Daring Damsels

by Domning, Denise

  Bria’s eyes narrowed slightly. “What do you want?”

  Kenric stopped just in front of her. “I want many things, m’lady.”

  Bria did not like his tone. She lifted her chin and moved to step around him, but he grabbed her arm, halting her.

  “I’m not finished with you,” he said softly.

  Bria tried to pull her arm free, but he wouldn’t release it. “Terran will have your head if you persist. I am lady of Castle Knowles.”

  “For now.”

  Dread slithered up her spine. Did he know she was the Midnight Shadow?

  “You see, Lady Bria, it was I who suggested he marry you. It’s true we needed your dowry. But I had another reason. A while back, the herbalist was killed not far from this very spot.”

  Bria swallowed hard.

  His eyes narrowed slightly, his grip pressing ever tighter on her wrist. “Two women witnessed the murder. One I arrested and threw into the dungeon for the murder, but the other escaped. I chased her through the woods and onto Delaney lands. Who could have been out here in the middle of the night? I kept Mary alive to use as bait to catch the other woman. And now I have, haven’t I?”

  Bria raised her chin.

  “My guard heard you talking with dear Mary. I know it was you, Bria, and this little trip of yours to the very same spot proves it. I can have no witnesses to the death of that old woman.”

  Bria turned wide eyes to him. What was he planning? He signaled the other guards with a wave of his hand. They began to move forward.

  Fear flared through Bria like lightning. Why didn’t Kenric want anyone to know he’d killed the herbalist? “Why did you kill her?”

  “She knew things,” Kenric said. “I couldn’t have her walking around telling everyone my secrets.”

  Secrets? Bria thought back to the night he had killed the woman. What was it the old woman had said? He owed her coin for the first potion. “What potion did she make for you? Whom did you poison?”

  Panic flared in Kenric’s black eyes, and Bria knew she’d hit the mark.

  “You already know too much,” Kenric retorted as anger replaced his panic.

  The two guards drew nearer and Bria knew she had to escape. She brought her heel down hard on Kenric’s foot. As he grimaced in pain and released his grip on her arm slightly, Bria shoved him away from her.

  She turned and lifted her heavy skirt to dash away. She raced through the brush, managing to reach the dirt road nearby. But then something hit her from behind and she felt arms around her waist. She hit the ground hard, wiggling and twisting, trying desperately to free herself.

  “Not this time,” Kenric snarled from behind her, holding her tight. He flipped her over so she faced him, and he straddled her waist, holding her arms down.

  Bria fought, expecting to feel a sharp pain in her side from a sword wound or the tip of a dagger run across her throat. But it never came. Instead, a sharp slap stung her cheek. Her head rocked to the side, and for a moment her world teetered.

  Kenric tilted her head back and something bitter entered her mouth. She spit it out immediately. Kenric placed one hand over her mouth and his other beneath her jaw to hold her mouth shut. “Take it, bitch,” he snarled.

  Poison! She tried to open her mouth, but Kenric was stronger. She fought, hitting him again and again, trying not to swallow. But the bitter taste slid down deeper and deeper into her throat until she could do nothing but swallow.

  She opened her eyes in horror and saw his evil visage looming above her. His hands clenched tight around her face, and her head was locked in the crook of his arm. “You see, dear Bria, it wasn’t all that bad. Had you not run from me the first time, I would have killed you then, and your horrendous marriage to Lord Knowles and subsequent rape by him could have been averted.” He released her and sat up.

  Bria pulled away from him, moving back on her bottom. “Terran didn’t rape me.” She spit as hard as she could. The bitter taste remained strong in her mouth. She turned and began to crawl away, but two legs blocked her. She followed the black leggings up to see one of the guards.

  “You can’t leave yet,” Kenric said from behind her. “It takes a little time before the poison works.”

  “You won’t get away with this,” Bria proclaimed.

  “I think I will. I have before.” A smile split Kenric’s lips.

  Bria stared at him in shock. Before? Whom had he killed? Her eyes widened. Odella! Terran hadn’t killed her, Kenric had poisoned her!

  Bria stood. “You bastard,” she hissed. She had to tell Terran! Her gaze swept the clearing. The two guards stood at the ready not feet from her. Kenric leaned against a tree. There was nowhere to run. “You killed Odella!”

  “I told you you knew too much,” Kenric replied.

  “Why?” she demanded. “Why kill her?”

  “It’s of no concern to you,” Kenric said. “You’ll be dead soon.”

  “Then tell me,” Bria insisted. “If I’m dead, I’m no threat to you.”

