by Jess Schira
The tall chestnut gelding shuffled his big hooves and stared at the barn his companion had disappeared into.
Saika swallowed and gathered her determination. Her entire life, the only thing she could always count on was her body. She'd spent years training it, learning how to control every single movement. She was going to use that control to dismount, and she was going to do it right now!
Still, Saika couldn’t help wishing she’d insisted on a side saddle. Riding in one might have been even more terrifying than sitting astride, but dismounting would be easier. With a side saddle, the only thing she’d have to do is unhook her leg from the pommel and slide down until her feet touched the ground. She wouldn’t have to force her tired body to make a complicated series of movements when the only thing it wanted to do was curl up in a ball and sleep.
She sighed and sent a mental series of commands to her exhausted muscles which sluggishly started to obey.
Things started out smoothly enough.
She leaned forward, pushing her shoulders slightly to the right side of the horse, kicking her right foot free of the stirrup and lifting it over the back of the saddle. That's when everything fell apart.
Her right heel caught on the horse's hip and no matter how hard she tried to lift it her leg high enough to clear the bulge, her muscles couldn’t obey. She was too tired. Frustrated, she jerked her leg. The movement caused her to over balance and she tipped over backwards.
“Umph.” She slammed into the hard packed ground, the impact forced the breath from her body in one long, gusty sigh. The stars in the sky shimmied and shook. Her horse took a step sideways, at which point, Saika realized her shoe had slid through the stirrup. Instead of stepping away from her, the horse pulled her along. Tiny stones and twigs dug into her back as she jerked and kicked with her foot in a desperate attempt to free it from the stirrup. The only thing her actions served to accomplish was to cause the gelding to lengthen his stride.
“Whoa.” The horse obeyed Sebastian’s verbal command and halted.
Without saying another word or looking in her direction, Sebastian stepped over Saika’s prone body and slipped his arm through the reins before turning to work her foot free of the stirrup. When it fell to the ground with a dull thud, the stable boy took the gelding and Sebastian reached down, grabber her wrist, and hauled her to her feet.
“Next time you should ask for assistance.” His voice sounded more aristocratic than ever. “Which I’d think would be preferable to falling in the dirt.”
Unable to think of a good retort, Saika ground her teeth together and followed him into the inn.
Sebastian knocked on the door and several minutes later a small, elderly woman with long gray braids and serious dark eyes, opened it to peer out it.
“Yes, sir,” she croaked.
Sebastian explained how they were exhausted and in need of a place to stay.
“I do apologize for knocking on the door so late.”
The woman shrugged thin shoulders and peered past Sebastian at the Eastern horizon where the faintest light warned that the sun was about to rise. “It’s the early morning, so save your apologies for someone who really needs them. Please, come in and I’ll find keys to the rooms.”
The exterior of the inn was old and in need of repair, but the interior was clean and cozy. Though there wasn’t much furniture, the pieces that did exist were of good quality. One sofa in particular looked even more so. Saika eyed it and wondered what Sebastian would do if she sank onto it, curled up, and went to sleep. Sleeping on it seemed like it would be easier than navigating the staircase which she suspected led the rooms Sebastian was currently paying for.
A tousled, sleepy eyed man who Saika assumed was the woman’s husband, leaned against a wall and watched them file into the room. At a glance from his wife, he straightened and greet Sebastian before he reached for the keys that hung behind a large desk.
Saika smiled at the woman.
“I’d like to add my apologies for disturbing your rest. It’s quite rude of Mister Harper and myself to have not made arrangements prior to leaving London.”
The woman tugged her wrapper more tightly about herself and returned Saika’s smile. “Tis no trouble. We run an inn. If it weren't for travelers in need of shelter and a few hours rest at all hours of the night, we'd not be able to make ends meet. I've learned to be grateful whenever little Benjamin knocks on the door in the middle of the night and says there's a rider or coach in need of a place to stay.”
The woman shuffled close to the fireplace where a small cheerful fire blazed and lifted a mug from the mantelpiece. When we heard there was a pair of riders pulling into the yard and that one was a lady, I took the liberty of making a nice cuppa tea. You look like you could use it.”
The simple kindness brought tears to Saika's eyes. How long had it been since someone had been friendly to her, a week. It seemed longer.
She barely wrapped her hands around the mug before Sebastian reached over and plucked it from her fingers. She turned to him and wished for her sword. If she had it right now, she'd run it through his foul heart.
“I made some for you as well.” The proprietress eyes grew wide at Sebastian’s bad manners and her voice sharpened. “There's no reason to take your ...” the woman hesitated, clearly waiting for Sebastian to explain just who or what his travel companion was, sensing they weren’t a couple.
“It's very kind of you,” Sebastian said, ignoring the unspoken question. “But we've been traveling a long while and we've still a long way to go. I think it's best if we go upstairs to our room and get as much rest as possible. May we take the tea with us?”
“Yes. Of course.”
Before the elderly woman said anything more, Sebastian wrapped his fingers around Saika’s elbows and hurried her from the room and up the stairs. They kept moving until he reached a doorway. He nudged her across the threshold, tugged the door closed, and dropped the latch into place.
