“Whatever.” Tatiana waved a dismissive hand, then gave her a pitying look. “You poor child. You’ll never know a love as glorious as ours.” She fell onto her knees. “So you must beg the Beast not to kill him!”
“It’s late. I don’t even know where to find him.”
“You must find him! Ask the guards to take you to him. And be sure to wear that nightgown. He’ll see everything.”
With a groan, Luciana fell back onto the bed.
“And after you’ve dazzled him with your beauty—”
Luciana scoffed as she stared at the ceiling. “Are you saying I’m beautiful now?”
“Of course you are. You look like me. So, all you have to do is lounge on his bed like you’re doing now, but try to look a little more lively than a beached whale, will you? And then he’ll be so smitten, he’ll grant you anything you ask for.”
Luciana sat up. “Anything? As in sparing the life of my former lover? How could that possibly appeal to him?”
“You have to do something! Please!”
Luciana sighed. How could she leave her sister wailing for the rest of the night, much less a thousand years? “I’ll send him a letter. No doubt one of the guards could deliver it.”
“Wonderful!” Tatiana bounced up and down. “Thank you so much!”
“Did you learn anything else in the barracks?”
Tatiana stopped dancing and pressed a finger to her lips as she considered. “Oh, yes! It was quite shocking.”
Luciana jumped to her feet. “You know who the assassin is?”
“No. But I discovered I’ve been wrong about something for years. I’ve always thought that the bigger a man was, the bigger his male … part would be. But that’s not actually true.”
Luciana’s mouth fell open.
“I know.” Tatiana nodded gravely. “I couldn’t believe it, either, so I made a point of studying as many men as I could—”
“That’s enough!” Luciana put on her black cloak to cover up the thin nightgown. “I need to ask Jensen to bring me some paper and ink.”
Tatiana gasped. “And you wouldn’t believe Jensen! I mean, he seems so ordinary, but—”
“I don’t want to hear it! I have to be able to face him without blushing. Now, why don’t you do something useful, like finding out who wants to kill me and Father?”
“Fine, fine.” Tatiana waved a hand. “You’re so bossy. And you’ll send the letter?”
“Yes, I promise.” When her sister vanished, Luciana drew the bolt and unlocked the door.
“My lady?” Jensen asked when she cracked open the door.
Her cheeks grew warm. “Could you bring me some paper and writing utensils?”
He bowed. “Right away.” He glanced at the other guard as he headed for the stairs. “Don’t leave your post.”
Luciana closed the door and spotted a form taking shape by the window. “What now, Tati—”
The ghost spun around, a shocked look on her face.
“Mother.” Luciana stepped toward her.
With a sob, her mother zoomed across the room and vanished through the door.
“No, wait!” Luciana flung the door open and ran outside.
“My lady.” The guard bowed. “You shouldn’t—”
“Th-there’s someone in there!” She pointed to the room, and the guard dashed inside.
She hurried down the stairs, following the white wisp of her mother’s spirit. “Don’t go! Please!”
One floor down, her mother flew onto the wall walk headed south. One guard was across the landing at the northern entrance and the second guard was just coming out of the privy. They gaped in surprise as Luciana darted onto the wall walk.
“My lady! Come back!” They chased after her.
She sprinted along the wall walk, quick in her bare feet, the black cloak fluttering behind her. “Wait!”
Her mother reached a corner where the crenellated outer wall veered suddenly to the east, but instead of turning with it, she went straight through the wall into the night sky and vanished over the Southern Sea.
“No!” Luciana hit the corner, reaching out for her mother.
“What are you doing?” A gloved hand grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “Dammit, woman! Are you so averse to marrying me that you’re trying to kill yourself?”
She gasped. What was the Lord Protector doing here?
Quickly he released her and stepped back. “Did I hurt you? Are you all right?”
“I—” Was she all right? Her arm was tingling where he’d touched her, but there was no pain. Her heart was pounding, she could hardly breathe, and there was a strange fluttering sensation in her stomach, but unfortunately she always felt that way whenever she saw this man.
By the goddesses, he looked so handsome. The light from the twin moons made the angles of his face seem sharper. His eyes appeared a darker green, and the stubble along his jaw more ruggedly masculine. The sea breeze had tousled his dark-red curls, making him look so adorable she longed to touch him.
But she couldn’t. With a wince, she realized that was something she could never do.
“Dammit,” he muttered. “I shocked you, didn’t I?”
“No, I—” Goddesses help her, how long had she been silently gawking at him? With a twinge of embarrassment, she ducked her head. Oh, no, her nightgown! With another gasp, she quickly gathered her cloak around her.
He leaned toward her. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
No, I’m mortified. “I’m perfectly fine. I should go back to my room now.”
“You didn’t feel anything at all when I touched you?”
Her cheeks flamed with heat.
“My lord.” A voice spoke behind her, and she glanced back to see two guards.
“Leave us be,” the Lord Protector ordered.
They bowed, then retreated to the tower. Clutching her cloak tightly around her, she started to follow them.
“Wait.” The Lord Protector caught up with her. “We need to talk.”
“I should go. I’m not properly dressed.”