  “You were never a threat to me,” Kenric retorted.

  Suddenly, Bria’s mouth began to water as nausea twisted her stomach into a wretched knot. Frantically, she looked around as the world spun dizzily about her. Then she turned her back to Kenric and threw up. Spasms shook her body. She wiped the back of her mouth and realized through her agony that Kenric was talking.

  “Good,” he said. “That is the first sign. Soon, you’ll feel drowsy and fall into unconsciousness. Then you’ll die.”

  “No,” she gasped. Bria had to warn Terran. She had to get to him. But suddenly her body felt heavy.

  No, she thought. I have to get to Terran.

  She fell forward to her knees. Kenric’s boots appeared at her side, and she barely had the strength to lift her gaze to his.

  “Don’t fight it,” he encouraged. “It will all be over within the day.”

  She grabbed his tunic in an effort to stand, but couldn’t pull herself up. Somewhere, laughter drifted through her mind like a distant echo. She had to get to Terran.

  Suddenly, she leaned forward and retched all over Kenric’s boots before collapsing to the leafy ground.

  She forced herself to be absolutely still. She had to get rid of them. If she could get them to leave her, she could mount her horse and ride back to Castle Knowles. Ride? she thought groggily. She could hardly focus. She’d never be able to ride a horse.

  She watched Kenric through her darkening vision. He and his men mounted their horses and in an instant were gone.

  Bria tried to push herself to her feet. She had to reach her horse, which stood in the distance. But her body wouldn’t move. Her hands lay still on the ground, her arms like heavy rocks. She couldn’t lift them.

  Tears entered her eyes. She was going to die here. She wasn’t going to get the chance to warn Terran. Oh, Terran, she thought. I have to tell you. I have to warn you about Kenric. He killed Odella. He’s killing me!

  From far off, she heard a voice. Was Kenric still here? Hadn’t she seen him leave? She struggled to turn her head toward the sound. A million black dots swam before her eyes. Was that someone moving closer? Or was he leaving? Was he running? She couldn’t tell.

  Then he was at her side, kneeling beside her. Brown eyes. Kenric had black eyes. Were these eyes brown? Yes. Yes! She recognized his warm eyes as a scowl of concern crossed his brow.

  “George,” she whispered. It was Mary’s father.

  He pushed his hands beneath her shoulders and legs and lifted her off the ground. She leaned heavily against him. “Don’t worry, Bria,” he said. “We’ll get you back to the castle safely.”

  Bria closed her eyes.

  “M’lord!”

  Terran was out of bed immediately. He donned his leggings, noticing but not worrying Bria was gone, until he threw open the door to his room and found her in Kenric’s arms. A farmer stood just behind Kenric.

  Dread welled up in Terran’s chest. Had she been stabbed? There was no blo
od. What could it be?

  He lurched into action, removing her from Kenric’s arms. “What happened?” he demanded as he turned to lay her on the bed.

  “This farmer found her in the road,” Kenric said, motioning to the man behind him. “She’d taken poison. This pouch was beside her.”

  Agony pierced Terran’s heart as he snatched the pouch. “Where the hell did she get this?”

  Kenric shrugged. “Looks like she’d rather die than be your wife.”

  Terran turned burning eyes to Kenric. His jaw clenched so tightly that for a long moment he couldn’t talk. “Go and find an herbalist.”

  “There isn’t one in riding distance.”

  “Then fly,” Terran snapped, “but find one.”

  Kenric bowed stiffly and turned, leaving the room, brushing past the farmer who waited by the door.

  Terran returned his gaze to Bria. Her long brown hair was unbound and fanned out over the pillow. Her eyes were closed. Her face looked so peaceful that for a moment he imagined she was simply sleeping. Just sleeping -- as he’d imagined Odella to be.

  Ah, God, no! He collapsed to his knees beside the bed. Why? Why is this happening again? Why? Why would she do this? Was I such an ogre to her? He took her hand into his. It was so limp, so white. He pressed his forehead to her hand, kneeling in a position all too familiar to him.

  “Terran.”

  He must have imagined the soft voice. It sounded so like Bria. Did he want to hear her voice so badly he was imagining it?

  “Terran.”

  He lifted his head. Her eyes were open, staring at him with such agony and such pain that his heart broke. He held her hand to his chest, clutching it tightly. What a fool I am! his mind screamed.

  “Herbalist... at Delaney,” she whispered.

  “At Delaney?” She must be hallucinating. He brushed a trembling kiss against her forehead. “No, darling. Kenric said there isn’t one in riding distance.”

