How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days

by Kerrelyn Sparks

  “Come in.” Leo tugged on his gloves as his friend pulled aside the flap and strolled inside. Edmund rushed in to gather Leo’s empty dishes on a tray.

  Nevis poured himself a goblet of wine. “Brody’s in my tent getting dressed.”

  “Good. He’ll be hungry. Edmund, go to the commissary and bring him back a tray of food.”

  “Aye, my lord.” Edmund left with Leo’s dinner tray.

  Nevis snorted. “You weren’t worried about me going hungry. You always act like Brody’s half starved.”

  “A bite or two passed to him under a table doesn’t constitute a meal. He usually is hungry.”

  “Then he shouldn’t spend all his time as a dog.” Nevis took a drink. “What’s with him, anyway? Does he hate wearing pants? Does he prefer sleeping on the ground?”

  “You make him sleep on the ground?”

  “I gave him a pallet,” Nevis muttered. “You would think he’d rather sleep on a cot like a human being.”

  Leo sipped some wine. “I guess he didn’t tell you.”

  “Tell me what?”

  Leo shrugged. “I thought he might have said something since you share a tent.”

  “Like what? It’s a little hard to have a conversation with him when he’s a dog all the time. So help me, if he gets fleas on my blanket one more—”

  “He can’t help it,” Leo interrupted. “He was cursed. By a witch.”

  “To have fleas?”

  “No! To be the way he is.”

  Nevis gazed around the tent with a confused expression. “He was cursed? That’s why he shifts into a dog?”

  “No. He was born a shifter. He’s Embraced. Turning into a dog is his gift.”

  “You call that a gift?” Nevis scoffed. “I’d rather change into something awesome. Like a wolf. Or a bear.”

  “Brody can wander into any castle in the country. Try doing that as a bear. Being a dog makes him trustworthy.”

  “Man’s best friend,” Nevis muttered. “I think he actually likes getting his belly rubbed.”

  Leo sat back in his chair. “You do that?”

  “No!” Nevis grabbed the goblet and gulped down more wine. “But I’ve seen other soldiers do it. They think he’s actually a dog. So what’s the deal with the curse?”

  “It forces him to remain a dog. He can only retain his human form for a total of two hours each day.”

  “Damn,” Nevis breathed. “Poor guy.”

  Leo nodded. “He’s tracked down some witches to try to undo the curse, but they all tell him it can be repealed only by the one who cursed him.”

  “I see.” Nevis set the goblet down and paced across the tent and back. “Then we need to find that damned wi—” He paused when Brody walked into the tent. “That damned wretch of a cook and tell him the roast beef was too tough!”

  “Roast beef?” Brody asked. “Sounds good. I’m starving.”

  “Right.” Nevis quickly poured another goblet of wine. “Here you go, old pal.”

  Brody accepted it with a wary look. “Thanks.”

  Edmund walked in with a tray loaded with food.

  “Put it here.” Nevis motioned to the desk, then pulled a camp chair up close. “Have a seat, buddy.”

  Brody eyed Nevis suspiciously for a moment, then sat and forked some roast beef into his mouth. “Doesn’t seem too tough to me.” He kept eating.

  Nevis watched, then shook his head. “I think we’ll need more wine.”

  Edmund gave Leo a questioning look, and when Leo nodded, he rushed from the tent.

  Brody glanced up with his mouth full. “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing.” Nevis sipped some wine. “We’re glad to have you back. Right, Leo?”

  “Right.” Leo cleared his throat to keep from grinning.

  Brody’s eyes narrowed as he looked them over. “I think I brought some fleas into our tent.”

  Nevis’s fist tightened around the stem of his goblet till his knuckles turned white. “No … problem.”

  “And I chewed on your favorite boots.”

  “You—” Nevis gritted his teeth. “You have good taste.”

  Brody dropped his fork with a clatter and shot an irritated look at Leo. “You told him, didn’t you?”

  Leo shrugged. “He can keep a secret.”

  “And I’ll help you find that damned witch,” Nevis declared.

  “It’s not that easy.” Brody gave them a tired smile as he picked up his fork. “But I appreciate the offer.”

