by Brenna Lyons
Adam crossed to Bryant’s empty bed and kicked back on it. “So, you’re going to spend a few weeks training with Lord König near the lake?” he drawled. “It won’t save you, you know. You’ll be back training with me in no time.”
Curt closed the book over his finger to save his place and regarded his brother thoughtfully. “Yes, but I’ll be back with a whole host of new tricks from the elder killers. That edge might just save me. When’s your battle?”
Adam smiled smugly. “We’ll get to it,” he decided.
“You actually accepted Hunter’s challenge, didn’t you?” he asked in disbelief. Despite their assurances that Adam would swallow the line, Curt was secretly convinced that the plan would fail. Of course, that still meant his older brother facing Talon—
“What if I did?” he shot back. “That barely-trained pup has only battled beasts a half dozen times in the last three years.”
Curt threw his head back and laughed. “Oh, that’s rich.” They were good. They were damn good at what they did to Adam. Of course, the fact that the young Königs rarely trained with anyone but house lords, a few lucky Jägers and older Königs worked in their favor. It was unlikely that Adam had ever been pitted against Hunter or even seen him train.
“You’re saying they lied?” Adam asked archly.
“Oh no. I’m saying you’ve been royally had without a single lie.”
“How?”
“They didn’t happen to mention that he took down seven high-levels last night, did they?”
“With Corwyn’s help,” he scoffed.
“No. Actually, Corwyn took down the other three while he was busy with those seven.”
Adam looked at him uncertainly. “Still better than facing Talon, elder killer,” he decided.
Curt opened the book again. It was time to start his gambit. “If you say so,” he agreed in a non-commental voice.
“I do,” he affirmed, moving for the door. “He certainly didn’t come away unscathed from those seven. Not to mention, he’s not an elder killer.”
Curt snorted suppressed laughter, and Adam looked at him curiously. Adam’s eyes narrowed and he turned to face him fully again while Curt feigned interest in the book.
“It is better to face Hunter, isn’t it?” Adam asked quietly, finally scenting danger in the wind.
Curt closed the book again and adopted a look of deep consideration. “I’d rather face Talon,” he decided, whipping the book open.
Adam crossed the room in two long strides, wrenched the book from his hands and threw it against the wall. His eyes burned as he loomed over Curt. “Why?” he demanded. “What do you know?”
“That was a protected book, Adam. Kord will turn you inside out if it’s damaged,” he complained, pretending not to hear the question posed.
“You’ll need protection from me in just a minute if you don’t answer me. Talk, dammit!” Adam locked his hands on Curt’s shoulders in warning.
“Fine. No, Hunter isn’t an elder killer, but he is an elder hunter, and he’s a son of Raga. That means he’s more than capable of it. Keep in mind that even Talon and Pauwel didn’t kill the first elders they encountered, and they weren’t sons of Raga. Still, they succeeded the next time around, didn’t they? Talon fared little better than Hunter did, and Talon was ten years older and had been a roving night Warrior that whole time. He also had Jayde saving his skin.”
Adam released his grip and uttered several curses. Curt could see his mind working through the possibilities he had missed earlier. Being younger and a son of Raga made Hunter even more dangerous than his father.
“Oh, and those seven high-levels Hunter killed never laid a claw on him. He was completely unscathed until Lorian took him on.”
“I’m a dead man,” Adam decided.
“Entirely possible. Corwyn gave Hunter the stone’s duty to protect Erin with his life. Once he’s back on his feet—”
“And now he’s primed. He’s faced his first elder and survived.”
“By the way, I’d stay away from Erin,” he counseled his brother.
“Between two elder killers and an elder hunter as her protectors? You are kidding, right? Jayde killed her first elder, didn’t she?”
“Yes. She’s the only Warrior in history who has.” Curt paused to let Adam begin digesting that fact before hitting him solidly with the rest. “I mean, even Erin only drove hers to ground, but I’m not sure that this encounter with Lorian really counts. After all, she’s still human. Once Erin faces change, the stone only knows what she’ll be capable of.”
