“I wouldn’t like to get a nasty surprise.” His sharp green eyes snapped to hers. “Leth leers at you. He isn’t all that commanding, but you seemed mesmerized by him.”
“I did feel trapped by his gaze.” Alecia poured a cup of strong tea laced with honey. “You’ll have to ensure that he doesn’t entrance me completely. I found myself imagining strange things as he talked. He’d be a hard man to say ‘no’ to.”
Vard frowned at her. “Then make sure you are never alone with him. Perhaps it’s part of the Defender persona.”
Alecia smiled at him. He was so naïve at times. “You have a little of it, you know. You don’t use it as Leth does but I see the effect you have on women. I’ve felt it. You’re difficult to ignore, and it’s not just your devastating good looks that draw the eye.”
He blushed for the first time Alecia could remember. She laughed gaily as she leaned across the table to pat the hard stubble on his jaw. “That’s what I love about you, Vard. Just when I think I know you, you surprise me. I never thought you capable of embarrassment.”
He stood and walked away from the table, a sudden frown erasing the blush of moments before. She hurried to his side.
“I’m sorry, beloved,” she said. Her eyes roved hungrily over his body, from the hard planes of his face and gorgeous sea-green eyes to his broad shoulders and lean hips. He was all she wanted and more, and he was the father of her unborn child, for she was certain now that Vard’s babe grew within her. She pressed her body to his and gazed up at him. His arms enclosed her and she marveled again at how their bodies complemented each other. His arousal pushed against her.
“No need for apologies, Alecia,” he said, his eyes becoming golden with excitement before the pupils obliterated the gold. His lips met hers and she felt a week of pent-up passion driving his mouth and hands. She responded, her hands curling up into his hair and working their way down his chest to the fastening of his breeches.
Vard pulled back. “Are you sure, my love?”
Alecia’s heart cried at the doubt in his voice. “I want you more than anything. You’re all I’ve ever wanted since that day in the meadow when we kissed for the first time.”
“But you’ve been so distant this past week, I wondered if you regretted leaving your father.” She knew by his look that he still wondered.
“I regret nothing, beloved. I know I’ve been withdrawn but you mustn’t think you’re the cause. I’ve been tired and feeling unwell. That’s all.” She pushed herself against him and kissed him long and passionately before leading him toward the bed. “Make love to me, Vard. I’ve missed you.”
He scooped her into his arms, laid her gently on the furs that covered the bed and joined her. She gasped as his hand came to rest on her abdomen. Something had moved in her belly. The child? Did it feel its father’s hand?
The desire in Vard’s eyes was instantly replaced by concern. “What is it? Do you feel pain?”
Alecia pushed her nagging fear of the unknown aside and drew his head closer. “It’s nothing. Now kiss me.” She brought his lips to hers and rolled on top of him, surprised at the passion that overcame her. In seconds, Vard’s clothes were stripped away and hers followed. Their coupling was almost spiritual, as if they strived to become one. Alecia could not get close enough to the man she loved, even when he rested within her. Again she felt the babe move in her womb as if it too jumped with joy at the presence of its father.
Afterward, they lay naked under the furs, Vard’s leg across her hips, his fingers playing with a strand of her long blonde hair. She had never seen such love in his eyes and knew the experience had stirred his soul as it had hers.
“Never leave me,” she said, her heart skipping a beat at the mere thought of a life without him. “I couldn’t live if you should leave me. Promise.”
The love of a moment before was replaced with fear, the brilliant green of his eyes became a stormy sea. “I promise I’ll always protect you, Alecia. That’s the best I can do. I couldn’t live if I caused your death.”
She sat up in bed, the furs slipping until they barely covered her breasts. For once, she didn’t care. She was with child to this man and they shared a bond even greater than that. Her heart was tied to him beyond death. Couldn’t he feel that? She clutched his hand and placed it over her heart. They both gasped at the spark that the touch of their skins always evoked.
