“I suppose.” Marina shrugged. “I still don’t want you to ever injure yourself to help me practice again.” When they’d been children, Christiana had sliced her palm with a knife so that Marina would have something to heal. Never again had Marina complained to her sisters that she didn’t get to use her powers as much as they did.
Christiana smiled. “I would do anything for you, especially if I knew you had the power to take the pain away from me with a touch.”
Eva took each of her sister’s hands in one of hers. “Together, we can do anything. I think we need to keep reminding ourselves of that. We are three women of power destined to save the world.”
“But I don’t think we could do it without our three men!” Marina said.
A strange look crossed Christiana’s face, but she said nothing. The three formed a circle of unbroken love. Three babies who swam together before birth, now grown women, each with a formidable power. Yes, together they could do anything.
Late that night Walter waited in the shadows, less than a mile from the manor home he’d once thought would be his. Jarrett was to meet him to inform him of his progress, and he hoped Marina would be at his side.
After a couple of hours, he stalked back to his camp, where his men slept in tents in the woods. He walked into the first tent and kicked a man awake. “John, you will go to the sisters’ house and find a job with the Norman’s army. I need to know what has happened to Jarrett.”
John got to his feet slowly, holding his bruised ribs. The master’s kick had been powerful. “I believe you have injured me, master. You must send another.”
Walter’s eyes narrowed. “Are you defying my wishes? Are you too cowardly to take your place in the army of my enemy?”
John nodded. “I am much too cowardly, master. Send another instead.” He knew he would get a swifter death from his master than from the enemy, who would most likely torture him before allowing him to find the sweet release of death.
Walter pulled his sword from its sheath, immediately burying it into the stomach of the coward. He cleaned his blade on the man’s shirt before moving to wake another. John lay with his face in the dirt, still alive, but in too much pain to move. He would die soon, in shame. He prayed for release. Prayed to the God he had sworn he would never worship.
Chapter Five
The priest was busy the following day. He did two funerals in the morning, and then he went to Christiana and Roland’s bedchamber for the wedding in the afternoon. When he arrived, and saw the whole family gathered in their finery, he shook his head. “Never have I performed a wedding in a bedchamber.”
Roland struggled to a sitting position on the bed, Marina beside him, ready to heal. “Did that hurt?”
Roland nodded. “But not more than I can bear. Go marry my brother and become my sister twice over.”
Marina squeezed his hand, moving away, as Christiana took her place beside her husband. She rushed to Charles’s side, her hand slipping into his. “We’re ready, Father.”
“This may be the oddest wedding I have ever officiated over.” The elderly priest cleared his throat dramatically before bowing his head in prayer.
Twenty minutes later, the priest pronounced them man and wife, and Charles gathered his new bride to him, kissing her sweetly. He’d expected to feel panicked when the time came to speak his vows, but instead, the whole situation had felt incredibly right. He raised his head, smiling down at her. “Have I told you yet today how beautiful you look in your blue gown?”
Marina shook her head. “No, you haven’t. Tell me now.”
He grinned at her. “You are the most beautiful woman in all of England in that gown you’re wearing, wife.”
“Only in England? Not all of Europe?” She frowned at him. “I believe I shall withhold my kisses until you say I’m the most beautiful lady in all of the world now. You’ve hurt my feelings horribly.”
He laughed. “Forgive me, kind lady. You are indeed the most beautiful woman in all of God’s creation.”
“I shall forgive you for my feelings being injured then.”
“It’s too bad it wasn’t someone else’s feelings that were injured, because you could heal them!” Eva said, grabbing her sister into a hug. “Charles can have you back in a minute!” She put her lips directly on Marina’s ear. “Did Christiana talk to you?”
Marina nodded, whispering back. “She did. It doesn’t sound pleasant, but Christiana assures me it is. I certainly hope she’s right.”
“Trust me, sister. She is. If you love Charles half as much as I think you do, you will have joy from it.”
“I hope you are speaking the truth.” Marina pulled away, going to stand beside her husband. “The servants will be up here in a moment. I knew we couldn’t allow Roland to join us for a feast downstairs, so I have the servants bringing a table and chairs here, and we will have a small feast in the bedchamber. If we can marry here, then I believe it would be fine for us to feast here.”
After the feast, Marina stopped at Roland’s bedside, her hand hovering over him. “I’ll need help from you both, please,” she said to her sisters, who immediately put their hands to her back. She concentrated all of her power into healing him, and she knew she did a little good, but he still seemed worse today than he had yesterday. She worried she wasn’t going to be able to do enough to keep him alive.
As they finished, she thought a carefully worded message to Christiana. “He grows worse, and I don’t know why. I have done what I can for him at the moment, but if you need me to come during the night, please wake me. I will be here.”
“I could not ask you to come on your wedding night!”
“You could if it meant your husband’s life. Christiana, I’m worried. I don’t want him to know, for I fear that he will not get well simply because he knows I believe he is getting worse, but…I love you sister, and I will do all I can to keep you from losing him.”
Christiana’s eyes widened as she looked down at her husband. “I will call you if I need to.”