“I like the way you’re dressed.”
With a groan, she hunched her shoulders, huddling deeper into her cloak.
“Are you cold?” He removed his heavier black cape and draped it around her shoulders. Holding the edges, he tugged her closer to him. “Now answer my question.”
He’d trapped her. How dare he retain her against her will? Irritation flared inside her, but the fluttering in her stomach also increased. She’d never been this close to him before.
His hands fisted in the cloak. “Is it true? You would rather hurl yourself over the wall than marry me?”
He thought she was suicidal? Her irritation grew. “Of course not! Like you said before, we have no choice in the matter. So I have mentally prepared myself to go through with the ordeal.”
His mouth thinned. “How noble of you.”
“And what about you? Are you tempted to fall on a sword?”
He snorted. “Unlike you, I’m looking forward to the ordeal.” He leaned closer. “And I’ll be praying for a drought.”
Her heart lurched. He wanted to marry her? And what did a drought have to do with them?
“I have another question.” He gave her a wry look. “Actually I have many questions. Why did you leave your room? Why were you running at the wall?”
By the goddesses, how could she explain that? “I … wanted some fresh air.”
“Try again.”
She glanced down at his gloved hands, which still clutched the edges of his cloak and kept her trapped. How could she get free? Could she use his fear against him? She reached her hand toward the white shirt that covered his broad chest.
“No!” He jumped back, releasing her. “Don’t do that. It’s too dangerous.”
“Nothing happened before when you grabbed me.”
“There were several layers of insulation. My gloves, your cloak and nightgown.” His mouth twitched. “Although your
nightgown hardly counts as a layer.”
Her cheeks burned with heat.
“I can never be sure how a person will react,” he continued. “Especially when my power is this high. Even with my gloves on, my touch has caused some people to faint.” His eyes glinted with humor. “Apparently, you’re rather insensitive.”
The rascal, now he’d asked for it. She lunged toward him, pretending she was going to poke him.
“Dammit, woman!” He leaped back.
She smiled to herself as she folded her arms across her chest. He wouldn’t dare come near her now.
With a snort, he leaned against the wall. “You’re too damned clever.”
“I thought you liked that about me.”
His mouth curled into a lopsided smile. “I do. So why did you run at the wall?”
“Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be hunting down the assassins?”
His smile widened. “Another counterattack. Are you sure you’re not a warrior?” He folded his arms, mimicking her stance. “Your father gave me permission to move into the southern tower. So now we’re neighbors. And I can keep an eye on you to make sure you’re safe.”
She glanced at the tower behind him. It was the tallest tower along the curtain wall with an added turret on top. From there, he would have an excellent view of the sea and the entire fortress.
“As for the assassins,” he continued, “I’m working on it.”
“How?”
“I have a plan.” He paused as if he was considering how much to tell her. “And my best spies are at work.”
She blinked. Did he have spies watching her? “Who are they?”
“You needn’t worry yourself over that.”
She narrowed her eyes, then turned to gaze over the crenellated wall at the sea. “No doubt my spies are better. They’ll find the assassins first.”
“What? Your spies?”
“Yes.”
He scoffed. “I don’t believe it.” When she merely shrugged, he stepped closer. “Fine. Who are they?”
She gave him a pointed look. “You needn’t worry yourself over that.”
His mouth fell open, then he grinned. “You know how to wrestle. I like that.”
Her heart did a little leap as a vision popped into her mind of the two of them physically wrestling. And once he had her pinned down … but he couldn’t. He could never touch her. By the goddesses, it was enough to make her learn how to curse. “I should be going now.” She started toward the tower.
“Did you wonder why I’m praying for a drought?”
She halted. He’d come back with a counterattack of his own. An excellent one. For she had wondered.
His booted feet crunched on the stone wall walk as he approached her from behind. “No rain means no lightning. That means my power would slowly disappear.”
The back of her neck tingled. “Why would you want to lose your power?”
“So I can touch you. Kiss you.” His voice lowered to a whisper. “Bed you.”
The tingle on her neck skittered down her spine. Then he might be able to touch her someday? And she hadn’t imagined the hunger in his eyes. It was real. “You … want me?”
“Yes.”
Her heart thudded as she turned to face him. “You hardly know me.” He didn’t even know her real name.
“I know you’re clever, brave, bold, and beautiful. I know you’re kind to servants. Kind to animals. You’re not above working in the garden. You stand up to me. You intrigue me. I feel more … alive when I’m with you.” He stepped closer. “Yes. I want you.”
A sharp pang shot through her chest. He wasn’t describing Tatiana. He was describing her. It was she, Luciana, that he wanted. “My lord—”
“Call me Leo.”
She swallowed hard. “Leo. C-could you call me Ana?”
His eyes widened with surprise. “Does your father call you that?”
She shook her head. “It would be just for us.” So she could feel that he was marrying her, not Tatiana. Tears stung her eyes, and she blinked them away.
“Is something wrong?” He stepped closer. “Ana?”
The goddesses help her, this man was making her heart ache. “I should go now.” She headed toward the tower.
“Dammit,” he grumbled behind her. “You never answered my questions.”
