Another flash of fear stabbed his belly and he sucked in a breath. He stumbled down the hall until he came to a door to one of the empty family bedrooms. He pressed his hand on the rough wood. It wasn’t empty tonight. Closing his eyes, he sent his mind into the room. Alyssa’s terror struck him. She needed him.
He pushed the door open and squinted into the dimness. At least her candle still burned, though the flame was small. Alyssa tossed and turned, holding a pillow over her face. He saw that Thomas slept next to her in the big bed, his arms flung out as he snored softly. How could he sleep through this?
“Alyssa,” Kelwin whispered. “Wake up.”
He didn’t get an answer, so he closed the door and went to the bed. He pulled the pillow away from her face and saw that her cheeks were wet with tears. She’d kicked off the sheets and her nightgown was twisted around her legs.
“Alyssa, it’s me.” He grabbed her wrists and felt flames lick up his arms. “It’s Kelwin,” he managed to say.
In his mind he saw a tall man stalking her, his eyes dark and glittering. He could hear Thomas sobbing, feel Alyssa’s skin crawling at whatever the man said. He wanted to use her. In more ways than you know, he told her. What did that mean?
He ran his hands over her bare arms, feeling goose bumps there that sent tingles up his own arms. He settled his hands on her shoulders and gave her a shake. “Alyssa, wake up,” he whispered.
Her eyes snapped open and she gasped. “We have to get out of here,” she said, her voice raspy. He knew she’d been in that smoke-filled room in her nightmare. She jerked away from him and sat up. “Let me go!”
“You’re at Rosemont, Alyssa,” he said. “You’re safe.”
Her eyes darted around the room, then they settled on his face. A cooling calm washed over her, dousing him too.
“Kelwin.” She wrapped her arms around his waist as she pressed her cheek to his chest. “Oh, it’s you.”
He rubbed her back as her tears soaked his night shirt. “Easy,” he said. “I’m here.”
She cuddled against him for a second, then leaned back. Swiping at her cheeks, she eyed him. “Why are you here?”
“I…” He swallowed. “I knew you were having a nightmare.”
Her mouth gaped. “Your gift?”
He nodded.
She looked over at Thomas, obviously not surprised to see he still slept. “What did you see?”
“Flames and smoke. You were scared.”
She nibbled on her lower lip. Unable to resist, he reached for her again. It was amazing to touch someone without pain, and she felt so good in his arms. Reaching up, he brushed her hair back from her brow and wiped a tear from her cheek.
“Doesn’t touching me hurt you?” she asked, her brow furrowed.
He smiled and shook his head. “I don’t know why, but tonight I can touch you.”
She glanced over at Thomas again, then she turned to him. “I was having a nightmare, Kelwin. About that last night at Merrickwood.”
“I saw him, I think,” Kelwin said. “Lord Dalton.”
She shivered at the mention of the name. “He wanted to…” She lowered her lashes. “You can guess.”
He lifted her chin, amazed at how smooth her skin was under his fingertips. “I think he wanted something more.”
She blinked. “More?”
“I don’t know what, but it seemed like he wasn’t after…” He raised his brows so she’d get his meaning.
She shook her head. “That doesn’t matter, Kelwin. He wanted to hurt me. Thomas, too.”
It was true the man in her nightmare had plans for her. What those plans were, he couldn’t guess. Her lips trembled and before he could stop himself he kissed her.
Her mouth was soft against his and he could taste her tears. Warmth filled him, but it was different from the heat of the flames. This was bright and sharp and made his chest expand.
He made himself pull away. “I’m sorry.”
She stared at him, then brought a hand to his mouth. Her fingers were cool against his lips. “Okay.”
Did she mean it was okay that he kissed her? Or that she accepted his apology?
He cupped her face, and rested his forehead against hers. I promise I won’t let Dalton hurt you.
How can you promise me that?
His heart pounded in his chest. He hadn’t spoken, and neither had she. He’d heard her thoughts before, but she could hear his?
He pulled back. “Alyssa, did you hear me?”
