Beneath the Shadows of Evil... Treasured

by Jolynn Raymond

  “And both ladies will be fine. The rage has passed... for now.”

  “I was not questioning their safety.” The two men, Master and first in command had become close over time and speaking frankly came naturally, though Lucian never lost respect for Mikhal over the years, his admiration had in fact grown for his Master and his ability to rule with an iron fist capable of compassion. It was not an easy task.

  “No you were not, but like me, you saw the body of the kitchen maid and the force that was behind such savagery.”

  Lucian merely nodded. It was true, but he did indeed trust Mikhalen. While it was true the boy had allowed his beast free rein but an hour ago, he also knew Lord Arcos would never have suggested the boy seek out his mother if the demon had not been conquered, if for only that day.

  “He is torn inside, and hasn’t the will to fight it any longer. I had the power of the spell to change me. You, well you have always managed to retain the gallantry that was bred into you. As he comes into manhood, he cannot control all that battles in his soul.”

  Again Lucian only nodded. It was true that he had somehow escaped the savage need to terrorize and slaughter, perhaps it was his mother’s gentle spirit that endured even after all this time. It mattered not, he was who he was, a vampire who distained the acts of most of his kind, no matter how he accomplished it.

  “I agreed to allow him to accompany you when you leave on patrol. We will be going to bring Katia home in a fortnight. Mikhalen will go with you. I wish for him to have the needed opportunities to allow his demon to be free.”

  “Very good, My Lord. We will go to the borders near Wallachia, it’s an area we don’t frequent often, but the Turks have been crossing the border and becoming bolder. Any feeding and savagery will be done with a mind towards secrecy. No one will be any wiser if the barbarity was committed by the Turks or someone else, and if we should happen upon a Turkish scouting party, then all that much better. None will mourn the loss of those who have afflicted such destruction upon all they come upon. I will protect him, Sire.”

  “I know you will, Lucian. Allow him to do as he needs, but guide him to do so only if there is no chance the killings will be traced back to me. It disturbs me, these acts of violence, but I am no fool. The men need release. My power would be tested with acts of mutiny time and again if I didn’t turn a blind eye. Still, his mother must not know, nor must the royal’s men. I have no desire to be dragged into the politics of the court. Louise is the King of Hungary and therefore our leader. I support him now, my family, their safety, and our good name is of importance.”

  “I understand, Sire. Mikhalen will never be connected to any cruelty.”

  “There is a need for... women. Mikhalen has come of age, his demon lusts.” The words were like bile upon his tongue but Mikhal said them nonetheless. The boy had needs, and if he were not allowed to be truly free, to satisfy all of his hungers, then the short time of satiation wouldn’t offer him the peace he needed.

  “The minions do what they need, always with discretion. I have a heavy hand for those who don’t comply. It was made known long ago that they must choose wisely. Have no fear my Lord. I shall keep young Mikhalen safe but satisfied.”

  “Very well. If I dwell on my decision, Alliana will know. The woman has the keen eyes of a hawk and an intuition that can sense the smallest disquiet.”

  “She isn’t to know Mikhalen will accompany me?”

  “Oh I will tell her of the ride, but of the savagery her little boy will engage in, no. It’s best you do not tell Natalya the truth either. It’s not that she is incapable of understanding Mikhalen’s needs. Your mate has always seen and accepted both sides of our kind. I just think it best that she is not put in a position to keep things from my wife.”

  “I will keep mum, though she has the same intuition that empowers Lady Arcos. She will be alone here then, I know she wouldn’t be harmed, but still, you and Alliana will be gone, as will Mikhalen and I.”

  “Given a chance to rule, Natalya very well may change the castle to one we hardly recognize when we return.”

  The smirk of glee upon his Master’s face let Lucian know that Mikhal indeed found the thought humorous instead of angering. It was also a smirk that was contagious, and Lucian bust out loud with laughter.

  “You speak the truth Sire. She is still a handful. The minions who are left here may very well find they have things to do that keep them well away from my mate.”

