Cursing himself for a fool, Gideon forced his own attention back to what Duncan was saying. At least his friend could be depended on to keep his mouth shut. If Kane had any questions, he would hold them until he and Gideon were alone.
Duncan had finished.
“So you never saw anything that would have set the horses off? No trace of a predator prowling in the area?”
Kane shook his head. “I studied the ground myself. The only fresh tracks I found belonged to the deer. None of the dead animals bore any marks or injuries, so I can’t explain what killed them. Beyond these woods, the grasslands stretch for miles in all directions. We saw no sign of riders. But—”
Then he paused, once again looking toward Merewen before bringing his gaze back to Gideon, asking without words if he should continue to speak in front of her. Gideon nodded. This was Merewen’s home. If there was a threat out there, she should learn of it.
The warrior’s hand once again strayed to the mark on his cheek, his fingertips tracing the symbol that had been burned into his skin at his birth. “Something left a taint in the air, one I have encountered before. It was as if a dark power briefly cast its gaze in this direction, but I can tell you nothing more specific than that.”
Kane frowned, clearly frustrated. “I wish I could catch the right memory, but it keeps dancing just out of reach. If we had access to the right manuscripts, perhaps Duncan and I would be able to learn its name and more about its nature. For now, all I can say is that we need to be very wary of drawing its attention in our direction. At the moment, the darkness is but a pale shadow of what it could be, but these things have ways of growing stronger.”
If anyone else had spoken of taints and shadows, Gideon might have scoffed, but not when it came to Kane. His friend had too much firsthand experience with such things. After all, he’d spent his youth living under the forced tutelage of his dark mage grandfather. Kane had been exposed to the blackest magics from birth.
“You are welcome to make use of my father’s library, Kane. His collection of books and manuscripts is one of the largest in Agathia.” Then Merewen frowned. “His interests were wide ranging. However, I cannot promise that he owned any books on dark magic.”
Kane frowned but didn’t dismiss the idea out of hand. “How would you suggest we do that, Lady Merewen? Your uncle is bound to ask questions if we simply followed you home to rummage through the library.”
She gave the matter some thought. “He’s always looking to hire more men-at-arms.”
Gideon joined in the conversation. “That might work, but not if we all approached him at once. It is likely that he would perceive five heavily armed men arriving at the same time as a threat. We will need to approach him in smaller numbers.”
He studied his friends and considered their options. “We’ll start with Averel and Murdoch. You can pass for two men-at-arms whose previous employer died, leaving you penniless and in need of a new position. That should make you attractive to a man like Fagan. Once they’re safely within the keep, Duncan, you’ll be next. You would do well to approach Fagan as a wealthy traveling scholar. I would imagine Fagan would gladly take your money for allowing you the run of his late brother’s library.”
Duncan nodded. “I would enjoy that. It’s been a long while since I had the chance to pursue my studies.”
He was serious about that. Gideon had never understood his friend’s love of spending hours among dusty books and manuscripts. Duncan’s own father had berated his son for his scholarly bent, but Gideon had quickly learned to value his friend’s quick mind. His self-taught knowledge of tactics and military history had served them all well over the centuries.
“Well, that leaves me and Kane. We will try to trace the source of this power Kane is sensing. Once the three of you are settled, we’ll plan our next move.”
Merewen frowned in thought. “When you’re ready, Captain, perhaps you could pose as a potential buyer looking for mounts for a mercenary commander. My uncle is always in need of gold. He also delights in sending my horses away from me.”
He liked the idea. “Perfect. We’ll have to make a trip back to the mountain to obtain enough gold to make my story and Duncan’s believable. We’ll take care of that tomorrow.”
“What about Kane? What is to be his role in all of this?”
Gideon was about to explain that most people and nearly all animals found Kane’s company too disturbing to tolerate for long. Instead, his friend abruptly took matters into his own hands.
“Lady Merewen, it is not yet time for my part in this play to begin.”
He held up his shield, which was emblazoned with a likeness straight out of a nightmare. The creature pictured there looked to be a cross between a wolf and a reptile, but it also had vestiges of wings. “My companion and I are weapons to be wielded only when it is time for blood to flow and the wicked to die.”
Then Kane offered her a mocking bow and walked away.
Merewen started to say something, but Gideon cut her off with a sharp look. “Perhaps it is time for you to show us the cottage you mentioned.”
Her eyes were wide with shock mixed with fear as she stared after Kane. After a few seconds, she nodded. “If you’ll all follow me, it’s not far.”
Chapter 7
Neglect had left the cottage in poor repair, but it wouldn’t take long to make it habitable. Certainly, the five of them had lived under worse conditions. But then Kane backed away, refusing to step across the threshold.
He turned to Merewen. “What happened to the people who lived here?”
She shrugged. “No one knows. They simply disappeared, leaving many of their belongings behind. One of my men happened to stop by and found the place deserted, their animals wandering loose. He said there were still dishes on the table as if they’d left in a hurry.”
Gideon watched Kane’s reaction to her words. The warrior slowly nodded as if she’d confirmed what he was sensing. “Has this happened before?”