Saika stormed to the far side of the room and glared at him. “I sincerely hope you don't plan to spend the night in here with me.”
Sebastian crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall. For the first time, weariness crept across his face. “I spent the last few miles pondering our sleeping arrangements. The way I saw it, I had a few choices. I could spend the night in here, which probably wouldn't do much good, considering how you always seem to best me in physical altercations. First I considered binding you to the bed.”
A memory from a few years ago flashed across Saika’s mind. It was shortly after her family had arrived in London. She’d been exploring the city and passed a pair of harlots standing at the edge of an alleyway discussing a client with peculiar tastes. Saika had been unable to resist the temptation of lingering a moment and ease dropping. One of the things the women mentioned was how the client liked to bind them. At the time, Saika had been horrified, but now, despite her weariness, she couldn’t help looking at Sebastian and wondering if he shared that nameless client’s peculiar tastes. The idea set a swarm of butterflies loose in her stomach.
“Then I remembered this.” Sebastian withdrew a packet from his pocket and Saika forced herself to focus on the conversation. “These are herbs I had made up at a well-known apothecary which I take when I have trouble sleeping. They taste quite pleasant when mixed with tea and will ensure that you sleep and stay put, at least for a few hours.
From Moonlight to Mayhem
Chapter Eleven
A feather light touch on her lips tugged Saika from her dreams. It drifted from the corner of her mouth, over the swell of her cheek, slid down her neck, and ended near her collar bone, where it started a reverse trip.
Saika moaned and shifted towards the touch. It settled on her mouth and teased her lips. When she parted them, she tasted chocolate, for a long moment before the kiss ended. She opened her eyes and stared directly into Sebastian’s. He stared down at her, his expression caught somewhere between bemusement and irritation.
; “What is it about you,” he growled, talking more to himself than to Saika. “I’m not Oliver. I’m not my brother, Simon. They’ve never been able to resist a damsel in distress. I’ve never been plagued with such an affliction. So why do I feel this strange compulsion to protect you?”
The lingering warmth of his kiss disappeared as the meaning of his words sank in. Saika sat up and shoved her hair out of her face s she could glare at him properly.
“You consider me a damsel in distress. Someone who needs to be saved?” Fury and irritation heated her words. Even in her worst moments, she never thought of herself as some helpless woman who needed a man to save her. She’d spent her entire life working to make sure she didn’t need to depend on anyone but herself.
Sebastian jumped to his feet and paced from one side of the small room to the other. He ran an agitated hand through his hair. “Quite frankly, when it comes to you, I don’t know what to think. I’ve never encountered anyone like you and I doubt I ever will again.”
Saika threw the bedding aside and climbed to her feet, taking a moment to catch her balance. The herbs Sebastian had mixed into her tea weren’t out of her system yet. “I’m not helpless.”
Sebastian turned and met her eyes. His brow furrowed. “I don’t believe I said you were.”
“I was handling things before you came along. In fact, things would have be completed by now if you hadn’t bothered me and mucked everything up.”
“You’re blaming me.”
Saika’s grabbed handfuls of her hair and twisted it into a thick braid that reached all the way to her waist. “Yes.”
“I can’t wait to hear your reasoning.”
“Had you not disrupted me, I would have been able to complete my task and this entire matter would be resolved right now.”
“You can’t be serious?”
Saika tied short piece of thread around the bottom of the braid and reached for the cloak she’d tossed over the back of a chair near the fire. “I am.”
“If I hadn’t interrupted you, you would have killed the king and the entire United Kingdom would be in a state of chaos. Plus, someone would have tracked you down and most likely killed you by now. How can you possibly thing that would be better?”
Something in his tone stung Saika’s pride. Her chin came up and a bright light flashed in her eyes. “It’s not a forgone conclusion.”
“Yes it is.”
“I know how to handle myself.”
Sebastian’s expression took on an exasperated quality. He stretched out a hand and ran the pad of his thumb along the curve of her cheek, tracing a dark bruise she’d acquired during the fight with the three men in the tower cell. “No one is more aware of your abilities and peculiar talents than I am. However, I also know that no matter how talented and trained you might be, the castle was full of people loyal to King George and Queen Charlotte. As soon as you struck King George, you would have been labeled a traitor and a murderer and everyone would have been after you. Someone would have stopped you before you escaped the Queen’s Lodge.”
Sebastian studied her with curious eyes. “But you already know that, don’t you? You’re too intelligent to believe you could have gotten out of the Queen’s Lodge without getting caught.”
A horrible thought crashed into Saika. It sent her mind reeling. Even if she managed to save her family without creating regicide, her future wasn’t clear. London was full of brilliant people, and someone, like Sebastian was bound to hear enough details about what had happened over the past few days and realize what she’d intended to do. They’d also realize Sebastian was involved. Because of his willingness to help her, he’d be labeled a traitor and face the same fate as her.
She couldn’t let that happened.
Saika’s mind whirled but an immediate solution failed to present itself.
