Blind Spirit (Scourge Survivor Series Book 4)

by JL Madore

  “No, that’s fine. Is everything all right?”

  “Oh yes, glorious, Bruin. Fash not.”

  “Glorious?” There was a long silence before he cursed a low oath. “Lia, honey, is Samuel with you?”

  Samuel raised his head, looking piqued. “Aye, I am. We’ll be out in a bit, Bear. S’all good.”

  Bruin’s bear growled long and low. “Dammit, Samuel, do you think she needs this? For fuck’s sake, I’m supposed to be watching out for her. Galan’s going to shit kittens if he finds out you’re fooling around with his sister.”

  “Our business, Bruin. Not yours, not his.”

  “Yeah, I’ll remind him of that when he shoves his fist through your chest and rips your heart out.”

  I winced as Bruin’s heavy stomp receded down the hall. Propping myself up on my elbow, I flung my hair out of my face. “Should we ready for our day or would you like to complete another card?”

  Samuel laughed. “If we keep selecting cards we’ll never make it out of this bed. We’ve preparations to make and a journey ahead of us if yer going to be queen.” Scooping me into his arms, he headed for the bathroom. “Besides, showering together works on both fronts. We’ll get cleaned up and have fun doing it.”

  Less than two hours later, showered, fed and dressed for travel, Samuel Flashed us to a rolling green landscape much like the one by the stream weeks ago. In the distance, an elaborate, labyrinth hedge wove its way across what appeared to be the entire countryside. Acres of perpendicular paths cut in a mesmerizing maze as far as I could see.

  Tham materialized by my side and we studied a grand fortress dwarfed the center of the labyrinth. It glowed against the darkness of the coming night, an imposing set of standing stones rising up as sentinels all the way around it.

  “Where are we?” I asked, though I feared I knew.

  “Lothendril,” Samuel said, “The Silver Citadel.”

  The Silver Citadel. Aptly named. For as the last of the day’s light sunk behind the horizon it reflected on the stone architecture. Lit by the heavens, the building and monoliths radiated a silver sheen as if the walls were carved from the finest crystal.

  I fought to draw breath. Highbornes once stood as the great guardians of the Queen’s palace. Corrupted by the seduction of magic and their complacency, they failed to realize when Rhegan’s motives shifted and she became the danger to the realm. The Silver Citadel stood as monument to my race’s legendary fall from glory.

  A swirl of black mist brought Kobi to our group. Wearing his Talon leathers, he nodded to Samuel, swaggered over and winked at me. “Demon on board. Let the party begin.”

  Samuel drew me closer with a firm hand at the small of my back. “Yer here to warn us if ye sense a possession, demon. That’s the only reason. Do yer job.”

  I brushed a hand over my crescent tattoo and realized I had yet to tell anyone Castian warded my body against possession. Samuel had kissed it a few times last night but neither of us were interested in chatting at the time.

  Kobi’s pierced brow arched as he broke into a taunting smile. “You hate that I’m here, don’t you Merlin? Afraid I might sample your goods again? Did our little Lia tell you about my visit to her room the other night?”

  My ears heated. I looked up at Samuel, who now glared quite murderously at Kobi. “I said nothing because nothing happened worth mentioning in a night filled with far more important issues.”

  Kobi raised his palm to his chest. “You wound me Highborne. That kiss wasn’t nothing. I have a healthy frame of reference, and you and—”

  “Stop,” I hissed. “Why do you insist on causing turmoil?”

  Samuel’s fingers gripped into my hip. “Because he’s a filthy demon. And if I learn he had any part in the upset that led to yer pond adventure, he’ll be a feckin’ dead demon.”

  Kobi laughed. “What, you think I . . .”

  A far-off rumbling caught my attention. Three males on horseback approached at a gallop.

  Jade’s childhood attack ran through my mind. Ambushed by Scourge raiders in exactly this fashion, men on horseback raped and almost killed her mother. They also slaughtered the man she believed to be her father.

  Night thickened around us, offering few places to hide.

  The thundering of hooves created a weighty rhythm in my chest. Tham drew his dagger and stepped before me. A sweet gesture no matter how ineffective.

