"Through her?" A shiver of surprise and reluctance twisted along his spine but he ignored it. "Does that mean she is an obstacle?"
"Perhaps. Or perhaps she's your guide. Or she must prevent you from creating the future you are trying to avoid, through your impatience. Or any of an uncountable number of other possibilities. As I said--"
"Unclear. Got it." The burning frustrations were cooling and shifting into curiosity. Maddyn hesitated but couldn't hold back the question demanding to be asked. "What can you tell me about Yve, then?"
The sparkling glimmer in her eye told him he walked right into the Kelan's hands.
"She came to the Order later than most. She's only been here a little less than a year. Her friend, Enna, is a couple of years younger and she's been a novitiate nearly twice as long. Yve tried to be the daughter her family expected, but in the end, she couldn't meet their expectations. Or, perhaps, it was they that couldn't meet hers."
Orra sighed with a hint of melancholy. "Now she's trying to mold herself to Order's expectations. And, once again, we aren't exactly meeting hers."
Approaching footsteps pulled his attention and kept him from dwelling on why the Kelan's words made him ache.
The High-Seryt approached them, and Madd considered her in light of the recent conversation.
"She doesn't look much older than Yve, to be so elevated," he said quietly.
"Poor Brynna was an orphan. She's been with the Order since she was a child. She has more years than many of the Seryts," the Kelan explained, her voice equally soft.
A moment later, Brynna stood in front of them, and Orra took her leave. Maddyn remained alone in the hallway, trying to unravel all the threads of what he'd learned in the brief conversation.
*****
Yve stumbled quietly into the novitiate's dorm, not for the first time grateful she only had to share it with Enna. Her body ached, muscles she never paid attention to throbbing with the ache of unexpected use. As sore and tired as she was, though, a satisfying an awareness of hard work well-done overlaid the discomfort.
Still, putting one foot in front of the other was almost more than she could handle, at the moment. As soon as she sensed her bed in the darkness, Yve dropped onto it with a thud.
"Yve, is that you?"
"No," she mumbled into the pillows. "It's my ghost. The luneils killed me."
Enna giggled.
"According to the High-Seryt, you're as stubborn and ornery as the weeds. They couldn't possibly get the best of you."
"Honestly, I'm going to be so stiff and sore tomorrow, I'm going to wish they had killed me."
"Don't say that. The Kelan and the prince were so upset when they caught you in the loft, I was afraid they'd whip you this time. Or worse."
Yve sighed. She knew Enna worried about her more than she worried about herself. At least until after the fact.
"Tell me about the petitions," Yve said, changing the subject in hopes of bolstering Enna's spirits. Besides, her take on the nobles and petitioners was always amusing and entertaining. And being able to say she heard about the night from Enna would cover up anything Yve let slip from her attempt to eavesdrop.
Enna didn't disappoint. Her mimicry of Lady Saffernn's nasally whine had Yve burying her face in her pillow to smother her laughter. And the stage whisper filled with constant imperious scorn captured Davane's ridiculous demeanor perfectly.
"Lord Maddyn was there, as well. He stood in the back for a while. He made everyone so nervous there was an empty circle of space around him where no one dared to stand. Not that I blame them. Standing that close to one of the Harbingers of Death would be frightful." Enna’s breath shook. "It was such a relief when he left. You could almost hear the whole room sigh."
Yve wanted to protest but bit her lip instead. The castle was alive with whispers and speculation about the Milesan suddenly in their midst. Even banished to the gardens, she'd overheard the gossip of couples strolling along the paths and sneaking into one of the secluded nooks. It all seemed unfair to him.
There was no denying Maddyn cut a large and imposing figure. Or that the stories about him and his brothers were frightening. But he didn't frighten Yve at all. If she were completely honest with herself, she'd have to admit she found herself intrigued by him. Among her family, she'd always been considered strange. Out of step with her sisters. Denied the freedoms of her brothers. A disappointment to her parents, over and over again. Even among the Order, where she fit better than anywhere she'd ever been, the Seryts often looked askance at her antics. They reminded her of decorum and expectations on almost a daily basis.
