“Nay! Noah, wait.” Orrick hurried after the boy as he disappeared from the room. “Noah, come back here.” As he stepped outside the door, he crashed into Lady Hope, almost knocking her over.
“Oh!” she cried, grabbing on to his arm with one hand, holding a basket of healing ointments in the other. Their eyes met. Instead of seeing admiration in her gaze, or even lust or attraction, she looked at him as if he were a stranger. “I’m sorry, Orrick, I didn’t mean to disturb you.”
“It’s quite all right. You told me you were coming here.” When her eyes flashed up to his in shock, he had that sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach again. Orrick, she’d called him. Nay, it couldn’t be. His hand flew to his chin and he moaned aloud when he felt the long beard that he hadn’t even realized was there. Looking down at his bare chest and legs, he felt highly embarrassed. His skin hung in wrinkles on his body and there was no muscle tone under that skinny flesh at all.
“I told Sir Rick, not you, that I was coming here.” Her eyes settled on his hand. “Y – you hurt your hand?”
“Aye,” he answered, clearing his throat.
“It’s the same one as Sir Rick.” She placed the basket on the ground and stepped back from him with her eyes opened wide. When she did, she twisted her ankle and tumbled down the steep staircase.
“Nay!” Orrick cried out, running after her, certain her neck was broken. “Hope, are you hurt?” he asked, trying to reach out and pick her up in his arms but he couldn’t. He forgot he was the old sorcerer now and didn’t have the strength to lift a woman.
“I should go,” she said, sitting up and brushing off her gown. “I’ll just get my basket and be on my way.”
“Nay,” he said, helping her to her feet. “I’d like you to come up to my chamber.”
“I don’t think so,” she said, sounding leery of him, probably thinking he was naught but a dirty old man who wanted to try to kiss her.
“Please, Hope,” he begged her. “I promise you I’d never hurt you. There is just something . . . something I need to tell you.”
“Well, all right,” she finally agreed, brushing past him, leading the way to the tower room. She was an amazing girl and in the best of shape not to have even hurt herself after that steep fall.
She picked up the basket at the top of the landing and hurried into the room. He followed, closing the door behind him.
“Is it necessary to close the door?” she asked, keeping her distance, standing over by the burning hearth.
“Aye, it is,” he said. “There is something I need to show you and I don’t want the entire castle witnessing it.”
“I think I’ve seen more than enough, Orrick,” she said, turning her face from him, holding up her hand to hide her view. She hunkered down before the fire with her back toward him as she dug into the basket.
Orrick slowly crossed the room, coming up behind her as she fumbled with something in the basket and then quickly closed it up again. He reached out and laid his hand on her shoulder. She slowly stood up and turned to face him. Then he put his hand in hers. “Look at me, Hope. Please.” He wasn’t at all sure he was doing the right thing, but he no longer wanted to keep secrets from her.
“I came to see Sir Rick,” she told him. “Do you happen to know where I can find him?”
“Aye,” he said, swallowing the lump in his throat, feeling more vulnerable than he ever had. He wasn’t used to feeling so . . . so . . . mortal or human. “I know where you can find him.”
“Where?” she asked, turning her head to look at him, trying to pull her hand away from him, but he wouldn’t let go.
“Right here, my love,” he answered, shifting back into his younger self, still holding on to her hand.
Her eyes opened wide and, at first, she looked frightened. But when his shift was over and he stood before her as the younger Sir Rick, a slight smile raised the corners of her mouth.
“So, it is you,” she said. “But are you . . . old . . . or young? I do not understand, Sir Rick.”
“Just call me Orrick,” he told her. “Perhaps we’d better sit down and I’ll tell you all about it.”
“I’d like that.” She bit her lips and the tip of her tongue shot out to lick them. “Orrick,” she said, testing the waters. “But let me see to your hand as we talk. That wound needs to be addressed.”