  Samuel drew his wand and pointed it at Kobi. “Are ye finished being a prick?”

  Kobi winked at me. “Sure. Let’s go with that.”

  The riders were nearly upon us. I gripped Samuel’s arm and pulled toward a nearby bush. The blessed male did not budge. I tried again, but he held fast and flashed me a hot look. “Stop yer fussing and stand behind me. This is why we’re here.”

  His tone stung. So Kobi had brought us back to that, had he? I ruffled my hair forward to cover the points of my ears and hide my hurt. To me, panicking seemed the only option. The riders stopped just short of our group. The horses stamped and plodded the packed earth.

  Peering out from behind the shoulder of Samuel’s slicker, my pulse hammered through my veins.

  The three males were alike. Dark features, dark eyes and by their menacing scents—dark hearts. The largest of the three leaned over his horse’s neck, the leather of his saddle creaking with his shift in position.

  No fetid stench of Scourge Raiders filled the air. Mayhap they were simply local folk passing by.

  “Weel, what have we here? Look lads, a filthy Highborne rabbit caught in our snare.”

  Or mayhap not.

  Samuel pocketed his wand. “Clap yer gob, the lass has done nothing to deserve yer venom.”

  The two other males dismounted, each wearing pleated tartan skirts that came to their knees.

  The male still seated on his horse smiled. “She’s Highborne scum. That’s reason enough. Then there’s the bit about you gents bringin’ an exiled Elf on our land, so trespassing seems to be another offense.”

  One of the men on the ground nodded. “And ye riled our stock by Flashing in. Magic’s outlawed here.”

  “True enough. Ye cannae be upsetting the animals,” the third one said, their taunts bouncing from one to the next. “So, we ask ye. What tithe shall ye offer in compensation for our troubles?”

  I eased a step back, my heel stopping when it met Kobi’s boot. The demon smiled down at me, his eyes glowing red, and then cast a glance to the three. “You overestimate yourselves, boys. You need to apologize to the lady. If not, I don’t see things ending well for you.”

  The three burst into a fit of deep laughter.

  One of the males rushed forward. Samuel met the advance and matched the male with every shift and scramble. Move for move. Strike for strike. Samuel blocked, punched and countered, as if he anticipated every blow.

  The attacker’s dark eyes widened. “Ah Jaysus, is it you?”

  “Aye,” Samuel said. “And I have a mind to shove a tithe up yer sorry arse with my boot for insulting the lass.”

  The largest of the three dismounted and approached. “And why would ye care, Sammy boy? She’s a bloody Highborne. Are yer loyalties so far gone ye lost sight of the cause completely?”

  Samuel scowled and gestured to the males. “Lia, meet Deaglan, Nolan and Chad, three of my younger brothers. Lads, meet Lia Caleblasse, the lost heir of the Queen and the woman ye’ve all sworn yer life to protect.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  I woke atop a bed the size of my entire bedchamber back home. I blinked, the plush velvet canopy above washed in mid-morning light. How long had I slept? Where was I? It came back to me in blurry memory, bit by bit.

  After meeting Samuel’s brothers, they leant us one of their horses to ride with them to the Citadel. By way of starlight, we wove through endless turns and corridors of the living maze. Even mounted on horseback we saw nothing but the night sky above. The monotonous plodding of hooves and clinking of bridles lulled me like a babe in
a cradle. And soon enough, my eyes grew far too heavy to fight.

  The arborous walls offered no markers to guide our path, yet the Murray brothers knew the way.

  Samuel included.

  What did he know about my calling as Queen? How was he so familiar with this strange, isolated place? And why was his family here at the Silver Citadel? It made me wonder if the past failures of my race might be part of the reason Samuel held Highbornes in such disdain.

  “Samuel?” I searched the room. “Tham? Kobi?”

  A parchment on the opposite pillow rustled when I sat up. Addressed to me, it was written in Samuel’s hand.

  Lia, sleep well, for yer as safe as ye’ve ever been.

  Deaglan and Nolan are outside the door standing watch. I think I sent Tham on an errand last night—hard to tell when speaking to thin air if he heard and ventured off.

