Everwylde

by Donna Grant

  “Probably because they did not bother to read through the library.”

  Malene gave him a flat look. “What you really mean to say is that most did not know how to read.”

  “Neither did you.”

  “Until I made you teach me.”

  He had been immensely impressed by her first order to him. It showed that she wanted to know what was before her to face whatever came. And she had done that and much, much more. “Aye.”

  She touched the book she’d opened on the table between them that outlined her role as Lady of the Varroki. “As of today, a new law goes into effect removing celibacy from all positions.”

  “Even yours?”

  Gray eyes held his gaze for a long, silent moment. “All positions,” she repeated.

  “As you wish,” he said with a bow of his head. Once more an image of him taking her to his bed filled his mind before he shoved it aside. “I shall notify everyone that you have added a new law.”

  “Do it quickly. There is somewhere I wish to be.”

  Armir frowned. Surely, she wasn’t thinking of visiting the witch who’d begun the Hunters. But he could tell by the determined set of Malene’s chin that it was exactly what she meant.

  “There is no need for your concern,” Malene said. “You will be with me.”

  He wasn’t sure if the idea of going with her was a good one or not. It was his duty to protect and guide her, but he was all too aware of the precarious state of his thoughts the more time he was alone with her.

  Yet, he would not allow anyone else to go with her. He bowed once more before turning on his heel and striding from the chamber. As he made his way down the stairs to the bottom of the tower, he let his mind sift through her changes and how they would help the Varroki in many ways. But after a great many generations of such customs, change wouldn’t come easily.

  It didn’t take long for him to spread the word about the new laws. There was concern until he shared why Malene changed their traditions. Once the Varroki learned that their Lady was concerned about their race dying out, they accepted the new decree with a degree of enthusiasm he hadn’t expected.

  Although, Armir was curious as to how Jarin and the rest of the warriors would take the news. They were trained from a young age to be alone. They fought alone, lived alone. And died alone.

  Malene’s new edict was exactly what the Varroki needed. He’d hoped he would at least like her. He’d never expected to admire or be in awe of her. Yet that’s exactly what had occurred. It’d happened so slowly, he hadn’t been cognizant of it until that moment.

  While fully aware that Malene didn’t wish to be Lady, she accepted the role with dignity and grace. He would protect her with his life. She was the best thing to have happened to the Varroki in thousands of years.

  And if need be, he would watch over the man she chose to stand beside her.

  That thought soured Armir’s thoughts, which was why he stopped it. After seeing to the guards around the island, he returned to the top of the tower.

  He knocked twice and entered to find Malene bent over the law book as she finished writing her new edict. She straightened and beamed at him.

  “This is the first time since I arrived at Blackglade that I feel as if I’ve done something good,” she said.

  He frowned at her words. “You’ve done many good things.”

  “Is that right? Name one.”

  “Look at your hands,” he said with a jerk of his chin. “All Ladies harness the blue radiance in one palm. It has been eons since any have held it in both.”

  Her smile slipped as she fisted her hands. “I did not learn magic. It chose me, for reasons I have yet to determine. It grows within me without any encouragement on my part.”

  “In the five years of studying magic and the Varroki, you still do not understand.”

  She widened her eyes and cocked her head. “Please explain, then.”

  “While I could not explain why the magic chose you at first, I am beginning to finally understand. You might strain against the confines, but you have learned a great many things. It is not only your mind that has grown but your magic, as well. It continues to develop because you allow it to. You do not hold your magic back out of fear, or grasp for it to lord it over others.”

  A deep furrow formed on her brow. “I think I would know if I were helping the magic grow.”

  “When you were a child, did you feel your bones expand? Your skin stretch?”

  “Nay.”

  “It is the same with magic,” he told her.

  Her gaze dropped to the floor as she slowly nodded. “That does make sense.”

  He hoped with her new laws that she would stop looking back at the life she left behind. There was a good future for her here, and maybe she might allow herself to see it if she didn’t feel pressed into the position.

  Armir hadn’t wanted to force her to Blackglade, but he’d been prepared to do just that. Once a Lady was chosen, they had to take their place, or the magic shielding Blackglade from the Coven and the outside world would fade.

  But he hadn’t had to toss her over his shoulder. Instead, he’d coaxed and persuaded until he swayed her into agreeing to return with him. Every day of their journey to Blackglade, he continued to convince her that it was the right thing to do for the people.

  Malene cared nothing about her position or the power it granted her. When he realized that, he’d had his first shred of hope that she would last longer than most of the other Ladies. And in many aspects, she had.

  The longest a previous Lady had ruled was ten years. And that simply wouldn’t be long enough. It had taken Malene five just to reach where she was. If she could make it past the doomed seven-year mark, there was a real chance she could do wondrous things for the Varroki.

  Malene walked around the table to him. “Do you approve of what I have done?”

  He was taken aback by her question. “My feelings do not matter.”

  “They do to me. You are my only friend here.”

  “You could have others.”

  She glanced away but chose not to reply.

