Her father's pensive blue eyes narrowed. “You don't understand. He had the perfect opportunity to finish me. I should have been cleaved through to the heart. I should be dead. Yet for some reason, he didn't strike a mortal blow, and I can't help but wonder why.”
There came a moment of silence and Owen's hand stilled on Kate's shoulder. “I must confess, the same thought has occurred to me,” he said. “The man was no slouch with a blade. When he struck, I thought for sure you were finished.”
The chill remained at the back of Kate's neck. “Well, does it matter? You're alive. That's all I care about.”
“Yes, it matters. I'm not sure why, but it does.”
A thought bubbled to the surface. Did she dare voice it? She lifted her chin. “Maybe Elric purposely refrained from killing you. I've told you, his soul was not without some goodness.”
John grunted. “I don't know if I can believe that.”
“Or maybe you don't want to.” Kate trembled as a sudden desire to defend Elric heated her face. “You question why you're alive. Is it so hard to believe that he chose, perhaps, to show you some mercy?”
“Well, if he did, I suspect it was for your benefit rather than mine.” John shook his head. “I'm sorry, Katherine. I don't mean to upset you. But I can't stop thinking about that night. Something about it doesn't make sense. You insist the secret was meant only for him, but what purpose could it serve a man who, moments later, chose to end his life? The prophecy was written almost seven hundred years ago. Seven hundred years of waiting, and for what? There has to be more to it.”
“I know, Papa,” she said, tears pricking the back of her eyes. “We've been through this already. It makes no sense to me either.”
“Maybe, with Lord Weylin's help,” said Owen, bending to kiss her cheek, “you'll find some answers.”
Kate nodded, yet she knew the answers she sought could only come from one man. Would she ever know the truth? Desperate, she made a plaintive, silent request.
Please, Elric. I need to understand.
At that moment, the candle sputtered as if caught in a draught, and a familiar phrase arose from the recesses of her mind.
The mind sees more clearly when it is not blinded by light.
~ ~ ~
“I hope you're right.” Kate lay in Owen's arms, lazing in the sweet aftermath of their lovemaking.
“Right about what, my love?”
“About finding some answers when we return to Mann.”
He raised up on an elbow to look at her. Candlelight flickered across the contours of his face and reflected in the depths of his eyes. She adored him always, but especially like this, dishevelled by passion, his limbs entwined with hers. He gave a soft sigh and brushed a strand of hair from her forehead.
“I love you, Katherine Rose.”
Something warm uncoiled inside as she sought out his hand and linked her fingers through his.
“I love you too.”
“Do you trust me?”
She blinked, wondering at the question. “Of course I do. More than anyone.”
“Then tell me about the shadows I see in your eyes. Is it him? Does he still haunt your dreams?”
Owen's perception didn't really surprise her. He had the knack of evaluating people – even strangers – and demonstrated an uncanny awareness of mood or character. His ability no doubt complemented that of Lord Weylin, who seemed able to peer into one's very soul.
The daylight hours she spent with Owen, her thoughts distracted by the pleasures of their time together. But her nights were spent in the company of two men. To one she gave herself completely – so consumed by the brilliance of his love, it often made her weep.
The other came to her in sleep, filling her dreams with his image, mouthing silent words, or phrases that made no sense. She felt him reaching out, but resisted the compulsion to respond. Elric was dead, yet it seemed some hidden part of her refused to accept his death. Weylin, she hoped, would understand, perhaps help her to overcome. But Owen?
She returned his question. “Do you trust me?”
A slight frown settled on his brow and his eyes took on a thoughtful glimmer. Then he looked down at their linked fingers and moved to open her palm, exposing the scarred outline of the Triskelion.
“My entire existence rests with you, Kate. I place no greater trust in anyone.”
She blinked back tears at the simple honesty of his statement. “Every night,” she whispered. “Elric comes to me every night.”
