by Elissa Daye
“Not to worry, Aiden. I’ll have her just like I did your Selia. Lady Anna has seen to that. Although she probably did not expect me to capture her beloved Lord Aiden in the process. That tart, she sure is a hot little thing. My guess is she will spread her legs for anyone. It’s a shame that she’ll have to die too.”
It was all Aiden could do to stay conscious long enough to hear that Anna had been the one giving away the secrets of Blackwolf Keep. She had been the one telling Terryn when Lord Aiden would be away to provide an easy attack and giving him suggestions on how to use him to get to Lysandra. Rage boiled inside him. He should have exiled her from the keep long ago. Now his wife and unborn child were at great risk.
“Don’t worry, Aiden. I’ll have her long before that child rips its way through her body. That’s enough for now. Let him think about what I will do to his precious wife since he is no longer able to protect her.”
Aiden fell in and out of consciousness. Every inch of his body throbbed painfully. He was given very little food and water, but it would not have mattered how much they had put in front of him. There was no way he could swallow anything. His throat burned from the acid that spewed all over the ground near him. His head hurt so masterfully that anything that had been digesting in his belly had made its way out long ago. He grasped for the only thing that mattered to him. He fell back into a deep, labored sleep, calling out for the only soul that knew his.
Lysandra sat within the garden behind the keep, not feeling quite adventurous enough to travel outside the walls of Blackwolf. She sat tethered to the bench, her soul gliding through the air as it sought out her beloved Aiden. Her soul soared high above the world and settled among the clouds, listening for any sound of his voice. She waited for as long as she could before she brought her soul back to her body. She sat there in silence, a numbness running through her. For the first time she felt her magic had abandoned her. She would not be able to learn anything here with the exhaustion ripping through her. She rose from the bench and walked without really seeing. She made it up to her room before collapsing on the bed.
She raced through the forest in her dreams, desperately searching for her beloved. She sat within Eden and whispered to the wind. “Bring him home. I beg of you.”
She felt the air changing around her and she suddenly found herself within a dark cell. She could hear the short, labored breaths, more like the panting of an injured beast. She crawled closer to the sound, unafraid of what may lay close to her. Her spirit had traveled across time and space. She let her hands be her eyes as she moved them blindly before her. She felt a body beneath them, and let them move up to where the quick breaths hissed out at the world. She ran her fingers over the face she had memorized a million times over. “Aiden!” She could not keep the fear from her voice. “Oh dear god, Aiden. What have they done to you?”
“Minx?” Aiden’s voice shook quietly before her. “I must be dreaming.”
“Yes, my love. I believe we both are.”
“Are you safe, Lysandra?”
“Yes, Aiden. I am safe.” She did not bother explaining that the keep was not well guarded at the moment. She held him close to her body and gave him whatever solace she had left to give him.
“Lysandra, you must warn Garrett. Lady Anna is a viper. Not to be trusted. She’s behind it all.”
“What about Terryn?”
“They are both working together. You’re not safe, Lysandra. Terryn is plotting to take you. You must tell Garrett. You must protect yourself.”
“I will be fine, Aiden.” She did not tell him that she would do whatever it took to gain his freedom. She could not live without him in her life. No matter what.
“Promise me you’ll tell Garrett.”
“I promise.” It was true. She would tell Garrett about Lady Anna. She would tell him that Terryn did indeed have their lord within his grasp. She held him until he fell into a more restful sleep. She awoke with tears already running down her face. She longed to be with him in the here and now. It was not fair that she could only see him in her dream world. She brought her hand to her face and wiped away the water that left a bitter trail.
She would wait for Aiden’s men to return, for she did not trust herself to confront Lady Anna alone. She would not be responsible for her actions if she did. That evil, vindictive woman had almost cut the strings that fate had woven so carefully around their lives. One fell swoop and Aiden’s lifeline could be ripped viciously from this world. If there was any karma in the universe, then Lady Anna would live a long life of servitude making up for the mess she had created. None of Aiden’s men would want to marry her after learning of this shameful betrayal. She was sure that James Mannon would deny his claims to wed her. If Lady Anna thought the world was a cold, lonely place before now she had no idea what was in store for her next.
Chapter 37
Lysandra fell back into a deep sleep as she curled safely beneath the covers. When she opened her eyes she stood deep within the clearing of a forest with no path before her and only silence surrounding her. She clenched her lips then let out a loud breath of air. “Again?”
She recognized the trees, the light that streamed lazily through the air around her. She knew where she was headed this time as she crossed through the trees at a pace that made it almost difficult to breathe. Lately her child had taken to curling up right by her lungs, making it difficult to breathe at times. She rested her hand on a tree to support her body while she caught her breath. She waited a few moments before continuing on her path.
She found the cold stream sparkling back at her like twinkling lights. “Sure, you look so nice and inviting, but I know better.” She gritted her teeth against the icy water as she made her way across. When she reached the other side she sat down on a large rock, wrung out her dress, and then continued on to the woods that had been marked for Elkliss.
