by Diana Bold
Once Simon knew she was involved, the mercy Sebastian had convinced him to show would vanish. He’d throw her back in the dungeon and try to beat the truth out of her. “There’s only one way to fix this. I have to get back to where your men found me. If I can get home, I might be able to find an antidote.”
He shook his head. “It is a two-day journey to the coast. By then everyone in Hawkesmere could be infected.”
“It will spread past Hawkesmere’s borders,” she told him softly, trying to make him understand the magnitude of what Trevelan had done. “If you don’t help me, millions will die.”
“I cannot leave my people now, Rhoswen. Not even for you.”
“Listen to me.” She held out an imploring hand, begging him to trust her. “Tell Simon to stay away from the village. Tell him to close the castle gates and not let anyone in. Perhaps the virus hasn’t spread here yet. That’s all we can do for them. But if you help me, we can save untold thousands more.”
He stumbled away, his indecision obvious. Turning his back on her, he strode to the narrow arrow slit, staring down at the village below.
She could only imagine how difficult it must be for him to contemplate walking away from everything he knew — especially in a time of need — for the sake of a woman he barely knew.
“Don’t stay here and die, Sebastian. It won’t help anything, and it would break my heart. I need you to come with me. I can’t do it without you.”
A visible shudder traveled through him, and he turned to face her. “Swear to me that if I do this thing, if I take you to the coast, you will tell me everything. I will have no more secrets between us, not if I am to trust you.”
She took a deep breath, and then nodded. His stipulation was more than fair, and she trusted him to keep her secrets. She trusted him with her very life. “I will tell you everything, but not until we are far away from here.”
He remained on the other side of the room for a long moment, then strode to a trunk at the foot of the bed and tossed her a heavy robe very similar to his own.
“Put this on,” he told her grimly. “We cannot leave any of your belongings behind. We will stop in the kitchen for some food, and then leave through the postern door.”
She scrambled off the bed and slipped the robe over her head, hiding her blond hair beneath the heavy cowl. Apparently, he’d decided to help her, but she didn’t dare ask any questions, lest he change his mind.
Grabbing her pack and its contents from his desk, he took a few more things from his shelf, then opened the door and motioned her out into the drafty stairwell.
“Stay close,” he said, his voice tight with tension. “And keep your head down. People will be looking for someone to blame and you are the most likely target. I would like to get out of here without talking to anybody.”
She’d planned to tell him of the tunnels beneath the castle and suggest they leave that way, but his words hinted at a lurking danger she hadn’t fathomed. Besides, she wasn’t even sure the tunnels existed. If she mentioned them now, he’d wonder what else she’d hidden from him.
She planted her feet, forcing him to stop and look at her. “I won’t forget this, Sebastian. I can never repay you for all you’ve done for me.”
“Do not thank me yet,” he muttered, looking as though her gratitude made him uncomfortable. “We have a long, dangerous road ahead.”
As he stepped past her, she crowded in behind him, hoping they managed to get away from Hawkesmere with their lives.
Chapter Twelve
Sebastian turned his huge destrier away from Hawkesmere, guiding the warhorse into the heavily wooded hills beyond. Within moments, the dense trees hid them from view of the castle, and he released a pent-up sigh of relief.
They had made their escape without incident. Not that he had really expected immediate pursuit. It would take a few hours for Simon to discover what he had done. Hopefully, they would be far away before that happened.
His arms tightened reflexively around Rhoswen. She sat sideways across his lap, but her robe obscured her face. They had not said a word to each other since they had left the tower, and he was in no hurry to remedy that.
For the first time since he had left the Holy Land, he offered up a fervent prayer. He prayed he had done the right thing — that he had not betrayed his brother and the rest of his people for this girl without reason.
If she was not telling the truth, if she had lured him out of the castle for some ulterior motive, he hoped she and her accomplices killed him. He could not bear to live with that sort of guilt and betrayal.
She had promised to tell him everything once they had left Hawkesmere behind, but he did not press her. He had a feeling that her story, whatever it might be, would turn his world upside down. Before that happened, he wanted to enjoy these last few moments of relative peace and quiet.
He had already decided she was one of the fey — or perhaps she came from some otherworldly place. How else to explain the amazing things in her pack or her companion’s ability to call forth a plague?
His destrier surged up an incline, and Rhoswen dug her fingers into his arms, clinging for dear life. Her unease made the horse shy nervously.
“Relax,” he murmured, as he gave the animal’s powerful neck a soothing pat. “You are upsetting the horse.”
“I’ve never ridden one of these animals before.” Her voice quavered with what seemed to be genuine fear. “We’re so very high off the ground.”
“I will not let you fall.” He wrapped his arm securely around her waist, but her words piqued his curiosity even more. Surely, she had ridden at least occasionally. How had she and Trevelan traveled so far on foot?
How far had they traveled?
She melted against him, the tension leaving her in a rush. "Thank you, Sebastian. For saving my life in the first place, for keeping me safe from your men, and now for coming to my aid yet again."