Her eyes widened and she gave a shaky nod. “You made me a promise.”
He nodded. He thought about what Donnic had told him, about that phantom slap in the garden. He tried to choose his words carefully, but he had to know. “Are you gifted?”
“No!”
“You have to be.”
“You must have said that promise out loud, Kelwin. We’re both tired. It must be our imaginations.”
Tired? He wasn’t tired. He was shot through with electricity now. “Donnic told me what happened in the garden. When you shouted at him.”
“I can’t raise my voice to Donnic?”
“Yeah, you can.” He gave her a small smile. “I do. But he said it was like you slapped him.”
Her mouth dropped open. “I felt…” She shook her head. “No,” she said again.
“If you’re gifted, maybe that’s why Dalton—”
“I’m not gifted, Kelwin,” she snapped.
She was mad at him now. Even without his gift he’d have to be an idiot not to get that.
He came to his feet. “I should let you get some sleep.”
She blew out a breath. “I doubt I’ll get any sleep now.”
He walked to the door and pulled it open. “If you need me,” he began, turning to face her. “You can count on me, Alyssa.”
She tilted her head. “I know.”
She sounded surprised, but he took her admission with a nod.
“Good eve,” he said.
He closed the door behind him and returned to his room. His room felt cool again, the phantom flames and smoke gone with Alyssa’s nightmare. Stretching out on his bed, he thought about his connection to her. He could touch her without pain. Damn, he could kiss her! He’d never kissed a girl before.
Bringing his fingers to his lips, he closed his eyes and relived that moment. She’d seemed to sink into him. Then he’d gone into her mind. He hadn’t meant to. Man, she got so mad at him.
He lowered his hand and laughed to himself. “At least I’ll have a good memory to hold onto. That was probably the last kiss she’ll ever give me.”
He turned on his side and forced his breathing to slow until he fell asleep.
Chapter 8
“Can you tell us what happened at Merrickwood, Alyssa?” Chelsey asked.
Alyssa sipped her tea and looked at Kelwin’s little sister. Her face was open, clear and smooth, and Alyssa knew there was no risk that the girl would be able to read her mind.
After Kelwin left her room last night, she had tossed and turned. There was no nightmare screaming through her brain, though. No flames scorching her or Dalton stalking her. There was just the memory that Kelwin had somehow gotten into her mind after that kiss. That startling, amazing kiss.
Of course Thomas had slept through it all. Both her awful dream and Kelwin coming to their room. He’d woken this morning, bright-eyed and obviously relieved that they wouldn’t have to lie about who they were anymore.
“You’re safe here, dear,” Lady Jayne said.
Alyssa started. Could she read her thoughts, too? What, was she like Dalton’s apple square and anyone could just plug into her mind? One look at Kelwin’s mother told her that wasn’t true. Lady Jayne was a mother, and had a mother’s intuition. That was all. She was just being paranoid.
Alyssa put down her cup and nodded at the two of them. “I know we’re safe here, and thank you so much for that. There’s very little to tell, though.”
Chelsey looked around the h
all, then smiled. “The boys aren’t here this afternoon,” she said.
“They’re training with Michal,” her mother said.
“And I saw your little brother in the kitchen bugging Cook for some biscuits. Won’t you tell us?”
She thought about what Chelsey said. Kelwin was out training with Donnic, and good riddance to the both of them. After last night, first the nightmare and then Kelwin’s kiss, she didn’t have the strength to argue with either one of them.
Last night she’d heard Kelwin’s words as clear as if he’d spoken them, even if she hadn’t admitted that to him then. And what was up with Donnic saying she slapped him? She’d wanted to, that’s for sure. She couldn’t be gifted. She’d never showed any skills or talents, and wouldn’t her father have told her if she was?
“My father drowned,” she said, gasping at the pain the memory caused. “In the lake at Merrickwood. Lord Dalton took over the estate, with the king’s blessing.”
“When?” Chelsey asked softly.
“Almost two months ago.”