  “Truly though, Natalya will be fine on her own? Not morose because she is lonely? No womanly pining?”

  “My lord, my mate has never been given over to the high emotions of most women. She shall use the time to make her potions and record things in that huge book of hers. I worry not. It will only be for a fortnight or so. She will be fine, and none near would dare to enter and harm her.”

  “Very well. I wish to tell Alliana of my decision. As I said, Mikhalen is with her, and it will calm the boy to know I have no intention of backing out of my word.”

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Mikhal gave a quick, per functionary knock then entered without waiting for his wife to call to him. He knocked because it was gallant, but her domain was still his. There was a fine line between the courtesies he afforded her and the rights he had as lord of the castle. He respected her, and so respected her wishes, but he was the man and master.

  Alliana looked up as her husband and Lucian entered. Her hand holding the chess piece she was in the midst of moving, hovering over the board, as she smiled a welcome. Young Mikhalen, her opponent, paused in their heated game of wits to greet his father as well.

  Mikhal came across the room to place a sweet kiss upon Alliana’s lips as Lucian went and did the same only to the top of his mate’s head. Natalya was bent over a book she was reading, lost in thought, as was her wont. Lucian’s kiss pulled her from her deep musings making her look up in surprise. She’d been completely engulfed in her book and hadn’t heard the soft knock or the steps of either of the men.

  “Mikhal, I was wondering when you were going to join us. Your son is doing his best to beat me but he is highly mistaken if he thinks he can outwit his maman. Perhaps we should call it a draw to keep his dignity intact. I’d love a walk in the courtyard.” Alliana’s eyes sparkled as she looked at her son. Both knew that any chess match could go either way. The boy was a brilliant player, taught by both his mother and Lucian.

  “Ah, I will take you away and salvage poor Mikhalen’s pride but not just yet. I came to see you of course, sweet, but also to tell you that Lucian and I have decided that it would be good for Mika to go along on the next patrol. This land belongs to him as well, and it’s high time he saw more of it.”

  “He is too young, husband.” The thought of Mikhalen patrolling with a band of minions, racing all over the countryside when they were under constant threat of invasion from the Ottoman Empire dismayed her to no end. There was unrest at their borders and the minions often returned with news of the battles that occurred when they encountered small bands of the Turks. “Granted your men always come away the victors, but Mika is…”

  “Mother I’m...” Mikhalen held up his hand to silence the boy.

  “Alliana, Mika is almost fifteen, a man in many eyes. Were he a serf, he’d be raising a family. Look at your son, wife. He’s growing into manhood. You can’t treat him as the child he no longer is.”

  “But why must he go with the minions? Perhaps we could take a journey.”

  “We are taking a journey, wife. We are going to get Katia. That is the perfect time for Mikhalen to sow his oats and see the land. A young man does not wish to travel with his mother. He will be in good hands with Lucian. There will come a time when all this will be his, and he is man enough to survey the lands and offer his protection.”

  The last of his speech made bright spots of color appear on Alliana’s cheeks as outrage filled her.

  “Protection? He will not fight. You can’t let him go if you think...”


  “Alliana...” Mikhal low growl filled the air as his displeasure with her grew. Obstinate, that’s what she was; he loved her spirit but loathed her habit of refusing to see how things should be.

  “Lady Arcos, I can assure you that Mikhalen won’t be involved in conflict. Yes, there are stirrings of unrest, but those areas that are troubled are near Hungary’s borders. I would never put the young lord in harm’s way.”

  Mikhalen, who had been silent, felt his own ire rise at Lucian’s words despite the fact that the man’s statement had soothed his mother’s feathers. If there were a battle to be had with marauders he would be in the thick of it. He was a man now and had every right, no, every obligation to defend the lands. A sharp glance from his father silenced his tongue though. Twas best to leave things go. The main objective was for his mother to be content with him going off with Lucian. Never mind what he would or wouldn’t do.

  The silence that filled the room after Lucian’s proclamation was thick as all waited to see if Alliana had indeed accepted Lucian’s words. Mikhal no longer was issuing his growl, but it was clear he was exasperated with her. Oh how he loved her, but when he made a decision it was done.

