by Sasha Lord
“Mother,” Corine begged. “You must not say such things. You are strong and healthy!” She plumped a pillow and smoothed the blankets.
Morgana turned her head to the side and pressed her cheek against the pillow. “ ’Tis my heart that aches,” she replied.
Corine reached for a wet cloth and blotted it across her mother’s brow. Morgana often took sick when she wanted something, and Corine had learned long ago that the best way to soothe her temperamental mother at these times was to coddle her. “I am doing everything I can. Soon your disappointments will be avenged. I will wed Cadedryn Caenmore and become a countess.”
Morgana smiled, her eyes glittering with vitality. “Good. That will make everything as it should be. You are an obedient child and I am proud of you. So lovely, too. You look just as I did when I was your age.”
Corine smiled, inordinately pleased by the compliment. She had spent her entire life trying to please her mother, never fully succeeding. She was willing to do anything, even wed Cadedryn, if it would finally grant her the approval she desperately yearned to have. “Thank you, Mother. All will go according to plan.”
Morgana pressed her hand to her forehead and closed her eyes. “If you believe that, you are a fool!” she snapped at her daughter. “Think of what happened to me. Stay alert and watch for any who seeks to befoul you.” She opened her eyes and glared at Corine. “Don’t let another woman trespass upon your man!”
Later that afternoon, dressed carefully in her disguise, Kassandra went to the stables to change the dressings on Briana’s wounds. She cleaned the two crossbow puncture sites and applied a new poultice, then wiped a trickle of sweat from her forehead.
Briana nickered and butted her head against Kassandra’s chest, then pricked her ears forward as Cadedryn entered the stable.
Kassandra swallowed her gasp of surprise. She spun around, desperate to hide her face until she could master her emotions.
“Lady Kassandra,” he acknowledged. “I find you once again doing what a lady should not.”
“I am merely tending my horse,” she mumbled.
He leaned against the stall door and watched her as she finished spreading the poultice. He did not bother to tell her that ladies did not apply medicines, for he knew full well that she did not follow the rules. “Is she going to heal?’ he asked.
“Yes. The arrows did not enter too deeply, for both hit her in the thick of the muscle.”
He nodded, then fell silent as Kassandra wiped her hands on a towel and turned to face him. She looked him up and down and tilted her head to the side. “You are dressed most formally for the stables,” she commented.
“I am not here to ride,” he answered. “I just came from an audience with the king.”
“Oh? And why did you stop at the stables? Shouldn’t your steps have taken you to a public place to celebrate your good fortune?”
He chuckled and opened the door for her as she exited the stall. “I saw you in here and wanted to see what you were doing. As expected, you were showing kindness to another beast in distress.”
She brushed by him and walked toward a tackle chest where her supplies were stowed.
He flinched at her accidental touch, and heat rushed through his body. He stood up straighter, shocked by his unprecedented reaction to Kassandra. His nostrils flared, and he smelled a womanly scent from her that instantly reminded him of his tiger kitten.
He cleared his throat and averted his gaze. His passions had already been assuaged today. He had no excuse for acting like a stud chasing a hapless, innocent mare. Lady Kassandra was a kind lass with fanciful delusions and did not deserve his lustful attentions.
“What did the king say?” Kassandra asked, turning toward him as soon as she was in the shadows. Even with her disguise in place, she feared that his penetrating gaze might see through her deception if she did not take care. She had only a few days to help him, but if he determined that she had deceived him, she would have an even harder time convincing him of any possible danger.
“I am to be an earl.”
Kassandra lowered her head as the dark menace from her dream rippled through her mind. She sensed that the danger stalking him was coming nearer, and that regaining his title had only increased his risk. “Congratulations,” she whispered, though her voice betrayed her misery.
He stepped up to her and lifted her chin with his finger. “You knew we would not wed. I told you I had plans already in place long before we met. If . . .” He paused, searching her gaze and fighting an odd sense of recognition. “If,” he continued, “we had met before, or had things been different, I . . .”