When she reached the trees she made her way through them as swiftly as her tired body would carry her. After entering the gates of Elkliss she felt the child within her stir slowly. “Good morning, little one. Welcome to Elkliss.” She rubbed her belly gently and smiled warmly as a rain of little pokes tickled wherever her hand touched. It was good to feel such healthy life after her scare earlier.
Lysandra looked around, almost expecting to find the pain she had seen the last time she had visited Elkliss in her dreams, but she was quite surprised to find that not to be the case. The people were moving around her as if the world had never touched them and the day was carrying out much like any other. None of them glanced at her. They appeared to walk right by her without noticing her existence. On other days it might have made her feel sad, but today she knew that she had some purpose for her returning home.
Lysandra passed through the hustle of the bailey and made her way across the small bridge that separated the keep from the rest of the castle. She climbed familiar steps, forcing herself to walk slowly, for although she wanted to race up the steps the extra weight she carried reminded her that she was not the same carefree, self-involved girl who had once lived within these walls. When she made her way to the great hall that was nestled at the base of the keep she gasped aloud when she saw the people seated at the table. It was more than her mind could process.
“Sweet Lysandra.” Her father greeted her with a large smile.
She fought the urge to fling herself into his arms like she would have done as a child. “Father.” She curtsied politely to him and sat at the table to his right. Her mother was seated to his left.
“Is that any way to greet me?” Concern was etched on his face.
Lysandra shook her head softly as she looked down at the table. “Life is not the way it once was, Father. It never will be.”
“Hush, little one.” Her mother reached across the table to touch her hand, but Lysandra pushed away.
“Hush? Do I look like a little one to you both? Why am I here?” As she sat there the anger of the past year boiled to the surface. Everything she had once kno
wn had been ripped away from her and here they sat living out their days in peace when she had drowned in the sadness their loss had created. She felt guilt as a small trickle of tears left her mother’s eyes. She sighed loudly and shook her head as she waited for a reply.
“You always were born to be a fighter.” Her father’s eyes gleamed with pride.
“A fighter?” She remembered the timid child that had roamed the forest floor with reckless abandon. She remembered the shy young girl she had become when her body had grown out of proportions to the rest of her. She had longed for nothing else but to be able to fade into the background while the other beautiful girls flirted and flounced with the men of Elkliss. Lysandra had been envious of their enchanting figures and had dreamed of the day when she would no longer look like the horse come to the trough. She had never considered fighting, not until she had no other choice.
Her mother smiled intuitively at her. “The women of Lena are great fighters, Lysandra, but the universe does not often intend for the battle to be the one you expect it to be.”
“You’re talking about love, are you not?” Lysandra knew the road to love had been paved with sharp rocks, broken sticks, and shattered glass. It had been the hardest road she’d ever traveled, but she would never look back, never regret one step on that path. Her thoughts did nothing but remind her that her love, her one true mate, was being tortured at the hands of an evil man right at this very moment. She looked at her parents again and asked the most direct question she could. “Why am I here?”
“We’ve come to warn you. The man who pursues you is very dangerous. If he is not stopped he will keep coming back. The future of your children, your love, and your very own future is tainted with his shadow. You must have the courage to do whatever is necessary to protect the love you have been given. Love is a destiny.”
“I will.” She grimaced slightly, thinking that whatever happened from this moment forward, she would never let Terryn Tibalus hurt her family ever again. “You’re really here, aren’t you?”
“We always have been.” Both her parents smiled sadly at her.
Lysandra now knew the other reason her soul had been brought to this place. It was as Brenda had always told her. Sometimes the spirits latched onto their loved ones in the afterlife, refusing to move to the light that would set them free from their earthly bonds. Her parents had refused to cross over because their daughter had been left alone to fend for herself. She looked at them both with a new purpose in her heart. “You have to let go of me. You can’t continue to stay behind. The universe is waiting for you to cross over to the other side.”
At her words a bright blinding light shone a few feet away from them. She remembered what Brenda had said about crossing a spirit over. Joy and sorrow often accompanied the moment, but Brenda’s words had not prepared her for the sadness that crept into her lungs, a choking fire that made it difficult for her to breathe. “I’ll miss you, but you must go. You’ll be together in the ever after. You’ll still be able to look down on me.” They sat before her in mute sadness and Lysandra knew they were sensing the pain she felt in her heart. “Yes, it is always painful to say goodbye, my dears, but it is part of life’s cycle. You must go to the light.” She stood and walked closer to the large, bright doorway that had formed from the bursting light that lit the room. She held her arms out to her parents, beckoning them closer. They arose slowly, proud tears falling down their faces.
“You take care of our grandchildren.” Her mother ran her hand across her belly knowingly and Lysandra looked at her in question, but she knew by the fixed look on her mother’s face she would get no explanation. Lysandra hugged her fiercely, stroked the back of her hair, and smelled her mother’s rosy scent before she let her go one last time. She kissed her father on the cheek, tasting the salty tears that ran down it. She hugged him just as she had her mother and felt his beard that tickled the top her head.