  Lucian made busy toying with a lock of Natalya’s red hair as his mate watched Alliana and waited. She was hesitant to speak in situations such as this. They were closer than close, but Alliana had never truly gotten over the fact that Natalya accepted and understood the beast inside the two men better than she did. Her intuition also told her that the boy was having struggles as of late. She could feel his sense of desperation and wondered really at Alliana’s lack of notice. Perhaps her friend simply couldn’t allow thoughts of her son needing to give way to his demon. She hadn’t seen Mika as his beast since he was but a small child. It would be hard for Alliana to accept. The thoughts and worries that Mika could harm someone, could be evil, had tormented her when he was young, but as he grew and always held himself in control, Alliana’s fears had passed, or so it seemed.

  All eyes, well aside from Lucian’s, were fixed on Alliana. She looked from face to face then back at Natalya, her eyes seeking advice. Mika was like a son to Natalya, Alliana knew her own fears had to be mirrored in her friend.

  “Alliana, he will be fine. Allow him his freedom. Mika is quite capable of taking care of himself, and Lucian will guard him with his life. Your babes have gone and grown up on you. When you were his age you ran wild through the forests paying no heed to anyone. Let him have that freedom.”

  “Very well. I concede, but I wish for you to be back when we return. Katia will be...” Her words were cut off as an indignant cry rose up from the outer courtyard, followed by a shout in a female voice that was all too familiar to both Alliana and Mikhal.

  “I said unhand me! This is my home you dolt. I can enter where I please.”

  “Katia!” Mikhal and Alliana said her name as one, as all in the room rose and rushed forward, Mikhal leading the way to the door. It was Katia to be certain, but why was she here? What had brought their daughter to their doorstep?”

  Although the danger to be had was more apt to be suffered by the minion who dared to put his hands on their baby girl, Mikhal and Alliana both felt a sense of panic rise up inside them. Why was she here? What had happened, was she alone? Would the minion turn aggressive, as was his nature before Katia could use her magick to protect herself? All of these were questions that couldn’t be answered and made peace with until their daughter was safe in their arms.

  Down the main staircase in a mad rapid procession, Mikhal leading the way, they came, once more hearing Katia’s indignant cries. They were not cries of fear, they were cries of rage, and the minion who had his hands on the girl was soon to be a pile of dust either by her magick or her father’s hands, if he didn’t heed Katia’s warnings.

  Mikhal rushed across the great room, towards the heavy wooden doors, which stood open to the darkness, both of the sentries outside, dealing with the unruly intruder. He exited with a snarl, hands ready to strangle, to maim or kill anyone who was harming his daughter, but he hadn’t need worry. The minions were standing back away from Katia now with leery looks upon their faces, hovering near enough to grab her if she tried to again enter the castle, but far enough away to keep her from shrieking anew. Mikhal doubted they had any idea about the identity of the girl was who was challenging them so, but the fact that she held some kind of danger inside her had finally entered their dull brains.

  “Sire, this wench tried to enter the castle. She...” Mikhal’s snarl silenced him at once. He knew the rule for humans was do not harm. At his snarl Katia whirled around.

  “Papa! Maman!” Katia rushed into her father’s arms, hugging him tight, effectively silencing the stern words she knew would soon flow from his tongue. Alliana wrapped her own arms around the two and buried her face in Katia’s hair. It was wild and tangled, dirty, but at the moment it didn’t matter. This was her baby. It had been months since they had seen her.

  The hugs were brief, too many questions hung in the air, and despite being happy to see Katia, Mikhal was furious. He looked around, the two minions had shrunk back silently into the darkness, out of the light of the courtyard torches, knowing they had escaped certain death by not harming the girl, but they were all Mikhal saw. No one else, not Sabina, no male protector, Katia had come alone.

  He put her from him, face stern even as she smiled up at him, they both knew she had a lot of explaining to do and that he was very unhappy with her actions.

