The Betrayer: Tales of Pern Coen (Legacy Book 1)

by Hannah E Carey

  “Do you still have feelings for him?”

  Ciara bit her lip, pausing before answering. “Yes.”

  “It was a shock to me, finding out what he and Odran are, but I think they’re the same people underneath it all. Just with a bit more baggage and some… odd abilities.”

  “Looking back on it now, I should have known something was wrong.” Ciara dropped her chin, staring hard at her lap. “I knew he wasn’t acting like himself, even at Ciall. I should have tried harder, reached out to him.”

  “He hid it from all of us,” Maura said, her tone gentle. “Impressively well, I might add, all things considered. Besides, you’ve had a lot going on these last few weeks, yourself.”

  Ciara gave a slight nod, a bit of thickness settling in her throat. “I think I might be—”

  She stopped mid-sentence when she heard a loud thump outside the door. Another noise followed, coming from across the hallway, and Maura frowned. They both set their drinks down on the bedside table, getting to their feet just as the bedroom door was kicked open. Two mercenaries stormed into the room, blades drawn.

  Maura ducked out of the way of a mercenary’s sword, landing a kick to the man’s shin as she did so. It halted the man long enough for her to grab a nearby chair and throw it him. The man stumbled backward and Ciara lunged for her dagger, attacking the man from behind. She stabbed him in the back, giving Maura the opportunity to hit the man hard enough in the groin to send him to his knees. The remaining mercenary came at Ciara, but Maura grabbed the fallen mercenary’s blade and blocked his strike. The first man attempted to get to his feet, but Ciara kicked him, then plunged her dagger into his chest just as Maura felled the mercenary she was fighting.

  Ciara could hear commotion farther down the hall and she picked up the remaining sword before rushing over to Maura. The two women bolted into the hallway, only to run into another mercenary. Maura deflected with her blade, allowing Ciara to stab the man in the shoulder. He stumbled backward, raising his sword warily. Maura swung her blade, distracting the man so that Ciara could slice her own across his stomach. The man cried out before stumbling back and collapsing to the ground. Shouts rang out from the direction of Odran’s room and even more commotion came from farther up the hallway near Niall’s quarters.

  “I’ve got Niall,” Maura said. “You go see to Odran.”

  Ciara hesitated, her own fears for Niall’s safety leaving her wanting to argue with the other woman, but she knew there wasn’t time for such pettiness. She gave Maura a tight nod, turning to run in the opposite direction, but five more mercenaries barreled down the hallway. Ciara and Maura soon found themselves surrounded, embroiled in a bloody fight. The two women managed to rid themselves of three of their attackers, but Maura still locked blades with another man. Ciara was left to fend off her own assailant, the man’s blade nicking her shoulder before she brought her blade across his throat and kicked him to the ground. She wheeled around to aid Maura, but the other woman met her gaze and gave a terse shake of her head.

  “See to Niall!” Maura shouted. “I’ll deal with him!”

  Ciara’s throat was thick but at Maura’s urging, she took off down the hallway. Her chest was tight and her heart was pounding in her ears by the time she reached Niall’s room. She could hear muffled noises inside as she grabbed the handle. She tried to shove it open, only to curse when she found it blocked by something on the other side. Taking a step back, she kicked at the door. On her third attempt, it gave way.

  She half-tripped over the dead body in the doorway, a dagger sticking out of the man’s chest. Niall was fighting with two mercenaries, the clanging of blades filling the air while Rhew had her jaw wrapped around one of the men’s legs. Ciara leapt over the body, racing toward Niall. One of the men brought his blade across Niall’s side and he stumbled backward, but before his companion could raise his blade, Ciara struck a blow to the man’s shoulder. He growled with fury, kicking at Rhew as he turned to face her, but the moment had bought Niall time to recover his footing and block the first man’s strike.

  The mercenary she had injured turned his attention to her. Ciara blocked his blows, finally managing to catch him with a kick to the kneecap, slowing his advance. She thrust her sword into his stomach and he dropped in front of her just as Niall put down the remaining assailant. She was out of breath, but her biggest concern was Niall. Rhew beat Ciara to him, the wolf pressing herself up against Niall’s legs as he worriedly checked her for injuries. When Ciara reached him, he placed his hands on her shoulders, his expression tight. She could see blood on his side, but it was difficult to get a good look in the dim light.