Without bothering to put on any more clothes, and since she didn’t seem to mind, Orrick sat down at the table in his braies. Hope sat across from him. She unbound his wound and studied it, taking balms from the basket. “I didn’t know sorcerers could get hurt.” Her eyes lifted. “You are a sorcerer. In both forms. Aren’t you?”
“I am. Hope, I’ve wanted to tell you about this for a while but I wasn’t sure how you’d take it.”
“How old are you, Orrick? Or shouldn’t I ask.”
“I think I need to start at the beginning.”
“All right.” She cleaned his hand with a wet rag that caused him to wince when it touched the burned skin. “I’m sorry.”
“Never mind. I’ve felt more pain than this, but it wasn’t physical.”
“What does that mean?”
“I was a child when I was abandoned, so I don’t know my real parents. I was taken in and raised by the old sorcerer Merlin for a while.”
“Merlin?” Her eyebrows arched in surprise. “I thought he was a myth.”
“He’s not.”
“Plus, that story is very, very old.”
“Some sorcerers are invincible and immortal,” he told her.
“Are you?”
“I thought so. But then again . . . mayhap not.” He held up his hand to prove his point.
“Why do you keep shifting from old to young and back again?”
“I don’t understand why it is happening. But I stayed in the form of the old sorcerer for a hundred years for a reason.”
“A hundred years?” Her hand stilled and she stared into his eyes. “You really are old. But I must admit, I like your younger self better.”
“So do I.”
“Why did you stay in the form of an old man for such a long time?”
He sighed and raised his hand to stroke the side of her cheek. “I was once young, pompous, and foolish. I was also married.”
“You were?” she sounded surprised. “So what happened? And do you have children?”
“Nay, I never had children. I watched my wife grow old, suffer and eventually die.”
“Oh. I’m sorry.” She rubbed some balm gently onto his hand. “It was because you were immortal and she wasn’t.”
“That’s right. When I first stole the Eternal Flame, I had no idea what the consequences would be.”
Her hand stilled and she talked without looking at him. “What do you mean?”
“I had heard of the Eternal Flame and that it made one invincible and also immortal. I thought it would be a good thing and so I stole it. But in doing so, the true Keeper died.”
“What kind of consequences do you mean?” She sounded very interested.
“I thought it was a blessing at first but, as the years passed, I realized it was really a curse. You see, I was immortal, but those I loved were not. Can you even imagine how painful it was to watch everyone I ever cared for die while I lived on forever?”
“You were in love with your wife, weren’t you?”
“I was. Petronilla was the love of my life. The day she died, I shapeshifted into the form of the old sorcerer because I never wanted to fall in love again.”
“I see.” She wiped off her hands and slowly bound his wound. “I’m surprised you never had children.”
“Couldn’t,” he answered. “When I stole the flame, I was the new Keeper. Keepers of the Flame cannot spawn children.”
“They can’t?” Her head snapped upward. “Why not?”
“It’s part of the magic. A protection of sorts. Probably so the Keeper doesn’t have to go through the pain of seeing their children die someday.”
“Oh my.” Hope put away the ointments and balms. “That is horrible.”
“What about you?” he asked.
Her body froze and she didn’t look at him. “What about me?”
“What is your story?”
“No story.” She pushed the basket away. “I have been sent as a ward to many lords but it never lasts long.”
“Why not?”
“They all think I’m some sort of a witch.”
“Are you?” He looked down and tugged at the wrapping on his arm.
“If you’re a sorcerer, I’d think you’d know if I were a witch or not.”
“You’re not.”
“You’re right. However, I’ve always had a curious nature. Through the archbishop, I heard the story of the Eternal Flame and it intrigued me. So I made it my mission to find it.”
“Whatever for?”
Hope didn’t know how to answer Orrick. Or even if she should. But if she didn’t, he might become suspicious. She had a secret to keep and didn’t want him asking questions, so she figured she’d end the conversation quickly. “I was just always a curious girl. I suppose that is why it always ended up getting me in trouble. Just like Noah. He’s curious, too. And he keeps saying he wants to be a sorcerer.”
