The King's Knight (Royal Blood Book 5)

by Kristen Gupton

  Jerris stuck his head into the room and locked gazes with Keiran. “You. Now. Come on!”

  Keiran looked at Mari and Garhan before excusing himself and exiting, following the guard as he headed for the doors to the courtyard.

  “What is it?” Keiran asked, reaching Jerris’ side.

  “One, I’m a Church Knight so behave,” Jerris replied, reaching out and tugging open the heavy wooden door and pointing into the middle of the courtyard. “Secondly, that.”

  Keiran stepped into the rain, seeing a huge, cloak wrapped being standing in the middle of the courtyard surrounded by guards. Baden was there as well, giving up an uncomfortable smile upon seeing his uncle emerge.

  “What in the hell is this?” Keiran asked, jogging down the stairs. The circle of guards parted to let him approach Baden.

  The younger vampire lifted his hands slightly before him, taking a single step backward as Keiran entered his personal space. “I’ve come here as a friend. I need to show you something.”

  Keiran glanced back at Jerris who only shrugged. He looked at the oddly swaying cloaked mass before turning his attention back toward Baden. “What is that?”

  Baden nodded and looked at the being beside him. “Keiran, I have Athan’s seer, Sabetha.”

  Keiran’s eyes went wide. “The harpy?”

  “Please, tell your guards to put their weapons away. They’re scaring her,” Baden said. “I swear to you, this is not a trick.”

  “Disperse,” Keiran ordered, the guards slowly moving back, though Jerris moved directly to his side.

  Baden offered a grateful smile then moved before Sabetha, speaking in Talausian. “It’s safe, you can drop the cloak now, Sabetha.”

  She made a frightened chittering sound. All of Athan’s warnings over the years of how she’d be treated in the outside world raced through her mind. Still, Baden had taken care of her thus far. Her clawed hands emerged from beneath the cloak, and she slowly reached up to push the garment back and off of her body. The falling rain simply beaded and rolled off of her feather-covered body.

  Keiran, Jerris, and everyone else drew in gasps. None of them had ever seen such a creature.

  Sabetha heard their reactions and she lowered down, trying to hide behind Baden, her feathers standing on end.

  Baden turned around and placed his hands on either side of her face. “Sabetha, it’s all right. You don’t have to be afraid. I’ll protect you.”

  Another string of stressed grunts came from her, but she gave a bob of her head and straightened up again, turning her attention toward Keiran. She’d seen him so frequently in her visions over the years that he really wasn’t a stranger to her, though the converse couldn’t be said.

  Keiran took a cautious step forward, inwardly intimidated by the massive bird…if she was really a bird. He honestly didn’t know anything about harpies. There was a strange beauty about her, but she looked like she could very easily tear a man to shreds if she were so inclined.

  “She only speaks Talausian, I assume?” Keiran asked.

  Baden gave a nod, taking a hold of one of Sabetha’s would-be hands, trying to keep her calm. “She’s of a very delicate constitution, too. She’s never been away from Athan’s fortress before. He hurt her and I couldn’t leave her behind after I last went to see her.”

  “…and without her, Athan is blinded,” Keiran whispered, a faint smile cropping up.

  “Yes.” Baden looked up at Sabetha, seeing her entire body trembling. “She is with me now. I will hide her where I’ve been. You’ll pardon me for not saying exactly where.”

  Keiran gave a nod, mesmerized by the harpy. “He would kill you, undoubtedly.”

  Jerris moved up beside Keiran, also taken by the strange sight. He didn’t really know what to think.

  Sabetha turned her head sideways and reached out slowly with a hand. Jerris went stone rigid as one of her clawed fingers moved toward him, gently grazing through his hair.

  Sabetha uttered something, Baden smiling in response.

  “What?” Jerris whispered, terrified to move at all.

  “She thinks you’re pretty,” Baden replied, grinning. “No one in Talaus has hair like yours.”

  “Thank you?” Jerris replied, straining to look over at Keiran, seeing the dopey expression he wore.