  “Your band of protectors chose to stay outside the walls of the castle?” Both knew this was untrue but the question said volumes without him launching into a tirade of accusations.

  “No papa... I, it’s just me.”

  His face darkened and became thunderous even though Mikhal had known it was the probable truth, still to hear her say it. How many miles had she traveled alone? How many men of ill will could she have encountered? How many animals in the forests? The dangers were numerous.

  “Then your mother’s clan is near, for you wouldn’t dare to travel alone, and I know Sabina wouldn’t have allowed it.”

  “I... no, papa.”

  “Are they well?” Alliana broke in; far less able to believe her daughter would commit such an act of rebellion if there weren’t trouble in the Gypsy camp.

  “They are fine maman, I ran away.” Katia bit her lip as her eyes went back and forth from her mother to her father, but then she looked past them and saw for the first time a young man behind her father, a young man who could only be Mikhalen. Her heart flipped as their eyes locked. The twin bond they shared sliding in place, joining their hearts even after all these years apart.

  “Mika!” There was no hesitation on her part as she launched herself into her brother’s arms. He caught her, a surprised but pleased look on his face. The guilt he’d held in a tight ball inside since his sister had been sent away melting. Katia held no ill will towards him, none at all.

  Mikhal looked at his happy children, their joy a balm that soothed his ire if only a bit. Alliana took his hand then stood on her toes to kiss his cheek, smiling as she too watched the reunion.

  “I have not said my fill.”

  “Later, Mikhal. Just look at your girl. Katia needs to eat, bathe, and rest. You can rant and rave at her tomorrow, and then we’ll both lock her away for the rest of her life for doing something so dangerous.”

  Mikhal did look at his daughter, she looked much as her mother had on the night he’d stolen her away. Hair tangled, clothes in shambles, dirt upon her face. It was a miracle the girl had arrived safely. Oh he’d rant all right, he’d rant and rave and lock her in the tower for safekeeping! Little chit. Mikhal put an arm around Alliana and then one around Katia, so much alike they were. Alliana had certainly given him worry when she was young.

  “Come my sweet girl. Your maman has convinced me to let you be, but it won’t be for long. Never are you to...”

  “Mikhal.” Alliana reached up and took the hand that was dr
aped around her shoulders and gave it a squeeze. “Tomorrow.”

  Katia bowed her head, ashamed to look up, knowing she had put a scare into her parents and that tomorrow she would be brought to task for her behavior.

  “Thank you maman.”

  “You are welcome. Silence would be best for now.”

  Katia remained mum, she had her papa wrapped around her finger, but not so tightly that he wasn’t going to make her regret what she had done.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Katia’s insides were a bundle of nerves as she paced her chambers, waiting for a summons to appear before her papa. She’d woken early despite her long journey home and had been unable to sleep any longer. Both her mind and her stomach were sick with apprehension, made so because of her father’s anger.

  She’d called for her maid to request water for washing and something to eat, but once those mundane rituals were done; there had been nothing to do but sit and fret. The maid had brought word from her parents along with her breakfast, informing Katia that she was to be confined to her chambers until told otherwise. So now here she sat, doing her best to occupy her time as she waited for word of her fate, not sure if the confinement was her punishment, or if there would be something more harsh coming her way once she was summoned.

  Morning stretched into afternoon, and noon to dusk as Katia took turns reading, pacing, and staring onto the fire. The confinement was suffocating and the boredom acute. She was used to the activity of chores and roaming free whenever she had a spare moment. The only knocks upon her door were those of the servants, bringing more food or wood for the hearth. No one else came, and the solitude made her heart ache. Though her parents hadn’t been with her night and day as she grew up, she’d never felt a loss of their love or the hurt of their disapproval, now their silence was instilling both.

  Another knock on her door roused Katia from her gloomy thoughts, but even as she bade her visitor to enter, she didn’t feel a touch of cheer. She’d been ignored so long that she was certain it was simply a servant who came to do a mundane task, not daring to hope it would be someone to put an end to her solitude.