  “Are you alright?” she asked.

  He nodded, swallowing hard. “Thanks to you.”

  Her throat tightened and she didn’t allow herself even a moment to overthink before she embraced him. He went unnaturally still for a moment before he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Tears stung her eyes and she rested her head on his chest, the fear of almost losing him bringing with it a surprising clarity. She wanted him in her life; she always had.

  “Are the two of you alright?”

  At Odran’s voice, Ciara eased back from Niall, but her arm brushed against his side in the process. He let out a sharp hiss and she glanced from the smears of blood on her sleeve to his bloodstained, ripped shirt, her mouth going dry.

  “Niall is wounded,” Ciara called back.

  “It’s nothing,” Niall said, but Ciara grabbed him by the hand, tugging him toward the bed.

  Odran and Maura were beside her in an instant and with their combined insistence, Niall begrudgingly slumped down onto the mattress. Rhew jumped up beside him, letting out a low whine.

  “The rest of them?” Ciara asked Odran when Maura returned to the busted door to stand guard.

  “Dead,” Odran replied, sitting down next to Niall. “We didn’t see any more.”

  “But they know we’re here,” Niall said, his jaw tight.

  Odran lifted up Niall’s shirt and Ciara winced at the sight of the gash running vertically across his ribcage. It looked far too similar to the injury that she had received on their flight from Ciall. Odran inspected it, causing Niall to grimace and let out a low grunt between his clenched teeth.

  “It’s not pretty,” Odran said, his forehead wrinkled. “But it could be worse.”

  “Just bandage it for now,” Niall said. “We can’t stay here, especially not knowing who betrayed us.”

  “Breda has been acting oddly since we arrived,” Maura said, her brow furrowed as she looked over at the others. “I don’t wish to think so ill of her, but the way she isolated you from the rest of us and seemed to keep so many of the other villagers at bay… Not to mention insisting that we all join her in her private quarters for those drinks.”

  Niall dropped his chin, his jaw clenching. “All the more reason not to linger.”

  Odran pursed his lips but nodded in agreement before sending Ciara to fetch supplies from his room. Even though she knew Niall was in capable hands with Maura and Odran, Ciara still hated leaving him. The simple fact that they weren’t safe in Blaidd was deeply alarming and left her wondering just how far Bleddyn’s reach now extended.

  Adrenaline still coursed through her as she ran down the hall, and her pulse remained rapid as she burst into Odran’s room. The sight of the dead men scattered across the floor, along with the bodies in the hallway, left her stomach turning and she gritted her teeth as she began to search for his healing supplies, trying to ignore the blood on the floor.

  Odran’s characteristic lack of organization made locating his bag more of a challenge than she had patience for and her jaw was aching by the time she uncovered it stuffed underneath a set of saddlebags. Slinging it over her shoulder, she took off back down the hallway, her stomach in knots. Someone in Blaidd had betrayed their Ri, most likely for nothing more than coin. The faithless act was unthinkable.

  Swallowing against the painful lump in her th
roat, she strode back into Niall’s room and handed Odran his bag before resuming her place on the bed beside Niall. Ciara took his hand, noticing the paleness of his features and the way he wouldn’t quite meet her gaze. While Odran did a quick cleaning of the wound, Ciara helped Niall hold up his shirt. Once Odran was finished, the healer wrapped it in a clean bandage, though Ciara could tell by Odran’s furrowed brow and pinched lips that he wasn’t pleased with the arrangement.

  “We can’t stay,” Niall said. “I can ride.”

  Odran’s nod was hesitant, the emotions playing across his face echoing Ciara’s own. Niall needed rest, but there was no arguing against the reality that they weren’t safe in Sionnach. The three of them helped Niall gather his things as quickly as they could before they paired up and did the same in their own rooms. Maura and Ciara met the men and Rhew back in the hallway and they raced to the back door, Ciara’s muscles tensing at every noise.

