Honor's Price

by Alexis Morgan

  Averel nodded, accepting the necessity of what Kane had done. “What drove her to propose to you? Surely that is not how these things are done, not with the widow of the former duke.”

  Kane leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he stared down at the ground. “She thought if we were to marry, it would protect her from the kind of bastard that Keirthan would choose for her. In return, I would gain control of her land and wealth.

  “Like that would matter to me.” He picked up a stick and threw it for the dogs. “Even if I had a lifetime to live with her instead of the few weeks left before we face judgment again, I wouldn’t care about such things.”

  “And I’m guessing your lady knows that. If she thought you were a greedy bastard like her brother-in-law or his friends, she wouldn’t have let you touch her.”

  Averel gave Kane a sly look, his pale eyes twinkling with wicked humor. “And she has let you touch her, hasn’t she?”

  Kane shoved his friend hard. “Careful how you speak of her. Your listeners tonight wouldn’t like how you’d sound with your nose broken.”

  Averel scooted farther away on the log, holding his hands up in surrender. “I meant no insult.”

  Kane backed off. “None taken. I’ve been edgier than usual since last night.”

  He rubbed his chest as he spoke, wishing the ache caused by having to refuse Theda would go away. “It nearly killed me to tell her we couldn’t wed.”

  Averel stared at where Kane’s hand rested on his uniform. “Why are you rubbing that emblem on your uniform?”

  Kane looked down. “I’m not. It’s my chest that hurts.”

  “All over or in that one spot?”

  What was he getting at? “The pain radiates from there. Why?”

  “Do you remember when the duke’s guard saved Murdoch’s life by throwing himself between Murdoch and Merewen’s uncle? When Lord Fagan thrust his sword through the emblem the man wore around his neck, it released a blast of magical power.”

  Kane studied the badge of office that Keirthan had given him to wear. He grasped it with his right hand and closed his eyes. Sure enough, there was the barest hint of power flowing from the sigil. Worse yet, it carried the same taint as all of Keirthan’s magic.

  He jerked his hand away from the offensive symbol. “You’re right, Averel. How could I have missed sensing the connection between this symbol and Ifre Keirthan himself?”

  “I’m not sure.” His friend leaned closer. “What do you think its purpose is?”

  There could be only one logical answer. Kane touched his own cheek. “The duke must think this mark means I share my grandfather’s gift of power. We already know that Keirthan consumes the magic of others along with their blood for his own foul purpose. Perhaps he believes he can gain access to the kind of magic this mark would normally signify.”

  “And can he?”

  Kane had always assured his friends that he’d forsworn his family’s magical heritage. While it was true that he’d never openly practiced the kinds of spells he’d learned as a youth, that didn’t mean he’d necessarily shed himself of the potential to do so.

  His gut twisted in a knot as he admitted, “I truly don’t know. If I’m now sensing the effects of this device, there must be some possibility.”

  He ripped the emblem off his tunic and tossed it a short distance away to break the connection for the moment. If they were right, Keirthan would know if Kane destroyed the cursed thing. But how much longer could he risk wearing it?

  Averel moved closer again, pitching his voice low, as if he feared being overheard. “Perhaps we should leave now right from here.”

  Maybe he was right. Who knew what Keirthan was capable of now? It was tempting to leave the emblem behind and ride hard for Lady Merewen’s keep to rejoin the other three Damned, but he couldn’t.

  “I can’t. I left Hob in my quarters because I didn’t think I’d need my shield.”

  He rolled his shoulders in a futile attempt to ease the knots of tension that seemed to be his constant companion lately. “Mayhap I wasn’t thinking at all, at least not about our mission back there in the city. Have we even learned anything that will be of value to our purpose?”

  Averel looked no happier. “Just that the townspeople are restless and frightened. Yet few seem willing to point toward the duke as the source of their fears.”

  Kane stared out at the horizon. “What do they think happens when they hear rumors of people disappearing?”

