Jane froze at the sheer savagery of the fight taking place before her very eyes. The swords swung with amazing speed and accuracy. Each blow was meant to be a killing one if it was not deflected or evaded.
Zaren stood in a fighting stance with his legs wide but slightly bent at the knees. Both hands were wrapped around the pommel of the sword as he swung it with incredible strength and deadly precision. The two attackers might have been on horseback, but Zaren still seemed to be in control.
As she watched, one of the men swung toward Zaren’s head. At the last possible second, he ducked and plunged his sword deep into the man’s chest. He tumbled off the back of his horse and fell lifeless to the ground. Jane was mesmerized, as his blood seemed to spread onto the ground around him.
Another unearthly scream echoed through the air and Jane jerked her head back to the ongoing fight. Zaren was still engaged in battle, fighting for both their very lives. The warrior on horseback was older and his eyes looked half-mad as he galloped towards Zaren.
This time Zaren ignored the rider and instead struck at the horse. When the blade cut through the animal’s front leg it stumbled, throwing its rider. The man quickly jumped to his feet and continued his relentless attack. Jane had never witnessed such brutality in her life. Even the murder she’d witnessed seemed civilized compared to this.
They circled each other like two male animals in their prime, savage and beautiful at the same time. There was no room for civilized behavior here. It was all about brute strength and sheer cunning. Jane wanted to look away but was unable to tear her eyes from the scene unfolding in front of her. Part of her was afraid to even blink for fear that Zaren might be killed if she looked away for a split second.
Jane lost track of time as they continued to battle. Sweat poured from their bodies and they grunted with each swing of their swords. Their muscles strained, but neither of them relented or dropped their guard as they fought. This was to the death. Only one of them would leave the clearing alive.
She knew she should ride for help, but she also knew that by the time she got to the castle and back the battle would be finished, the outcome decided. She would not abandon Zaren. Her legs tightened around the belly of the horse. She wasn’t quite sure what she’d do if the warrior succeeded in injuring Zaren. Jane wouldn’t even contemplate the idea of anything worse.
“I will have her!” the stranger shouted, his threat chilling Jane’s blood as she realized she was the cause of this.
Zaren ignored the taunt but attacked with a ferocity that was awe-inspiring. He didn’t yell and there was absolutely no expression on his face. But even at this distance, Jane could see the promise of death in his eyes. She shivered and said a prayer for the man who had been foolish enough to attack them. There was no longer any doubt that he’d soon be joining his partner in death.
It came swiftly. Zaren’s sword was a blur as he swung with deadly accuracy. A cut appeared on the man’s arm, then his leg and finally his chest. Blood gushed from his body and he dropped his sword, clamping his hand over his chest as his lifeblood drained onto the grass around him. He fell to his knees and looked down. Jane could see the utter disbelief in his eyes along with the knowledge that he was dying.
Zaren stood over his opponent and watched dispassionately as the man toppled over onto his side and closed his eyes. Giving a grunt of satisfaction, Zaren wiped his sword clean on the grass and returned the blade to its sheath. Turning his back on the two dead men, he strode towards her.
She could see the cuts and nicks on his arms and legs where the attackers had managed to slip by his guard. Jane shuddered and closed her eyes at the thought of how close he’d come to dying. And when his hand wrapped around her leg, she flinched.
Zaren felt his heart clench when Jane closed her eyes. He could see her shivering and his only thought was to comfort her, to reassure her that he would always protect her from harm.
But he felt his heart shatter when she recoiled from his touch. He looked down at his hand, stained in blood, and slowly withdrew it from her leg.
He remembered the conversation she’d had with his mother and Christina at Castle Garen. The one he’d eavesdropped on. Jane had witnessed a brutal murder and it had caused her much pain in her life. Now she’d just watched him kill two men. In her eyes, he must be no better than that murderer. Their world was not hers. It was more violent and more primal.
Ignoring his own pain, he swung up into the saddle behind her. Carefully, he pried her fingers from the horse’s mane. “I thought I told you to run,” he muttered.
“No,” she whispered. “You told me to go to the horse.”
Her voice was a low monotone and her hands were chilled. He knew the shock of the battle was affecting her. She held herself upright and away from him, but he was having none of it. She could despise him if she chose to, but he would see to her care. Holding her close to him, he spurred his horse towards home, back to the safety of Bakra Castle.
When they thundered through the gates, men came running. Zaren pulled the horse to a halt and swung down with Jane in his arms. Bador met him halfway up the stairs. “There are two bodies by the lake. Wrap them and have them dumped back where they belong.”
Bador gazed at Jane, concern in his eyes. “Who?”
Zaren smiled, but there was no humor in it. “Two of the Craddock brothers have been dispatched back to hell where they belong.”
Bador’s eyes widened, but he allowed them to pass. Then he hurried down to the courtyard, calling orders to the men as he went. Zaren continued into the castle and straight up the stairs, ignoring Sarena’s worried looks.
Shouldering his way into Jane’s room, he placed her on the bed. Standing back from her, he gazed down at her as she curled her body into a tight ball to protect herself. From him? From what had happened? He didn’t know. But what he did know was that he’d do anything to protect her.