  When they burst through the door, they found the clearing behind the tavern empty, so they jogged across it to the stable. The horses seemed somewhat surprised by their late-night arrival, but their mounts were tractable as they pulled them from their small paddock and saddled them. Ciara could hear noise from deeper in the village, her mouth dry as she pulled herself up into Rhosyn’s saddle. As soon as the others were mounted, they urged their horses into a gallop, Rhew bolting along next to them. Ciara’s stomach churned as they rode into the shelter of the nearby forest. If they weren’t safe in Blaidd, where would they be?

  Chapter 29

  The Last Seer of Pern Coen

  Exhaustion had begun to overtake Ciara by the time the sun rose over the mountains. They had ridden straight through the night, Maura leading the way through terrain that Ciara found entirely unfamiliar. Odran and Niall rode in front of Ciara, allowing Odran to keep an eye on his injured patient. Niall was half-slumped in the saddle, but every time anyone had suggested stopping to rest, he had stalwartly refused. Ciara worried over his injury, but he was bent on reaching Castle Clogwyn as quickly as possible. She couldn’t blame him for his desire for haste; thinking back over the events that had happened at the Three Foxes still sent a shiver down her spine.

  Rhosyn tossed her head and skirted sideways, forcing Ciara to focus on her horse. She used her legs and reins to keep the mare from veering off the narrow path they’d been traversing, bringing her to a halt to calm her. Rhosyn snorted again and Ciara looked up just in time to see Niall sprawl forward onto Gealach’s neck. Her chest tightened and she called for Maura to stop before leaping from her saddle.

  Niall’s sudden pitch forward had startled Odran’s mare and he was forced to focus on getting her back under control. To Ciara’s relief, Gealach didn’t spook at the sudden weight on his neck, instead continuing to amble along down the trail. When she reached Gealach, she grabbed his reins, bringing him to a halt while at the same time trying to steady Niall before he tumbled to the ground. She struggled to hold him in place, letting out a soft grunt under his weight.

  “I’m coming!” Odran called, finally able to dismount his mare.

  “Well, hurry,” Ciara called back. “He’s heavy.”

  “Am not,” Niall mumbled, squinting at her as he barely managed to lift his head off Gealach’s neck.

  “You are when you’re dead weight,” she said, fighting to keep the fear out of her voice. “And you’re also stubborn, to your own damn detriment.”

  “No more stubborn than you.” Niall’s voice was weak but the hint of a smile on his face eased some of the tension in her stomach. He at least still felt well enough to tease her.

  Odran reached them, his frown deep as he helped her steady Niall. “Let’s get him down.”

  Niall groaned when they pulled him off Gealach, Rhew circling around them and letting out a few low whines. Ciara and Odran both tried not to trip over the wolf before Maura called her off. The two helped Niall over to a nearby tree and when Odran pulled up Niall’s shirt, revealing his blood-soaked bandage, Ciara’s stomach clenched.

  “You need to let me treat this,” Odran said. “And you need to rest.”

  “Mercenaries,” Niall muttered, weakly trying to push Odran away.

  “We’re miles from Sionnach,” Ciara said with an exasperated sigh. “We’ve seen no signs of any followers. You’re no good to anyone if you’re dead.”

  Niall let out a grunt but didn’t argue further. Odran stayed with him and Rhew while Ciara and Maura took the horses and went to scout out a place to camp. As much as she worried for Niall, riding through the dense forest with Maura at least distracted Ciara from the hardness growing in her stomach. It was a beautiful autumn morning, the idyllic views at odds with their nightmarish situation. As it rose higher in the sky, the sun chased away the chill of the night air along with the low fog that had settled over the mountains in the early morning hours.

  Eventually, the two women found a small clearing surrounded by numerous large boulders that would suit their purposes. It was off the main trail, but not so far that it would be difficult to find their way back. Ciara remained with the horses while Maura went back for Odran and Niall. While she understood the other woman’s loyalty to her Ri, as well as Maura’s place as warrior chief, Ciara couldn’t quite quell her frustration and her worry as she waited for the others. This wasn’t what she wanted, this helpless feeling that consumed her.