“My heart beats for you, because of you, with yours,” she said, her gaze boring into his. “If you leave me I’ll die. My body may live on for a while, but I’ll be dead in spirit, and what does life mean when the spirit is dead?”
Vard drew his hand away but his eyes never left hers. “You have a flair for the dramatic that all women seem to share. It’s not easy to be responsible for the death of another, especially when they are beloved.”
“Don’t you think I know that? Don’t you think it was difficult for me to accept what I’ve done in the past? I still have nightmares about the deaths of those mercenaries.”
“Think how much worse it would be if you loved those men. If one had been your best friend, your brother? Ask as often as you like, Alecia, but I won’t be responsible for your death. I pray the Goddess will give me the strength to walk away if I must.”
Tears filled her eyes. “I was dead,” she said, her voice breaking. “I was dead in that dungeon until you rescued me. Your love revived my spirit. How can your memory be that poor? You once made me promise I would not take my own life. I held to that promise. It was all that sustained me in the days I was held prisoner by my father, when Finus’s hands pawed me. But now we are one, the only promise that will sustain me is yours.”
Vard slid from the bed, covering himself with a sheet. His eyes found hers again. “I won’t promise to let you die. All I can hope is that you’ll be safe until I know if Leth is the teacher I seek. The Goddess knows I should send you away now but I’m too weak. You know the amulet isn’t the answer we once thought. Who can tell how long the enchantment will last this time? If I fail to learn enough control from Leth to keep you safe, I must distance myself. Accept that Alecia. I don’t wish to quarrel with you. My heart is yours but I won’t live knowing I caused your death.”
She climbed from the bed, not trying to shield her body from Vard’s hot gaze. She dressed and left the room without another word.
Chapter 6
Vard’s skin tingled with the sixth sense that had warned him of danger on more than one occasion. Where was Alecia? If not for his distress when she left the room he would’ve followed her immediately, instead of standing transfixed for long moments after the door closed behind her. He stood on the balcony that ran in a circle around the building, but she was not to be seen. He couldn’t just barge into rooms indiscriminately, hoping to find her.
He turned left and walked toward Leth’s quarters, pausing outside to place his ear at the door.
“Can I help you?” a voice said at his elbow.
Vard spun, stifling the curse that sprang to his lips, and encountered Ade Gyndis who had shown them to their rooms. The corporal’s eyes narrowed at something he saw in Vard’s face.
“I was seeking Al. . . Allandra, the woman who travels with me.”
“Ah, yes. She has caught the eye of our leader and I can see why. Our women are darker and more slender but there is a fire within her that puts me in mind of our Lenweri females.”
Vard frowned and drew himself up. “Do you know where she is?”
“I saw her walking with Alen Leth in the grove behind the palace. If you descend to the level below and exit via the passage that lies beneath your rooms, it will take you directly there. But I warn you. Alen Leth does not like to be disturbed, especially when he is entertaining.”
“I’ll bear that in mind,” Vard growled and left without thanking the soldier. He circled the balcony and descended the staircase, all the while clutching the amber talisman. If that man had harmed Alecia… He strode along the passage and through open wrought iro
n gates into a paradise. Gigantic trees lined the path, and Vard spied the verdant grass of a sunny clearing at the other end. But that couldn’t be possible when the sky was thick with clouds that threatened snow. The hair on the back of his neck stirred.
The path was only twenty paces long but it was twilight under the trees. He inched his way, his steps silent on the dirt and leaves underfoot. His gut told him to beware. At the end of the pathway, he peered around the bole of a huge oak and spied Leth and Alecia seated on a bench in front of a fountain. Water splashed from the mouth of a stone bear that reared above them. Vard swallowed fear as he saw Alecia’s hands held fast in Leth’s.
“There you are, Allandra,” he said as he stepped onto the grass of the clearing. Neither Alecia nor Leth moved and Vard fought down another surge of dread. “What’s going on?” His voice, forced past the tightness in his throat, was a harsh croak.