It wasn't always comfortable, but she was content. She'd never had to endure anything horrible. And, for the most part, her life, her follies and her triumphs were hers alone.
Everyone knew Maddyn's life. How he'd lost his parents in the Tribe wars. Lost his foster-parents to betrayal. That the combination Milesan Attribute and Tribe shapeshifting had created an unusual, unfathomable gift that he shared with his brothers. Harbinger of Death. No one actually knew what the power entailed, but it didn't stop them from speculating. Turning his life into spooky stories told in the dark of the night to frighten each other.
Yet, none of it appeared to bother him. He remained calm and confident in the way he strode through life. Yve knew he saw the way people drew away from him. He had to hear the nasty whispers and invasive contemplation. But he didn't seem to notice or care. Unlike Yve, he didn't seem concerned with fitting in or being anything but himself.
On top of all that, when he'd had no reason to, he'd protected her from her own folly.
No, she didn't find him scary or frightful. She found him fascinating. And attractive.
Yve's breath stopped short in her chest, sore muscles tensing even more. She couldn't think of Maddyn like that.
Lord Maddyn.
She couldn't let herself get too familiar. Or spin absurd fantasies.
Devotion to the Order was first and foremost of her vow as a novitiate of the Temple of the Goddess. Of course, there was nothing in the vows about celibacy. Many Seryts, and a few Kelans, took lovers from time to time. But even if someone as important and handsome as Lord Maddyn could possibly be interested in her, she doubted he'd accept being second to the Order.
None of that took into account that he didn't even like her. That he was suspicious of her.
"Yve? Are you okay?"
Belatedly, Yve realized her breath had hitched at the troubling reminder.
"Sorry... sleepy..." she dragged the words out, exaggerating the fatigue weighing down her mind and body.
Despite her exhaustion, however, Yve remained wide awake on her narrow cot long after Enna’s soft snores rumbled in the dark next to her.
-3-
A FEW evenings later found Yve elbow deep in the dark soil of the Temple garden again. With only a few more plants left to tend, the end of her punishment was nearly in sight. And just in time. The moon had begun to rise and a handful of flowers were already unfurling.
Of course, if she weren't out here, she'd be sitting demurely in the Keep's Great Hall for the listening to the elder Seryts. Every week, they took turns reading the most boring histories, philosophies and sagas they could find to the youth of the keep. Yve promised herself when they finally elevated her to Seryt, she would find something new and interesting to share.
All in all, she was happier being in the garden than inside. Except, of course, there was a good chance Maddyn would be in the Hall, as well.
She'd been watching him. A lot.
Wherever and whenever a gathering took place, Maddyn was there. Asking quiet questions. Probing subtly for information and rumors and anything that could aid him in his quest to find a non-existent Circle. By turns charming and intimidating, he gently probed or bluntly demanded. He always seemed to know what approach to take to get his quarry to spill more knowledge than Yve would have expected them to have or willingly share. It was fascinating to watch.
&n
bsp; As much as Yve tried to hide it, it hadn't taken Enna long to notice. Or to tell her how crazy she was to be so intrigued by him. Enna had also pointed out, more than once, how obvious Yve was when her eyes never left him.
Despite the warning, she couldn't stop herself. Tonight, for example, Yve had been intently staring at Maddyn while the seneschal fussed around getting the head table seated properly. Maddyn blithely ignored him while quietly speaking with the Kelan and Prince Daen. Intent and focused, Yve found it impossible not to get distracted by him.
Even when Maddyn looked up, pale eyes fastening on her, Yve continued to stare too long. Her cheeks had flared with fevered heat, yet for several long seconds, she still couldn't force her eyes away. Not until Enna's elbow dug into her side and she covertly pointed out Brynna watching Yve with a pinched-lip expression.
