by Bale, Leigh
His face whitened. As he took a step toward her, his fine mouth curved in a sneer of malice. “Mercy has no place during battle. I know your black deeds and won’t listen to your denials. I wish I could kill you and end this feud between our people, but the king has forbidden it.”
Kerstin held her ground, prepared to meet her death. Her blood ran cold. A morbid shiver ran up her spine and she drew in a hissing breath.
The wind sprayed dirt in her face and she felt the grit between her teeth. “If you kill me, there will never be peace between our people.”
Flickering doubt filled his eyes, so quick and subtle she almost didn’t notice. He did seem to care.
“Are you frightened of me?” she taunted. “I would think a strong warrior such as you wouldn’t fear a witch.”
“I fear no man, or woman. And I don’t believe in magic, though I believe in evil.”
She believed the same.
“Have you become a traitor to our king?” She gave him an accusing glare.
He cocked his head to one side and his brows lowered in a thoughtful frown. “Why do you think I’ve betrayed our king?”
“I saw the banner you fought under. ‘Twas the royal colors. You have an Eiriksson with you and they conspire to take the throne from King Hakon.”
His shoulders relaxed but his grim mouth betrayed him. “You are mistaken. My men would kill any Eiriksson we found. Like you, we support King Hakon.”
Kerstin knew what she had seen. The vivid red and green of the royal house of Vestfold had flown above them as they fought. They must have an Eiriksson spy with them—the dirty traitors.
She would take the news to her father and he would warn the king. Jonas wouldn’t be so smug when he faced the vast army of King Hakon. Yet, death was a constant threat and she was so tired of war.
There might be one other way to end this feud between their people. Seeking to be brave, she walked to stand before Jonas and tilted her head back to stare up at him.
“I can heal the Beast of Hawkscliffe,” she offered.
He blanched white and took her arms in his gruff hands. As he lifted her close, her feet left the ground and her chest pressed against his. His furious gaze locked with hers. “What do you know about the Beast?”
She braced her hands against his shoulders for support, her fingers biting into his chain mail. “Only that you are the Beast and you suffer from some malady that caused you great pain and many scars. The gossips say that’s why you left and have been gone for so many years. To hide and heal.”
His brow quirked with amusement. “I’ve never hidden from anything. There’s nothing that can heal the Beast. The scars run too deep.”
“How do you know they can’t be healed?” She stared at him nose-to-nose.
As he drew back, his eyes narrowed on her earnest face, his voice low and hoarse. “The wounds have long since healed.”
“Surely your soul cries out for a healing balm.”
“Healing from you?” His eyes widened, his brows drawn together in a horrified glare. “I want nothing more than your death. If not for the king, I would take my revenge and kill you now.”
Kerstin cringed as he held her in a gentle grip of steel, forcing herself not to struggle. He sighed with impatience. “No one can mend scars left upon the body, or upon the soul.”
“You’d be surprised what can be done. The heart, the mind ... close your eyes and you won’t see the scars upon the flesh. Look at them with your heart and there is no deformity.”
For several moments, they stared at one another. Their gazes clashed. She felt compelled by him and could not look away. Where were his scars? He seemed too solid, too strong, too godlike to have any flaws for her to heal. Perhaps the blemish was on his soul.
In his eyes, she saw raw pain. Then, it was gone, replaced once more by the savage warrior. “You want to heal me, little witch?”
“Yes, if it would bring peace.”
“There is only one way for peace between us.”
Pulling her close, he kissed her. His mouth covered hers and stole her breath and her senses. Time spun away until she felt numb to the world around her. Nothing mattered except him, his touch, the taste of him. Her reaction startled her. When he let her go and placed her on her feet, her breath caught with indignation.
He gave her a chilling smile. “There will be peace, once you are my wife.”
As Kerstin stood in shock, his gaze ranged over her. She opened her mouth to rebuke him but he gave her no opportunity.
“I treasure the thought of having a witch for my wife.” His tone filled with contempt. “It’ll be interesting to learn what talents you possess. I want to discover if you quail in terror as other women do when they see me without my shirt.”
“You seek to frighten me,” she accused.
If forced to wed him, would he brutalize her? Such a large, towering man could destroy her. He had no reason to be kind.
“You are a beast,” she whispered.
“And you are a witch.”
“I won’t marry you. You can speak with my father, but he won’t agree.”
“What, ho?” he crowed. “Just moments ago you pleaded with me to let you heal the Beast.”
“You’ve twisted my words,” she replied with mortification.
The fool. No doubt he would love to have power over her, to wield his strength to hurt her. “I will marry Elezer of Lade.”
He gave a scoff of disgust. “Lade is no longer a strong holding and Elezer has no great army to lend the king aid in battle. King Hakon has said you are mine.”
And what about Elezer? True, he had no great army like Jonas or her father, but he was young, strong and kind. He loved her, as she loved him. Since childhood, they had been great friends. After Bjorn’s murder, he had been one of her few allies, offering comfort when others stared at her with distrust and accused her of murder and practicing black magic. Their friendship had blossomed into love. She could never betray him this way. Alrik would not break the betrothal.
Alrik would not break her heart.
“I’ll never marry you, Beast.”
Jonas laughed and showed her a flashing smile. His blue eyes glinted with a steely edge. It reminded her of a wolfhound scenting prey in the forest.
“We shall see.”
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About the Author
Leigh Bale is an award-winning, multi-published author. She won the prestigious RWA Golden Heart in 2006. More recently, she was a finalist for the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence and the Bookseller’s Best Award. She is the daughter of a retired U.S. forest ranger, holds a B.A. in History with honors and loves spending time with family and grandkids. Married in 1981 to the love of her life, Leigh and her professor husband have two wonderful children. You can reach Leigh at www.LeighBale.com.