Blinking away the thoughts, Faolan released a heavy breath. He should not ponder on sad thoughts now. The past was the past. For if he wandered too long on the terrible memories, he would start to remember how shaken he had been when he had lost his father. How angry, raging mad he was especially since he had felt so damn helpless. Reaching across the room abruptly, he forgot his coffee and poured himself some scotch. The First knew the intense liquid could do a well for a man in times such as these!
Suddenly, the side doors—connecting to the sitting room—were shoved open just slightly and Gideon stuck his head in. Then after a small sigh, he entered the room, looking quite suspicious.
“You don’t take your time, do you?” Faolan grinned, eyeing his little brother. “Wasn’t expecting you back so soon…”
Gideon nodded briskly and then glanced backwards towards the door before making his way across the room. “Where’s Hadaen?”
Faolan shrugged. “Haven’t seen him in since he last came in here. Possibly off throwing boulders to rid his frustration at his wife.”
A grin twitched at Gideon’s lips. “Good. I have something—rather…er…someone I want you to meet.”
Two black brows rose curiously. “Who is it?”
“Just come.” Gideon beckoned him forward and towards the side doors. Faolan, who didn’t quite like the friskiness in his brother’s tone, eyed him dubiously but still followed behind curiously through the doors. The sitting room looked the same as it had always been: small arm chairs neatly arranged in a half-moon fashion in front of a wide coffee table. Three leather sofas sat diagonally across the room in odd yet interesting positions across from a tall fireplace. The room reminded him yet and again of his mother; the soft peach wallpapers decorating its interior and the gentle aroma of raspberries.
So, in all his reverie Faolan hadn’t recognized the totally unfamiliar face across the room, until Gideon’s elbow jabbed in harshly in the side. Faolan scowled darkly at his brother and then turned to catch a glimpse of a young—and very feminine woman—staring back at him. For a moment his jaws had slackened, simply caught off guard by the beauty of the strange creature. Her countenance seemed young but the soft swelling of firm breasts atop the low neckline of her very immodest blouse was anything but like that of a child. The curve of her brown skirts spread across well-formed hips, tight leather pants over firm thighs. Faolan sucked in a breath. Damn.
Clenching his jaws and shooting Gideon a glare, he turned back to the girl and nodded.
“What’s the meaning of this?” he asked. Gideon grinned and slapped a firm palm on his brother’s right shoulder.
“That’s what I’m about to find out.”
The girl rolled her eyes and got to her feet, seeming completely bored with her surroundings. “Is he truly Gideon Maruj?”
It took Faolan a while to realize that it was him she was addressing. Gideon snickered. “Uh—yes.” He cleared his throat. “And you are?”
She stretched a hand out to him, already striding across the room. “Amanda of the Alexanders.”
Faolan quirked a brow at his brother who shrugged in return. “I know,” Gideon responded. “Never heard of them either.”
The girl—Amanda sighed. “We are from a distant village twenty miles south-east of The Hub. Liguanea Villa, it’s called.”
Mention of The Hub sent tremors coursing through Gideon’s body. Not so very welcoming tremors. Stepping forward instantly, his expression now serious, he stared down at her. “How did you get here?”
Amanda twisted her mouth into annoyed snare. “By foot, naturally. Since there are no roads connecting my home to yours.”
Faolan and Gideon exchanged surprised glances. It must have taken her months to get to Marujan borders. “She claims to have a message,” Gideon drawled to Faolan. For me.”
“Well, then let’s hear it,” Faolan murmured, taking a casual seat in one of the two small armchairs. He shifted uncomfortably and then nodded to the girl.
For a moment, she just stood there, glancing from one brother to the next. Gideon was beginning to fear that she had lied to them—that she was probably a Kankul spy out to break into their defenses. He wouldn’t anything past those nasty vermins. But when she retreated slowly and sank back unto the sofa, her pupils shaking with purpose, he knew for sure that she really had something weighing on her mind. Swallowing thickly, he took a couple more steps towards her then stopped. She looked up….and something flashed across her eyes. Something dark; mysterious… a silvery light winking faintly within them.