She pulled away and shook her head. “Do not say it,” she pleaded.
He ran a hand through his hair. “The king will announce my reinstatement at dinner tonight. I would like you to be there.”
“Why? I do not care about titles and kingdoms. I care about kindness and love. I am concerned about the change of seasons and the fate of kits in the fox den.”
“I’d like to dance with you.”
She turned her back on him, sobs choking her throat. How could she deny him? If she did, he would hide behind a careless shrug and walk away, pretending he did not care. If she accepted his invitation, she would spend another unforgettable moment in his arms.
“Kassandra,” he murmured. “Just one dance. As soon as I have completed my tasks here, I will have to return to my castle. Most likely, we will ever see each other again.”
“Have you forgotten your father?” Kassandra cried. “Have you forgotten his murder?”
“I have not forgotten that he betrayed me, casting me out from the very place I called home.” Cadedryn’s voice rose. “I have not forgotten that his recklessness destroyed my family name and made me live a life of ridicule and contempt.”
She spun around and glared at him. “Do you blame him for so much? Do you think his choice of bride was so terrible?”
Cadedryn stepped back and cloaked his expression. “My mother was a good woman, but she should not have become his bride. She should have been content to be his mistress.”
They glared at each other, each furious that the other had broken their fragile truce.
Cadedryn opened his mouth to say more, but a sound at the entrance to the stables made him hesitate.
“Caenmore?” Curtis called out as he ducked inside. When he saw Kassandra, his expression became distrustful. “Are you still trying to persuade him to follow in his father’s footsteps?” he accused. “You may be related to the McTavers, but you are a poor relation and no match for an earl. Begone and cease your prattle of dreams and destiny. You are not welcome here.”
Stifling a cry, Kassandra fled, not hearing Cadedryn’s angry words in her defense.
“Kassandra! Are you dressed?” Kalial called through the closed portal. “I am going down now.”
Kassandra’s eyes sprang open as she jerked awake. Her body trembled, but this time passion did not send shudders up her spine. It was fear. The danger was building, like a thundercloud rolling and tumbling in the distance, moving relentlessly closer. The black clouds formed faces, each melting into another. Liam . . . Sarah . . . Corine . . . Curtis . . . even Morgana and David. Beneath them all stood Cadedryn, his naked chest and haunted eyes bare to the elements. The storm had gathered above his head, its tumultuous anger about to erupt when Kalial’s call had ripped her from the dream world and back into reality.
“I’m almost ready!” Kassandra gasped as she sprang to her feet. “I will be dressed shortly and will join you.” As soon as she heard the receding footsteps she rubbed the paste onto her cheeks and blinked her eyes several times. Why couldn’t she see the exact nature of the danger? Why was this dream so unclear?
Normally, she could see the future with easy clarity. But she could not understand this dream, and her failure was placing Cadedryn in danger.
If only she could get him to leave here. There was something—or someone—in this castle that threatened
him. Here, evil wore a lovely smile and friends might prove to be one’s greatest enemies.
Court was a complex and unnerving place, one with which she had no experience. So far, she had completely muddled her relationship with Cadedryn, confusing both him and herself with her multiple facades.
If only she could be herself.
She turned to face Triu-cair, but her longtime companion had no answers for her. “I cannot discard my disguises,” she sighed. “He likes both Lady Kassandra and the tigress kitten for different reasons, and I enjoy spending time with him, even if it is not completely honest time.”
She held out her hand, but Triu-cair skipped away. Kassandra drew her breath in sharply. “Don’t act as if what I am doing is wrong! You brought me to him! Besides, my dreams told me to find him, and I am only following my dreams, as I always have.” She stared out the window, her eyes clouded with concern. “But in truth, I can no longer tell what is a dream and what is real,” she said. “I thought I was meant to find Cadedryn and bring him home to Loch Nidean, but the fates have proven me wrong. He is following his own path, and it does not include me. Now I must complete my duty and protect him before I leave, yet I don’t know from whence the danger comes.”