Yve sighed, digging into a particularly persistent weed and venting her frustration on it. Part of her hoped he'd find what he was looking for quickly so he'd go away and stop distracting her. Part of her hoped he'd stay awhile, so she could work up the nerve to get to know him. She yanked a little too hard, the plant gave way, and she tumbled back onto her behind. Soil and leaves scattered every showering her face and hair with debris.
Of course, that's when Maddyn appeared under the arch, the glow of the full moon shining down on him. It made him look more like the legend out of the ballads he eschewed than ever.
He stopped when he caught sight of her, eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"Why am I not surprised to find you here?"
Yve glared back, irritation bubbling in her chest. "Because I've been here each of the past four nights? Working out my punishment."
She waved her hand over the now well-groomed bed of luneils.
"Of course," Maddyn's tone was mild, but the lines of his face were tight, eyes hard and disbelieving. "It has nothing to do with your penchant for listening where you don't belong. Nothing to do with the Kelan requesting to meet me and Daen in the Temple tonight."
"Of course not!"
Yve took a deep breath to keep herself from shouting more and sharing their conversation with any stray passersby. Instead, she stood up and dusted herself off, refusing to look at him until she had her temper back under control. Especially since it was her fault he thought the worst of her.
"What happened in the loft was an accident. I didn't expect anyone to be there. As for the petitions, I was listening to a public forum. Just hiding because I, uh, was supposed to be somewhere else.
"I'm not spying," Yve reiterated when Maddyn's expression didn't so much as twitch. "I just want to be involved. I want to help the kingdom, the way the Order used to. The way they helped in the legends. When they used the gifts bestowed by the Labyrinth to help everyone. They used to be part of the guard and the army. They were ambassadors and diplomats. They used to take part in actual problems, instead of locking themselves away to be beacons or something."
Her voice rose once again as she spoke, the passion she felt for her true calling always impossible for her to conceal, even after a thousand admonishments.
Fueled by pent-up emotion, Yve finished her diatribe by poking Maddyn in the chest. Only then realizing how far into his space she'd put herself. His hand flashed out, gripping her wrist, holding it to keep her from poking again, she presumed. His fingers were surprisingly warm and gentle on her skin, despite the firm, unbreakable grip.
Yve swallowed hard, unable to look away from the intensity shining in his pale eyes.
"What do you know about the Labyrinth?" Maddyn demanded, his voice a low rumble like thunder that rolled through her. It should have frightened her. Instead, it made her want to lean in even closer.
*****
Maddyn had no idea how his hand had ended up on her arm, but her skin was warm and silky under his fingers. It took all the control he had not to let his thumb caress over her pulse. Let himself get lost in the resolute fire in her eyes and the passion searing her voice. Until the words she'd spoken resolved themselves in the chaotic swirl of sensation and emotion, yanking him back to focus on his true purpose.
"What do you know about the Labyrinth?"
She went completely still. The heat and fervor bled out of her until everything was hidden behind a shifting, uncertain expression that was impossible to read.
"Uh, nothing. Really. Just stories."
Yve glanced away, her dark eyes skittering to stare at anything but Maddyn. His senses, already fixated on her, heard the deceit in her heartbeat. Smelled the uneasiness on her skin.
Madd didn't know what she was hiding, but he fully intended to find out.
He flexed his fingers, releasing his grip before giving in to the urge to tighten it in frustration.
"Don't. Lie. To. Me."
"I don't... I can't... I'm already in so much trouble. If the matriarch or Brynna find out... If they kick me out... I have nowhere to go."
Both hands came back up to her arms, careful to cradle gently. "I need to know. Everyone I care about is in danger, and this might be the key."
Yve finally looked at him, eyes glassy with unshed tears. She was silent and still for so long, he was sure she wouldn't tell him anything more.
Then her shoulders slumped under his hands, and she swallowed hard before speaking, words so soft he had to strain to here.
"There are stories. Old ones. Not much detail but I've always been drawn to them. My gran used to tell them to get me to go to sleep. It's what made me choose the Order instead of marrying the man my parents picked out for me."
Maddyn stomach clenched, but he ignored it as Yve continued explaining.