“He’s trouble all right. As I already told you, he stole the Eternal Flame from me and I need to find him and get it returned.”
Hope’s heart about stopped. She now knew with certainty that he had no idea that she had it. Noah must have kept his promise by not divulging their little secret. “What makes you think he has it?” she asked nonchalantly. “Mayhap it’s not gone at all.”
“I think I’d know if it were gone or not.” He held up his hurt hand again to make his point. “I need to find him because he has no idea what danger he’s in.”
“I’m sure it can’t be all that bad,” she said, hoping it were true.
“It can and it is. There are certain people chosen to be the Keeper of the Flame. It is meant to be held only for fifty years and then passed on to the new Keeper. Always, the Keeper is one with magic and is supposed to be pure of heart.”
“So a mortal shouldn’t hold the flame?” she asked.
“Nay, not at all.”
“And what if they do?” She stood up and placed the basket on the far table, turning her back toward him.
“It’s dangerous because a mortal, especially a young one like Noah who is not very strong, can be influenced by the flame.”
“How so?”
“It’s meant to be a tool to help those with magic who are able to control it. They use it to help others. But a mortal doesn’t have the ability to ward off the darkness.”
“What darkness?” she asked.
“The flame brings out the darkness in people if they are not strong enough to turn it into light. For instance, when we were in the cave together.”
“When we made love?” She smiled, looking over her shoulder at him.
“Aye. I was never meant to be the true Keeper of the Flame. When I stole the flame, my intentions were far from admirable. I was greedy and only wanted the power for myself. When I saw what the flame was doing to me, I decided to lock it away in the cave, and that helped. But when I was in its presence again, it called to the lust in my heart after not having a woman for a hundred years.”
“I suppose that would be hard to control,” she said with a slight giggle, turning and walking toward him. “But don’t be too hard on yourself. I was drawn to the lust as well.” Something inside her drew her to Orrick like a moth to a flame – just like the Eternal Flame had called out to her. Before she could stop herself, she bent over and kissed him on the lips.
“What are you doing, Hope?”
“Didn’t you like that?”
“Of course, I did. But you need to remember you are betrothed to another.”
“I’m not marrying Lord Irwin,” she told him, no longer being worried about it since she had the Eternal Flame.
“But I thought you said you had to marry him and he wouldn’t call off the wedding unless you found and handed over the Eternal Flame to him.”
“I decided I’m not afraid of him anymore. He’s not all that frightening after all.”
“Especially in the condition he was in,” chuckled Orrick. “It looked to me like someone beat him up pretty bad.”
“It was only a tap on the cheek and a bite to the arm, and not that bad at all,” she told him.
“How did you know?” asked Orrick, making her realize she’d said too much.
“I saw him. Earlier today.”
“Oh. You must rise pretty early in the morning.”
“Enough talking,” she told him, sitting down on his lap and putting her arms around his neck. “Kiss me, Orrick. I know you want to. Take me to your bed and make love to me properly. Not in a cave or on an old table this time.” She felt his body harden beneath her and realized he was excited. She was sure he was going to agree but, instead, he refused her.
“I would like to, but I need to find the boy.” He got up and put her on her feet.
“I understand. I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I am so embarrassed.” She didn’t like the way she was feeling. It was a deep, dark feeling within her rising to the surface. It made her want to throw him down on the bed and ravish him, not caring if she even hurt him. What was the matter with her? It had to be the flame she’d stolen making her feel this way.
“Don’t be,” he told her, gently reaching out to cup her cheek. Her head leaned into his caress and her eyes closed. It felt so good to be touched by him again. She tried to push aside the lust and, instead, feel the attraction that she was sure could grow into love.
“Do you feel anything for me?” she asked, having to know the answer. “I mean something besides lust brought on by magic.”