He hugged her, his earlier distrust vanishing in the wake of her sweet affection. Somehow this odd, amazing creature had slipped beneath his defenses and made him want to live again. Despite everything, he could not regret meeting her.
"It is I who should be thanking you. Before you came into my life, I cared about nothing.” The admission came hard, but he felt better for having said it.
He was suddenly very glad he had left with her. If he’d had to watch her ride away alone, it would have been a blessing to die of the plague.
“Oh, Sebastian,” she whispered. “It pains me to hear you say such things. You must know how very special your life has become to me.”
"Did you mean what you said earlier?" he asked, his voice hushed. “Will you tell me everything, now that we are away from the castle?”
"Of course.” She ducked her head and played with the frayed edge of the robe. “It’s just hard to know where to begin.”
“Tell me,” he whispered. “Please, tell me now, Rhoswen. Put my mind at ease.”
“Yes.” She searched for his hand and squeezed it tightly. “I owe you that, at the very least.”
He bent forward and kissed her, uncertain whether he thanked her for her trust or postponed the revelation of secrets that would change his life forever.
After a long while, he drew back, his blood rushing through his veins with fierce arousal. He pushed back her cowl, revealing her silky blond hair. The sun caught in the pale strands, giving her an angel-like glow.
If he had ever seen anything more beautiful, he could not remember it.
“I am mad for you, Rhoswen. I fear if you told me you were the daughter of the devil himself, I would happily follow you into Hell.”
She smiled. “I’m not the devil’s daughter, though my father does rule the place I come from.”
“You are a princess?” He shook his head and choked back a strangled laugh. Of course. He should have known. “I knew I aimed too high when I dared touch you, but I never dreamed how far beneath you I truly was.”
“Never think that,” she c
hided. “My people do not adhere to a class system. Everyone is equal. There are very few of us, so each person is needed in order to make our civilization run smoothly.”
“Sounds like paradise.” He nudged his horse onto a seldom-used path, then urged him to a faster pace. Though he had seen no sign of pursuit, he felt the need to put as much distance as possible between them and the castle.
“Perhaps.” She sighed, looking troubled. “I’m afraid I haven’t always appreciated it. Many times, I’ve wished I could trade it all for what you have — the sun, the stars, the sky…” Tilting her head back, she gazed up, looking at the sky as though she’d never seen it before.
She lived somewhere where there was no sky? Confused, he simply stared down at her, waiting for her to continue. With every word she said, his unease grew. Perhaps he did not want to know where she came from, not really. He was not certain what remained of his faith could survive whatever she meant to tell him.
With a sigh, she met his gaze. “I know I said you I’d tell you all, but I really don’t know how to explain my home to you. Perhaps it would be easier to show you. But I fear if I take you there my father will be furious.”
“I do not want you to risk your father’s wrath for me, Rhoswen.”
She reached up and ran her fingertips over his face, as though she wished to imprint his features in her mind for all eternity. “How can I risk anything less than you have? Perhaps bringing you there and letting them see what an amazing man you are, is the only way to help them get over their irrational prejudice.”
“Are you fey?” The question had haunted him, and this seemed as good a time as any to ask.
She shook her head and gave him a brief smile. “No, though I believe my people may have spawned those stories. There’s a little bit of truth in every legend. But we don’t have any supernatural abilities. We are human, just like you.”
He gazed at her with rapt fascination. “So, you are human? Somehow I find myself a little disappointed.” He returned her smile. “I had thought your answers would shatter my world.”
She pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose. “Well, don’t be too disappointed. I may have something earth-shattering in store for you yet.”
* * * * *
Rhoswen and Sebastian traveled hard all day, not stopping to rest until night had fallen. Sebastian had said he feared the horse would come to harm if they proceeded in the dark, but she sensed he would rather have continued. They stopped in a small clearing ringed by towering trees.
She couldn’t control the soft moan that slipped from her lips as Sebastian lowered her from the destrier’s tall back to the ground. Her legs buckled, and she grasped the saddle, biting her lip as she struggled to remain standing. Her entire body ached; the long ride had used muscles she hadn’t even known she possessed.
“Are you well?” Sebastian swung down beside her, peering into her face.
“I’m a little sore,” she admitted.
He gave her a half-smile, then gestured to a nearby stump, just visible by the dim light of the moon. “Sit down and rest for a bit. I will get a fire started and make us a pallet.”
She moved to do as he’d instructed, glancing around the looming forest with wary distrust. Who knew what sort of wild animals roamed these woods at night? Gratitude for Sebastian’s reassuring presence swept through her. She’d have been terrified to face the dark, unknown forest all alone at night.
Within moments, he had a merry fire burning and had spread several furs upon the cold, hard ground, creating a cozy nest. She knelt gratefully upon the pallet, accepting a cold meat pie and a flagon of pale ale with trembling fingers. She needed to eat in order to maintain her strength, but all she wanted was to curl up beneath the warm furs and sleep.
“You did well today.” Sebastian sank down beside her and stretched out his long legs. “Traveling by horseback for so many hours is taxing, especially if you are not used to it.”
She appreciated his attempt to make light of her weakness, but felt the need to own up to it. “There were moments when I thought I’d die if we had to go another mile, but there’s no faster way for us to reach the coast, and time is of the essence.”
