyes focused on Atty as she entered the lodge. She paused on the threshold, alert to the fact that she was suddenly the center of attention. Yulen quickly got to his feet and walked over to take her hand, guiding her over to the chair to take his place.
“Rafe, may I introduce my wife, Atrilan.”
Rafe and Janelle, and the others of their party, continued to stare at her. Yulen watched as pure, undeniable lust flashed across his half-brother’s face, only to be quickly replaced with disgust. Finally, Rafe cleared his throat. “My, my. She’s a…”
“I’m Mutah,” Atty remarked, almost challenging him. She looked at Yulen. “Their accommodations are ready.” He realized she said nothing about the map. She would save that for later, when they were alone.
He nodded, directing her attention back to their guest. “Get a good look at him, Atty. He looks every inch like my father.”
He wished he could see her face, but he was standing directly behind her. Still, her body posture spoke volumes. She was viewing Rafe D’Jacques as an enemy, not as a potential friend.
“Interesting choice for a wife,” Rafe further remarked. “Any children?”
“No.”
Yulen tried to hide his shock upon hearing his mother blatant lie.
“I don’t know if it’s because she’s not a Normal, or what, but I haven’t been blessed yet with grandchildren.” Madigan looked appropriately regretful, but he wished she hadn’t denied Mattox’s existence. It wouldn’t take Rafe long to find out about the deception.
Hold, D’Jacques. Maybe her lie is a good thing for the moment. Play out the game. A bit of patience may help us find why the man finally decided to show his face.
Yulen was willing to bet the summit had nothing to do with Rafe breaking decades of silence. His actions so far made Yulen uneasy. The man had an agenda hidden up his sleeve, and by the slick, cunning gleam in his eyes, it didn’t bode well.
Thankfully, Rafe got to his feet and held out a hand to help his mother up. “Your wife said our accommodations are ready. If so, I’d like to be shown them.”
“So soon? We were having refreshments brought, as you requested,” Liam quipped, his tone in direct opposition to his words. Clearly, he was happy the man was leaving.
“It’s been a long journey. We’d like to rest. Besides, we have the rest of the summit to get to know each other better,” Janelle calmly replied.
“That’s true. We have plenty of time to make acquaintances,” Yulen told her. “I’ll have one of my men escort you.”
He gestured to the soldier standing a few feet away from the front door. It had been Mastin’s suggestion that, at least during the summit, a guard be placed twenty-four hours at the lodge. Yulen had consented. Now, he realized the wisdom behind the idea.
“Please escort Rafe D’Jacques and his party to their tents in the outer courtyard.”
The soldier saluted. “Escort the guest to their tents. Aye, Sir.”
“Yulen?” Rafe paused outside the front door. Far to the rear, and standing close to the fireplace, Atty watched their guests leave, her eyes narrowed.
Yulen turned his attention to his half-brother.
“You said the summit is in session?”
“In the outer courtyard, just beyond the campground. You’ll be able to see the tables from where your tents are pitched.”
“Good. I’ll see you there.”
The man strode past, barely brushing Yulen aside. Yulen kept his eyes on the group as they made their way down the walkway. A moment later, Atty joined him.
“He’s oily. He hates Mutah.”
“So do many of the other Battle Lords attending.”
“Not like this. I don’t trust him.”
“Neither do I.” He glanced down at her. “Did you get a map of the location?”
To answer, she pulled a sheet of paper from the inside of her shirt. Yulen fought the temptation to put the map to his nose and take a whiff of her womanly scent from the warmed paper. “Let’s go back inside and look this over.”
“
What about the men you left at the summit?”
He grinned. “I left word with Cole to dismiss for lunch once negotiations were underway between the Battle Lords and Mutah councils.”
Taking the rolled-up map, he swatted her on her backside, urging her back inside the lodge. He was eager to hear what Madigan and Liam had to say about their newest family member.
Chapter Twenty
Plan
“He’s more like Rory than he’ll ever know,” Madigan said with disdain as soon as the front door was closed. “Like Rory, he doesn’t like Mutah, and he trusts few. But that’s where all resemblance ends. He has all of Rory’s bad qualities, but none of the good. There’s no compassion within that man.”
“Is that why you denied having a grandson?” Yulen asked. “You know sooner or later he’ll learn differently.”
“Yes. And when he does, he’ll know exactly where he stands with me,” Madigan retorted.
“Speaking of Mattox…”
“He’s with Berta,” Liam offered.
“Oh, dear heavens. That woman feeds him constantly! He’ll end up turning into a little butterball!” Atty dashed out the door to fetch her son, leaving the others to laugh at her reaction.
Yulen quickly resumed a more serious face. “Rafe is here for a reason, and it has nothing to do with the summit. I’ll bet my sword on it.”
Liam nodded. “I agree whole-heartedly. He has an air about him that makes me uneasy. It’s like he already has it planned out in his head what he intends to do. All he’s waiting for is the right moment to strike.”
Nodding, Yulen agreed. Walking over to the front door, he gestured to the soldier he knew would be there, taking the place of the man who’d recently left.
“Brighton, have Mastin report to me.”
The man saluted. “I will have Mastin report to you post haste.” The soldier took off at a run. Less than a handful of seconds later, a new man took the guard’s place. Yulen returned to where the others were waiting, entered the kitchen area, and unrolled the map across the table. Madigan brought another lamp over for light as they bent over to read the chart. It didn’t take them long to realize what they were looking at.