“Did Lord Dalton hurt you or Thomas, Alyssa?” Lady Jayne asked.
She shook her head. “No. He was always looking at me, though.”
Lady Jayne pursed her lips as her eyes narrowed. Alyssa knew what she was thinking about Dalton and his “looks.”
“He looked at you?” Chelsey asked. “How?”
“Chelsey,” Lady Jayne said, shaking her head.
Alyssa waved a hand. “Never mind. Kelwin said he thinks Lord Dalton—” She stopped herself, but not quick enough for his mother to miss what she started to say.
“What does Kelwin know about this?” Lady Jayne asked.
She fiddled with her empty teacup, biding her time. “He saw my thoughts,” she whispered.
“When he touched you,” Chelsey said.
Alyssa nodded. That was at least part of the truth anyway, even if Chelsey thought she meant when Kelwin touched her in the garden. “He thinks Dalton wants something from me. Something…more.”
Lady Jayne was quiet for a moment, her expression like Kelwin’s had been last night. She might not have his gift but she was very sharp.
“Are you gifted?” she asked.
“No!” She took a breath to calm herself. “I’m sorry, Lady Jayne, but I’m not. Kelwin seems to think I am, though.”
“He can touch you, Alyssa,” his mother said, reaching out to cover her hand with hers. “He’s never been able to touch anyone except his father. Not even me.”
She looked into the other woman’s eyes and saw pain there. What was it like to have a little boy you could never hold and cuddle? What was it like for Kelwin to never feel his mother’s touch when he was sick or scared? Alyssa’s most cherished memories were sitting in her mother’s lap, her arms wrapped tight around her as she softly sang in her ear.
“I don’t know why Kelwin can touch me, but I’m not gifted. I’d know, wouldn’t I?” She turned to Chelsey. “Are you gifted?”
“No,” Chelsey said, a touch of disappointment in her voice. “Our father was, though.”
“Was he like Kelwin?”
Lady Jayne nodded. “Not exactly the same, though,” she said. “He could touch and be touched. He thought Kelwin would grow out of his sensitivity, but…” She lowered her gaze to the table.
“I’m so sorry,” Alyssa said.
Kelwin’s mother sniffed, then sat up straighter. “There’s nothing to be done about it. Kelwin knows we love him, even if we can’t touch him.”
Alyssa felt it too, a mother’s love that she herself missed so much.
“I haven’t known many gifted,” she said. “Some of our soldiers are like Donnic, but I don’t think anyone at Merrickwood has mental talents.”
The other two nodded. The three of them sat in silence for several moments and Alyssa welcomed it. She couldn’t talk about Dalton or her nightmare, not with them. She couldn’t talk about Kelwin coming to her room, either. What would his mother say if she knew he’d kissed her?
“Well,” Lady Jayne said, coming to her feet. “You girls go about your day. I have some things to see to with Cook.” The smile she gave Alyssa felt like a hug. “I’ll keep an eye on Thomas for you.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that.”
“Nonsense. It’ll be nice to have a little boy to look after.”
“Thank you, Lady Jayne.”
Kelwin’s mother left them and Chelsey popped up out of her seat. “What do you want to do?”
“Would you be upset if I told you I wasn’t up to much today?”
Chelsey frowned for a second, then shook her head. “I’m not upset. I’m going to do some needlework. You can come join me at the hearth when you want to.”
“Thanks, Chelsey.”
The girl smiled and left Alyssa to her thoughts. She stood and went out into her familiar escape. The garden.
She sat down on the wall she’d shared with Kelwin that first morning, wishing she’d thought to bring a cloak with her today. Chelsey’s tunic and leggings were soft and warm, though. She’d even found supple leather boots for her to use instead of the borrowed servants ones she’d worn when she and Thomas escaped.
It was already chillier than when they’d first come here, even though only a couple of weeks had passed. Maybe it was the sea air. Rosemont sat high above the ocean, and it seemed the water was very far away. The gulls’ shrieks were faint and she could barely hear the waves crash.