Adam paled. “No way,” he breathed in disbelief.
“Yes way. Our little princess is an elder hunter, and she’s not even cursed yet. Hunter was unconscious when Erin drove Lorian to ground, just like Talon was unconscious when Jayde killed Veriel. Believe it, Adam.
“Only the effects of the beast all but crippling her in her frail human state saved you from Erin’s full force today. She couldn’t go hand-to-hand because she’s simply not capable of it until she heals. Talon might permit you to see the damage if you care to, or maybe I’ll convince her to go for a swim. Most of her damage should be visible in a suit.”
“She really wasn’t lying, was she?”
Curt felt his temper burn at that. “I’m surprised she can walk,” he confirmed. And you made it worse. “I’m not sure I would be if it were me.”
Adam nodded and rose slowly with his hands in his pockets. He wandered across the room, tossed the book back to Curt, and headed for the door.
“Adam?” he called out, deciding his brother needed one last push for good measure.
He didn’t look back, but he stilled. “What is it, Curt?”
“Lay off about her hair. It takes a lot of courage for a woman to do that to herself. Lorian had a handle on her, and it was Erin’s only means of escape. Don’t make it worse for her.”
Adam’s shoulders dropped in defeat. “Yeah. I think I understand, now.”
* * * *
Talon met Kord and Lewis at the door, looking grim and determined.
Kord’s smile disappeared. “Is there a problem, Talon?” he asked, knowing there was.
Talon was typically easy-going and relaxed. He was tense and skirting the edges of fury now. “I need to speak to you. Both of you,” he replied evenly.
“Sure. Let’s go to my office. Boys,” he bellowed.
Bryant’s face appeared at the top of the stairs, looking — terrified. Kord’s eyes narrowed, taking in the glance the young Warrior shot Talon. Kord glanced back at Talon’s tense jaw and felt his blood heat in anger.
“Get your brothers and unload the truck,” he instructed coldly. “The bags are fairly self-explanatory. Make sure they find the proper rooms.”
“Adam’s gone to town, but I’ll get Curt to help.”
“No,” Talon ordered him. “Curt is talking to Erin right now. Leave them alone.” There was more than an order in that last part. There was a blatant warning involved.
“Yes, Lord König. As you wish.” Bryant rushed down the stairs and ducked outside, avoiding Talon’s glare and the nervous looks Kord and Lewis threw each other.
“What did Bryant do?” Lewis asked.
Talon looked at the door, closing behind the young man’s back. “The office,” he decided.
Kord took a deep breath and led the way. “This doesn’t bode well,” he commented.
Lewis grunted his agreement. “My son better have a damn good explanation for this, or he’s going to be very sorry.”
Talon flopped into one of the overstuffed chairs and waited for the other two men to sit. “I want permission to deal with your boys harshly,” he told them.
“Boys?” Lewis intoned. “All of the boys?”
“Actually, Curtis is a very honorable young man. I’d like permission to train him in my usual style with Erin and Hunter for the next few weeks.”
“We’d be honored. He’ll learn a lot from your family.”
; Kord cleared his throat. “Talon, I’ve known you for a long time. You don’t believe in harsh lessons,” he reminded the younger lord.
“Until now. Some lessons should be as painful as I can make them. This is one of them.”
Lewis groaned. “What did my boys do?”
“I have your permission to train Curtis?” he asked distractedly.
“Yes, of course you do. I can see the advantage of it.”
“The advantage you perceive is only half the reason. Training with me means Curtis will be safe from his brothers until they’re taught their own lessons. I think it’s safe to say that Adam would have taken Curtis apart piece by piece today without my intervention.”
Kord shook his head in confusion. “That sounds like an internal Maher problem. I’ll take care of this,” he decided. “After all, we’re supposed to be fighting the beasts, not each other.”