“I was sent by someone, “she muttered softly—so softly, they’d almost not heard her at all. “I-I don’t know who it is but the power was so strong, it had woke me from my slumber one night.”
“Tell us…” Faolan leaned forward, his forearms resting on his knees.
She blinked, staring down at her hands in her lap. “Someone needs your help, Gideon,” she said, staring intently at him, her gaze never wavering. She shook her head. “I can’t seem to connect with this person but…but I managed to decode the message. It had been in some form of… a code.” Gideon frowned, his nostrils flaring hotly as he marched over to her, yanking her up to him…Amanda’s face but inches from his. “Tell me… Now.” Through the corner of his eyes he saw Faolan stand. There was an inkling somewhere in the back of his mind. But he refused to give in just yet. Not until—
“It’s a woman.” Her lips shook as she spoke, eyes wide. “She’s been trapped for years. Her message had been cut short—for s-some reason I don’t know but it was in the form of a color.”Gideon’s breathing quickened, rage—and hope—coursing through his veins as he waited for her to finish. Then she looked up at him as if she was uncertain. “Green.”
Chapter Four
He hadn't known exactly when he had fled from the room. He hadn't known when he had began stalking madly up the stairs and down the hall either--shoving over maids and footmen as they went about their duties. What he could account for was the maddening way he pounded on the door to Hadaen's study only minutes later, a hysterical fury coursing through his veins as his patience almost dissipated from his body like hot air. So when the door finally opened to him, Gideon hadn't waited to be acknowledged but shoved his way pass, heaving ridiculously.
And he even pretended not to notice Amelia on the other side of the room running a hand through a slightly disheveled hair...or the murderous glare his oldest brother had given him for it.
"Sorry," he muttered, keeping his back carefully turned to Amelia. He cleared his throat and then motioned to Hadaen who stood with his arms crossed and legs spread apart: his angry stance. "We need to talk. It's important."
"Well," Amelia's voice. "I'll just go find something...worthwhile to do." She was half-way to the door when Gideon stopped her.
"No. You're going to want to hear this too."
All three exchanged glances. Hadaen approached him and eyed him curiously. "What is it?"
Gideon ran a hand over his hair and sighed heavily, a pained look running across his features. "I think...I think Esyth is alive."
"What?" Amelia touched his arm.
Hadaen frowned. "What do you mean? It's been three years, Gideon."
"I know that! You think I haven't been counting the days? The hours?" He almost shouted but the words only came out in a shaky weak voice. "Look, you have to trust me."
Amelia swallowed, batting back a tear. After all, if it weren't for her Esyth would not have had to make the sacrifice she had. "How do you know this?"
"I found someone. Well, she found me."
"She?" Hadaen narrowed his gaze, his jaws clenching. "Who?"
Gideon looked from Hadaen to Amelia, then back. "A woman from some village near the Hub. Esyth must have communicated with her. Look, I'm not stupid, alright? And I know it's been three fucking years." He turned and stalked across the room to the bar, his fingers trembling as he uncorked a bottle. "But if she is alive out there...it's my duty to find her."
/>
Hadaen started. "Gideon--"
"You of all persons should know what the feeling is like." Gideon's stare passed between him and Amelia. "You have to trust me."
Hadaen shook his head, inhaling a deep breath as his brother's thoughts--memories blooded his own mind as if they were his own. He could feel Gideon's pain; the harsh reality of it was maddening. And he could not stand in his way. He cast a sidelong glance at his wife--his beautiful Amelia. The woman he would give his life for in a heartbeat. If it were her... Hell, it had been her!
"I suggest you don't tarry," Hadaen muttered strongly, pretending not to notice Amelia's sudden beam of glee. "You must find her. I wish I could come with you but I can't just thrust my responsibilities on Faolan again. Take him with you. And be careful."
Gideon nodded and cracked a weak grin. For all it was worth, Hadaen wanted his brother to grin like a buffoon again. He hardly seemed like himself when he didn't. "Okay. Faolan and I will leave in the morning—.”