  Armir looked down at the faint blue light that glowed from her palms. “I do approve. It is a step we should have taken a hundred years ago. There will be some who will cling to the old ways.”

  “I suspected that. And respect it. Will you be one of them?”

  “I have not thought about it.” It was a lie. The fact was, he didn’t wish to speak of it until he’d had time to mull over what this new edict would mean for him. Until then, he would keep his decisions to himself.

  Her gray eyes stared hard. “You should. Everyone deserves happiness.”

  “And if I am happy?”

  “That’s all that matters,” she replied with a soft smile. She licked her lips. “Ready?”

  “You are intent on this meeting, then?”

  Malene gave a nod. “Very.”

  “We do not have an exact location for the Hunters, and the magic it takes to get there—”

  “Is painful,” she said over him with a nod. “I know.”

  Armir rarely used his magic to make huge jumps in travel because the effects were debilitating, but they didn’t have the luxury of time to make a traditional journey.

  To his shock, Malene held out her hand. When he hesitated, she raised a brow. “Afraid to touch me? I changed that, as well.”

  “Your law allowing celibate positions to now marry will go over much easier than me touching you.”

  She held his gaze. “Who is to know but us?”

  While she had a point, Armir knew he would be willingly crossing a line if he took her hand. Already, he’d toed it by carrying her into her chamber twice, but he gave himself permission to do that since it was to protect her.

  This was something entirely different.

  “We must be touching to do this magic together,” Malene said. “Unless you would rather we go separately.”

  “Nay,” he said hastily. So
much could go wrong.

  “Then you must not trust me to do the magic necessary for such travel.”

  “I did not say that.”

  Through it all, her hand awaited his. He drew in a deep breath and wrapped his fingers around hers.

  “I have never done this type of magic,” she confessed.

  As they faced each other, their gazes locked, Armir could almost forget their positions. If they lived other lives elsewhere, he would have pursed Malene, wooing her until she succumbed to him.

  He took her other hand, pulling her closer. The excitement of freely touching her was explosive, and his efforts to tamp down those feelings were futile. “Then we do it together.”

  After her nod of agreement, Armir’s gaze lowered to her mouth. His blood heated as her lips parted and her chest rose swiftly. They spoke in unison, reciting the traveling spell together. It wasn’t long before the tower grew hazy as their thoughts centered on the forest Jarin had told them about.

  The strength of Malene’s magic slid along his body, seductively wrapping around him. His magic swelled in response to hers so that the clasp of their fingers tightened. Their gazes locked, the spell pushing their bodies closer and closer until they were merely breaths apart.

  In a flash of light, the tower was gone, replaced by tall trees and bright sunlight. Whatever pleasure Armir had felt was gone as his skull felt as if it were being yanked apart.

  Malene bent over and gagged. He moved behind her, holding her as she emptied her stomach, while each movement only made his headache worse.

  When she finished, he guided her to a tree. As he lowered her to the ground, his feet slipped on the dead leaves, and they slid together into a heap. He held her against him to break the fall, and once on the ground, neither moved.

  He squeezed his eyes shut to stop the world from spinning while waiting for the pain in his head to recede. Malene was draped over his chest. Her breathing was shallow, and she had a death grip on his arm.

  He should give her words of reassurance and let her know that this would ease in a moment, but he couldn’t get anything past his lips.

  When the silence continued, he dared to crack open an eye, only to be blinded by the sunlight. He saw that Malene had fallen asleep.

  He closed his eyes and held her tighter.

  Chapter 12

  “That was close,” Margery said.

  Ravyn watched the group of knights from a distance. She could neither hear what they said nor see them clearly before they rode from the forest. “Aye.”

  “They were looking for Carac.”

  “I heard.” Everyone probably heard with the way the men were shouting.

  Margery made her way down the tree she had climbed and landed beside Ravyn. “In these woods.”

  Ravyn swung her head to her friend. “Your point?”

  “You said someone was watching us. It could have been Carac.”

  “I would have seen him.”

  Margery gave her a look that suggested she didn’t believe a word Ravyn said.

  “If it was Carac, why did he not approach us?” Ravyn demanded.

  Margery yanked down Ravyn’s face scarf. “Perhaps because he was not sure of our intentions since we were covered.”

  “Carac is a knight. He would not sit by and watch. He would have attacked.”

  “Then you would have had no choice but to shoot him.”

  Ravyn hated that Margery was right. Not that Ravyn would’ve shot Carac—not to kill, anyway. Wound, perhaps.

  Margery rolled her eyes. “You like him,” she accused.

  “I do not know him.”

  “Ravyn.”

  “What?” she asked in frustration. “So I think he is handsome. That means nothing.”

  Margery crossed her arms over her chest. “You are attracted to him.”

  Ravyn tried to lie, but it died on her tongue.

  “I knew it,” Margery said with a shake of her head.

  “That will not stop me if he is in league with John and Sybbyl.”

  Margery dropped her arms and looked at the castle. “Perhaps we need to determine which side Sir Carac is on.”

  “I intend to.”