  “I just have one question.” Nevis leaned forward. “Did you really chew my favorite boots?”

  “No. They stink.”

  “They do not.” Nevis huffed. “So, are you saying my boots aren’t good enough for you?”

  “Enough,” Leo said. “Did you find anything in the barracks?”

  “Some weapons,” Nevis replied, “but you have to expect that with soldiers.” With a wince, he removed a folded paper from his vest and dropped it on Leo’s desk. “This was in Captain Bougaire’s room. A letter from the Lady of Vindalyn.”

  Leo’s hands clenched. Dammit. “You were supposed to find information about the assassins, not…” Proof she’s having an affair. He didn’t want to believe it. Didn’t want her to love anyone else. Not when he needed her.

  “She doesn’t care for him,” Brody said softly. “I’m certain of it.”

  Leo took a deep breath. Why was Brody so quick to defend her? “I don’t think her bedchamber is secure enough.”

  “Really?” Brody ate more roast beef. “Her guard and I have been watching the door.”

  “Yes, but did you know there’s a second door that leads to her maid’s room and another hallway? And two large windows that are easily accessible from outside. Are the duke’s chambers similar?”

  “His rooms are on the east wing next to the library,” Nevis answered. “There are several entrances, but I’ll make sure each one has two guards. And I’ll ask the duke if he wants his daughter moved to another location. Where do you suggest?”

  Leo refilled his goblet. “One of the towers would be best.”

  “Did you find anything on the priests?” Brody asked.

  Leo repeated what he’d told Nevis earlier. “I think Father Rune is one of the assassins. What have you learned?”

  Brody paused, then gulped down some wine. “I’m still trying to figure it out.”

  “Figure what?” Leo asked.

  Brody shrugged, then took another long drink.

  Leo narrowed his eyes.

  “I knew it,” Nevis muttered. “She had a secret meeting with her lover.” He glanced at Leo. “No offense.”

  “She did not!” Brody slammed his empty goblet down. “She doesn’t even like him. She was cringing when he accosted her on the stairs.”

  “He what?” Leo jumped to his feet.

  “Nothing happened,” Brody insisted. “And it was clear she wanted nothing to do with him.”

  Leo sat back down. Then she wasn’t having an affair?

  “But what about this love letter?” Nevis pointed at the paper on the desk. “It’s from the Lady of Vindalyn.”

  Brody hesitated, then mumbled, “Then it’s one more strange thing that doesn’t make sense.”

  “What’s not making sense?” Leo asked.

  Brody shrugged and quickly finished his dinner.

  Leo tapped a finger on the desk. His spy wasn’t telling him everything. “Nevis, take his tray back.”

  “Huh?” Nevis looked confused.

  Leo gave him a pointed look. “Take his tray. I’ll see you tomorrow. Tell Edmund I won’t need him again tonight.”

  “Oh.” Nevis picked up the tray, slanting a wary glance at Brody. “All right. Good night.” He wandered from the tent.

  With a grimace, Brody refilled his goblet.

  Leo frowned at him. “What are you not telling me?”

  “I’d rather not say—I mean, she seems to be keeping it a secret, so I thought I should honor—”


  “So you’re loyal to her now? Do I need to remind you that you work for me?”

  Brody flashed him an annoyed look.

  Leo tensed. “Are you … attracted to her?”

  “No!” Brody closed his eyes briefly. “Yes, but not the way you think. She has a kind heart that reminds me of my younger sister.”

  Leo exhaled with relief. “I didn’t know you had a sister.”

  “I haven’t seen my family in years.” Brody gazed sadly across the tent, seemingly lost in thought.

  “So you feel a need to protect Lady Tatiana.”

  Brody visibly shook himself. “I’m following orders. You told me to protect her.”

  “Not from me! I would never harm her.” Leo winced. “On purpose.” Dammit. He was the most likely person to cause her harm.

  “I know that.” Brody gave him a wry look. “I actually think she’ll be good for you.”

  “Then talk.”

  “Fine. But I’m warning you. It’s … strange.”

  “She’s my betrothed. I’ll decide what’s strange.”

