Ben’s mother relaxed and smiled, moving to her son. “Good morning, Ben,” she greeted, sitting beside the bed.
Ben threw his arms around his mother’s neck and gave her a big hug. “Mother, Mother! Look at what I got!”
Ben’s mother looked down at the small wooden horse her son was proudly displaying. She scowled slightly. “Where did you get that?”
“The Midnight Shadow gave it to me,” little Ben replied, his face aglow. “He came last night and gave it to me. He said to stay away from the tax collectors.”
Horror spread over Ben’s mother’s face and through her heart as she glanced around the room. She drew Ben closer to her heart as if to protect him. “Someone was here? In the house?”
Ben nodded. “But he was nice, mother. At first I was afraid. But then he gave me this.” He hugged the wooden horse. “Oh…” Ben rummaged beneath his pillow for a moment and produced a small bag. “And he said to give this to you.”
Wary, Ben’s mother took the bag from her child. She pulled the drawstring and cautiously peered inside. Then she quickly turned the bag over and five gold coins spilled out into the palm of her hand.
Her eyes widened at the sight. “Oh, thank you, Lord!” she exclaimed, hugging her son.
“The Midnight Shadow is a good man, isn’t he?” Ben asked, innocently.
“Yes, Ben,” his mother replied. “A very good man.”
“Who is this Midnight Shadow?” Terran demanded, slamming his fists on the wooden table, making the wood reverberate beneath his fury. He stood, rising to his full height to tower over Kenric. The two tax collectors standing behind Kenric shrank back. “How dare he steal my coin?”
Terran’s voice echoed through the Great Hall, spearing from one side of the room to the other. A servant cleaning the wooden table paused to look up at him, but quickly bowed her head and continued her work.
Kenric had arrived at Castle Delaney late in the day with word of Knowles’ new enemy. The Midnight Shadow had struck again in the night, robbing two tax collectors as they returned to Castle Knowles.
“No man will steal from me,” Terran fumed. “This I vow. I will have this Midnight Shadow.”
Kenric dismissed the two tax collectors with a wave of his hand. The two men practically raced for the double doors at the back of the room. “My lord,” Kenric whispered, leaning in to do so, “this cannot continue. We need to pay the men to defend Castle Knowles, and need I remind you we have only two months before we must pay the king?”
“It will not continue,” Terran vowed. “I want him taken.”
Kenric nodded, bowing. “As you wish.” As Terran sank back into his seat, Kenric joined him at the table, sitting opposite him. He was silent for a moment before asking, “How are things going with the marriage plans?”
Terran’s eyes narrowed. “It would have been settled if you’d done what you promised. You said everything would be taken care of. Nothing was.”
“It got you here,” Kenric muttered.
“I would destroy any other man who lied to me so,” Terran growled.
Kenric chuckled. “Then it’s lucky we’re family.”
Terran glared at his cousin, then allowed himself a slight smile. Family, his mind repeated. And friend. Randolph had served him loyally for years. He would trust his cousin with his very life.
Terran sat back in the chair, rubbing his hands over his face. How had everything gotten so out of control? Was it already a month since he’d been overjoyed at the prospect of marrying Odella? Her dowry would have saved his lands and castle. But now... he shook his head, staring at the rushes on the floor. Must his entire life be a battle?
“I couldn’t let you pass up the opportunity to save your castle and lands,” Kenric said. “It was my duty to convince you to claim what is yours, by any means necessary.”
“I don’t want a wife,” Terran said.
“Don’t think of her as a wife, or even as a woman. Think of her as a key, a key to riches,” Kenric coaxed. “She won’t change your life. You can still have other women. You can still do as you please. You’d be marrying her for her lands and her dowry. She’d be your wife in name only.”
Terran assented with a nod, even though he was lying now to himself. He could do nothing but think of Bria as a woman. He would make her his wife in all ways, and he knew it. Just the thought of kissing her sent desire searing through his veins.