Vard didn’t think he imagined the flash of fury that crossed Leth’s bronzed features.
“Allandra and I were only chatting, weren’t we?” he said, looking at Alecia. He stood and faced Vard, the long blue sleeves of his robe sweeping outward. Vard tensed, expecting an attack, but Leth laughed, his rich tones striking a discordant note.
The break in contact seemed to release Alecia and she turned on her seat. “Isn’t this a marvelous place?” she said, the dreamy note of her voice warning Vard she had been under the lord’s spell. “Who would have thought that there could be sunshine in this place? Lord Leth said it has broken through just for me.”
“Come to me, Allandra.” Vard held out his hand, keeping an eye on Leth’s imposing figure. A frown rippled across Alecia’s face but she stood and moved to Vard’s side. “I want you to make your apologies to Lord Leth and wait for me in your room,” he said, trying to place the power of the Defender into his look and words. He had no idea if he succeeded in this, but Alecia frowned up at him again and then turned back to Lord Leth.
“I feel tired, My Lord,” she said. “Would you excuse me?”
He frowned but nodded, and she turned and left without another word.
“There is a story behind that one, and you for that matter,” Leth said, staring after Alecia. “She shows no inclination to curtsy to me, even though she should see me as her superior. That tells me much.”
“Forget Allandra,” Vard snapped, striding past and stopping at the stone bench so Leth had to turn to face him. “I wish to know if you will teach me my heritage.”
“Blunt, aren’t you?”
“I’m in great need and lives are at risk.”
“I can see that is true, but a bargain must be struck. There must be some reward in this for me.” He stared into Vard’s eyes.
Vard felt himself grow cold. “I told you Allandra isn’t part of any bargain.” He clutched his amber talisman between shaking fingers.
“Your control is tenuous,” Leth said. “When it snaps, what happens to your precious woman then?” He watched Vard closely and smiled. “I see it has already happened. What of next time. Will she survive? Give her to me and you will not need to worry.”
“Allandra isn’t my property to be passed around,” Vard ground out through clenched teeth.
“Even so, your attachment to her must give you sleepless nights. Why lie awake imagining that soft white flesh torn, those beautiful eyes unseeing, when you can save her from that?”
“That’s precisely what I’m trying to do.”
“Without losing her. You’re in love with her,” Leth spat, contempt thick in his voice. “She will be your undoing. Give her to me.”
“I’ve already said no,” Vard insisted, his voice low, his control balanced on a knife edge. It was as though Leth wished to push him over that edge.
Leth took a deep breath and broke eye contact. Vard allowed his tensed muscles to relax one by one.
“Very well,” Leth said. “We shall see about the woman, Allandra. I will make another bargain for now. My people require training. The Lenweri are forest people, skilled in the use of the short bow and the knife, but they lack prowess with the sword and the longbow. I wonder if you could teach them the necessary skills.”
“Why?”
“You don’t need to know that, Anton, if that is your name.”
“It is my name.”
“Perhaps.”
“There’s little trust between us,” Vard said, forcing the words between gritted teeth. “What will you teach me, when, and for how long?”
“How long will it take to train two thousand of my Lenweri?”
Vard’s heart stuttered at the thought of that many elven warriors. “I’d have to know their skill level to tell you that.”
“But you have the necessary expertise for the job?”
“I do. What will you teach me?”
“When I have finished with you, you will know all there is to know about your gift.”
Vard nodded. “Show me your soldiers.”
Vard strode alongside Leth as the mysterious lord made his way back, through the trees and the palace passage, and out into the ruined square. Rain fell in a cold drizzle that had not been present in the garden.
Vard stared at Leth, his palms upraised to catch the raindrops. “Is this the style of gift that you’ll impart, Leth? The ability to order the weather?”