Talon’s jaw tightened. “When Curtis’ crime is protecting my daughter from Adam, it is no longer internal to Maher. Deal with Bryant for his cowardice if you like, but I must insist that Adam face Hunter as he agreed — when Hunter’s healed, of course.”
“Cowardice?” Lewis asked in shock.
“That’s what I call a Warrior who ignores a trainee’s call for help in a hopeless situation, especially when the enemy plans to plow right through the trainee to teach an injured, human girl ‘a lesson.’ Yes, before you ask, Erin told Adam she was injured and he all but called her a liar.”
Kord took a deep breath. “I think we should hear the whole story,” he decided.
The Mahers listened to the story, and Kord felt a sick certainty that every word of it was true. Adam had picked up many of Calvin’s training techniques, more than Kord cared for. He had also exhibited problems with his judgment in training and battle. Adam was a fantastic night Warrior. He simply had too many problems dealing with other Warriors.
In the end, only one question remained for him — one that Kord was fighting with himself not to ask. “By all means, Talon. Adam will face Hunter as agreed, with my blessing and support. But, I will handle Bryant personally, unless you think Jayde would prefer the honors.”
“I’ll check with her and let you know within the hour. Thank you, Kord.”
The question still burned at him. “Talon? We’ve never dealt with a Blutjagdfrau at this stage of development before. Are you sure their curse develops as the boys do? Could they develop in conjunction with the onset of menses as protection?”
“I don’t know. She’s as fast as many Warriors already. She’s strong, but Erin doesn’t seem to heal any faster. There’s no manual for this, and the stone wasn’t giving me answers the last time I checked.”
Kord nodded, thinking uneasily about her driving the elder to ground and her attacks on Adam. “Then, maybe it’s better that you’re training her.”
* * * *
Curt had little trouble convincing Erin to take a swim with him before dinner. The idea of the cool lake water sounded very soothing to her. He made a point of making sure Adam knew they were going, knowing his drive to see the damage for himself would be overpowering. Some dark place in Curt hoped it would make his brother feel worse to see it.
The difficulty came in convincing her to remove the oversized shirt she was wearing over her suit. She steadfastly refused at first.
“Come on, Erin. You can’t swim in that thing. Besides, I’ve seen the bruises already. Everyone has, really.”
“Not your Dad and brothers — and not Hunter,” she managed miserably.
“None of whom will be headed this way,” he assured her. “You know the wet fabric will hurt. If we see anyone, I promise I’ll get your shirt and drag it into the water for you.”
She blushed. “Okay, Curt. It’s a deal.” She pulled the shirt off over her head, peeling the ball cap with it. Erin pushed her hand over the remains of her hair and smiled ruefully. “Guess I can’t swim in that either.”
“It’ll grow. You’ll see. It will be as beautiful as ever in no time.”
“No.” She headed for the lake. “I can’t let it get long enough to use against me again.”
“I’m sure there’s a middle ground. Long enough to let you feel feminine but too short for a beast to use?”
“He’d have to touch scalp for the amulet to work.”
“You have curls. It can be much longer and accomplish that,” he assured her.
“We’ll see.”
It was more of a concession than Curt had hoped for when he broached the subject.
They swam for half an hour before relaxing in some trees along the far shoreline. Curt never saw Adam, but he was sure his brother stayed long enough to see the bruises on Erin’s back and legs.
Curt found that he was very comfortable with Erin. They had always gotten along well. They were close in age, much closer than either of them was with his or her brothers, but there seemed to be a new closeness this time. Whether it was because he protected her from Adam or his damned curse making him want anything female and appealing, he couldn’t tell. Either way, she was still a child — and Blutjagdfrau, which automatically meant hands off.
* * * *
Kord looked around the table in confusion. “Where are the others?” he asked.
Jayde smiled. “I gave Erin and Curtis permission to eat with Hunter. If it’s a problem, I can call them down.”
“No. That’s fine with me. I imagine Erin isn’t keen on some of the company she’d be keeping down here, anyway.”
Adam rubbed his forehead roughly, and Bryant winced and looked away. Neither of them, Kord noticed, offered either apology or explanation.