But she was the key, as Kenric said. She would save his lands, his castle, and maybe even himself. He sighed. “I suppose you’re right,” he agreed. He lifted his head to look at Kenric, only to see Bria standing slightly behind his friend. The sight of her clenched fists, her squared shoulders, her taut jaw, was enough to send any man running for cover. But what brought him to his feet was the sight of the glistening tears lining her large eyes.
Kenric turned.
Bria’s shining blue eyes never left Terran. “Don’t worry about my getting in the way of your other women. You can rest assured I wouldn’t marry you if there was a sword to my throat.” With that, she whirled and half stormed, half ran toward the double doors at the back of the room.
“You certainly have a way with women,” Kenric mused.
Terran sighed heavily. “I’m afraid Lady Bria will never marry me willingly.”
Kenric’s black eyes glinted and a slow, sly smile spread over his lips. “Perhaps there is another way.”
Bria sat on the hilltop, watching the knights practice their skills in the tilting field below. What difference should it matter how Terran treated her? He was the enemy, and he would never, ever be her husband. Then why had she felt so hurt and disappointed when she heard Terran and Kenric talking? Because they were speaking of her as if she were a possession.
She reached down to pluck a stalk of grass. Knowles was having a very strange effect on her. Ever since his kiss, she’d wanted to feel his touch again. She found herself dwelling on the way he made her feel for hours at a time. How could a man who had such a knee-shaking effect on her be so evil? How could a man who’d been so kind to a boy be so cruel?
A pair of boots came into her vision and she followed them up to see Kenric standing above her. Fear ignited inside her as quickly as dried rushes burst into flames at the touch of a lit torch. Bria pulled back slightly as Kenric loomed over her.
“It’s good to see you again, Lady Bria.” His smile only added to her terror. She remembered too vividly how he’d coldly struck down the herbalist. And Mary...
“What do you want?” she demanded with as much courage as she could muster.
A low chuckle issued from his throat. “So the little mouse has the roar of a tiger, eh?” He squatted down before her, his black, soulless eyes glaring into hers. “You weren’t quite so brave when you came to Castle Knowles. Why did you come?”
Bria couldn’t look away from his evil eyes. He’d kill her if he knew she’d seen him kill the herbalist. She knew that from looking into his eyes. Her eyes narrowed slightly in defiance. “I came to speak with Lord Knowles.”
Was that a ripple of suspicion in his eyes?
I’m safe here, she told herself. He’s on my lands. Bria raised her chin slightly.
Kenric’s hand shot forward and seized the blade of grass from her. “When you are Knowles’ wife, I’ll deal with you as I see fit. I’ll know what you know,” he whispered.
He lifted his hand and Bria pulled away from him. Her head banged against the tree trunk.
Kenric’s smile grew. He leaned closer to her, extending his hand to her face. He lightly ran the blade of grass over her cheek. “There will be no more secrets between us.” With a lascivious grin, he stood and towered over her for a long moment. Then he threw the blade of grass down and turned his back on her to walk down the small hill.
Bria watched him go, her body trembling. She clenched her fists to still their shaking, but it was a long time before she could get her fear under control.
The pond glimmered magically beneath
the stars. Bria dismounted as she reached the clearing. She untied a bag from the horse’s saddle and moved to a group of bushes near where she’d tethered her horse the night Mary was murdered. She paused for a moment, staring at the broken branch, its ragged edge a reminder of her efforts to get away from Kenric that night.
This place was full of memories. And promises. Coming here, she remembered her mission.
She unhooked her brown velvet dress and slid it from her shoulders, then carefully folded it and tucked it beneath a group of bushes nearby.
Bria stood naked beneath the moonlight. She knew she should be frightened. She knew she should be scared of discovery. But a strange calm soothed her, almost as if someone were watching over her.