His frown deepened, but she saw only concern in his eyes. Had she seen pain of any description, it would have broken her heart.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“I wanted to. I just didn't know how.”
“Oh, Kate.” He lifted her scarred palm to his lips, embracing it with something akin to reverence. “I was there that night, remember? I was witness to what happened, and I agree with your father – there has to be more to this prophecy. You say it was meant for Elric, and I believe you. The connection you shared with him, then, is part of your legacy. There's no shame in it, and don't ever be afraid to speak of it. I can't bear to see anguish in your eyes, my love. Your happiness is the most important thing to me.”
Relief seeped into her mind like a balm. “Forgive me. I should have known you'd understand.”
He groaned and gathered her close, settling her head on his chest, above his heart. “Of course I understand. But tell me, do these dreams – or visions – feel threatening in any way?”
“No, not at all.” She fidgeted. “It's like he's just...watching me.”
Waiting.
“Does he say anything?” Strange. His voice sounded distant.
“Nothing that makes sense.”
Forever, Katherine.
A dull ache took root in her temples. “Besides, I know they're only dreams. They can't be visions, because he's...”
She paused as a familiar sensation brushed across her mind. Familiar...and impossible.
“...dead.”
He must never know. No one must ever know.
“Owen, I feel... What...what's happening?”
Why did he not answer? Her eyes blurred for a moment before she became aware of his slow, steady breathing and relaxed embrace. She lifted her head to look, struggling to grasp the reality that he slept deeply, like a man long abed.
Was she losing her mind? She sat up, her heartbeat frantic and heavy in her ears.
“God help me.”
Hush, little one. The wolf is sleeping.
She had heard those words before. But when? The wolf? Lio slept downstairs but, ever vigilant, would awaken at the slightest sound. What did he mean? He? Stop it. Elric is dead, and this is a dream. Nothing more.
Yet an exhilarating sense of expectation twisted a knot in her belly, even as disbelief compelled her to ask the question.
Who are you?
You know who I am.
Say it.
You know who I am.
Tears burned her eyes and her dubious heart seemed to shudder to a halt.
Please. I need you to say it. Say it, or I shall not believe.
At her bedside, the candle flickered and spat. Kate turned to watch the burning wick devour the last of the tallow. With a soft hiss, the flame died and Kate's mind fell silent as the room plunged into darkness. Disappointment tasted like vinegar on her tongue. See? It's nothing. Nothing but a cruel dream.
An erroneous conclusion, since a moment later the answer she longed for drifted out of the night.
You do not dream, Katherine. It is I, Elric. Come to me, child. I have been waiting for you.
Ghostlike, Kate stole along the hallway to the top of the staircase. Surrounded by darkness and silence, she paused, apprehension churning in her gut. Despite hearing Elric's voice and feeling him in her thoughts, disbelief continued to serve as a shield for her heart. If this was but a dream, the impact of disappointment would be close to unbearable.
She tiptoed down the s
tairs, squinting into the shadows. Lio, a pale shape stretched out by Wraysholme's main door, lifted his head, ears pricked in question. Kate slid the door bolt from its cradle and raised a finger to her lips.
“Sshh, Lio. Stay here.”
Until she stepped from the house, Kate had not even considered her direction. She had, she realized, responded to Elric's summons on an instinctual level. As the cool breeze caressed her skin, her heart capitulated to the truth. His presence surrounded her like the airborne tingle of an approaching storm.
He lives.
A forgotten vision surfaced, showing her a view like that of a bird, watching Elric from on high. She knew, at once, where to find him.
The shore.
With a soft cry of elation, she hoisted her shift from around her ankles and ran.
The earlier rain clouds had cleared to expose a moonless sky. The only light came from the stars, which pierced the blackness with sharp pinpricks of brilliance. Kate barely noticed the heavenly splendour. Breathless, she paused at the end of the lane, her legs splashed with mud, her eager eyes raking the night. A shadow, darker than the rest, took shape. Kate's hand flew to her mouth, capturing the sob that escaped her throat.