“Take care of him.” Marina smiled at Charles, moving to his side and taking his hand. “I’ve done all I can do today.”
“I return to work on the morrow,” Roland said from behind her.
Marina spun on him, her face angry. “You do not return to work until I say you do. You are not healthy enough yet. Mayhap in the morning that will have changed, but I doubt it. You are not healing as quickly as I first expected, so you will wait. Do you understand?”
Roland glared at her. “Just because you are my sister twice over, it does not give you the right to tell me what to do!”
“Being your healer does. Don’t make me tie you to that bed, Roland Nobilis, because I will do just that!”
“Christiana would free me. There is no point in tying me down!”
Christiana stepped between her sister and her husband, facing her husband. “I stand with your healer. You will not return to work tomorrow or at all until Marina says you may. I will not have a dead husband on my hands.”
Roland looked to Charles for help, but Charles shook his head. “I will lead the men while you allow your body to heal. There is no reason for you to rush back to work at this stage. Marina would never forgive me if I let you undo all her hard work.”
As soon as Charles and Marina stepped out into the hall, one of Roland’s men hurried toward them. “Forgive me for bothering you on your wedding day, my lord.” He held a sword at his side, and bowed his head.
“What can I help you with, Geoffrey?”
The man held the sword with the point toward the wall. “This is the sword that was taking from Jarrett after he attempted to kill Roland.” He gestured to the hilt, showing special markings. “I don’t know what these marks mean, but I believe they are some sort of witchcraft.” His eyes drifted to Marina, seemingly embarrassed to mention the word witch in front of a woman who was known for her healing powers.
Charles frowned, looking at the markings. “They do seem to indi
cate witchcraft. Marina, do you know how to tell what the markings mean?”
Marina shook her head. “No, but sometimes Christiana is able to get a feel for an object and if it was used for good or evil. Mayhap calling her out here will tell us something?”
“Please do.” Charles waited as Marina closed her eyes and concentrated on her sister. He knew she would prefer if Roland didn’t become involved, because for some reason, there was more wrong with his brother than the sisters were telling any of them. He planned to get that information out of his wife before the night was over.
Christiana slipped from the bedchamber, her eyes on the sword. Having no idea how much Marina had told her, Charles said, “This is the sword Roland was stabbed with.”
Christiana hushed him, her hand going to the blade, her eyes closed. “You are right, sister. This is the source of his injury. I believe it will eat him alive, very slowly, but very methodically.” Her eyes were filled with tears as she looked at her sister. “You’ve never tried to heal a magical injury before, have you?”
Marina shook her head. “I think that’s what’s blocking me.” She looked over at Geoffrey. “Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Charles, please see that the sword is destroyed as soon as you can.”
Charles nodded to Geoffrey. “Thank you. You may go.” He took the sword, almost afraid to touch it. As soon as the other man was gone, he looked at the sisters. “What are you not telling me?”
Marina took a deep breath, worried he would be angry to discover she’d hidden something. “Roland’s wound isn’t healing properly. I heal it a little, and when I touch him again, he’s worse than the previous time I healed him. Outwardly, all marks are gone, but the wounds inside him…I can’t figure out how to heal them.”
“And you think this sword is the reason?”
Christiana nodded. “I believe so. I can feel the evil coming from the sword. The magic within it is somehow blocking Marina. Even with Eva and I pushing power into her, she is only able to heal him a small amount each time. I can feel the problem, but I can also feel that she’s giving him all she has. She could exhaust herself, but I think she needs to continue on as she has been. A little at a time, so she doesn’t have to take days to recover for the next small healing.” She wiped a tear from her eye.
Charles nodded. “I’m leaving Hugh with you ladies as I go down and destroy this. I’ll have the blacksmith melt it down.”
Christiana looked at Charles. “You might want to say a prayer as you do so. It’s going to take God’s power to truly destroy it.”
Charles was startled by the comment. The sisters rarely worried about magical objects, but it seemed that this one was worse than he’d imagined. “I will be sure to do so.” He hurried off down the hall, holding the blade away from his body. He needed to be certain not to cut himself. His wife couldn’t heal him!
As soon as he was out of hearing range, Christiana frowned at her sister. “I worry we won’t be able to heal Roland.”
Marina covered her sister’s hand with hers. “Hopefully my powers will be increased in time for him to be saved.”
“How long until he’s better?”
Marina raised both hands and held them palm up. “I wish I knew. I will keep doing the healings I’ve done daily. I know not what else to do. We’ll have the priest pray over him as well. It may not help, but I know for certain, it won’t hurt.” She stepped toward her sister, wrapping her arms around her tightly. “Roland is meant to help us in our final battle. I can feel it. So I know that there must be some way past the injury, magic or not. We will heal your husband.”
Christiana nodded. “With all of our powers, I never imagined I’d feel so helpless.”
Eva stepped out into the hall with her sisters, Hugh right behind her. He took up his guard post at the end of the hall as the sisters gathered together. Speaking softly, Marina explained what they’d learned. “We must all spend time thinking about how we can fix this. I know the power must come from me, but how can I expand my power? Do either of you know what made it happen for you?”
