by Jody Hedlund
Even then, I remained alert. The moment I let down my guard, he’d buck me off and begin fighting again. I needed to speak reason into him now before he plotted his next move. Or before one of his men attacked me.
Already, several of the outcasts were closing in, weapons drawn, ready to bring me down.
“No doubt the Inquisitor and his men have hidden along the coast somewhere.” I spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear. “They are hoping to draw us out by baiting us with the captives. If we leave now, we’ll fall prey to their trap and deliver more of our group into their hands.”
The men nearing me stopped, obviously heeding the truth of my words. I prayed Irontooth would as well.
“As hard as it may be, we must wait to go after the women.”
“That’s easy for you to say when your woman is safe.” Bitterness edged Irontooth’s voice, though he made no move to oust me.
Pearl had stopped a short distance away. Her weapons were drawn, and her brow creased. I wasn’t sure if she’d intended to join the others in trying to stop my battle with the fearless leader or if she planned to come to my defense. Either way, her eyes radiated worry.
“I don’t begrudge you your concern.” I hastened to reason with Irontooth. “If our roles had been reversed, no doubt I would have insisted upon leaving forthwith. But I also know you would have stopped me from acting impulsively and forced me to see reason. And later, I would have thanked you for it.”
Silence descended. Only the crackling of the bonfire filled the air.
“As it is,” I continued, “we must not allow the Inquisitor to fool us again. Instead, we must fool him and devise a strategy not only to rescue the women but also to put an end to his terror once and for all.”
“Hear, hear!” came the calls of some of the men.
Beneath me, I felt the fight begin to drain from Irontooth. Still, I didn’t relent and kept my boot and spear taut and ready to fight this man again if need be.
“What strategy do you propose?” someone asked.
“We wait.” I forced myself to think quickly. “And we attack when they’re least expecting it.”
More murmurs and calls of agreement confirmed I was accomplishing what I’d set out to do. After several more seconds, I released the pressure against Irontooth and took a step back. As he pushed himself off the ground, I didn’t put my weapons away and prayed I wouldn’t have to repeat the attack. The next time, without the element of surprise, I might not come out on top.
When Irontooth was on his feet again, he crossed his arms and glared at me.
I stared back, unyielding. I sensed he desperately wanted to leave to go after Felicity but that he also cared too much about the rest of his people to willingly put them in danger.
A trickle of blood ran from his nose down into his silver mustache and onto his lips. “Clean up the camp.” He swiped at the blood. “Then we’ll gather for a meeting to plan our attack.”
He turned and stalked off toward his cave. The pain of his heartache radiated with each stride. But as difficult as losing Felicity was, Irontooth would do her no good if he were captured.
Sensing a presence by my side, I found Pearl next to me, staring sadly after Irontooth.
“He loves her, though he cannot admit it,” she said.
“If he loves her, then he must think rationally before acting.”
“Perhaps true love makes one do things one would not normally consider.”
I didn’t know. I’d never been in love. But I had been shaken by how close Pearl had come to being in captivity with the women. I might not love her the way Irontooth loved Felicity, but after all the time we’d spent together, I’d grown to care about her enough that I could empathize with Irontooth. Even if she was frustratingly stubborn at times . . .
She shifted her gaze to mine, the green turning as light as a summer meadow. My thoughts returned to the moment when she’d fallen on me, the way her touch in my hair ignited something inside me, and how soft her palm felt against my lips.
I’d never given attraction much consideration. As I’d told Pearl when I’d been locked up in the dungeon, I always believed that my marriage would be practical and necessary, and always considered love something one chose to give regardless of feelings.
But was it possible I might be developing an attraction to Pearl after all? And yet, how could I find a woman with blemishes appealing? Surely once I saw her full face without her veil, this draw to her would diminish.
I shook my head to clear it of the confusion. The truth was, the more I got to know Pearl, the more I liked who she was regardless of how she looked. She was a smart, vibrant, and interesting woman. Not only that, but she cared deeply about people, was sacrificial, and was willing to do hard things. And maybe all those qualities made her appear more attractive to me. Whatever the case, as she peered up at me, I lost myself in her beautiful eyes once again.
Was she looking at me with admiration? Or interest? Or even longing?
Surely not.
“You did the right thing even though it was hard.”
Her praise warmed me every bit as much as her gaze. When she reached out and squeezed my arm, I suddenly felt as though I’d won the kingship.
“I should go to him.” She glanced toward Irontooth’s cave. “I shall offer to take a group over to Fife under cover of darkness to trail the Inquisitor and—”
“No.” The word was out before I could think, breaking me free from my trance. “I’ll do it.”
“I have lived here longer and know the patterns of the sea and Loch Ness better.”
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t want you getting anywhere near the Inquisitor.”
A crease formed between her brows, and her eyes sparked with the same fire I’d seen there many times since meeting her. “I am ready for something like this. ’Tis what I have trained for these many months.”
“Now that we are married, you have no need of training or fighting.” I hadn’t spoken against her joining in the weapons drills in camp, primarily because she was safer if she could defend herself. But there was no good reason for her to participate in the conflict with the Inquisitor.