She stopped and gave him a hesitant glance. “You shouldn’t spend the night out here. You need your rest before the duel.”
His eyebrows lifted. “Are you worried about me?”
Tatiana’s request! She’d almost forgotten. “Could you do me a favor and not kill the captain tomorrow?”
“What? You’re worried about him?”
Caw, caw. A seagull called out, and he muttered a curse.
She winced. “There are others who care about the captain. So I would appreciate it if you didn’t kill him.”
He gave her an exasperated look. “What do you think I am? I never planned to kill the bastard.”
“Oh, thank you!” She ran into the tower as he growled a few more curse words.
“I’m not a Beast!” His voice echoed down the wall walk.
No, he was a man. Her eyes burned with tears as she hurried up the stairs. He was an amazing man. And he would be far too easy to fall in love with.
Chapter Sixteen
Too tense to sleep, Luciana tossed and turned most of the night. Her mind fluctuated between replaying her last conversation with her betrothed and worrying about his upcoming duel. Slowly, as the hours dragged by, she grew accustomed to calling him Leo.
But the more she thought about him, the more she wished he’d cancel the duel altogether. If Leo planned not to use his powers, didn’t he risk getting hurt? She didn’t want him to be injured because of her. After being raised in a convent that valued peace and harmony, she simply didn’t understand this need for violence.
And how was the duel supposed to protect her honor? Wouldn’t it do the opposite and draw attention to her alleged affair?
Before dawn, her guards escorted her back to her bedchamber, and in her dressing room Gabriella helped her don the green velvet gown. As she left her bedchamber, her father was waiting in the hallway.
“We can watch from here,” he said as he led her across the hallway to where the arched, open windows overlooked the courtyard.
A large circle had been marked off in the center of the courtyard, and around it, a crowd of people had already gathered.
Luciana’s heart sank. It seemed the duel was really going to happen. “So many people,” she murmured.
“Yes,” her father agreed. “Everyone who works at Vindemar or lives close by has come to watch.” He lowered his voice. “And the assassins will see that you are alive and well. You must be extremely careful from now on.”
With a glance back, she noticed more than a dozen guards standing behind them, all dressed in Vindalyn blue and white. Other guards were stationed along the gallery where they watched the crowd, and more soldiers were in the courtyard, making sure no one was carrying any weapons.
To her surprise, some people were pointing at her and cheering. She spotted Yulissa and her kitchen help and waved. Tearfully, they waved back.
It warmed her heart to see how much support she had, but it was still hard to forget that somewhere in the crowd, three assassins wanted to kill her.
Suddenly the crowd below her parted, and a small group of soldiers marched through the western gate into the courtyard. Captain Bougaire was in their midst, dressed in leather breeches and a chain-mail shirt, topped with a blue-and-white tunic cinched around his waist with his sword belt. In the crook of his elbow, he carried a steel helmet adorned with three white plumes.
He marched into the circle, and the crowd began to murmur about the Beast, their speculations becoming louder and louder till Luciana could hear every word.
“The Beast is going to kill you!” one man shouted at the captain.
“The Beast will fry you like bacon!” anot
her yelled.
Luciana winced as she recalled Leo’s words from last night. I’m not a Beast! Where was he? Could he hear what these people were saying?
Shouts of alarm sounded below. People scurried out of the way as General Harden and his son, Captain Harden, marched through the south gate. After the crowd had parted to make a wide passage, Leo strode in alone.
A sudden hush fell over the courtyard. No one dared say a word about the Beast in his presence. Some turned their back to him, afraid to even look at him. Others wrapped small children in their cloaks and held them close.
Luciana swallowed hard. How long had he lived like this? Shunned and feared by people. His face was devoid of expression, but she knew he must be hurting inside.
How many times growing up at the convent had she felt rejected and abandoned? But at least she’d had her adopted sisters and Mother Ginessa. She’d received love and warm embraces. How lonesome Leo must have been over the years.
Her sympathy grew into alarm when she realized he wasn’t wearing any protective armor. He was simply dressed in black breeches and boots, a white shirt, a vest in the royal colors of red and black, and his usual black leather gloves. His left hand rested on the hilt of his sword.
General Harden exchanged a few words with him, then headed toward the west wing of the keep.
“I asked the general to watch the duel with us,” Luciana’s father told her.
Leo walked into the circle and, along with Captain Bougaire, faced Luciana and her father and bowed.
The duke raised a hand in greeting. “Lord Leofric of Benwick, Lord Protector of the Realm, has challenged Captain Alberto Bougaire to a duel. Each opponent is allowed one sword. The battle will commence at the drop of the red banner and it will end when one opponent either succumbs to death or surrenders.”
“Death?” Tatiana screeched, and Luciana started at her sister’s sudden appearance to her right.
“Or surrender,” Luciana whispered.
“My Alberto will never surrender!” Tatiana wailed. “He’s doomed. Doomed!”
“Calm down. He’ll be fine.”
“What’s going on?” Father whispered.
Luciana glanced back at the guards, then leaned close to her father on the left. “We’re not alone.”
His eyes widened. “Tatiana?” When she nodded, he asked, “Where?”
How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days Page 16