  “Even non-human females are taken with you? How in the hell does that work?” Keiran asked, watching as she carefully untangled her hand from Jerris’ hair. He looked at Baden again. “Her name is Sabetha, you said?”

  “Yes.” Baden looked at his uncle. “Though I will keep her with me, I will let you know when she sees things you need to be made aware of.”

  “That would be most helpful,” Keiran replied quietly. “You’ve likely hurt Athan worse by taking her than anything else ever has.”

  “Luckily for me, my life was already in danger, so I had nothing to lose,” Baden said. “I couldn’t let her get hurt again. Athan lost his temper over her refusal to disclose my location. It was my fault. Unlike Athan, she’s not evil. She just doesn’t know the difference. Please understand she bears no blame for anything Athan has ever done.”

  Keiran quirked a brow. “How long has he been using her?”

  Baden shrugged. “My father found her as nothing more than an infant when he was still a young man. She’s only perhaps twenty years his junior.”

  “Good God, they live that long?” Keiran shook his head and looked at his nephew.

  “In the wild not so much, but when away from the dangers of their own kind, well, who really knows?” Baden turned his gaze back up to Sabetha. “She’s a sister to me, to be honest. She was the closest thing to another child I had around while growing up. She’s innocent, Keiran. I suppose I can’t really explain it.”

  Keiran realized that Baden’s childhood under Athan’s rule must have been horrific. He shook his head, knowing it wasn’t the time to get into a deeper conversation about it, so he changed the subject. “Thana appreciates the prosthetic, and I’ve figured out how to do the trick with the rock.”

  Baden turned back toward Keiran, brows raised. “Already? I’m impressed.”

  Keiran shrugged. “I had the time to figure it out.”

  Having seen Keiran’s wound for himself, Baden shuddered and gave a small nod, understanding well enough. “Keep doing it, pay attention to the way it feels. I will be back in the near future. I promised something to Garhan. However, I need to get Sabetha the rest of the way home now. If he were to somehow find us…”

  “I understand,” Keiran replied, taking a step back, though he certainly had questions for the other vampire. “However, fair warning. If I ever hear that you’ve watched my wife bathe again like you did on your first visit here, I will make you regret ever having been born.”

  “She noticed that?” Baden asked, going still.

  “You touched her while you were at it,” Keiran replied, his expression going deadpan.

  “Oh, that. Sorry… Do give her my apologies for it. My father hasn’t exactly been a role model of respectable behavior around others.” Baden bent down and picked up the cloak Sabetha had shed earlier, trying to hide his embarrassment. As he folded it over his arm, it simply faded from sight. “Also, Jerris, do go down to the docks in Tordan Lea before long.”

  The guard quirked a brow. “Why?”

  “There’s a ship coming up from Lodain now that the river has finally cleared. I’ve something on it for you to collect.” With that, Baden looked up at Sabetha, telling her it was time to go in Talausian.

  She gave a bob of her head and tipped her face up to the sky. During their travels, her ability to fly had greatly strengthened. She leapt; her powerful wing beats easily carrying her upward.

  Keiran and Jerris both took a step back. Luckily, the light rain had gotten the ground wet enough to keep any dirt from being kicked up by her launch.

  Baden offered the two men a smile before looking upward as Sabetha headed over the western castle wall. “S
he has no idea which direction we’re going.”

  Keiran and Jerris watched as Baden’s form shifted into a black haze before he reformed as a raven just as his father would have. Afterward, he sailed out of view over the wall in pursuit of the harpy.

  Keiran looked over at Jerris and gave a wide smile. “This, little brother, is proving to be a very good day.”

  * * *

  Jerris worked to get Drake saddled up and ready for a ride down into town. The rain had stopped not long after Baden’s departure. He’d given it another hour or so before preparing to leave. Getting the saddle onto Drake with only one arm was proving considerably more troublesome than it had been with the smaller Sadori horse he’d ridden home on.

  “Would you like a little help?”

  The guard sighed and turned around, seeing Thana behind him. She was on Quinrah, having gone for a brief ride around the castle grounds when the rain had stopped.