As though sensing my resolve to stop her, she took a step away. “So long as there are people in this world like Queen Margery, I shall always have need of training and fighting.”
I wanted to contradict her, even forbid her from speaking to Irontooth. But at the glimpse of pain in her eyes, I held back my refusal. She was still working through a testing—a challenge—of her own. And she needed to resolve this inner battle if she would ever have true peace. But could I allow her to go on so perilous a mission?
I tried to gentle my tone. “’Tis my own fear of what may happen to you that makes me cautious.”
“Then you think I am weak and incapable?”
“Not at all. You are one of the most capable ladies I have ever met.”
“Then what?”
I glanced around to see who was observing our conversation. Only Gregor paid us any heed from where he stood next to our cave entrance. I rapidly closed the distance between Pearl and myself and took hold of both her arms.
She stiffened and struggled to pull away.
I slid my arms around her and pulled her into an embrace. I didn’t have the words to express my feelings for her, not when I didn’t fully understand them.
As our bodies made contact, she stilled.
I ran my hand down the long length of her braid and had the sudden vision of unraveling it and letting my fingers tangle in the ebony waves. I’d never seen her with her hair unbound but could imagine just how beautiful it would look.
She held herself rigidly a moment longer before she leaned in and rested her head against my chest. She didn’t embrace me in return, but I prayed she understood that I cared about her and wished no harm to befall her.
As I released her and strode away, I could feel her gaze following me. I’d learned long ago that doing the unexpected was one ea
sy way to disarm a person and defuse a tense situation. And now I wanted to turn around and gauge her expression, to look into her eyes and see if she was beginning to care about me—even if just a little.
But I forced myself to keep walking. Sometimes a person didn’t recognize the value of what they had until it was no longer within reach.
Chapter
12
Pearl
The oars dipped in and out of the water, hardly making a sound.
My heartbeat made up for the silence and gonged as loudly as St. Matthew’s Cathedral bell now ringing for Lauds. The majestic stone church stood at the center of Fife, one of Norland’s southern ports and the city closest to our island. The echo of the early prayer hour reverberated in the darkness of predawn.
Kneeling in the middle of the boat, I focused on the water, keeping watch for any signs of Loch Ness. Beside me, Mikkel had taken the lookout on the other side. His attention hadn’t strayed from the sea since we’d begun the crossing.
We hoped the Inquisitor wouldn’t expect us at all during the night, since so few dared to traverse the sea while Loch Ness hunted. But if the Inquisitor had posted sentries, he would most likely place them at the easier, shallower crossings and not at the deepest section in the Channel, where sightings of Loch Ness along with strange drownings and disappearances were most frequent.
Loaded with six of us, the boat sat low, requiring those at the oars to press deeper, quite possibly drawing Loch Ness’s attention. With the city looming ahead in the faint moonlight, I could only pray we’d bypassed the sea creature, but I wouldn’t rest until I stood on land.
As it was, I squinted, looking for the telltale signs of bubbles and fish remains along with any unusual disturbances in the water.
“Halt!” Mikkel ordered in an urgent whisper.
The rowers stopped and lifted their dripping oars, resting them inside the boat. We waited silently, not daring to move, not even to swat at the mosquitoes and gnats buzzing around us.
With his spear drawn and poised above the lapping waves, Mikkel seemed to follow a trail. I couldn’t see anything unusual, but his focus remained unswerving upon something below the surface.
Though his countenance was shadowed by the night, the outline of his face showed regal determination. From the way he held himself to the way he spoke, he commanded attention. Although the others now knew he was nobility, did any of them suspect his royalty? Every time I watched him, like when he’d fought Irontooth earlier, I waited for someone to point out that he behaved like a prince—or a king.
In truth, Mikkel had the makings of a great king. He was a natural leader with both wisdom and diplomacy, and yet he had shown incredible restraint in continuing to submit to Irontooth’s direction. Even after subduing our fearless leader, Mikkel had walked away and resumed his position as a follower, allowing Irontooth to regain his dignity.
Rather than displaying irritation or dislike, Irontooth had tolerated Mikkel better than I’d expected. Perhaps because Mikkel would eventually leave, Irontooth realized the young prince was truly no threat. Or perhaps the incident today had given Irontooth more respect for Mikkel.
Whatever the case, from the bow, Irontooth watched Mikkel as though waiting for his cue on how to proceed, not the least perturbed Mikkel stood over him and had issued an order. Irontooth wouldn’t have allowed anyone else to do so, not even me.
Perhaps his view of Mikkel had altered once he learned of his royalty. Of course, I didn’t see Mikkel differently because he was a prince. I’d admired him since I first met him, and that hadn’t changed . . . except maybe I liked him more.
I couldn’t stop thinking about the hug he’d given me at camp. I’d allowed my ire to get the better of me, snapping when he’d protested my involvement in tonight’s expedition. Instead of demanding his way and engaging in a terse exchange, he’d wrapped me in his arms, touched my hair, and assured me his concern was genuine—all without words.
I was beginning to think I liked him too much and that I wouldn’t be able to give him the annulment when the time came to do so.