Suddenly, Amelia stepped between them, her big green eyes sparkling with puzzlement. "What about me? I should come too. It's my fault for what's happened to Esyth."
Hadaen glared at her. "You are not going anywhere, woman. Never again. You will not leave my side, understand?"
"You can't keep me locked up in this medieval palace, Hadaen. This is the twenty-first century, for heaven's sake!"
Hadaen decided to ignore her and continued, turning to his brother, "If you need help however, don't hesitate to contact me. Now...where is the woman?"
Gideon glanced apologetically at a fuming Amelia and moved towards the door. But not before hearing behind him:
Smack! Flesh striking flesh.
"Bite me, Hadaen."
"Tonight."
* * *
Amanda sat up straight in her seat, watching as they watched her, four pairs of eyes bearing down on her like positioned arrows ready to be released. Aristocrats, she thought. It was much more than an assumption. Judging by how they dressed, she knew this lot were important people...in this kingdom of theirs. Before her were two new faces...a man and a woman who seemed to be quite taken with each other. She looked the man over swiftly, taking care not to stare, and quickly decided him handsome. A hard rugged type of handsome unlike the other who had practically dragged her to the room from the woods. What was his name again? Ah...Gideon. She knew many females in her village who would swoon in his presence.
The female, however, did not have that arrogant frown like the other men in the room. Her expression was warm, as if she was silently and intentionally seeking friendship. Amanda figured she'd keep an eye on her for there was something very strange and magical about that one.
Even though she felt somehow crowded in by all these strange people, her eyes however could not seem to stop averting towards the far corner of the room where he stood. Faolan. She couldn't forget his name even if she wanted to. Her father would scold her endlessly if he ever caught her flushing over the man. After all, she was promised to another since before her birth. In the next year or so she would be married off to Ewan of the Luthers.
A cold shiver ran up her spine at the thought. She'd never liked the man, for his lack of personality was certainly an aspect that could not be compromised. She chanced a glance at Faolan once again--there she was referring to a man by his first name, a man she had no relationship to. But she couldn't quite help it. So when she looked up, she was quite surprised to see him staring back so intensely. If she was one of those weak women--and she most certainly wasn't--she would have squirmed. Instead she swallowed and allowed her gaze to wander elsewhere.
"So you were just contacted with this.....message?"
Amanda looked up and nodded. Perhaps her reverie had caused her to miss out on the introductions.
"I'm sorry; you are?" she asked.
The man's eyes narrowed as he answered evenly though irritatingly. "Hadaen Maruj. Lord Hadaen Maruj."
She didn’t miss the way he emphasized his title. Neither did she care. "Ah. My apologies. I fear my mind had been elsewhere."
Hadaen and Gideon exchanged glances while the woman stepped forward, extending a hand.
"I'm Amelia," she said, smiling easily. "It's very nice to meet you, Amanda of the Alexanders. Esyth is a dear friend of mine and..." Tears clouded her eyes for just a moment and Amanda felt a twinge of the woman's pain. How odd. "We must find her."
Finally releasing Amelia's hand, Amanda blinked and stood, the thin skirts of her dress falling just over her knees where the top of her leather boots ended. "I believe the woman who contacted me must be in some real deal of trouble," she said, eyeing everyone in the room. "She might be in pain as well."
Gideon stepped forward, his face stricken. "Because...?"
"The signal was done very well," Amanda admitted. "She's good, very good at it. But I cannot say the same for the energy I had sensed around it. That message had been sent out of desperation. She needs help. Urgently."
Gideon ran a hand down his face and started pacing the room.
"You should leave as soon as possible," Amelia suggested. "If Esyth really is the sender of that message then we cannot keep her waiting." She looked at Gideon and Faolan and then touched the one standing next to her. "Hadaen?"
"She's right. You might as well leave right away."
Amanda glanced in Faolan's direction and he straightened his posture, moving forward. "Well then... Gideon? You heard the man. Let's go!"