  I know ye have questions. We’ll find yer answers. For now, I have some details to tend to.

  Meet me in the small hall at your leisure.

  Until then,

  S.

  I re-read the name Deaglan and wondered at the spelling. Samuel pronounced it Deklan. Seeing it written out made me smile. At my leisure. I laughed. Little leisure had graced my life in a long while. I was not about to start soaking in tubs when there was so much to be done.

  I swept the fancy throw aside, thankful that in my filthy, post-horse-riding state Samuel had settled me on the bed and not in it.

  The chamber held a regal charm decorated in gold and black, with rich purple accents, smooth stone walls, and wide wood beams high overhead. Light streamed in from the three long, leaded-glass windows, casting a kaleidoscope of colors across the opulent space.

  Rolling across the mountain of golden, silk blankets, I exhumed my legs from my crumpled skirt and headed to the ensuite. At the vanity, I washed my hands and glanced in the mirror. My gods, the journey had taken its toll and phew, I smelled most pungently of horse.

  I flipped on the water in the shower and set the temperature. A quick wash then. I stretched as I undressed, wincing at the strained muscles between my legs. Riding a horse did nothing to aid my already stretched muscles after a night of sex with Samuel.

  A warm awareness woke throughout my body.

  I shook myself. There was no future with Samuel. Despite the hours we had stolen making love, I remained bonded to Abaddon.

  Leaning closer to the mirror, I eyed a sheer, blue gown and matching ribbons hanging on the dress-stand behind the door.

  And another note.

  Can’t have you looking like I dragged you through a keyhole. What kind of guardian would I be then, aye?

  I thought the blue would look nice with your hair.

  S.

  My shower was quick, and the dress fit like a second skin. The midnight blue bodice was embroidered with silver cross-hatching and sparkly gems where the lines intersected. The skirt and sleeves, were sheer and flowed and fluttered, the fabric resembling the finest gossamer. The color faded from dark blue at the waist to a silver ice where the skirt swept above the stone floor.

  I gathered my mourning band and Castian’s crescent moon pendant from the counter and put them on. I picked up the ribbons Samuel left me but decided to leave them out. After combing out the tangles, I French-braided my hair instead of my usual style and faced the mirror for one final look. After pinching my cheeks for color, I practically floated to the door.

  The brothers Murray waited outside the chamber door, as Samuel said in his note. In the light of day, their similarity to Samuel lessened. What I had thought to be ebony hair in the bleached light of evening was, in fact, dark auburn. And, of course, Samuel’s eyes were no longer the brown-black of his family, but the glittering opal of magic intervention.

  Though I could not say for certain which was Deaglan and which Nolan, I bid them good morning and asked to be escorted to the small hall. The corridors of the building were wide and well-lit by electrical sconces. The windows rose toward the high ceilings, segmented by diamond-shaped leaded-glass. Stone and wood beam construction continued, giving off the opulence of a palace mixed with the same stable comfort I felt while in the old stone mill of our village.

  “How old is the Silver Citadel?” I asked.

  One of the brothers Murray swept a hand through the air, gesturing down the next shimmering silver corridor. “This way, if ye please. They’re waiting on ye.”

  “They who?”

  The taller one, Deaglan I felt sure, cast me an elitist sneer and opened a set of carved double doors exposing a grand dining room. As he ushered me inside, I marveled. If this was the small hall, how many could feast in the grand hall?

  Two long wooden harvest tables ran end-to-end up the center of an intricate mosaic floor. Laden with gold trays and floral displays, I gauged the number of chairs and figured the room could sit more than a hundred diners.

  An embroidered runner spanned the entire length of the abutted tables, dotted with centerpieces bursting several feet into the air. With brilliant, freshly cut flowers and colorful feathers they accented the velvet drapery and brocade tapestries hanging on the walls. The one long window wall looked out upon the vast green landscape with the standing stones just beyond.

  As we entered the rectangular room, five men in matching knee-length, gray leather skirts and wine velvet vests fell silent. Standing rigid opposite the long window wall, they turned as one hostile force.

  The hair rose on the nape of my neck.

  Samuel was not among them.