  Her friend’s russet gaze swung back to her. “I mean, tell him who you are and why we are here. See how he reacts.”

  “You want me to show our hand to a potential enemy?” Ravyn asked in shock.

  “You forget, while you were flirting with John and Carac at supper, I was with the servants, listening to them as well as observing you. It was the way Carac made sure never to get too close to Sybbyl that caught my attention.”

  Ravyn glanced at where Carac’s knights had disappeared. “I saw that as well, but that could mean anything.”

  “We could stop Sybbyl quicker if he were on our side.”

  “You are assuming that he will join us. Have you thought about what will happen if he is with John and Sybbyl?”

  Margery gave a firm nod. “You will have to kill him.”

  “You make it sound as if I enjoy taking lives.”

  “Nay. I merely stated the obvious.”

  Ravyn snorted in irritation. “Perhaps you should be the one to kill Carac.”

  “If you will not, then I will do what is necessary.”

  “Margery, I kill witches,” Ravyn said, letting the frustration heat her words. “I kill Coven witches because of the horror they bring, the destruction they leave in their wake. I only take the lives of others if I am fighting for my own. I take no pleasure in it. Ever.”

  Remorse filled Margery’s face. “I did not mean to suggest otherwise. Forgive me.”

  Ravyn waved away her words. “You are right. Hunting is not for you.”

  “Perhaps, but I do want to end the Coven. I will do my part. Whatever that may be.”

  They clasped hands, sharing a grin.

  The rest of the day was spent mostly in solitude, each woman taking up positions to view the castle and the movements of the knights.

  That also meant that Ravyn was left alone with her thoughts. No matter how hard she tried, she found herself thinking of Carac again and again. What was it about him that drew her? She had been around other handsome men, but his magnetism was more than that.

  It could be his confidence in life and war or the way he treated his knights like family. Maybe it was the way he looked at her as if he were trying to decipher her thoughts, as if he were interested in every word she said. There was also the possibility that it had something to do with the roguish smile he’d flashed her when she told him she could use the crossbow.

  Her gaze dropped to the weapon in her hands. Carac had taken a close look at it, close enough to see the inscription of Celtic symbols. If that had been him in the forest earlier, then he’d seen the weapon.

  Which meant he knew it was she.

  He’d remained hidden to see what she would do. It was so obvious that she nearly groaned out loud. If she saw Carac again—which she didn’t intend to do—she would be able to discern very quickly if he was the one watching her.

  But the question remained. Why hadn’t he called out to her, stopped her, or any number of other things? Why had he simply watched? Was it because he was curious? Or was it something else? Like he was in league with Sybbyl?

  Ravyn was grateful when dusk finally settled over the land. She was able to pull her thoughts away from her conflicted feelings about Carac and focus on getting into the castle and finding Lord Bryce and whatever it was Sybbyl hunted for.

  When it was dark enough, she and Margery made their way to the keep. They took different routes. Margery chose to get in through the back, but Ravyn opted for the side of the fortress.

  The stone wall surrounding the stronghold soared above her. Upon first glance, it appeared slick with no way to get over it without a ladder or rope, but that didn’t stop Ravyn. She had scaled such obstacles before.

  Making it to the castle proved easy. The guards patrolling the battlements were looking for riders
or someone approaching the gates. No one peered down the wall.

  Ravyn slung the strap of her crossbow over her head and then slipped her arm through before she got a good grip on the stones and began her climb. She went slowly to ensure that she didn’t lose either her foothold or the few handholds she found. Her arms began to shake halfway up, but there was no time to stop and rest. The only option she had was to make it to the top.

  When she finally reached the battlements, she had to hold her place as two guards stood just feet from her, talking. She closed her eyes, focusing her strength on her fingers and the grip they had, as well as her footholds. It felt like forever before the guards moved on.

  But when it came time for her to get over the top, she couldn’t move. She’d used so much energy on the climb and holding her position that she feared she wouldn’t be able to make it over.

  Then she thought about Sybbyl. The mere notion that she could be the one who’d murdered Ravyn’s family gave her the boost she needed to finish her climb.

  Ravyn squatted in the shadows and shook out her arms as she looked one way and then the other, taking note of where the guards were stationed. She kept to the shadows as she took a quick look at the castle and the bailey. The few guards she saw meandering about below were off duty, their attention on women and drink. The other knights had their concentration outward, leaving her to make her way unseen to the door leading from the battlements.

  Ravyn never left the shadows. Once inside, it was easy to hear anyone coming and duck out of the way. The castle was eerily quiet except for two voices. As soon as she recognized one as Sybbyl’s, she headed in that direction.

  “I told you never to doubt me,” the witch said.

  John laughed before belching loudly. “I do not.”

  “Oh, you did, my lord. You did not think Randall would give me the staff. Perhaps I should discipline you again after that incident with Ravyn.”

  Ravyn frowned. Staff? She inched closer and looked around the corner to peer down into the great hall. Sybbyl and John were sitting alone, no guards near. It would be the perfect time to kill the witch, but Ravyn hesitated. She needed to know what staff Sybbyl was after.