Bria removed a cloth from the bag and began wrapping it tightly around her chest, circling her torso again and again so her breasts were pressed down tightly. When her breasts were flattened almost to the point of pain, she pulled the cloth tight, tucking the end beneath the fabric. She removed a black tunic from the bag and pulled it over her head, then retrieved black leggings from the bag and pulled them up her long legs. She bent to the bushes and pulled out a pair of black boots, which she slipped on. She removed the cloak from the bag and flung it around her shoulders, tying it in place. Bria had left the castle with her hair braided and coiled tightly to her head so it would be well hidden beneath the cloak and its hood. She bent and reached beneath the bush, feeling back and forth until she found the scabbard. She pulled it out and laid it on the ground at her feet.
Finally, she bent to the bag and retrieved the last item. The mask. She stared at it for a long moment. She would leave her identity as Bria behind when she donned this mask. She would become the hero of the people.
Bria picked up her sheathed sword. She had enough money from the two tax collectors she’d stopped to help three people. Deb had told her about three other people who’d been hurt by Terran’s men. One poor woman had lost her husband when he’d tried to stop Kenric from beating her, and Kenric was still demanding taxes from her.
Bria ground her teeth. This couldn’t be allowed to continue. If Terran didn’t care, then she’d stop it. Mary would be proud of her. Mary would have wanted her to help her people.
Bria strapped the belt to her waist. The Midnight Shadow wouldn’t let Mary’s death be for nothing. She placed the mask around her eyes and tied it behind her head, then lifted the hood and settled it well over her face so her features were hidden in shadow. The transformation complete, she stood with her hands on her hips, gazing down into the tranquil pond.
The Midnight Shadow stared back.
Thump.
Max the baker opened his eyes. He sat up quickly, lighting the candle beside his bed. Was it a robber in his bakery, or had those tax collectors returned to eat all his bread? He grabbed a stick and descended the stairs.
His foot no sooner touched the floor of the first level than he saw the dark figure standing in the doorway. He raised his stick, but the figure did not move. If it were a robber, he would have run.
Max narrowed his eyes. “Who are you?” he asked, refusing to lower his stick. “What do you want?”
“The tax collectors stole bread from you?”
Max clutched the stick tighter. Was this a trick? “What concern is it to you?”
“I am justice,” the shadow said. “I am the Midnight Shadow.”
Max could only stare. Then something caught his eye. Flickering on the table in the middle of the room was a candle, and beneath the candle was a small pouch. Max cautiously moved over to the table, still clutching his stick. He reached out to the pouch and pulled the string. Something inside glittered, but he couldn’t see because of the darkness.
Anxiously, he dumped the contents onto the table. Coins rolled out, hitting the candlestick and spinning before falling flat onto the table.
Max’s eyes widened. It was enough for fifty loaves of bread! He lifted his eyes to the Midnight Shadow...
… but the doorway was empty.
Max raced to the door and looked out into the night. The shadows of the surrounding trees swayed in the breeze, but there was no sign of the Midnight Shadow.
The Midnight Shadow rode through the forest, urging her steed in and out of streams and paths with the ease of one who knows the land, returning to the pond whose waters twinkled beneath the stars of the clear midnight sky, glimmering like a magical lake.
She swung her leg over the horse and dismounted, tying her horse to the tree near the pond. She moved to stand at the edge of the pond, gazing into the water, studying herself for a long moment.
Then, with a sigh, the protector of the innocent reached up and removed her hood. She untied the mask and slid it from her face. The Midnight Shadow disappeared.
“I’m so sorry, Mary,” Bria whispered. She lifted her gaze to the distant road where Kenric had killed Mary and the herbalist. Every night before donning the hood and cape, Bria silently remembered her friend, remembered why she’d chosen to become the Midnight Shadow. And every night when she removed the hood, she recalled her friend’s bravery for facing Kenric.
She reached beneath the bush and pulled out her bag. She carefully folded her cape and put it on the ground. Then she unfastened her black scabbard and sword from her waist. She crawled between two bushes, their branches clawing at her tunic and hair. She reached beneath one of the bushes and shoved the sword and scabbard into a mound of fallen leaves. She strained beneath the bush to push the leaves over the top of the sword to hide it from all would-be discoverers.