Merewen sighed, rubbing her arms as if feeling a chill. “I’ve heard rumors of people disappearing, but the reports were not confirmed. Considering how Uncle Fagan treats our crofters, I’m surprised more haven’t moved on, looking for a better life.”
Averel and Duncan were already hard at work, sorting the useful items that the previous dwellers had left behind from those that would be better off burned. As they worked, Merewen joined them to make a list of what they would need.
Meanwhile, Gideon followed Kane out to the small corral. “What’s wrong?” he whispered, not wanting to worry Merewen needlessly.
Kane started brushing the dust off Rogue’s coat. After a few strokes, he finally answered. “This place reeks of blood magic and death.”
Gideon looked around the area. “What did you sense about the people who lived here?”
Kane met his gaze from across Rogue’s broad back. “They didn’t leave willingly. There’s no scent of old blood, so they were most likely alive when they were taken. That’s all I can tell you except that this place has the same ill feel to it as those deer we found dead in the woods.”
Gideon had feared that was the case. Until they knew more about what was going on, there wasn’t much they could do. They had to identify the enemy before they could best decide how to confront him.
While the others were busy setting up their temporary home, Gideon gave in to the temptation to watch Lady Merewen as she talked to his men. Just as he’d first suspected, her dark hair sparkled with red highlights in the sun, and a few freckles dusted her fair skin. Her looks were striking, especially with that lush mouth that smiled so easily and tasted so sweet.
Neither of them had mentioned the kiss they had shared. She might have her own reasons for remaining silent on the subject, and he was truly at a loss as to what he should say, if anything. In his youth, a man didn’t kiss a woman lightly, but that had been an eon ago in a time and place lost to the ages. Manners had no doubt changed during that time, but Merewen didn’
t strike him as a woman who would lightly share her favors.
With only three cycles of three moons to walk upon solid ground, only a knave of the worst sort would pursue a lady, especially one of quality such as Lady Merewen. Looking back across all the centuries since Gideon had first stood before the gods waiting for them to render their judgment, he could not recall a single time he’d felt such a powerful draw to a woman.
Were the gods testing him to see if he would risk his hard-won honor for the sake of a few nights of pleasure in a woman’s arms? Surely they would not be so petty, but he could not risk it. That he had imperiled his own soul was bad enough. He would not further endanger his friends, who had walked into the river with him out of loyalty and friendship.
“Captain, I’ve been meaning to ask where you have been keeping Scim. I would think it difficult to hide a bird of his size.”
Lost in the dark turn his thoughts had taken, he hadn’t noticed Merewen’s approach. He drew a slow breath to clear his head and then pointed toward the row of five shields. They were lined up along the outer wall of the cottage where they could be grabbed quickly should the need arise.
“He is resting in my shield, my lady, as is Kane’s friend. It draws a great deal of our strength to call them forth until we have once again grown used to walking in the world.”
Merewen came to an abrupt halt, immediately turning to stare back toward the cottage. After giving him a puzzled look back over her shoulder, she headed right back to stand in front of the shields. As each of his men took note of her interest, they joined her, even Kane.
She looked a bit bewildered. “So that’s what I sensed. I mean, the other day when you covered my eyes. One minute Scim wasn’t there, and then he was. I’d almost convinced myself it had been part of a dream and that he’d simply followed us down off the mountain.”
If Gideon was correctly following the confusing trail left by her words, she’d felt the magic he’d used to call for his avatar. “Believe me, my lady, when I tell you that is more than a picture of a gyrfalcon. That is Scim himself. When he flies, my shield is plain but for the outline of his shape.”
Her eyebrows were riding low over her eyes as she considered his words. By now Averel and Duncan were grinning. Even Murdoch and Kane looked amused as she tried to decide if he was telling the truth. At last she reached out to caress the glossy, smooth surface of his shield. Before touching any of the others, she looked at their owners and waited for them to nod.
Kane hesitated and then agreed. “You heard my companion the other night on the mountain. I’m sure your uncle and his men had something to say about the nature of what pursued them in the darkness.”
Gideon thought her hand might have been trembling a little when she touched the dark warrior’s shield, but then there had been plenty of warriors who had cowered in the presence of Kane and Hob. When she finished her examination of all five, she stepped back.
“The magic of your gods is powerful indeed.” Looking a bit shaky and her eyes wide with wonder, she slowly smiled. “It has been a day of amazing surprises.”
Was she thinking of the kiss they’d shared or just the avatars? Gideon answered for all of them. “Indeed it has.”
“I must go now, but I will return in two days with more supplies.”
Her mare was already heading straight for her. As Merewen mounted up, she asked, “When do you plan to approach my uncle?”
“We will do some scouting tomorrow to grow familiar with the area as it is now, and then wait until your visit the day after. We should be at full strength by then.”
Gideon caught the mare’s reins. “Would you like me to ride with you?”
He didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed when she shook her head. “We shouldn’t risk it. I’m safe enough on my own, and my uncle’s men sometimes patrol the areas closer to the keep. Things could go badly if they were to spot us together.”