"After I joined, I tried to find out more, but the elder Seryts all deny the stories are anything more than allegory. That the Labyrinth was a myth, a meditation exercise. I was so disappointed. I never regretted my choice, but, well, I kept hoping there was more."
"Yve, the Labyrinth?" Madd demanded impatiently.
"The thing is, the more I looked, the more I realized there were hints of those stories all around the Temple. Symbols and art and secret meanings everywhere. On the altar. The stained glass behind the altar. The pattern is supposed to be random. But I've always seen a maze. Enna says it's wishful thinking."
Yve paused, licking her lips, guilt humming off her in waves.
"I found some old records that no one talks about. Things I'm not supposed to know about, but they talk about the time when the Seryts were more than teachers and spiritual advisors." She grinned with rueful self-deprecation. "You found me in the loft because I was reading and didn't do my chores on time. I got caught up in a tale of the first Kelan. She tried to navigate the Labyrinth three times before she succeeded but no one ever tells that version of the story. Also, she married one of her father's bodyguards and even had a daughter, who shared Kelan duties while they were both alive. Apparently, it was common with the early Order. The marriage and kids part, anyway. And, the new Kelans always went into the Labyrinth in the beginning. At least according to the scrolls I...found."
Maddyn's heart pounded hard against his ribs and his skin buzzed with anticipation.
"Where's the Labyrinth?"
"I don't know," Yve sighed with a somber shake of her head. "Nothing I read said. And the later stuff doesn't mention it at all. My gran thought it was in the mountains. I've heard people say it was in the caves by the river. Others insist it was razed, the castle built from its remains to keep anyone else from gaining the power of the first king or his daughter."
Maddyn's heart sank. He knew she was telling the truth from the even beat of her pulse. Another dead end.
Her hand rested on his chest, warm and reassuring. They were so close her breath brushed along his cheek.
"Why are your loved ones in danger?"
Maddyn was torn. She shared her secret. Trusted him with something that could impact her future with the Order. And he wanted to offer her something in return.
He shouldn't. There was too much at stake. Too m
uch risk.
Yet the urge to share something of himself wouldn't be dampened.
"How much did you hear? When you were in the loft?"
"You're here to find a Circle or a shrine like the Labyrinth. It sounded like the sorcerer from Marnak was looking for places of legend to corrupt for his own ends."
Apparently, she'd heard everything.
"That is a pretty good summary. Hafgan has already tried once through subterfuge and political maneuvering to gain control of the-- Of a site in Hara Dale. My brother, Caerwyn, and his wife, Lia, stopped him but it almost cost the life of Lia's niece. We don't think Tresk or Hafgan know we've realized their true purpose, yet. My brothers are doing the same thing I am. Trying to ensure the shrines Hafgan wants most are secured and kept safe from him."
The permanent knot of worry that Madd carried constricted in his gut. As if sensing his misgivings, Yve leaned closer offering him silent support as he talked.
"If Hafgan or Tresk realized anyone was aware of their plans or targets, they might invade sooner than they planned. No matter which shrine they target first, one of my brothers will be directly in Marnak's path."
The intensity of the moment shifted. The weight of concern for his family became something else.
Something familiar and unwelcome coiled along his spine and whined across his nerves. The ferocity and icy certainty of imminent death.
Like always, the insistent, danger-laden pressure triggered the urge to become the Hound and fight with tooth and claw.
Maddyn fought the shift, but the pull of death's presence was too much to ignore. Without thought, he ran toward the Temple, and the darkness it now held.
Behind him, Yve called out, but he couldn't turn back. Death beckoned the Attribute inside of him and he would never be able to fight its pull.
*****
Yve rocked back on her heals. Maddyn tore away from her and inhaled in sharp surprise at the abrupt withdrawal. One minute they'd been so close Maddyn's heartbeat thundered under her hand. The next, he was swearing and twisting away, head swiveling like a predator scenting prey.
By Destiny Bound (The Lost Shrines Book 2) Page 4