  “They don’t say, and I’m leery of asking very many questions. People tend to forget that I’m sitting there, so they don’t guard their tongues. If they were to realize I’m listening, it’s less likely that I’d learn anything useful.”

  That made sense. “If you do hear about any townspeople missing, let me know. I’ll pay a visit to their former dwellings to see if the same magic was used in their disappearance as on those abandoned farms on Lady Merewen’s estate. Either way, though, we must leave soon.”

  The time with Averel had improved Kane’s dark mood, but he couldn’t afford to be gone for long. “I should get back to town. Thanks for coming with me. I hope being gone this long doesn’t cause you problems at the tavern.”

  Averel stood up. “I’m not worried. The owner needs me more than I need him. Besides, it’s a relief to simply be myself for a while.”

  That it was, especially when it came to Theda. No matter what happened from this point forward, at least she knew Kane’s truth.

  Something of his thoughts must have shown on his face, because Averel clapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t give up completely, Kane. The goddess might ask a lot of her warriors, but she’s not without compassion.”

  And yet how many times had she ordered the Damned back into the river to sleep? Had they not earned a respite from the endless cycle of non-death alternating with unrelenting battle? He held back his bleak thoughts from his young friend. Somehow Averel had managed to hold on to his good nature despite all the centuries of service to the goddess. His cheerfulness helped Kane balance his own tendency toward the darker emotions.

  As they walked back to the horses, Kane stopped to retrieve Keirthan’s sigil. He stared at the cursed thing before once again affixing it to his tunic. Feeling the sick chill of the duke’s magic slither across his skin, he murmured, “I will continue to serve the goddess as I always have.”

  As they mounted up, a feminine voice whispered inside Kane’s head. “Have faith, my warrior. You do not carry your burdens alone.”

  The unexpected message from the Lady herself startled Kane into jerking on the reins as he spun his head from right to left, looking for the source of the words. Rogue immediately picked up on his rider’s agitation and bucked a few times. Averel kept his mare far enough away to avoid being kicked by the unpredictable stallion. “What happened to set him off this time?”

  Kane wasn’t ready to share what had just happened, not when he didn’t quite believe it himself. “He’s been skittish all day. I want to give him another hard run before we reach the city. When we get closer, I’ll circle around and enter from another gate. I think it better that we avoid being seen returning at the same time, especially since we left together.”

  “Good thinking.” Then Averel frowned. “But one more thing, Kane. I know you told Lady Theda about the Damned, but I’m guessing you didn’t tell her about me being in the city as well. I think you should do so.” He stared up toward the sky as he spoke. “If something should happen to alert Keirthan to our purpose in the city, he could attack you without warning. Someone should know to send for me.”

  “I will.”

  That is, if she wanted to see him again after last night. Another thought crossed his mind, one he kept to himself. It wouldn’t hurt to show her how to call forth Hob. If something happened to Kane, she might need the gargoyle’s protection from Keirthan or his men.

  He braced himself in case the goddess had something more to say on the subject. But for the remainder o
f the ride, the thoughts inside his head were his alone.

  * * *

  “Where is Kane? Why is the link so weak right now?”

  Keirthan walked circles around the fire pit in the center of his underground chambers. It was impossible to know if the sweat dripping down his face came from the heat of the blaze or from nerves. He’d already sacrificed two more to the darkness, but it wouldn’t be satisfied for long, because neither of the victims had offered even a hint of magic.

  Instead, the power he’d unleashed constantly hungered for blood laced with magic. Its demands pounded inside Ifre’s head, leaving him unable to concentrate on anything but the thought of finding more power to feed his creation.

  He glanced across the room to where an ebony cloud hovered and swirled right above the altar. Two days ago, his creation had surprised him by taking on a physical form. Just yesterday, it had been much lighter in color. Now it was thick and heavy with a new substance. Worse yet, it now watched him. More than once, he’d seen two eyes staring out of the darkness and following his movements. Once it even seemed to smile, its maw ragged and filled with dagger-sharp teeth.