She walked to her vanity and pulled the dirk from the drawer. It had led her here. Mayhap it had more to tell.
Triu-cair’s tail twitched and he scampered closer to her. The white fringe under his chin quivered as he scrambled into her lap and touched her face with his tiny paw.
I do not have the answers, Kassandra told her friend silently, her eyes filling with tears once again.
Stop searching. Stop trying so hard. Let the days unfold and allow destiny to reveal itself.
Kassandra grimaced and replaced the dirk. I want to be with him again, she admitted.
Then forget the dreams. Be with him. Make a lifetime of memories together before you must return home.
Can I? she asked, her heart fluttering with excitement.
You are here. He is here.
She took a deep breath and nodded. She had only a few days left.
Dressing with care, she slipped the beautiful dress over her head and tied the laces in back. She carefully braided her hair, ensuring that all strands were completely restrained, and tucked it under the black wig. She then placed the blue satin mantle over her head and secured it with the silver circlet.
She examined herself in the polished metal. She looked cool, elegant and virginal, nothing like the naked siren of this morning.
She blew a kiss toward Triu-cair, then descended the stairs in search of Kalial, but Lady Corine accosted her before she made it to the bottom of the flight.
“Lady Kassandra!” Corine said. “May I have a word with you?”
Kassandra paused, her hand on the wall as she looked up the several steps to where Lady Corine was standing. Lady Corine’s chambers were on the same floor as Kassandra’s and it appeared they had chosen the same moment to join the festivities.
“Certainly,” Kassandra replied.
Corine took a few more steps until she was only three steps above the younger woman. The added height made her tower over Kassandra. “I am displeased with you.”
Kassandra stiffened.
“You should not dally with men who are not yours. Caenmore is mine, especially now that he is an earl. I warn you to stay away.”
Yesterday, Kassandra might have fled at Corine’s nasty rebuke, or she might have snapped back, presenting a false show of bravado. A week ago she would have stamped her foot and said that he was her dream man, her future husband, and Corine was the one encroaching. But today Kassandra was not feeling so bold, nor was she so certain of her own desires.
“Don’t you care about anything other than his title?” Kassandra replied. “Can’t you even pretend to love him? Or is your heart otherwise engaged?”
“What are you implying?” Corine hissed, her eyes wide with guilt.
Kassandra turned away and began descending the stairs.
Corine sprang after her. She gripped Kassandra’s shoulder and spun her around. “Don’t you dare turn your back on me! I will not tolerate such disrespect from you. I have a dowry of considerable wealth. I come from a highborn family and must marry to please them.”
“Why Cadedryn?” Kassandra questioned. “I would think that your mother would despise the Caenmores after all she went through.”
“She is the one who bade me pursue him. She should have become a countess then, and as soon as I marry Cadedryn, I will obtain the title. It is what she has always wanted and I will make sure she gets it.”
Kassandra looked at her in surprise. “How would that please her? She will not be countess; you will.”
Corine squeezed Kassandra’s arm tighter. “Because losing Liam stripped her of the one thing she always wanted and thus denied her a lifetime of happiness. You have no idea what I live with, day after day, listening to her weep because of what Liam did. It is only right that I should receive the benefits of Cadedryn’s riches as fair compensation for what his father did to my mother. My entire family will reap the rewards of our union.”
Kassandra twitched out of Corine’s vicious hold. “You’re hurting me,” she cried, stumbling down one step.
Corine followed her and shook her fist in Kassandra’s face. “I will marry him and you will not interfere! I will have power and prestige beyond any other woman in this court other than the queen herself. You are nothing but a strange relative of the McTavers and should stay quietly in the background as your position dictates. I have already done much to make my mother happy, and I will not rest until I have wed Caenmore, so leave him to me!”