“I’m afraid not,” the older man said. “I have many talents, not all of them Defender in origin. Now we must hurry if we are to see the troops before they disperse for maneuvers.”
Leth strode off across the square, heading toward a large arch. Vard followed, and they entered a wide street where fallen stone blocks, too large for a man to move alone, lay against the walls. The houses and palaces on either side had partially crumbled and the resulting rubble had yet to be properly cleared. Vard’s boots sent shards of stone skittering across the paving stones. He couldn’t comprehend why the streets hadn’t been cleared, unless it was to hinder the movement of enemies. The gaping holes in the walls above made Vard uneasy. The street was silent except for their footfalls. There were no doors leading off the street into the buildings, and plenty of high vantage points for archers. If an enemy were to enter, few would escape an attack here.
The wide street eventually led into a huge space that appeared to be a staging ground, with numerous doors in the walls on the four sides that bordered it. The square was a bustle of activity, with horses being shod inside a building to the right, while elves trained in various activities throughout the open space. The tall, lithe Lenweri were paired up and taking part in hand to hand combat. A small group were practicing archery in a corner partitioned off by bales of straw, while another group watched two elves fighting with practice swords.
Leth stood with his powerful arms folded across his chest, a frown on his face. “I am told that the short bows are fine for horseback or in confined spaces but longbows would be an advantage in battles on a larger scale. Do you agree?”
Vard frowned. Was the man trying to catch him out? “Generally, that’s true. Long bows enable you to engage with the enemy before they can engage with you. What do you have planned?”
“That is information you do not need to know.”
“There may come a time when I’ll require that information or else make costly blunders.”
“I will await that time.”
Vard turned back to watch the fighters.
“Do you think you can improve their combat skills?” Leth asked.
“Undoubtedly. When do I begin?”
“Now. Spend the rest of this day with the troops and dine with me tonight. I will begin your tuition after dinner. Until then.” Leth spun on his heel and stalked off in the direction of the palace.
Vard turned back to the staging ground and ran an eye over his charges. How was he supposed to convince them he was there to instruct them? The agreement had just been reached. Leth had no opportunity to inform any of the men they had a new trainer. He knew how he’d react if he were in their place. Vard spotted
a familiar face outside the smithy. Caele Aloe leaned against the stone wall, his hostile gaze fixed on Vard. No help from that quarter then.
His sword and longbow were still held by Leth and his cronies, but Vard could demonstrate sword skills with the practice lathes the Sis Lenweri were using. Eyes fixed on the soldier supervising, Vard walked across the staging ground, ignoring the glances from the elves he passed. They were far from friendly but no one stopped him. Aloe still glared at him from the blacksmith’s.
Vard pushed through the ring of spectators and stopped a few paces from the swordsmen, just as a large Sis Lenweri with a shaven scalp and half his left ear missing struck his opponent on the side of the head. He went down and stayed down. Vard flinched. A knock by a practice sword on the head could be fatal. The bald fighter played for keeps. He spied Vard and turned to face him.
“Step up, kingdom man, and I will show you how the Sis Lenweri fight.”
“Just a moment, Arthoe,” the trainer said, placing his hand on the bald man’s chest. He looked at Vard. “I am Gir Ensalor, the sword master. Explain your presence here.”
Vard met the trainer’s steady gaze. “Lord Leth has enlisted my help to train this bunch of forest dwellers. I must say he’s right to be concerned, from what I see.”
“Is he?” Ensalor’s voice sounded ominous. “Why should Alen Leth be so concerned, kingdom man?”
Vard allowed his gaze to sweep around the watching faces. “One charge from kingdom soldiers and this sorry excuse for a fighting force would crumple. I suspect they are much more used to sneaking up on their enemies and killing them in their sleep.”
Angry muttering surged around the assembled Sis Lenweri.
Ensalor, burly for an elf, held up his hand and the men fell silent. Vard nodded approvingly. At least they were disciplined.
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