Like a dark sentinel, Elric stood at the edge of the sand, his back to her as he gazed out across the bay. The breeze toyed with his hair and rippled through his cloak. The silver hilt of a sword, half hidden by the nonchalant grip of his hand, rested at his side. As she watched, he lifted his gaze to the stars and spoke her name.
“Katherine.”
He turned, then, and faced her, his pale features unearthly in the faint starlight, the silver Triskelion resting against his chest. Despite her expectations, the sight of him washed over her like a cold wave. She reached out, snatching at air as the world tilted and the heavens spiralled. A moment later his hand, warm and strong, closed around hers. She stumbled against him, overcome by the sweet validation of his presence.
“You're real,” she murmured, her face pressed to his ribs. “I can hear your heart.”
“Very real.” His breath brushed across her hair. “Hush, little one. Don't cry.”
“I can't help it. I thought...” Her voice failed her. She lifted her head to study him. Apart from the recent scar, he looked the same, his expression guarded as he met her scrutiny. She trailed her fingertips along his jaw and heard his soft intake of breath. “My God, Elric. I thought you were dead.”
He returned her touch, cupping her cheek with his hand. “I'm more alive than I have ever been. May I?”
Kate knew what he meant and nodded her permission. Like a key sliding into a lock, he joined her mind with his. His expression softened. “You have thought of me often.”
“Every day.” She hiccupped. “I have thought of you every...single...day. I have mourned you. If you only knew how much.” Her voice wavered. “No one truly knows how much.”
The familiar muscle twitched beneath his scarred skin. “I know more than you realize. Come, walk with me. There are things to be said.”
The ground felt like air beneath her feet as she stared up at him. “I have questions.”
A fleeting expression of amusement crossed his face. “Ask them.”
“Well, first of all, I want to know how this can be. You, here, like this.” She clung to his arm as they set out along the shore. “I mean, how did you survive such a fall? Please tell me you were not injured.”
He shrugged. “There is no part of the labyrinth unknown to me. At that end of the crevasse, the cliff plunges directly into the sea – the rocks do not extend all the way along. It was, I confess, a leap of faith, since I wasn't certain of the water's depth.” He shook his head. “But I could not fall to your husband's sword. Not after what you did for me. And no, Katherine, I was not injured.”
Her hold on his arm tightened. “I would never have allowed Owen to take your life, Elric.”
“I know it, but would your pleas for mercy have been heeded by others who sought my death? I think not.”
She sighed. “No. But given what took place, I couldn't understand you wanting to take your life. It made no sense to me. Nor did I see what passed between us. I saw only a light, as bright as the sun. And I felt a sense of... of sheer pleasure. Euphoria. The rest was unclear. What did I give you? Will you tell me?”
He paused his stride to glance back at Wraysholme's stark silhouette. “I will tell you all before this night is through, but no one else must ever know. No one. For now, there is something else I seek from you, if you are able to give it.”
“Of course. What is it?”
“Your forgiveness, Katherine. I deeply regret any harm done to you and those you love. Their forgiveness I cannot hope for. Yours, I crave with all my heart.”
She did not hesitate. “You have it, and with all my heart. I bear no grudge. In truth, you gave more than you took. But that leads me to another question – something I'm curious about. Why did you show mercy to my father? You had the opportunity to finish him, I'm told, yet did not take it.”
He looked beyond her, his eyes thoughtful.
“You once said you hated me. I replied that you were incapable of hate, and meant it, but your words...your words troubled me. Hate is a destructive emotion – one I know well. It defiles the soul. Had I killed those you loved, it would have defiled yours. I did not want that, so I made a decision. In truth, I never expected to fight your father. In my arrogance, I believed he would never find us, that eventually he would give up the search. I wanted the Triskelion's secret, but more than that, I wanted you. I dared to imagine a life where you and I might...” He shook his head. “An absurd dream. Foolish. You would, no doubt, have hated me no matter what. When I saw the wolf on the stairs, all my misplaced hopes died. I knew I had lost you, that I could never have you. I fought only because my withered pride demanded it.” He felt for her palm and stroked his thumb across the raised outline of the burn. “You were right when you said I had never lived. At that moment I no longer had any desire to do so. But then you gave me a gift – one beyond anything I could have imagined. You also showed me that compassion is not a weakness, but a strength. You changed me and I'll be forever in your debt. Forever, Katherine.”