Kassandra backed away. “You are beside yourself, Lady Corine.”
Corine leaned closer, her face twisted in an ugly snarl. “You accuse me of wanting his title, but you are as desperate as I to become a countess.” She gripped Kassandra’s hand and yanked it.
Kassandra’s toes curled as she tried to maintain her balance. “I told you,” she whispered. “I don’t care for titles.”
“You lie!” Corine hissed as she pushed against Kassandra’s wrist, sending her teetering on the stair. “I can see it in your eyes!”
Kassandra gasped and flailed with her other hand, feeling herself start to fall. “No!” she cried.
“Oh my!” wailed someone from above. “The lady is falling!”
Corine grabbed Kassandra as if she were saving her, and pushed her against the wall. “You should take care, Lady Kassandra,” she admonished loudly. “A fall that far could have been disastrous.”
Kassandra pressed against the wall, cringing away from Lady Corine. As the other woman rushed down to check on her, Kassandra turned away from her nemesis, her emotions in turmoil. Nothing had prepared her for this place. She did not know how to deal with evil schemers and passionate interludes. She was lost and confused. For all that Corine was a terrible person, she was right about one thing. Kassandra was in no position to wed the new earl.
“I am unharmed,” Kassandra reassured her concerned rescuer, although her voice trembled. “But if you would accompany me the rest of the way down?”
“Of course, dear. I will bring you straight to the table and get you some water. Come along.”
Kassandra snuck one look at Corine’s smugly victorious smile as she and her new companion walked carefully down to the main floor.
Chapter 12
David McCafferty noticed Lady Kassandra and an elderly matron enter the main hall, but his gaze slid past them to rest upon his son, Curtis. He frowned. Once again, Curtis was lounging with Cadedryn and ignoring his own father!
With a grumble of irritation, David stalked up to his son and gripped his arm.
Curtis turned with a start of surprise. “Father, how do you fare this eve?”
“I would fare better if I was granted a bit of your time. You are my only son and you have been gone for many years. You are all I have left,” he complained. “Sit and spend som
e time with me.”
“The king is going to announce Cadedryn’s reinstatement,” Curtis explained. “As his foster brother and close companion, I would like to be near him when the announcement is made. It will grant prestige to me and to our family name.”
“Is your own name not enough for you?” David thundered.
Cadedryn stepped between them and placed a restraining hand upon his foster father’s chest. “Milord, this is not the time to cause a scene. Your son is very proud of you and”—he glanced meaningfully at Curtis—“would greatly enjoy spending a few moments with his father.”
Curtis looked back and forth between Cadedryn and David, then relented with a shrug. “You will save a seat on the bench for me at supper?” he asked Cadedryn.
“I will ensure that both of you are at my table,” Cadedryn replied.
As they walked away, Cadedryn became aware of a woman standing behind him. As he turned to acknowledge her, Lady Morgana abruptly averted her gaze and acted disinterested.
“Lady Morgana,” Cadedryn greeted her. “You are looking well. The last time we conversed, years ago, you and young Lady Corine were visiting the McCaffertys.”
“Indeed,” Lady Morgana responded. “Curtis and Corine were as close as a young boy and girl could be. But times change and youths grow. Now my Corine will be joined to you.”
“I thank you for your sponsorship of our union. I know there are many hurts in your past, but I seek to absolve them.”
Lady Morgana’s eyes narrowed. “Do not think that I have forgiven you. I am only helping because my Corine deserves to have what was stolen from me.”
Cadedryn lifted a brow. If things had been different, this woman would have been his mother. How would a child be shaped if his or her parent spouted such anger? Once he wed Corine, he would be living with such a woman.
Lady Morgana stalked away, leaving Cadedryn conspicuously alone. He tensed at the insult and attempted to ignore the snickers of the other highborn guests. God, he detested court! These people with their nasty remarks and withering stares . . . He couldn’t wait to return to Aberdour Castle.