  Though he hated to admit it, he did need assistance. “I’m having a pretty rough time of it. He’s so much taller than Patrice.”

  She slid from the saddle, dressed in a pair of riding trousers and one of Keiran’s shirts. Thana draped Quinrah’s reins over a rail, knowing he wouldn’t go anywhere.

  Jerris stepped back as the woman easily lifted up his saddle and cast it up onto Drake’s back with just her left arm. “You’re far better at this than I am.”

  “I’ve been missing my other hand for a lot longer. You just have a broken arm. You’ll be fine,” she replied, sweeping her silver hand beneath Drake’s wide chest and catching the far end of the cinch strap to pull it up.

  Jerris watched as she made quick work of it, her motions well-practiced since she’d gotten a horse of her own.

  Thana felt his stare as she secured the remaining tail of the cinch strap beneath the saddle. “What is it, Jerris?”

  “Do you hate me?”

  Thana rested both her forearms against Drake and sighed before turning around to face the guard. “We’re family in our own, twisted way, Jerris. I don’t hate you, but I certainly am still upset with what happened. However, you have finally returned, and Keir is acting like Keir again. I do appreciate having my husband back in proper working order. Where are you going with this?”

  “I just wanted to know how you felt,” he replied with a small shrug.

  Thana rolled her eyes and shook her head, pointing back over her shoulder at the warhorse. “No, Jerris, where are you going with this? Are you and Keir about to run off?”

  “Oh, no, not at all. Keir has a few weeks of business to attend to that he’s behind on. King stuff, I’d imagine,” he said. “Apparently, something is arriving for me to pick up at the docks in town. I have no idea what it is, though.”

  She gave a nod and picked up Drake’s reins, holding them out toward Jerris. “All right, then. I’ll go with you. You may need help.”

  He raised his brows and took Drake’s reins. “Really? Do you think Keir will be all right with you heading all the way into town?”

  “He’s just the king, Jerris. He doesn’t own me. Besides, if it’s safe enough for him to run off to town all the time with you alone, why can’t I? He’ll know we didn’t run off to do anything questionable. God knows you aren’t my type,” she said, turning around and going back to Quinrah. “Now, let’s go before the rain starts up again.”

  * * *

  Jerris and Thana made their way through town, reaching the docks along the river’s edge. With the river finally opening up to travel, there were multiple ships present. While some had wintered in Tordan Lea, many others had recently arrived.

  They slowly walked their horses along the docks, seeing many of the ships in various stages of loading and unloading. A massive Sadori ship was moored amongst the others.

  Thana stopped and considered the vessel. Despite her trauma aboard a very similar ship, she had to admit they were far more beautiful than any of the other craft that ever traveled the river.

  Jerris brought Drake to a halt beside her. “Your people do know how to make a good looking boat.”

  She smiled to herself and shook her head, looking back at him. “I’d imagine they make such lovely things as their landscape doesn’t provide much in the way of beauty.”

  After seeing the vast, flat expanse of sand surrounding Takrah, Jerris didn’t disagree. “A tree or two certainly wouldn’t hurt.”

  Thana looked down the dock, seeing nearly twenty other ships moored. “Which one are we looking for?”

  “I honestly don’t know,” he admitted. “Baden just said there was something here for me.”

  “Then, I guess we should keep going,” Thana replied, signaling Quinrah forward again.

  The unmistakable reek of a livestock ship hit them before they’d gotten too much further. A walled gangway was running from the ship to a rope holding pen on the dock. Goats were marching down the ramp, loudly announcing their presence.

  The two of them stopped and watched, some of the smaller animals slipping through the ropes of the holding pen, sending men scrambling as they tried to catch them.

  “Can you just imagine Keir doing that?” Thana asked, shaking her head. “He has his little fantasy about raising goats, but I don’t… Jerris?”

  The redhead’s eyes weren’t on the scattering goats. He was looking up the gangway, an emaciated horse slowly moving downward amongst the sea of smaller animals. He yelped out something unintelligible and tossed his reins toward Thana before hastily dismounting.