In the silence that followed, it seemed to Kate that even the world had stopped to listen to Elric's words. Without compunction, he had bared his soul – a soul set free from the demons that had been beaten into him. Overwhelmed by the brutal honesty and pain in his voice, Kate shivered.
“You're cold.” He pulled off his cloak and wrapped it around her. “Look at you, barefoot and half-dressed. You'll catch your –”
“I love Owen with all my heart.” For some unknown reason, Kate needed to say it. She turned her gaze to Wraysholme, to where her husband slept, oblivious. Yet she felt no guilt as she searched her own soul. She simply needed to define her true feelings and share them with equal honesty.
Elric straightened. “I know.”
“But I love you too, Elric. God knows I do. There are those who might think it wrong of me, but I can't deny what I feel.” She blinked, clearing the haze of tears from her eyes. “What you and I share is not absurd. Never that. It is unique and precious. We were meant to be, but for different reasons. Extraordinary reasons. You changed me too. I didn't really know who I was until I met you.”
“You are your mother's child.” He glanced over at the cliffs. “The last time I was here was also the last time I saw her.”
Kate noticed the wistfulness in his expression. “Did you love her?”
He shook his head. “When I first met Adela, I was little more than a boy, angry at the world and possessed of a bitter heart. She fascinated me with her wisdom and beauty. I had never known anyone like her and became infatuated. When she stayed behind with your father, I was furious and vowed revenge. True love, I have since learned, is not so unreasonable or selfish.”
She saw it, the love he spoke of, burning in his eyes. It shot straight to her heart and settled there. �
��I have missed you,” she whispered. “You swore you would never leave me.”
His jaw tightened. “I have missed you too, Katherine.”
“Then why did you wait so long to come to me? Where have you been?”
“I have been where I've always felt safe – in the labyrinth. Everyone thinks I'm dead, so no one has any cause to go back there. Most think it an evil place, but it's a sanctuary for me. I have my legends and my writings. I lose myself in them, and they grant me peace. The legacy of their wisdom is important. You and I are proof of that. And you should know that I have never left you. Since the solstice, your mind has been tormented by scattered emotions, but I've always been with you, waiting until you were ready to accept me once more.” He touched his fingers to her temple. “If you need me, I'll come to you, no matter where you are.”
Her spirit lifted. “As it happens, I'll not be far. Owen and I leave for Mann in two days. Lord Weylin has offered to help me with...with my abilities.”
“I'm pleased to hear it, and envy Lord Weylin your company. I think you'll find, after tonight, your mind will be more receptive to his guidance.” He opened her palm again and pressed a kiss to the outline of the Triskelion. “I also think you are ready now.”
A tingle ran across her skin. “Ready for what?”
“To learn about the gift you gave me.” He looked again towards Wraysholme's dark outline. “They must never know. No one must ever know.”
Chapter 25
“Elric, this...this is...” Kate rubbed her temple, her mind reeling from the impact of what she had just learned. “This is not possible. You must have misunderstood. I could not have given you such a...an unearthly element. It flies in the face of God.”
He took her hand in his. “There's no misunderstanding. Think, Katherine. I've been able to read men's thoughts all my life. That, too, is an unearthly element.”
“And you've suffered all your life because of it.”
“Which might be considered a qualification in this case. I'm fully aware of man's intolerance and his illogical fear of the unknown. I also know how to move through this world unseen, and will do so when necessary.”
Triskelion Page 24