Sebastian cleared his throat and tugged at the bottom of his jacket. “I spoke to the man who tended to our horses. He reported that at about the same time your family was abducted, a single gypsy wagon stopped at the yard. The men driving didn’t stay long, in fact the one never got off the seat, but that they simply wanted to change the team they were driving with another, fresher team. It’s logical to assume the wagon contained your family.”
Saika’s brow furrowed. “I don’t understand.”
Sebastian sounded confused. “I thought I made the situation perfectly clear. Based on the man’s story, it sounds like we’re on the right path. I thought it would make you happy.”
Saika removed a piece of horse hair from her cloak. “I am grateful to have a clue about where they are, but I fear the odds of them still being alive … they seem small. Why reason would there be for whoever took them to keep them alive. It makes more sense to kill them.”
“Try to look at it from the perspective of whoever created the situation. Yes, they have to care for a group of people and worry about the possibility of the escaping, but whoever is behind all of this should be worried about you. They choose you because somehow, they figured out what you’re capable of. If they killed your entire family and then you somehow found out about it, they’d have no way to control you. If I were in their position, I’d keep your family alive, at least until you assassinate King George …” Sebastian’s voice trailed off and he stared at the floor.
“What,” Saika demanded.
Sebastian heaved a sigh. “If I were the one behind the kidnapping, I’d keep your family alive until I figured out a way to kill you.”
Saika considered his words and wondered how come she’d never considered this particular line of reasoning on her own. After all, he was right. If she learned her family was gone, nothing would persuade her to attack the king and she’d hunt the people responsible for the massacre.
She pulled her black cloak over her shoulders and fastened it in place. “If you’re correct and whoever orchestrated this situation plans on things ended with my death, they overestimate their abilities. I’m difficult to kill.”
By the time Sebastian and Saika stepped out of the inn, the sun was high in the sky. The same stable lad who had greeted them last night, had prepared the horses and now stood in the middle of the yard holding the reins of both mounts. Their coats gleamed in the sunlight.
The chestnut turned his head and watched their approach. If her muscles didn’t still ache from the hours she’d already spent in the saddle and if she wasn’t facing the prospect of spending more time in the same place, Saika would have found the way his ginger coat shined attractive. She might even find his prick eared, bright eyed expression charming, but the circumstances didn’t allow for such a response. It was all she could do to suppress a groan.
The last thing she wanted to do was spend more time sitting on top of the animal. Her body ached even more now than it had when she tumbled to the ground last night.
Feeling cross, she eyed the gelding while Sebastian stepped between the two horses and checked the tack.
The stable lad tapped the chestnut’s saddle. “There’s a side saddle in the barn your lady is welcome to use, provided you promise to return it. It’s not the best quality and it’s been years since it was last used, but I cleaned it and it would be more proper than what she’s been using-”
Sebastian slid his fingers between the horse and the girth and made sure the strap was tight enough to prevent the saddle from slipping but not so tight the animal would have a difficult time breathing. “The saddle is fine.”
Saika eyed the saddle and cringed. She almost asked if the other option had better padding but refrained. She found riding astride difficult, she didn’t even want to think about how much more precarious her position would be if she was turned sideways.
“We’re only traveling for a few miles,” Sebastian said. He lowered his stirrups before mounting. Saika admired the way he moved even as a twinge of jealousy shot through her. It was obvious he wasn’t experiencing any of the discomfort that plagued her. His ability to move about without pain made her want to hit hi
m.
She moved to the left side of the chestnut and with the help of the stable boy and mounted less gracefully. She angled an angry glare in Sebastian’s direction. “If we only have a few miles to travel, there's no reason why we can't walk.”
“Riding is faster and easier.” Sebastian nudged the horse with his heels and it surged forward in a long striding walk. Saika's mount followed.
“For you maybe,” she muttered.
In an attempt to distract herself from the way each step the horse took jarred her muscles, Saika studied her surroundings. Last night when they'd come here, the moonlight hadn't been bright enough for her to get a good impression of what England looked like. She seldom thought about what the country must look like away from London. All of her life, she'd lived in the middle of the city, first Dublin as a child and then London after her parents decided to emigrate to England. The idea of anywhere existing that didn't have buildings, smoke, and streets simply wasn't something she could contemplate. Sometimes when people told her about the country she thought they were making it up.
She’d been wrong.
She’d hadn’t realized it was possible for there to be so many trees, stone fences, farms, and fields they passed. And the amount of space between buildings … she never would have believed such a thing existed.
She shivered. One of her friends suffered from severe claustrophobia and had panic attacks whenever she felt hemmed in. All this empty space had a similar effect on Saika. How could anyone live out here where it was so open and quiet?
Her surroundings served to distract her from her problems, but it wasn’t steadying her so she turned to Sebastian.
He posed another problem. Saika didn’t have a strong understanding about how the laws worked, but she didn’t doubt his involvement with her meant he would be branded a criminal. She couldn’t bear for such a thing to happen. She’d accepted her fate, but she wouldn’t allow the same thing to happen to him. Somehow she needed to think of a way to save both his life and his honor.