He scowled at his grandsons before smiling at Jayde. “How are Hunter and Erin feeling?” he asked. “I haven’t had a chance to see them today.”
“Good. Hunter’s stitches can come out tomorrow. I imagine he’ll be able to join us for dinner tomorrow evening or maybe the following morning. It will take several more days for the deeper wounds to heal and his strength to return.”
“And Erin?”
His grandsons pushed their food around their plates without looking up.
“Sore. I think we’ve established that her healing is as slow as it always was. It’s going to take three weeks or more for her to heal completely. At least her stitches will come out in another four or five days. I know they’re bothering her.”
Adam met Jayde’s eyes miserably. “I got something for Erin, but I don’t think she’ll accept it from me. Will you pass it along for me? If it’s from you...” He shook his head.
“What is it?” she asked.
He dropped his fork and went to the sideboard for a large Wal-Mart bag. Adam handed it to her and dropped back into his chair. “It’s not much, but there’s not much I can do to make things right at this point. I can take my punishment and not make such an ass of myself again. Anyway, check it out. It might help. I hope it helps.”
Jayde pulled the bag into her lap and looked into it. She sucked in her breath and nodded in obvious awe. “Thank you, Adam. This was very thoughtful of you.”
Talon looked at her in surprise. “What is it?”
“Bandanas, scarves, and hats all in eyelet, lace, ribbons, pretty colors. All very feminine.”
Adam nodded. “I didn’t know what would appeal to her, and I couldn’t exactly ask. I hope she finds something she likes, and you can return what she doesn’t to buy her more of what she does.” He shrugged.
Talon gave him an appraising look. “Well done, Adam. You might want to add an apology, though.”
“I didn’t think she’d let me offer it,” he admitted.
“That’s between the two of you. You still owe satisfaction to Hunter, though.”
Adam tightened his jaw and nodded grimly. “My hide is his to destroy as he will. I have no doubt that my best will not be nearly enough.”
Kord stared at him. “Why the change, boy? Be honest with me.”
“I’ll admit that I realized my hide was i
n deep shit early on.” He moved his neck as if it were stiff from Talon’s shove at the training area. “As for being a world-class jerk? Probably about the time Curt told me what Lorian did to her. Until then, I was just too damn sure…”
“Sure of what?” Jayde demanded.
“That she was nothing but a spoiled little girl that always got her own way and did whatever she wanted to do with no reprisals.” Adam shook his head in embarrassment.
Kord dropped his fork forcefully. “What would give you that idea? I’ve known Erin a long time, and spoiled is not a word I would use for her. If anything, Erin had less freedom than any Warrior-born daughter ever born. She had to. Her life depended on it.”
Adam darkened. “I’m used to a certain level of respect being paid me. My brothers—”
“Fear you, I’m sure,” Talon inserted acidly.
He nodded. “I won’t deny that. A twelve-year-old with an attitude who thinks nothing of ordering me to move out of her way, calling me a self-important fool, planting a blade so close it brushed my cock, flat out attacking me and ordering Curt to help her—”
Bryant cleared his throat. “As I recall, she attacked you to save Curt’s skin. Erin didn’t raise a hand against you when her own butt was on the line.”
Lewis glared at him. “Which wouldn’t have been necessary, if you had given them help when Curtis asked for it. Together, you could have defeated Adam, but you refused. It wouldn’t have been easy, but it would have been impossible for Curtis to do it alone, and Erin’s assistance only put her in further danger. Why did you allow it to go on when you could have stopped it?”
Bryant pushed his plate away and flicked an uneasy glance at Adam. “Because the next time I faced him, it would be alone,” he admitted.
“You fight beasts and you’re afraid of your brother?” Kord demanded.
“Beasts are easier to defeat and a lot less threatening. Beasts can only attack you after dark. I’ve never met a beast that equaled Adam in full Blutjagd. Only a fool takes him on then, and he was lit up hard.”