  Brody ran a finger around the rim of his goblet. “At first I feared she might be insane.”

  “What?”

  “Then I thought she might be a witch. But she’s too kindhearted to be a bad witch.”

  “What?”

  “Then I realized it must be a gift. A secret gift.”

  Leo leaned forward. “What, dammit? Spit it out!”

  “Fine! She … talks to people who aren’t there.”

  “Aren’t where?”

  “Here. As in … dead.”

  Leo blinked. “She’s talking to dead people? Are you sure? I mean, perhaps she was talking to you. Or herself. Sometimes I talk to myself. That’s not strange.”

  “This was strange. As far as I could tell, she was talking to a boy who died in a kitchen fire ten years ago.”

  “Damn.”

  “And then she ran up to a tower room and talked to someone else who wasn’t there.” Brody ran a hand through his shaggy black hair. “I could only hear half of the conversation, but she seemed eager to talk to her mother.”

  Leo grimaced. “Lady Tatiana’s mother is dead.”

  “Exactly.”

  Leo shook his head. “This is crazy.”

  Brody scoffed. “I’m stuck as a dog for most of my life. You shoot lightning from your freaking fingers. We’re not exactly in a position to judge what’s crazy.”

  “We can’t help it. We’re Embra—” With a quick intake of air, Leo sat back. “Holy shit. She’s Embraced.”

  Chapter Eleven

  The next morning, Luciana woke before sunrise and quickly dressed in the simplest clothes she could find—a gray linen dress, black leather slippers, and a black leather cord tied around her waist.

  When she opened the bedchamber door, her guard, Jensen, bowed. “My lady, did you have need of anything?”

  “No, thank you.” She frowned at the dark circles under his eyes. “Jensen, did you not get any sleep at all?”

  “I’m fine,” he assured her.

  “I think you should go rest.” She started down the dimly lit hallway, but he followed her. “There’s no need for you to come. I’m only going to watch the sunrise.”

  “I dare not leave you unaccompanied, my lady.”

  She groaned inwardly. How could she find the message from Maeve when he was watching her every move? A soft woof drew her attention. “Pirate!”

  The dog sat in front of her and lifted a paw.

  She shook his paw. “Would you like to see the sunrise with me?” she asked, and he woofed in response.

  “Good boy.” She rubbed him behind the ears.

  She went down the stairs and out the door into the courtyard, followed by Jensen and Pirate. The sky overhead was still dark, but a few torches lent enough light for her to pass through the eastern gate. She hurried to the outer stone wall on the eastern edge of the promontory.

  After climbing a narrow stone staircase, she arrived on the wall walk overlooking the coastline to the east. The two moons had moved west, the larger Luna reaching the horizon first and casting a silver glow over the sea.

  Below her, she could barely make out the beach. Maeve had told her to watch the eastern beach at sunrise, so she could only trust that her youngest sister knew what she was doing.

  Next to Luciana, Pirate was sitting and watching her curiously. Jensen glanced over the curtain wall and, after seeing no danger below, marched down the wall walk, surveying the keep and inner bailey.

  She kept her back to him and focused on the eastern horizon. After a few minutes, a soft, golden glow inched into view. “May the Light shine upon us always,” she said loud enough for the guard to hear, then in her mind she sent a prayer to the goddesses to watch over her sisters.

  “Amen,” she said softly, and since no one was watching except Pirate, she made the sign of the two moons.

  The sun rose slowly, painting the sea and sky with colors of pink and gold. She held up a hand to shade her eyes and focused on the sea just below.

  Now she could see the different colors of the sea: the darker blue of the deep and the bright turquoise close to the shore. The waves rolled in, crashing and foaming over large boulders that dotted the shallow turquoise water.

  Softly, she sang the Song of Mourning as if the words could somehow bring her the message from her sisters. “My true love lies in the ocean blue. My true love sleeps in the sea. Whenever the moons shine over you, please remember me. Please remember me.”

  Suddenly a seal leaped from the sea and landed on a large, flat boulder. The sea around the rock churned as more seals gathered around it. The first seal barked, and more seals skidded up onto the boulder. They waddled into a tight group, their wet skin glistening in the sun.