Slowly, he pulled his arm back and tilted his spear down. At a ripple a dozen paces from the boat, I froze. From the many months of fishing around the island, I was familiar enough with the wave patterns, and what I’d just seen wasn’t normal. It was likely the movement from where Loch Ness was circling our boat, trying to determine what we were and how she could best attack.
I shivered and followed the next ripple.
Though many had tried to kill the ancient sea creature over the decades, even centuries, no one had ever gotten close enough to destroy it before it rose from the water to strike.
Carefully, I readied my bow and arrow along with my knife. I could see the others preparing for an attack too. I could only pray Loch Ness didn’t upend the boat. It was one of our bigger vessels and heavy under our weight. Nevertheless, Loch Ness was unpredictable, more so in recent months.
The ripple moved away and then circled back.
Mikkel lifted his spear higher. At his bravery in the face of this danger, I took a deep breath, prepared to fight this sea monster with the same courage.
Wordlessly we waited, and from the expressions on everyone’s faces, I sensed they were drawing courage from Mikkel too. When, a moment later, a long tail humped above the surface and its scales glittered a silvery green in the moonlight, I notched my arrow, ready to let it fly.
Mikkel held out a hand to stop us from firing. After another long minute of the creature circling, the swell disappeared. Mikkel motioned for us to remain silent and still, and for endless seconds we sat without moving, the low waves bumping the hull.
“It’s gone.” Mikkel lowered himself to his knees. “Let us be on our way with all haste before it detects us again.”
Immediately, the others slipped their oars into the sea and rowed.
“Faster,” Mikkel urged.
The boat moved forward at a swift speed, the men hurrying to obey Mikkel. I wished I could lend them my aid, but I continued to survey the sea the same as Mikkel, praying we would be able to outpace Loch Ness.
As we drew nearer to the shore, the fear of Loch Ness meshed with a fear of the Inquisitor’s retinue of soldiers, enlisted to aid him in his efforts to purify the Church and the land of infidels. We would need to use extreme caution as we navigated the streets and alleys of the city in an effort to discover where the Inquisitor was holding the women.
During our meeting at camp earlier, we’d discussed all the options and come up with several likely places. We’d decided to split up so we could stay hidden better. One pair would search St. Matthew’s Cathedral. Another would investigate the local lockup. And Mikkel and I planned to head to the town market and public green. Mikkel had insisted on being with me, although Gregor wanted to come too and had reluctantly conceded to being with one of the other outcasts.
We directed the boat toward a wharf on the far end of town where the buildings were older and the shacks run-down. A few upstairs windows reflected low candlelight, but otherwise, the town was asleep.
When the boat thumped against the pier, Mikkel was the first to leap out, then reached back in to assist me. In my usual hose and breeches, I’d donned a cloak to hide my long hair and prevent anyone from seeing me. Though the summer nights in Norland were cooler than Warwick’s, the cloak was heavy and oppressive in the humidity that hung in the air.
Mikkel leaned in, his face nearly touching mine. “Ready?”
I nodded. Already the other outcasts were slinking away in pairs, disappearing into the shadows.
“Stay right behind me,” he whispered.
“I shall lead,” I whispered back. “I know the way better.”
He shook his head, his nose brushing my cheek. “Irontooth explained where we need to go, and I shall lead.”
I started to shake my head, but he pressed in closer so his lips almost touched my ear, distracting me and silencing me at the same time.
&n
bsp; “I conceded in letting you come.” His whisper turned harsh. “Don’t make me regret it.”
Before I could protest any further, he started toward the nearest building, racing fast but crouching low. We flew down one dark street after another, keeping to the back ways and ducking into alleys the instant we heard any noise but our own.
As we reached the town green, we cautiously peeked out of an alley. Immediately, Mikkel ducked back and pushed me behind him.
“What—?” I started to whisper only to have him clamp a hand over my veil and mouth.
He spun me around so my back was against the cool wattle-and-daub exterior of the closest business. And then he startled me by practically throwing himself against me.
“A soldier,” he whispered against my ear. “Pretend to be kissing me.”
“But my veil—”
“Pull it down.” He glanced over his shoulder, his voice urgent and his body stiff.
I hesitantly tugged.
“Hurry.” He pushed off my hood and let my long hair show before bracing his elbows on either side of my face. He leaned his face in so our noses touched but the veil still covered my mouth.
I loosened the ribbons that held it firmly in place and lowered it farther so my mouth was free. With the darkness of the alley along with his shadow falling over me, I doubted he could see anything except my outline. Even so, I trembled at the prospect of him seeing me—truly seeing me—for the first time.
At the slap of nearing footsteps, I brushed my nose against his. I’d never kissed a man, much less pretended to do so, and I was at a loss for how to proceed. “How shall I pretend—?”
His mouth captured mine, cutting off my words. Warmth and power and passion pulsed against me, and suddenly I was lost in the connection, lost in a beautiful place I’d never gone before.
Vaguely, I could hear the thud of steps turning into the alley, but I was too enamored by the feel of Mikkel’s lips upon mine and somehow needed to respond. In fact, his kiss seemed to demand something from me in return. I could do nothing less than move my lips with his.