Then Bria rose and carefully removed her black tunic and leggings, folding them meticulously and lovingly. She set them on the ground on top of the cape. She pulled her gown from the bag and donned it, hooking it at the side.
The moon was far up in the sky when she finished dressing. Lastly, she knelt on the ground beside the Midnight Shadow’s pile of clothing. She took the mask and placed it on top of the black clothing. She sat back on her heels. The mask stared up at her, a silent reminder of her obligation, her mission.
Bria gently lifted the pile of clothes and placed them into the bag. She pulled the cord tightly around the sack, closing it, sealing her secret from the rest of the world.
Then she mounted her horse and rode toward Castle Delaney. It had been a good night. She’d managed to leave a few coins for two farmers whose families were on the brink of starvation as well as Max the baker. All had been cruelly overtaxed by Knowles.
Knowles. Terran. Again the question surfaced: How could he be so evil when he had touched her with such tenderness? She could still recall the gentle stroke of his lips. How could he treat his own people as if they were nothing but the means to more wealth, and yet allow Garret’s squire to be his own squire? It didn’t make sense.
She crossed the drawbridge and entered the castle, riding to the stables. She saw to her horse, combing him down and blanketing him for the night. She affectionately patted his neck and slung the bag over her shoulder, heading for the keep.
The dark courtyard was still and silent, as if it, too, was working with her to keep her secret.
Bria walked up the two steps to the keep and pushed one of the double doors open to enter. She pushed it closed behind her and moved down the still hallway. All the servants were sleeping. The only sounds were the snapping, hissing flames from the torches that lit the corridor and her own soft steps. She moved up the spiral stairway and down the hallway to her room.
When she entered and closed the door behind her, a sense of relief filled her. She tossed the bag on the bed and lit a candle.
“It’s rather late to be out for a ride.”
She whirled, her gaze searching her room. A shadow separated from the wall and moved into the circle of light cast by the flickering candle. The light slowly washed over Lord Terran Knowles, revealing his face as he moved toward her.
Bria’s heart raced as panic filled her. She fought it down, demanding, “What are you doing here?”
She stepped away from him, realizing her heart was racing not with panic, but with something else. Unsure and frightened by the strange sensations Terran aroused within her, she quickly moved out of the light of the candle and into the darkness that helped conceal her as the Midnight Shadow, the darkness she hoped would conceal her feelings as Bria. She skirted the edges of her room, but Terran pursued her.
“What problem?” she managed to stammer.
“You’re mine,” he proclaimed.
The certainty in his voice sent waves of shivers through her body. For just an instant, a wildly mad instant, she wondered what it would be like to be possessed by Terran.
“You’ve been mine from before you were born,” he said. “Your father knows it and you know it. You simply will not acknowledge it.”
The backs of her knees hit the bed. She glanced over her shoulder. A ray of moonlight illuminated the deep red blanket and something black near the head of the bed. Suddenly, sheer, vibrant fear seized her as she remembered her bag lay hidden in the darkness near the headboard.
Her gaze snapped back to Terran. He was standing very close, so close she could see the smoky depths of his eyes. So close she could feel his breath as it fanned her lips, the raw power radiating from the core of his being.
It wasn’t fear that filled her as he lifted his arms to her shoulders. It wasn’t dread. It wasn’t loathing. It was breathless anticipation.
“I’m here to convince you.”
Terran stared down into the largest blue eyes that he had ever beheld, eyes that held a surprising strength shimmering deep inside behind their beauty. He reached for her, and Bria stood her ground. He admired her defiance and determination not to be intimidated.
Or was it that she wanted him to kiss her? Because that’s what he was going to do. His fingers pressed into her soft shoulders and drew her closer to him. Was that a gasp from those parted lips as she came up against his chest?
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