“Aye, I think I do, Hope,” he said, kissing her lightly on the nose. “I suppose I am just being guarded because I don’t want to fall in love again and see my lover die, while I live on forever.”
“But – but I thought you are not immortal anymore since you are no longer the Keeper of the Flame. So what does it matter?”
“I’m not the Keeper right now, but I will be as soon as I get the boy to tell me where he hid the flame.”
“Orrick, just let him have it,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. “What does it matter? Let’s spend some time together. We both want to.” She kissed him again, feeling his essence filling her pores, making her want him more than ever.
“I’m sorry,” he said, releasing her and walking over to a trunk and pulling out some clothing. “It’s my fault the boy has gotten himself into such a mess. If I’d only paid him more attention, mayhap none of this would have happened.”
“Nay, I’m certain it’s not your fault,” she said, feeling disheartened when he turned her away. She knew better than anyone it wasn’t his fault, because it was her who dragged Noah into this and made him promise not to tell a soul. Now, the only question was, did she want to tell Orrick that she was the one who stole the Eternal Flame?
Chapter 16
“So where did you hide the flame?” Grace whispered into Hope’s ear as they sat down for the main meal at the dais. Orrick sat on one side of her in the form of Sir Rick, a noble, and also next to Lord Corbett. Grace was on the other side of Hope. Thankfully, Lord Irwin was next to Lady Devon and nowhere near her.
Hope’s eyes flashed back and forth and then she whispered back the hiding place into her sister’s ear.
“Really?” Grace asked, laughing.
“Shhh,” said Hope, holding out her hands for the ewerer who poured water over them and then handed her a cloth to dry with. “Have you seen Noah at all?”
“Nay, why?”
Hope waited for the server boy to wash Grace’s hands and move on before she spoke. Leaning over, she said in a soft voice, “Orrick thinks Noah stole the flame.”
“Orrick?” Grace furrowed her brow.
“When did you see him?”
“I mean, Sir Rick . . . both of them.”
“I’m confused,” said Grace, eyeing up the food a server laid on a platter in front of them.
“Orrick is Sir Rick, one and the same. He shapeshifts,” she said from the side of her mouth.
“What?” asked Grace. “Why?”
“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later. Now hush, because here comes Lord Irwin.”
Lord Irwin walked over from his spot at the dais, wedging his way in between Hope and Grace.
“Trade places with me, Grace,” he growled. “I need to sit next to my betrothed.”
Grace sighed and vacated her spot, walking down to where he was previously sitting. Hope noticed Sir Rick glance over at them, seeming disturbed.
“Lord Irwin, is there a problem with your other seat?” asked Sir Rick.
“No problem,” Irwin answered. “That is, other than you taking my spot next to my betrothed. I don’t like it.”
“Well, I don’t care,” Sir Rick told him.
“Oh, look, here comes the food,” said Hope, trying to stop a confrontation between the men before it started. “I am starving. How about you two?”
“Starving for attention is what you are,” grumbled Irwin. “Why did you agree to sit next to Sir Rick when you are betrothed to me?”
“Mayhap because she knows between us there is only one who is chivalric and that is me.” Orrick raised the goblet of wine to his mouth, glaring at the man over the rim of the cup.
“It’s a nice, sunny day today, isn’t it?” Hope broke in. “I didn’t expect that after that storm last night.”
Both the men grumbled and instead of answering, looked in opposite directions.
“Did you have any luck finding the boy?” Corbett asked Sir Rick in a low voice.
“I did, but he slipped away,” said Sir Rick. “Noah is a hard one to keep in one place.”
“Did you find the Eternal Flame or does he still have it?” Corbett continued.
“What did you say?” Lord Irwin leaned forward, making himself part of the conversation. “Did I hear you say the boy named Noah has the Eternal Flame?”
Keeper of the Flame: Second in Command Series - Orrick Page 15