Christiana bit her lip. “I believe I know what is the catalyst for our magical changes, but I believe just as strongly that telling you what it is may prevent it from happening.” She took a deep breath. “Just focus on your new marriage, and heal my husband when you can.”
Marina frowned. “I hate it when you hide things from me. I’m the youngest, but only by a few minutes.”
Christiana shook her head. “Your age has nothing to do with this. No, I believe there is something that must happen to each of us naturally, that cannot be forced. I can’t tell you what I think it is, because you may try to force it.”
“You speak in circles, sister.”
“Yes, I do, because I don’t dare let you guess what the secret I’m hiding is.” Christiana kissed her sister’s cheek. “Go ready yourself for your wedding night. Charles isn’t going to be gone all night dealing with that sword, and he’ll be much happier if he returned to his wife naked in his bed.”
“Christiana!” Marina gasped, a bit shocked at what her sister had said.
“I’ve seen your man look at you. Go. Get ready for him, so he can make love with you when he returns.”
She and Eva slipped back into Christiana’s bedchamber, leaving Marina gawking after them. It didn’t take her long to realize her sister was right, though, so she hurried into her room to disrobe. Her husband would be very pleased to find her naked waiting for him. He was a man after all, and she was his wife.
Charles had not intended to spend his wedding night waking the blacksmith and forcing him to work, but if the ladies had any idea of what they were talking about—and it seemed to him they knew the subject well—the sword had to be destroyed immediately.
When he finally found the blacksmith and explained, the man looked at him as if he was crazy, but he didn’t say a word as he pulled his clothing on. “I’ll heat the forge.”
When the heat was high enough, Charles passed off the sword, and the blacksmith was clearly startled. “’Tis a fine sword, milord. Are you certain you want to destroy it? Mayhap you should sell it instead.”
“It must be destroyed. There is no choice.”
“I’ll see to it. You can go to your bed, and ’twill be done.”
Charles started to leave. His marriage bed was calling him, but something told him he must stay. “No, I must see it done. My lady is counting on me.”
The blacksmith sighed as he pushed the blade into the fire. “May I use the pieces for another sword?”
At the question, Charles frowned. He didn’t know, and he’d never contacted Christiana using her thought speak power, but she’d done it with him a few times. He closed his eyes as he’d seen his brother do and pushed his thoughts at her as loudly as he could. “Christiana, may the pieces of the sword be used for another?”
The answer came back loud and clear. “No. Absolutely not. The pieces must be scattered.”
“I’ll see to it.” Charles looked at the blacksmith. “I’ll need to collect any pieces left over after it’s destroyed.”
The blacksmith gave him a startled look. “You’re the boss.” He seemed disgusted with the task, and Charles understood that destroying a beautiful sword must go completely against the grain, but he also knew it had to be done. That sword was dangerous.
It took hours for the sword to be in as many pieces as it took for Charles to be satisfied, and then he gathered the pieces, which had been cooled in water, into a bucket to carry into the woods. “Thank you for your service, smith.”
The blacksmith nodded. “I will be getting back to my bed then.”
Charles did as he’d been told by Christiana, taking the pieces into the wooded area near the manor and dropping pieces here, there and everywhere. The last of them was thrown into a small stream before he was satisfied.
As he walked back to his home, and his wife, he met up with a man walking toward the manor as well. “From where do you com
e?” he asked.
“I am Henry, and my family’s lands have been confiscated by King William. I come to join with the Norman who has taken over the land of Baron Robert. I have heard he needs men to fight with him.”
“You are a Saxon?” Charles asked. He had no problem with Saxons, and he’d even married one, but he was becoming more and more skeptical with each Saxon he met. They all seemed to be trying to capture his wife or her sisters.
“I am.”
“What do you know of the lady my lord married? I’ve heard tell she’s a witch, and is hideous to look upon. Not that the lord would let the likes of me look upon his wife.” He thought it best to pretend to be simply a man in the army rather than the lord’s brother.
Henry laughed. “She is a beauty. The kind of beauty you only see once in a lifetime unless you gaze upon her sisters. And her magic is real. In fact, my master is hoping to get her sister to agree to marry him.”
“Oh?” The word master made Charles’s senses tingle madly.
Henry nodded eagerly. “Yes, the youngest sister has the power to heal, and she would be very useful to my master.”
“Isn’t her name Marina?”
“Yes, it is. I’m here to take her by force if necessary.”
Charles couldn’t believe the man was so stupid as to blurt out his mission to someone who obviously served his master’s opponent. “What does your master want to do with her?”
“He’ll marry her and break the strength of the sisters. Legend has it that the three of them are strongest when they are all together. It’s hard to believe they’ve married Norman filth when they were destined for greatness.” Henry looked at Charles, seeming to realize for the first time who he was talking to. “If you kill me, the master will only send another. And another.”
Charles drew his sword from the scabbard that was always at his side. “You can either come with me to be questioned, or I can kill you now.”
Seduced (Thrice Blessed Book 3) Page 6