  Do I go home? she thought, worrying her lower lip as she scanned the surrounding trees for any sign of her companions. Do I go back to the life that Mother is no doubt going to plan for me? Or do I try and start somewhere new? It was a tempting idea, remaining in Blaidd. Nuala might not want her as part of Arth’s war band, but Niall might not be so opposed. She’d completed the training in Arth, some of the most challenging warrior training on the island. Surely the training in Blaidd couldn’t be more difficult. And, she thought, Maura has already seen me fight. That would have to count for something. In theory, at least.

  She had just begun to give the idea serious consideration when the others emerged from the trees. Ciara hurried over to Niall’s side, helping Odran lean him up against one of the large stones. While Odran went to fetch his healing supplies, Ciara stayed with Niall and Maura saw to the horses. Rhew curled up next to Niall, resting her head in his lap. He rubbed the wolf behind the ears, his movements slow and stiff, before he rested his head back against the rock and closed his eyes. Ciara’s throat constricted as she watched him, and she bit her lip. He’ll be alright, she told herself as Odran returned. He has to be. Odran crouched down in front of Niall, pulling out two flasks and a tincture. He put a few drops of the tincture into one of the flasks before passing it to Ciara.

  “See if you can get him to take this,” he said. “Just make sure he doesn’t choke on it.”

  She nodded, touching Niall’s shoulder in an attempt to rouse him. He groaned, his eyes fluttering open.

  “Odran needs you to take this,” she told him, holding the flask to his lips. “It will help.”

  He mumbled under his breath but didn’t fight her as she steadied his head and got him to slowly drink the contents. As soon as he finished, she set the flask aside and helped Odran remove Niall’s shirt. They unwound the bloody bandage, Odran grimacing as he tossed it aside. Ciara worked to hold Niall still while Odran used water from the remaining flask to clean the wound. Niall fought the process. His attempts made it painfully obvious just how weak he was and she couldn’t decide if that relieved her or worried her more.

  “How bad is it?” she asked as Odran smeared a strong-smelling salve over the injury, causing Niall to squirm.

  “It would have been better if I’d treated this before we left,” Odran answered. “I’m worried about the risk of infection.”

  Niall fought them again as Odran finished his task, mumbling a string of Old Pernish curses under his breath that caused Odran to give Ciara a wry look.

  “He was never a good patient,” Odran said. “Not even for my mother. Back before his gr
andfather passed and we still lived in Blaidd.”

  A weak smile tugged at Ciara’s lips, Odran’s words bringing back memories of the countless scrapes Niall had gotten himself into during their childhood. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

  She helped Odran wrap the fresh bandages, and the healer decided to leave Niall’s shirt off for the time being. Ciara covered him with a blanket instead to ward off the bit of chill that still lingered in the air.

  “We need to stay here for a few days,” Odran said, rocking back on his heels and pressing his lips together. “Give his body as much time to heal as we can.”

  “There’s three of us,” she replied. “We’ll be able to keep watch for mercenaries. I don’t mind staying with him for now.”

  Odran nodded, gathering his things and getting to his feet. He walked over to Maura, the two of them taking a seat by the fire she had started while Ciara leaned up against the rock next to Niall. Rhew was quiet and showed no intention of moving, resting her head back in Niall’s lap. Ciara gently stroked Rhew’s back, watching the shallow rise and fall of Niall’s chest. The future between them was far from certain, but she knew that she didn’t want to lose him.

  He’d been her childhood friend, someone who had seen her when others hadn’t. When she had just been the scrawny, sickly girl who had tagged along with the other children, looking for a friend, he had been one. The thought of living in a world that he wasn’t in hurt far worse than simply being hundreds of miles away from him. But it’s more than that, she thought as she studied his features. She loved him. In some ways, perhaps she always had. Reaching over Rhew’s back, she took his hand in hers, rubbing her thumb over the back of it. A seer he might be, but he was still Niall. True, he’d made mistakes, but hadn’t she? If he wanted her to, she would stay.

  ∞∞∞

  Niall had awoken on and off over the past few days, but this time when he opened his eyes, he finally felt coherent. It was night out, the dark sky above him only broken by the light of the scattered stars. His back was stiff from sleeping on the ground and he carefully rolled over, pleased that the pain in his side was only a minor twinge instead of a deep ache.