  Jerris felt his heart pounding in his temples as the brown mare made her way down, a noticeable limp in her slow gait. Every one of her ribs was visible, her previously glowing coat dull and dirty. Perhaps it wasn’t really her, and he tried to keep his hopes in check. He didn’t think he could handle another disappointment.

  When the horse finally got down to the holding pen, Jerris ran forward and climbed through the ropes. A ship-hand called after him to stop, but he paid the sailor no heed. He waded through the goats, giving no mind to what he was stepping in. Through the tears in his eyes, he saw the outline of her brand showing through her badly matted mane.

  Jerris let out an audible sob, throwing his functioning arm around Patrice’s neck, burying his face against her.

  “Unless you are one,” the man paused to read from the manifest in his hand, “Jerris Stabler, I’d ask you to kindly get out of there.”

  The guard took a step back and looked over his shoulder at the rugged sailor. “Steiner. It’s Jerris Steiner.”

  “Apologies, can’t read m’own writing. In that case, kindly get that miserable thing out of here,” the man said, tossing a simple rope halter toward the redhead. “People see a horse like that and wonder how we’re treating their livestock onboard. She arrived into our custody like that, though. Can’t imagine who would pay to have something like that shipped. Anyway, hurry up with it.”

  “Thank you,” Jerris said after catching the halter, quickly slipping it over Patrice’s head.

  He led her out of the holding pen and walked slowly at her side, noticing how bad her lameness was. She was doing her best to keep most of her weight off of her left front leg. “Looks like we both tore up the same limb, old lady.”

  Thana came closer with the other two horses. “Is that…is that Patrice?”

  Jerris looked up at her, his eyes shining through his tears. “I don’t know how Baden managed to find her, but he did! I thought she was dead and buried under what was left of the mountain. She must have been starving up in those mountains in the weeks afterward!”

  Thana felt a sting in her eyes, Jerris’ elation hitting her. “The poor thing! Let’s get her to your house and get some food into her. I’ll help get her cleaned up.”

  * * *

  Danier stood on the deck of the Sadori ship. He watched on with interest as he saw the redhead moving along the dock. He knew it was the Tordanian king’s guard. His eyes narrowed, realizing Thana was the one riding beside him, and she was on his
white Sadori horse.

  He took a deep breath and smiled to himself. Like Jerris, he wanted his horse back. Though he was there for Betram’s head, getting the animal back and giving Thana her deserved retribution would be simple bonuses.

  Danier lifted his gaze and looked into the distance, seeing the castle sitting on the mountain beside town. Tordan Lea was an ugly place as far as he was concerned. He wouldn’t need to stay long, though. He gave one more look down at Jerris and Thana before turning and barking out a few orders to the other men on the ship.

  Chapter 11

  Thana escorted Jerris back to his small home. Magretha wasn’t there, having returned to her work in the castle. They took Patrice around to the modest barn behind the old farmhouse and set about grooming and feeding her.

  The old mare was exhausted after her ordeal, not minding their attention as her head vanished into a wooden trough of hay. She allowed Jerris to pick her lame leg up to examine it. Thana spent the time carefully combing out her coat then gently working the numerous tangles from her mane and tail.

  They spent the better part of the afternoon getting Patrice into better shape. When they were done, she was turned out into the pasture behind the house.

  Jerris and Thana leaned against the fence and watched as she dropped her head into the dense spring grass, getting to the serious work of eating.

  Thana looked at the guard, her arms draped over the wooden fence rail. “What do you think about her limp?”

  “Well, I’m far from an expert, but I don’t think anything is broken. She will stand on it when she’s grazing like this, so…” he trailed off and shrugged. “I’ll see if Mari can come down to have a look at her. She’s far more educated on these things than I. However, I think Patrice has officially entered retirement as of today.”

  She reached over and put her hand on his shoulder. “She’s earned it. I think she’s glad to be home.”

  Jerris turned his head away, still overcome with his emotions and not wanting Thana to see anymore tears in his eyes. “This morning, Keir said this was a very good day. I’d have to agree with him.”