She knew that the oceans hadn’t been affected much by the wars, except for the shorelines shifting when the water swallowed what had been seaside land before. All that was way before she was born, though. She guessed that now the sea rose and ebbed just as it had done forever, and the slight salt tang in the air was refreshing. She breathed in, catching some of the herb and lavender scents in the garden too.
She should feel safe here. And she knew she and Thomas were safe, with Rosemont’s guards protecting the estate and Dalton far away. Her nightmare came back to her, that choking fear she’d felt as fresh as if that night had just happened. She’d been out of breath, her heart pounding even though she sat completely still. It was like when she’d been running from Merrickwood with Thomas, that never-ending feeling that she was being chased. Was Dalton still trying to find her? Why? Why was she so important to him?
She thought about what Kelwin said last night, that Dalton wanted something more from her. That icky feeling aside, Dalton had seemed very determined that last night. He didn’t need her to kiss or to do anything else to her. He was handsome and young enough. Was Kelwin right? Did Dalton want something more than kisses from her?
No. If she admitted that she’d have to admit that she might be gifted. She refused to believe that her father would keep such a thing from her for so many years.
“Did you, Papa?” she asked, wrapping her arms around herself. “Did you know and never tell me?”
She closed her eyes as hot tears leaked through her lashes. It didn’t matter. Gifted or not, she would focus on staying safe for Thomas’s sake.
The rest of it, Kelwin’s insistence and his kiss, didn’t matter.
***
“Look, I’m sorry about yesterday!” Donnic said, swinging his staff at Kelwin’s middle.
Kelwin danced to the side, but Donnic got in a jab at his hip. He winced at the pain, but swung his staff low at Donnic’s calves to knock his cousin to the ground.
“Which part?” Kelwin asked, nearly out of breath.
“I was trying to protect you, fool,” Donnic said, jumping back up to his feet in a smooth move. “I didn’t know she was noble.”
Kelwin shook his hair out of his eyes and swiped a sleeve over his face. “So what?”
Donnic shrugged and spun his staff in front of him like a pinwheel, his feet braced apart. “So I thought she was a maid trying to catch you. Admit it, you were panting after her.” He winked. “I bet she could be a lot of fun if you caught her.”
Kelwin threw his own st
aff to the ground and grabbed Donnic’s out of his hands. He tossed it and lunged at Donnic. Pain seared him, but he ignored it as he pushed his cousin to the ground. “Don’t talk about her like that!”
Donnic was stunned for just a moment, probably trying to wrap his head around the fact that Kelwin was holding his shoulders down, but then he pushed Kelwin off and rolled to his feet. “What’s wrong with you?”
Kelwin stood, bringing his face close to Donnic’s. “What’s wrong with me?”
“You could get hurt, you idiot!”
“That’s enough!” Michal grabbed Donnic and pulled him back. “If your heads aren’t in the training, this is a waste of my time.”
Kelwin tried to slow his heart rate as he faced the man-at-arms. “Sorry, Michal.”
“We had a good match this morning,” Michal said. “Take a break this afternoon.”
“I don’t want to take a break,” Donnic said. “Kelwin started something and I want to finish it.”
Kelwin made a fist. “Then let’s finish it.”
Michal raised a hand to stop him. “Training’s over for today,” he said. “Go dunk yourselves in the lake.”
Donnic’s eyes stared hard into Kelwin’s. He spat on the ground. “Fine!”
He stalked off. Kelwin glanced at Michal, who just raised a brow. Kelwin’s anger seeped out of him. He knew he should follow Donnic, no matter what they’d just done. He should say something. They’d been friends too long. Like brothers. They were too close to fight like this.
“Donnic, wait!” he called, jogging to catch up to him.
Donnic stood, his arms crossed. “What? Want to try to knock me to the ground again? I doubt you could be lucky enough to catch me off guard twice.”
“No. I don’t want to fight you.” Kelwin pushed his hair back and shrugged. “There’s something about Alyssa, Donnic. She and I… We’re connected somehow.”
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