“Eat your meal,” he urged. “When you are done, I will rub your sore muscles.”
She raised an eyebrow, a little of her exhaustion fading. “That sounds wonderful.”
He smiled, and then took a long drink from the flagon. “By the time I am finished, you will feel much better, I promise.”
Needing no more urging than that, she finished the horrid pie as quickly as possible, then stretched out upon her stomach in front of the fire. The night was chilly, but the fire and the heavy robe made it bearable.
Sebastian took another drink of wine, then slid his hands beneath the edge of her robe, unfastening her slippers. When his warm fingers squeezed the arch of her foot, she sighed in sheer bliss.
Gazing into the flickering flames, she gave herself up to Sebastian’s magical hands. He kneaded and caressed, pulling down her trousers and working his way from her feet to her calves, soothing the aching muscles and leaving her pliant with desire.
“Mmm, that feels so nice. You truly are a sorcerer.”
“I am glad it helps. Shall I go higher?” His voice was low and husky, proving he was not unaffected by the sensual, intimate act. As he spoke, he closed his hands over her thighs, kneading the abused muscles with gentle firmness.
She sighed and spread her legs a bit, hoping he would take the hint and touch her where she wanted it most. Instead, he continued, easing the ache from her thighs, then moving to her sore bottom.
Pressing her face against the furs, she closed her eyes and arched into his touch, drawing her knees beneath her and lifting her hips, offering herself in wordless entreaty. His breath quickened, and he lifted her robe up around her waist with one hand, while the fingers of his other finally delved into her teeming wetness, making her gasp with pleasure.
He continued to ready her with his fingertips, but she felt him move behind her, heard the rustle of fabric as he pushed down her undergarment, baring her to the chill breeze and his hot gaze.
She shivered a bit, but not from the cold. She couldn’t wait for him to take her, here beneath the dark sky with the gentle breeze and the crackling fire.
“Make love to me,” she whispered. “I want to feel you inside me.”
His strong, hair-roughened thighs pressed against her, and she felt the hot, blunt head of his cock, seeking entry. Then he was inside her, so full, so wonderfully huge and carnal.
“Don’t be gentle,” she begged. “Don’t hold back. I want all of you. Your body, your heart, your soul.”
Sebastian grasped Rhoswen’s slim hips, gritting his teeth as he plunged home, deeper than he had ever imagined she could take him, until he knew he must be brushing her very womb.
“You feel so good,” he whispered harshly, leaning forward and nipping the back of her long, slim neck with his teeth. “I love being inside you.”
She pressed back against him with a soft moan, and his control snapped. He came over her in a frenzy of lust, still unable to believe she was truly here, that she wanted everything he had to give.
Within moments, she convulsed around him. Her sweet cry shattered the stillness of the forest, driving him to thrust even harder and faster, until he was nearly sobbing with the beauty of it.
He wanted their lovemaking to last forever, but his own release came far too quickly, whipping through him with incredible force, making his toes curl and his own cry drown out hers.
Collapsing next to her, he turned her toward him, covering her lips in a hot, hungry kiss. Words escaped him. He could not articulate everything she had come to mean to him, could not explain how much he dreaded the dawn and the necessary trip to wherever she came from.
He feared whatever tenderness she had felt when forced to depend upon him for her very life would disappear when she was safely home. How could he possibly compete when she
was back among those of her own kind, who surely surpassed him in every possible way?
Her kiss seemed desperate, and for endless moments they kissed beneath the stars, oblivious to anything but each other. After a long time, she pulled back, smoothing the hair from his eyes with a trembling hand.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I loved it. Every moment of it.”
“As did I.” With a soft sigh, he tucked her beneath the blankets, then slipped in beside her, pulling her tight against his chest. In this small, wooded grove, he felt like a king. The woman in his arms had gone a long way toward rebuilding everything he had lost in the desert, and he never wanted the night to end.
Chapter Thirteen
The next morning, Sebastian went about the business of breaking camp while Rhoswen perched on the tree stump, shivering. The healing effects of his hands had obviously worn off during the night. Her face was pale, and she moved slowly, as though she ached all over.
He doused the fire and rolled the furs back up, securing them to his destrier’s saddle, then helped her mount before him. Once he had guided the horse back toward the coast, she relaxed, snuggling into the circle of his arms.
“I may nap awhile,” she mumbled, tucking her head against his chest. “I didn’t sleep well last night. I heard too many things moving in the trees.”
He tilted her face, gazing down at her with utter adoration. “Rest as long as you want. We have at least another day’s ride ahead.” Leaning down, he pressed his lips to hers.
Lost in her sweet taste, he did not hear their pursuit until ‘twas too late. The distinctive whine of an arrow whirring through the air reached his ears a split second before the shaft slammed into his shoulder. He jolted forward in the saddle, almost losing his seat.
Rhoswen wrenched away, crying out in fright. He cursed below his breath, both in pain and anger at his own stupidity. He spurred his warhorse, gripping Rhoswen tightly as the beast surged forward.