Gideon nodded and inhaled a deep breath, tilting his head to the side, and gesturing with his chin. "She's coming with us."
"What?"
The word came out in a combined gasp and grunt from Amanda and Faolan. Hadaen raised a brow at him and Amelia's lips twitched with amusement.
"It's best in case Esyth tries to communicate again," Amelia offered.
"B-But I can't..." Amanda stammered. "My father... I must get back!"
"I'm sure your father will understand," Gideon said.
She wanted to say that he, Carlisle of the Alexanders, would in fact not understand. That neither would Ewan of the Luthers…but she didn't. She had been given strict instructions to deliver the message and return home. Nothing else. Amanda glanced at Faolan Maruj once again and swallowed her words for a reason she could not yet explain. Defying her father would bring hefty consequences...so why was she doing precisely that?
Amanda swallowed thickly as she thought it out. She had always sought after a grand adventure but the rules governing her village had—would never allow it. But she wasn't in Liguanea Villa now, was she? A mischief filled thrill ran up and down her back, tingling like the right kind of wrong. So could this be her chance at last? She knew that she'd eventually have to return home...and that her father would only speed her nuptials with Ewan along even faster just to punish her but it would be worth it, wouldn't it? One chance to rebel and be reckless before she committed her life to a man who would think her no more but a slave to his marital obligations. She'd made her decision. In fact, it was no decision at all.
Amanda cracked a smile—one her mother would describe as far too sultry—and glanced at Faolan before nodding her agreement.
"I will accompany you on your journey," she stated firmly. "But only under one condition."
Gideon groaned while everyone else remained still, eager to know what this 'condition' was. This time it was Faolan who spoke, his voice reminding her of the first crack of sunlight near dawn. She almost trembled but decided to scold herself for it later. "And that is?" he said.
"Tell him to return my weapons." And by him she meant Gideon.
"Weapons?" Hadaen turned and glanced curiously at his youngest brother. "You didn't mention anything about her carrying weapons." He then turned a questioning glance at Faolan who gave a slow shrug.
Gideon pursed his lips and heaved. And why the fuck would he have mentioned the fact that the woman had almost sliced his damn head off completely? "You'll get your toys,” he drawled in a sour tone, his
eyes bored. “Now let's go."
"Toys!" she shrieked in a high-pitched voice. Hadaen visibly faltered while Faolan didn't even bother to hide his amusement, a wide grin flashing at his brother’s moment of torture. Amelia smiled. "Toys? If you must know, the bow and arrows is a very important aspect of our lifestyle—my people, that is." Then she stomped her foot—actually stomped it. "And my Scimitar is anything but a toy!"
Faolan's mouth fell open and Hadaen's brows rose high on his forehead. "A Scimitar?" Amelia chuckled and laced her arm through Amanda's. "We have got to talk before you leave."
Gideon rolled his eyes, face heated with embarrassment. "As long as you don't give her any reason to believe that she needs to use the blasted thing again." He then grumbled something beneath his breath and stalked from the room, his two brothers soon following suit.
"Be easy on him," Amelia told her as they both took a seat on the sofa. "Gideon had spent very little time with Esyth before she...disappeared. He isn’t this grumpy person you see here. He’s the total opposite of that.”
Amanda ran a hand over the front of her skirt, her palm coming to her rest on one hip. “How did she disappear?”
"It's a very long story. This kingdom here...”—she wove a hand around—“…do not let the looks fool you. The people here have felt the harshest of times."
Amanda nodded her understanding. "Lord Hadaen... He is your...?"
Amelia smiled. "Husband? Yes. For almost three years now."
"You look very happy together. Well-matched and understanding. I suppose your son loves you dearly."
Amelia shrunk back immediately as if scorched by an open flame. "I—We don't have any children."
Amanda frowned. "That's odd. I could almost swear I..." Then she looked Amelia straight in the eye and paused, her cheeks flushing. "Oh... I didn't know."
Gideon [The Marujan Brothers Series] Book Two Page 3