Even if that meant driving her away.
Jane had already been through much in her life. She had no one in her old life that would ever love her as much as he did, but at least she would feel safer and more secure there. Zaren swallowed hard at the thought of losing her. His throat tightened and his hands clenched at the thought of another man holding Jane, loving her. Obviously, his world was too violent for a woman as giving and sensitive as Jane.
It might kill him, but he knew what he had to do. He had to make sure that she went back home to her world when the tapestry came for her.
Watching her lying there, all he wanted to do was to wrap her in his arms and comfort her. Instead, he turned his back on her and walked out the door. He walked down the hallway and entered his own room. Closing the door, he bolted it tight.
Then Zaren wearily made his way to the end of his bed and sat. There he buried his face in his hands and wept.
Chapter Fifteen
Jane buried her face in her pillow and clenched her teeth to keep from crying out. She couldn’t believe that Zaren had just dumped her here and left her. Part of her couldn’t really blame him. Because of her, he’d been forced to kill two men today just because they wanted her. She’d never meant to cause any harm to anyone, but today two men had died because of her. It didn’t even matter that they’d attacked first and were killed in self-defense. Dead was dead. And what if this was only the beginning?
On the ride back to the castle, she’d longed for Zaren to talk to her, to reassure her, to say anything. But he was deathly silent. And although he’d wrapped his arms around her, she’d felt that he was somehow distant from her. And no wonder. She’d brought death and strife to his land just by her very presence.
She’d wanted to comfort him, but it had been obvious to her that he didn’t want her comfort. Didn’t want anything from her. That fact was even more evident when he dumped her in her room and left her.
Probably it was for the best, she assured herself as she swiped at the tears on her face. Obviously, he no longer thought she was worth the bother. Thank goodness
she had a way to leave here. She couldn’t imagine staying and facing his cold condemnation every day for the rest of her life.
She’d be fine back in her world. She had prospects and opportunities. The tears flowed faster and she started to cry in earnest. But she no longer wanted to leave. The thought of leaving Zaren made her physically ill because, in those moments when he was willing to die to protect her, she’d come to a revelation. She loved him. And she was very afraid that no matter where she lived, she would love him until the day she died.
Clutching her pillow to her face to smother her tears, Jane wept.
She didn’t know what woke her, but slowly Jane became aware of the sounds around her. Voices. She could hear them talking over by the fireplace. Keeping quiet, she feigned sleep and listened.
“You didn’t see her, Bador.” She could hear the weariness in Zaren’s voice.
“No, I didn’t.”
“Our world is too brutal for her. You heard what she told Mother and Christina. In her world, the Craddock brothers would have gone to trial and been locked away. But here, we are the law and the executioner. She has nightmares about the murder she witnessed. What will her dreams be like when she remembers this day?” He laughed bitterly. “I will become her new nightmare.”
“Zaren,” Bador began only to be ruthlessly cut off.
“No! She flinched away from me. Looked at me like I was no better than a murderer. And perhaps she’s right. I’d kill them again in a heartbeat rather than let them take her. What does that make me?”
“That makes you a good man, Zaren. A protector, as you have always been.” Bador spoke low and calm and Jane strained to hear all his words.
“Then there is no choice. To protect Jane from what she fears most, she must go back to her own time.” Jane could hardly fathom what Zaren was saying. He cared enough about her to send her back to her own time. Some of the pain that had been crushing her chest eased at his words.
“No. That is to protect yourself.” Jane stilled at Bador’s words. “You are afraid to admit that you love her. You are so afraid that something might happen to her here that you would rather send her home than face that fear. That way you can tell yourself that it was her choice, not yours.”
“If you were not my brother I would kill you for that.” The coldness in Zaren’s voice sent chills down Jane’s spine.
“I would not say it if I did not love you, brother.”
Jane could hear footsteps moving towards the door. “You will not stay with her tonight?” It was Bador who spoke, so she knew it was Zaren who was leaving.
“No.” She opened her eyes just a crack and could see him standing with his hand already on the door handle. “Maybe I am the coward you accuse me of being. But I cannot bear to go to bed next to her and awaken to her gone. If I am to let her go, it must be now. If I stay I would fight the devil himself to keep her.” He opened the door and hesitated before squaring his shoulders and marching out of the room and closing the door solidly behind him.
She closed her eyes tight and concentrated on taking slow, even breaths when she heard Bador moving towards the bed. Clothing rustled and then she felt the mattress depress behind her as he climbed into bed. His muscled forearm wrapped around her waist and he pulled her tight to his chest.
Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly before kissing her temple. Resting his chin on the top of her head, he slowly rubbed it back and forth. “Don’t leave us, Jane,” he whispered. “Zaren and I need you. He does love you, only he is afraid to admit it.” He sighed again. “Perhaps I am being selfish to want to keep you here. But you have brought hope and laughter and life back to the castle. Without you here, I’m afraid Zaren will withdraw even further inside himself.”