She let go of him quickly and stepped to the side. “It’s time for you to go home, my dears.” She smiled softly at them and let her mind think of all the happy memories she had to keep with her for the rest of her life. They turned around one last time as the stepped through the doorway and waved slowly to her. When they turned around again their spirits disappeared from sight. Lysandra felt the world change around her and was not surprised that Elkliss was no longer there.
Chapter 38
Lysandra waited in the gardens most of the next day, wishing for the wind to carry news of Aiden’s men. She tried to calm the anxiety racing through her, for she worried that it effected the child in her womb, or was that children? She meant to ask April if it was possible to detect twins within her, but she had been so lost in her thoughts. She would do whatever it took to bring Aiden home. So she continued to sit there listening for any sound that would tell her that the men were returning. She knew they would not be returning with Aiden.
It was late afternoon when she heard the hoofbeats carry across the silence in the garden. The ladies surrounding her could not sense it, but as Lysandra stood swiftly so did they. They followed her to the garrison. They stood around her as she searched for Garrett. When she found him sitting on a bench with worry stretched across his face she rushed over to him. The other women stood at the door, for they were not permitted in the men’s quarters of the garrison.
“Garret.”
“My lady, I’m sorry. We did not find him.” Hollow light reflected in his eyes.
“I know.” Lysandra looked at him comfortingly.
“How did you know that?”
“Aiden reached out to me. He told me something that I think will help you find him. We have a conspirator within our midst.”
“From Blackwolf?” Stubborn denial marked his features and it was clear that Garrett found it outrageous that one of his people could turn against his leader.
“I’m afraid so. Lady Anna has been working with Terryn Tibalus. I’ve waited for your return to question her.”
“Does she know that you have this information?”
“I did not feel that I should be tackling the situation alone in my condition.” Lysandra looked away uncomfortably.
“You were right to wait, my lady. What would you have me do?”
Lysandra struggled to keep the hatred from her heart when she thought of the one woman who had plotted to make her life hell since the moment she had entered Blackwolf. “I don’t think she’ll tell the information easily, Sir Garrett. You’ll have to force it out of her.”
Garrett turned to the two men standing next to him. “Seek out Lady Anna and bring her to bailey for interrogation.”
“What are you going to do?”
“We’ll get it out of her, my lady.”
Lysandra saw the conflicting emotions reflecting on his face. What was about to happen was in contrast to the character of the man who stood before her. She knew what she had to do at once. “No.”
“No?” Garrett’s confusion was clear.
“I will get it out of her. It’s my right.” Lysandra could not help but see the relief clear the worry from his face. Whatever happened next Lysandra would have to keep the courage to go through with it. Aiden’s life depended on it.
When Lady Anna was escorted to the bailey she stared hatefully at Lysandra. “Remove her clothing and tie her to the poles.”
“What is the meaning of this? What right have you to do this? You cannot treat a lady like this.” An ugly sneer ran across Lady Anna’s face.
“It would bother me if I was looking at one.” Lysandra yanked the whip out of Garrett’s hands. “Stand back.”
Everyone moved away from her as she made the whip crack loudly in the air. It landed harmlessly at Lady Anna’s feet. “Now, I suggest you tell me where Aiden is.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I know about you and Terryn, Anna. You’d best come clean before I begin.”
“You’re insane.” It was the only answer that came forth from Lady
Anna’s lips before Lysandra snaked the whip through the air. She flicked it so hard that her wrist hurt, but her discomfort did not matter. Her stomach turned as she saw the line of red move across Lady Anna’s back. She heard her scream, but she continued to lay into her. She had given her three lashes before she stopped to question her some more.
“I will ask you again, where is Aiden?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Tears fell down her face, but there was something hidden beneath her eyes.
“I see you need more incentive.” Lysandra raised the whip again, trying to steel herself for the cries she knew would follow. As much as she hated this woman she never would have inflicted this much pain on her, but she had no choice. She was about to send the whip flying again when it was yanked from her hands.
“My lady, please allow me.” Garrett took the whip from her hand. “You should go. It’s about to get ugly.”
“I can’t. I will see this through, Sir Garrett. If she has news of Aiden, I must hear it.”
Lady Anna contorted under another lash and her scream echoed around them. “What do you have say for yourself, Lady Anna?” The pure anger and hatred in Garrett’s voice spoke of more threats to come.
Lady Anna’s courage faltered. “Terryn has him. He was supposed to take her, but she never left the keep.”
In moments she had confessed Terryn’s plot to capture Lysandra in the forest at the full moon, for she assumed that Lysandra would follow him. She knew that Lysandra’s curiosity often led her to the forest when the full moon advanced over the world around them. She had not known that Lysandra would stay within the safety of the keep. She told them of the fortress near the cliffs where Terryn was going to take Lysandra. When she had finished telling of Terryn’s plot she was released swiftly from her bonds. She fell to the ground and sputtered as dirt made its way into her mouth and nose.
“My lady?”