  He shuddered and kept walking. Was it really becoming sentient? Why had the books not told him that was even possible? The fear that he was losing control over it haunted his thoughts constantly. The only hope would be to either weaken it through starvation or increase his own personal power to the point he could ignore its constant hunger.

  Right now, Kane was the closest Ifre had to a potential new source of power, one he desperately needed to keep for himself. But how was he supposed to utilize Kane’s potential if the bastard refused to stay close enough for Ifre to strengthen his hold over him?

  He paused at the far end of the pit, hoping the power of the fire itself would prevent the monster over the altar from tracking his thoughts. In his mind, he grasped the thread of magic that tied him to Kane. Earlier, the slender tendril had been stretched to the breaking point. When he’d tried to follow its path outward, it had suddenly snapped back, the connection to them broken.

  This time, however, the thread was firmly back in place and far stronger than an hour ago. Kane was moving back in this direction. Good, but for how long? After all, the man was a common mercenary with no ties of loyalty to anyone, least of all Ifre himself.

  Sooner or later the bastard would decide to leave. If Ifre was going to make use of Kane, he needed to do so soon. Should he strengthen the magic he’d infused in the sigil that marked him as Ifre’s captain? To do so would weaken the mage-marked warrior’s shields at a faster pace, but the stronger connection would carry its own risks.

  If Kane were to figure it out, he might destroy the emblem, severing their connection completely. A movement at the other end of the room made the decision for him. The dark cloud had floated higher, giving it an unobstructed view of Ifre. Those eyes, now bloodred and flame-hot, stared at him with malicious intensity.

  Ifre immediately bolted for the passageway that led to the keep above. When he reached the door, he waited until his pulse had slowed to normal. It wouldn’t do to appear in the great hall looking shaken and fearful. At the first sign of weakness, his enemies would be on him like a pack of hounds on a hare.

  They didn’t think he knew they watched him, but he did. Once he reestablished control over his weapon, he’d unleash enough magic to track the bastards down and destroy them.

  For now he’d retire to his office and reinforce the spell that would tie Kane to him with unbreakable chains. Ifre could almost taste the sweet flavor of the captain’s magic. Feeling renewed, he strode across the hall, nodding to a few favored guests along the way.

  Chapter 15

  Theda made small talk as the servants cleared away the last of the evening meal. Ifre had chosen to eat in his office, leaving her to play hostess to his guests. She hated every minute of the time she had to spend with the courtiers.

  Ifre made it all too clear that she had fallen out of favor with him, leaving her an easy target for their sly insults and superior smirks. Fools. Did they not realize that if Ifre was willing to treat a member of his own family this way, he wouldn’t hesitate to do far worse to them?

  As soon as she ensured the cook had the cleanup under control, Theda had every intention of retiring to her quarters until nightfall. Then she would seek out the darkest corners of the gardens in hopes of finding Kane waiting for her there. After the embarrassing fiasco of her impromptu marriage proposal, she wouldn’t blame him for avoiding her.

  But she had to believe that there was power enough in the feelings they had for each other to draw him back to her side. She truly hated that his time here in the city would soon come to an end. She could only hope that the knowledge he would take back to his allies would enable them to put a halt to Ifre’s predations.

  When she excused herself and left the table, Margaret and Lydia immediately joined her.

  “My lady, shall we retire for the evening?”

  She smiled and nodded. “Let me take one last look around. It shouldn’t take but another few minutes. You may go ahead if you’d like.”

  Margaret shook her head. “No, we’ll wait. You are no safer walking the halls alone than we are.”

  And it was a sad state of affairs that Theda could not argue with her young friend’s logic. “Very well. I’ll hurry.”

  She made a quick stop in the kitchen to make sure everything was in good order. From there, she made one last circle around the room, nodding at one or two of her old friends who caught her eye with a friendly smile.