  Their huddle opened to the room, the five fanning out as they faced me. It was the male in front, pinning me with a sharp brown-black glare, which froze my breath in my lungs. Lithe and tall, with fine-drawn bones, the male could be no other than Samuel’s sire. He held the same chiseled lines of face and jaw as his sons, with dark auburn hair tied back from his face in a leather thong.

  There ended the similarity. He looked me over, a cruel tightness around his mouth and suppressed anger in his eyes. He eyed my dress, my hair and my curves. “Weel, if the lady Highborne does nae finally grace us with her presence.”

  I cast a glance over my shoulder. The exit was blocked. Was there no end to the Murray clan? “Where is Samuel?”

  The elder Murray’s smile grew. “Bound and beaten bloody, I should hope.”

  “Why would you say such a thing?”

  He barked a laugh, his hand sliding to the hilt of the dagger sheathed on his hip. “Not that it’s any of yer business, but the coward abandoned his duty and deserted his oath. Did ye know that?”

  The other men clustered closer, exuding the scents of anger and mistrust.

  Abandoned his duty? I frowned. “No one has sacrificed more in the name of duty than Samuel. In Castian’s service, he has given up more than any lesser male could bear.”

  A low murmur of voices followed the shuffling of feet to stone floor but no others moved forward to speak.

  “I beg to differ, Chuckie,” the male said. “The lad turned from his place years ago. And when he finally showed his traitorous face, he brought with him a filthy Highborne.”

  “He brought me here for good reason.”

  “Aye, he said as much. Still, he knew the penance for his actions. Highbornes are not welcome here and no one leaves the Order. Not even spoiled lads who’d rather play at magic than serve the realm.”

  I rubbed at the pounding taking root in my head. Was this man even speaking about Samuel? My Samuel? “Your son serves the realm as a Talon enforcer and as an instructor of future warriors who will stand against the Scourge. He deserves your admiration, not disdain.”

  “He deserves the beating he got and more besides.”

  “You truly had him beaten?” I asked, though I feared I knew the answer. “Release him or at least take me to him.”

  The man stormed forward, pressing his face to mine. The heat of his sour breath tightened my stomach. His bushy rust eyebrows looked like fat, angry caterpillars arching on his b
row. “Maybe I’d feel different if he sought out the council last night to set things right. Instead, the idiot roused the staff to prepare a room for the Queen’s heir while he fussed with findin’ a dress and pretty ribbons. Does that speak of his commitment to duty?”

  The knot in my stomach squeezed tighter. Samuel had been incarcerated and beaten for putting my needs before his own. I whirled to go back the way I came. I would find Samuel myself and set things right, even if I had to shove my way past his entire family tree to do so.

  Rough hands grabbed my shoulder and spun me.

  Samuel’s father locked on my upper arm. “Ah, Chuck, dinna leave just yet. We waited while ye had yer rest and prettied yerself up like a wee doll. Why such a rush to leave when ye’ve come so far in yer plans.”

  I blinked. “My plans? What plans?”

  He glared at me. For the life of me, beyond a few physical features, I saw nothing of Samuel in this male. “Claiming to be the heir to the throne. Ye dinna think us so foolish we’d believe it, did ye? Is it the power ye want? The riches? Are yer people in league with Abaddon yet, or did ye just want to sit at the head of the Queen’s table? Tell me, how’d ye come to wear the Queen’s ring?” He gestured to the large blue diamond on my finger.

  Confessing Abaddon placed the ring on me would only worsen my situation. My flesh flushed hot, building heat from the fire burning in my veins. I swallowed and cast a glance around the room.

  “I lay no claim other than the truth. I am here to assume my duty to Castian and the Realm of the Fair. As Rheagan’s heir, I have little say in the matter. You can argue my lineage and question my intentions but I am to be your Queen. And the first thing you shall do in my service is release Samuel.”

  Sulfurous anger rolled off my captor in a choking wave. Before I could react, he wrenched a fistful of my hair and pulled me against his chest. His fingers tightened, pulling hair from my scalp. “Highbornes make no demands under this roof. Yer traitorous race brought the near downfall to our realm. Do ye know how many graveyards are filled at the hands of the Queen’s Noble Children?”