“Then, until we meet again.” Before releasing the mare, he added, “And if you feel that you are in any danger from your uncle or his men, return to us immediately. If you cannot break free yourself, send your mare to us, and we will come.”
Her smile was sunshine bright. “I will.”
Then she was off, she and the mare flying across the grasslands and out of his sight. That bothered him far more than it should have, enough that he returned to the wall to pick up his shield and called out the words that would send Scim soaring high up in the sky. Once the bird took flight, Gideon reached out with his mind to join with Scim’s.
Through the bird’s eyes, Gideon would be able to follow Merewen all the way to the keep and even after she rode through the gate. He hated knowing beyond that point she would be at the mercy of her uncle and his men.
Murdoch caught Gideon’s arm, helping to anchor him in one spot while he grew accustomed to seeing the world through Scim’s eyes rather than his own. His friend murmured, “She really is quite amazing.”
Gideon could only agree. “That she is.”
His friend stared out over the grasslands in the direction Merewen had gone. “I fear our mission involves far more than merely eliminating her uncle.”
Murdoch’s grim prediction mirrored Gideon’s own thinking. Something was terribly wrong here in Agathia, something so dire that the gods had chosen to send their most fell warriors against the gathering evil.
Lady Alina kept her head down and her needle moving in and out of the linen she was embroidering. Her husband approached, his voice growing closer and setting her pulse to racing.
Please, gods, let him pass her by. Let him have business elsewhere. Let him—
Her silent prayer was cut off by the sound of his bellowed command. “Wife! Attend me now.”
She shuddered at the thought of what that might mean, but delaying only increased the chance of setting off his always precarious temper. After setting her needlework aside, she followed Fagan into his room.
“Did you order my bath?”
“Yes, my husband. The servants should be arriving shortly. Shall I also have a tray brought up from the kitchen?”
He was already pouring himself a drink. “Yes. Order enough for two.”
Her breath caught in her chest. “Are you expecting company?”
His answering smile was both cruel and cold. “Only yours, my lady wife. The gods know you do little enough to earn your keep around here. It has been too long since you last graced my bed.”
Not long enough for the last set of bruises to have faded completely. The very thought of him touching her body had Alina’s stomach roiling, but she was careful to hide her reaction. Past experience had taught her that he loved inflicting both pain and fear far more than he’d ever loved her.
She was saved for the moment by the arrival of a line of servants. Fagan left it to her to ensure the bathwater was the proper temperature while he stripped off his clothes, carelessly tossing them on the floor.
All too soon, the bath was ready, and the servants filed out of the room. More than one glanced in her direction with sympathy or, worse yet, pity. Alina hated knowing that although everyone in the keep knew what went on in the privacy of her husband’s room, none would lift a hand to help her.
He was a bully in his dealings with anyone he perceived as weak or his inferior. Merewen was the only one who dared stand up to him, and she had paid terribly for it. Alina wished the younger woman would learn to hold her tongue and her temper, but at the same time she admired Merewen’s courage.
She sighed, disgusted and ashamed that she lived in such a continuous state of fear. There had been a time in her life when she’d been happy. She was sure of it.
“Come here, Alina.” Fagan’s voice was soft when he added, “Please.”
She turned to face him, wishing she had the courage to run, but things only went harder for her if she resisted. She reluctantly took the hand he held out, knowing that, whenever he made the effort to coax her, she would hate whatever he had in mind for her. Th
ere was nothing gentle in Fagan, especially when he was rutting away on top of her and spilling his seed deep in her body.
That she’d failed to conceive was just one more excuse he used for abusing her. Each month when her courses came, she felt a profound mix of both relief and regret. As much as she’d love a babe to call her own, she despaired of how a child would fare at the hands of her husband.
He pulled her in close to his nude body, his anticipation for the afternoon’s activities obvious. “I’ve decided to share my bath with you, my dear. I will watch you disrobe.”
After pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead, he whispered, “Now, Alina. If the water grows cold, I will not be pleased.”
His expression avid, he stepped back to sprawl back in a chair, watching for the least sign of disobedience. In fact, he was hoping for it and relishing the idea of punishing her. How could a man so fair to look upon have such a black soul? It was a question she’d been asking since her wedding night. Before that, he’d been as charming and attentive as any maiden could hope for.
But now, knowing she was trapped, Alina resigned herself to an afternoon spent in hell. One way or another, Fagan would have his pleasure of her. She began the arduous process of trying to please her husband, knowing full well she was doomed to fail.
Merewen hurried into the kitchen, relieved to see that all was in good order. She trusted Ellie, the cook, to do her job and manage everyone else around her, but accidents happened. On the rare occasion Fagan’s meal was delayed, everyone suffered.
For some reason, the first person to cross her mind was his wife. Alina had yet to appear, and here it was nearly nightfall. Two nights ago, when Merewen returned from taking Captain Gideon and his men to the crofter’s hut, Olaf had met her at the door.
He’d smirked as he’d informed that her uncle had chosen to dine in his room with his lady wife. At that moment, Merewen had sorely wished she had the strength of the captain or one of his men so she could beat that expression off Olaf’s face. Only a monster would find the way Lady Alina suffered at her husband’s hands amusing.
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