  Satisfied she’d done her duty for the night, she cut across the hall, preparing to take her leave of the milling crowd. Margaret and Lydia rejoined her just as she reached the bottom of the staircase. She stifled a groan when she noticed Sergeant Markus standing nearby. She did her best to ignore him, but didn’t expect her ploy to work.

  His cool eyes raked over her from head to toe as he tipped his head in a brief bow. “Lady Theda.”

  His bold perusal was an insult of the worst kind. She returned his cool stare with an even colder one of her own.

  “Sergeant,” she said, tilting her head just enough to appear to be looking down her nose at him.

  His face flushed hot. She savored the small victory, although she suspected he would find some way to make her regret it. Rather than dwell on the matter, she swept past him with her friends flanking her.

  It had been too much to hope that he would simply let her leave. But no, he had to have the last say.

  “If you see Captain Kane, please tell him that I was looking for him.”

  Was he dangling a baited hook in hopes he would catch something? As much as she wanted to simply ignore Markus, she couldn’t. Pasting a smile on her face, she turned back.

  “You’ve managed to misplace your captain, Sergeant? How very careless of you.”

  This time she kept walking, hoping to outdistance him enough to make her escape. Her calm demeanor as she followed her two friends up the steps was but a thin shell, ready to crack at any instant.

  Had something happened, forcing Kane to leave the city? If so, she could hardly blame him for going. His duty took precedence, requiring him to serve his goddess alongside his friends. She had no real hold on him, but the possibility that he’d left Agathia without even a wave of farewell stabbed deep in her heart.

  She headed straight through her solar to the balcony that looked out over the stable and the barracks where the guards lived. A quick look around did nothing to comfort her. The shadows were stretched out long and thin as the sun continued on its downward trip toward the horizon. Several of the guards were moving about, but Kane wasn’t among them.

  “Lady Theda, is there something wrong? You look worried.”

  “No. I’m fine, Lydia. Sometimes the walls seem to close in on me. Coming out here to watch the sunset helps to push them back out again.”

  She lightened her words with a smile. “Forgive me. I shouldn’t be so gloomy when
it promises to be a lovely night.”

  Lydia joined her at the railing, her pretty face reflecting the soft gold of the fading light. She drew a deep breath as if to calm herself.

  “I should have told you sooner, but I did what you asked and wrote to my parents, asking that they let me return home. They are sending my brothers to accompany me back to the family estate within the week. They’ve also said that Margaret is welcome to come with me.”

  Lydia kept her gaze averted as she continued speaking. “I will be sorry to leave you, but I no longer feel safe here in the capital.”

  Theda wrapped her arm around the younger woman’s shoulders and gave her a quick hug. “I will be sad to see the two of you go, Lydia, but I cannot find fault with your thinking. In truth, it will be a relief to know that the two of you are safely away from here.”

  Margaret, who had been hovering just inside the door, now joined them out on the balcony. “If you would prefer it, I can stay here and make the journey to Lydia’s home later. I do not like the idea of you being alone.”

  “Bless you both for your friendship, but do not worry about me. I will be fine.”

  And even if she wasn’t, her well-being shouldn’t be a burden upon their young shoulders.

  “Do your best to keep your preparations to leave quiet. It would better if my brother-in-law did not learn of your departure until after the fact. I don’t know that he’d try to prevent your leaving, but his actions are difficult to predict.” She considered the possibilities. “Pack only what you need for the trip. After you are safely gone, I will arrange for the rest of your things to be shipped to you by one of the trading clans when they come through.”

  “Only if you are sure, my lady.”

  Theda turned to face Margaret, placing her hands on the younger woman’s shoulders. “I’m sure, and it will do you good to visit Lydia’s family. As I recall, Lydia’s brothers are quite handsome, as are several of her cousins. I’m sure they’ll all be vying for your attention.”