  Next to Luciana, Pirate rose onto his hind legs to peer over the wall. When more seals barked, he barked in reply.

  She laughed. “Are you trying to talk to them?”

  All the seals slipped back into the water. And there alone on the boulder was a glass bottle, the kind the nuns used to hold their different colors of paint.

  “That’s it,” she whispered. Maeve had done it! She’d used the seals to deliver a message.

  With a small squeal of excitement, Luciana hugged the dog. “I’m so happy!”

  Pirate gave her a confused look, but she just laughed and headed down the stairs. The dog and Jensen followed her as she ran past the keep and toward the main gate.

  At the gatehouse, another guard tried to stop her. “My lady, it’s not safe for you to leave the fortress.”

  “I’m only going to the beach.” She motioned to Jensen and Pirate. “I won’t be alone.” Before the gatekeeper could object, she dashed across the drawbridge, then headed for the path that led to the shore.

  She hurried down the path as quickly as she dared, worried that at any moment a wave would crash over the boulder and wash away the bottle. Pirate ran ahead of her and scampered along the beach, sniffing here and there.

  “Why are you doing this?” Jensen asked behind her.

  “Why not?” She reached the sand and looked about. Far to the east, the waves had blasted a cave into the rocky cliff. “I think there’s someone there!” She pointed.

  “I’ll investigate,” Jensen replied. “Stay here.”

  “Of course.” The minute the guard took off running down the beach, she kicked off her shoes and walked into the water. She winced, surprised by how cold the water was.

  Pirate splashed into the water to get in front of her, then attempted to herd her ashore.

  “You’re not stopping me.” She gathered up her skirt around her knees and waded deeper, headed for the boulder. The waves receded, sucking her feet with them, and she skidded a bit before regaining her balance.

  She hitched her skirt up higher as the water reached her thighs. Almost there. She winced as the cold water reached her private parts, then lunged forward to grab onto the boul
der.

  The bottle was a few inches out of reach. Pirate barked at her. He was up to his neck in water.

  “Stay there!” she warned him. Letting go of her skirt, she felt around the rock till she found an indentation she could slip a foot into. She heaved herself up till she could grab the bottle.

  “Got it!” She jumped back into the sea just as the waves receded. The undertow whisked her off her feet and she went under. She struggled to get back onto her feet, but it was difficult with her skirt in the way.

  Finally, she managed to stand. The wind was chilly against her wet hair and clothes. Taking deep breaths, she thanked the goddesses that she’d grown up on the Isle of Moon where she’d learned to swim at a young age. The water was only waist-high, but the undertow was strong. She glanced at the bottle held tightly in her fist. It was sealed with a tight cork, and inside was a rolled-up note.

  She let the next wave push her closer ashore. Pirate grabbed her skirt with his teeth and pulled her toward the beach. She splashed through ankle-high water till she reached the dry, warm sand.

  “My lady!” Jensen ran toward her. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m fine.” She waved at him with one hand while holding the bottle behind her back with the other. “I felt like having an early-morning swim. So invigorating!”

  “Are you all right?” He stepped toward her, but jumped back when Pirate shook himself, sending droplets of water in all directions.

  “I’m perfectly fine.” She motioned for him to turn around. “Could I have some privacy, please? I need to wring out my skirt.”

  “Aye, my lady.” He turned his back.

  She plopped down on the sand, wrenched the cork out of the bottle, then fished out the note. Pirate made a whimpering noise as he sat next to her, his head cocked with an inquisitive look.

  She put a finger to her lips to signal silence, then unfolded the note. It was signed at the bottom by her sisters. With a grin, she hugged the paper to her chest, then held it up where she could read it.

  Our dear sister, Luciana,

  We pray every day that you are safe and doing well. We miss you something terrible. Our room seems empty without you. Our meals seem lonely without you.

  We tried playing the Telling Stones last night, but no one gives predictions as good as yours. We were talking about your last prediction, and we wondered if it had come true. You said in two weeks you would meet a tall and handsome stranger who had red hair and a black horse. Did it happen? Did you meet him?