Jane listened, almost afraid to breathe. Bador kissed the top of her head and settled down. “Only you can decide, but I pray for all our sakes that you make the right decision. Go or stay, I’m just thankful I had the opportunity to be with you. It’s probably good that you are already asleep. Perhaps when you awaken in your own bed, you will remember us fondly as a wonderful dream you once had.”
A tear slowly slipped from the corner of her eye, but she made no move to wipe it away. That was the most beautiful thing anyone had ever said to her. The steady rise and fall of Bador’s breathing comforted her even as she longed for Zaren. Lying next to him in the large bed, Jane silently waited for the tapestry to reappear.
Zaren sat in front of the fireplace in his room and stared blindly into the flames. Picking up the mug of ale, he took a sip. The brew tasted bitter in his mouth as he swallowed. His fingers tightened around the mug, clenching it so tight that it was a miracle it didn’t shatter in his in hand. Muttering an oath, he flung it towards the stone. The wood splintered and ale flew everywhere. Raking his hands through his hair, he tried to steady himself.
Maybe Bador was right. Maybe he should admit to Jane how he felt about her and beg her to stay. NO! He had done the right thing in letting her go. He had to believe that or else he would go mad.
Jane was sensitive and giving. Yes, his mind whispered, but she was also stubborn, determined and courageous. Finding herself in a strange world might have frightened another woman, but Jane had done her best to learn all she could about life here. Sarena had told him how she’d taken the time to talk with the other woman and the interest she’d shown in the workings of the castle.
He’d been so proud of her when they’d arrived at Castle Garen. Although she’d been in pain, she had uttered no complaint. She’d been gracious to their host, open and friendly with his mother and friends and had even brought about a change in Jarmon’s condition. Her resilience amazed him.
Hadn’t she bested a murderer in her own time, seeing him brought to justice even at the expense of her own home and job? She’d been left destitute and homeless but unbowed and undaunted. Yet she’d never mentioned a word about it to him or Bador. If he hadn’t eavesdropped on the conversation between the women he would never have known.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized just how perfect she was for him. How well suited she actually was to life here. And he had let her go. Practically thrown her out of his home and told her to leave.
Bador was right. He was a coward.
And now it was too late. The night was almost over and she was surely gone. He had lost her. Bador had lost her as well. They would all feel her loss.
The door opened behind him, but he didn’t bother to look and see who it was. He’d known his brother would come and tell him when she was gone. Tilting his head back, he closed his eyes wearily. “So it is done.”
“Not quite yet.”
Zaren’s head snapped around, unable to believe his eyes. Jane. She was still here. His euphoria was short-lived as he noticed the tapestry she held clutched tight in her arms.
“You came to say goodbye,” he said dully.
“If that’s what you truly want.” She chewed on her lip as she scuffed her bare foot against the stone floor.
He noticed then that she had changed her clothing and was now wearing the silky pajamas that she’d had on when she arrived. The thin shoulder straps exposed her milky white shoulder and he could just see a hint of the swell of her breasts where it dipped down in the center. His body clenched and tightened immediately in response to her.
“It’s probably for the best.” He wanted to rip the tapestry from her hands and toss it into the flames, but he was afraid of what the outcome of that might be. He forced himself to remain seated even though every instinct he possessed was telling him to grab Jane and hold tight to her.
“Are you sure about that?” She offered him a gentle smile as she padded across the floor towards him. “What if what’s best for me is you?”
“But you were afraid of me, Jane. Afraid of what I’d done.” Zaren could still feel Jane flinching away from him. He’d replayed the event over and over in his mind all night long.
“Not of you. Never of you, Zaren.” Her
small hand cupped his cheek and he turned his head and kissed her palm. Her touch was a healing balm to his troubled soul. “I was upset because you’d had to kill two men because of me. No,” she put her hand over his mouth before he could speak. “Because they wanted me, they attacked you. I brought this violence to your land simply by being here. And I’m sorry for that.”
Zaren couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Nor could he bear the forlorn and lost look on her face. Scooping her off her feet, he cradled her in his arms. “Jane, it was not because of you. The Craddock brothers have always caused trouble. They are greedy, always wanting what other men have and never satisfied with what they do have. They would not stop at murder to get what they want. It was them who ambushed and attacked us on Bakra land. That was their doing, not yours. They deserved to die and I do not regret killing them to protect you.”
A light began to glow from the tapestry and he knew that time had run out. Standing quickly, he stood her on her feet and backed away from her. She shook out the tapestry and stared intently at the design.
He’d never seen the tapestry before. None of them had, even though all knew the legend. He found himself mesmerized by the sheer beauty of it. The colors were vibrant and the scene looked alive. He recognized the castle immediately and was startled to realize that it was Bakra Castle. As he watched, the picture shimmered and changed. The light grew brighter and Jane closed her eyes tight and hugged the tapestry to her chest.
Zaren shielded his eyes as the light flashed so bright it almost blinded him. When it faded, he slowly lowered his arm.
Jane stood solemnly before him. Oh, God, it hadn’t worked. Part of him wanted to shout in victory, but another part of him was angry on her behalf. “I’m so sorry, Jane, that it didn’t work.” He didn’t know what else to say to comfort her.
Bakra Bride Page 12