  “Terran.” He looked into her eyes. “Go... to Delaney. Get... herbalist.”

  “An herbalist at Delaney?” Perhaps Kenric didn’t know about him. Perhaps he was new. Whatever the case, he would retrieve him at once. He rose. “I’ll send Randolph.”

  “No!” Her cry, so strong and so frantic, halted Terran immediately. “He...” Her voice faded as her energy waned.

  Terran returned to her side, leaning close to her, brushing the strands of dark hair from her forehead. “I know,” he whispered. “Just rest. He brought you to me. You’re all right.” He kissed her forehead.

  “Kenric... killed Odella.”

  The words made no sense. First she’d thought he had killed Odella. Now Kenric? “You’re imagining this,” he replied. “You’re speaking of things you know nothing about.”

  “Poisoned... me.”

  Disbelief overwhelmed him. He stared into her dull blue eyes, seeing the desperation, the fear. “Poisoned you?”

  “Forced poison... into my mouth.”

  The thought of Kenric forcing anything into Bria’s lovely mouth ignited a fierce anger in his veins, pulsing with the beat of his heart. Would he really dare harm Bria?

  “Please” -- her small hand clutched his -- “believe...”

  Terran glanced down at her hand curled around his fingers. It was so small in his larger hand. Suddenly, her fingers loosened and began to fall from his hand. Desperately, Terran grabbed her hand and gazed into her eyes. Her fading blue eyes. “Bria, stay with me,” he insisted, as his throat tightened.

  “Don’t know... if I can,” she murmured.

  Terran could feel the energy dwindling from her. “Bria,” he called. Agony and pain twisted his heart, the very core of his being. She had returned to warn him. “Bria,” he pleaded. “If I go for the herbalist, promise me, promise me you will live.”

  A small smile curved her lips, but her eyelids fluttered closed.

  “Bria,” Terran begged. Anger, determination and a pain he’d never felt warred inside him. He didn’t want to leave her. If what she said was true, if his cousin had poisoned her, he couldn’t leave her alone with Kenric. But how could he not?

  He planted a firm kiss on her forehead and rose to move to the door. His eyes came to rest on the farmer who still stood, watching, his worried gaze locked on Bria. “Stay,” Terran ordered. He placed a hand over the peasant’s. “Please, stay and watch her. My servants will bring you anything you need. Whatever you want.”

  The farmer looked into his eyes for a long moment, then finally nodded. Terran raced from the room.

  Terran rode into Castle Delaney hard and reined in his horse in the courtyard. His face was flushed and sweaty, his lungs straining with the exertion of the fast ride. The sun was inching its way over the horizon. The castle was just waking up, and the courtyard was empty of people. Cursing, Terran spurred the horse on, searching for someone, anyone, to ask of the herbalist’s whereabouts.

  A young woman stepped out of the door to the keep, a basket of dirty laundry in her hands. Terran turned his horse toward her and kicked the animal to full speed. She took a few steps into the courtyard before he reached her and bent down to grab her arm.

  She screamed and pulled back in fright, sending the basket of laundry tumbling to the ground.

  Terran shook her. “Where is the herbalist?”

  “The... the herbalist?” she stammered, trying to make sense of this wild man towering over her.

  “The herbalist!” Terran demanded. “Where is the herbalist?”

  “In the garden,” she replied, trying to pull her arm free of his hold.

  Terran yanked the girl forward, grabbing her around the waist and hauling her onto the horse. “Where?” he ordered. “Show me where this garden is.”

  “Why do you want the herbalist? Who are you?” she asked.

  Terran gritted his teeth at having to explain to a peasant. “I am Lord Knowles. Lady Bria is in grave danger.”

  “It’s that way.” The girl directed him deeper into the castle without further pause. “He should be in there. He’s in there early every morning tending to his plants.”

  He looked over to where she was pointing to see a small enclosure built of stone with walls about two feet high. He could see greenery beyond the low wall. He released the girl, lowering her back to the ground, then rode hard toward the small garden. The horse leaped the wall easily. Terran scanned the enclosure, looking for anyone who could help him. Anyone at all.

  A man suddenly appeared from behind a row of blackberry bushes and came running at him, waving a fist. “What do you think you’re doing? Get that animal out of here! You’re trampling the –”

  Terran urged the horse forward with a kick. He grabbed the man by his tunic front, shoving his face into his. He didn’t have time for this. “Where is the herbalist?” he growled.

  “I -- I am the herbalist,” the man replied quietly.

  Anxiety tightened Terran’s stomach as he loosened his hold on the man. “Lady Bria has been poisoned. You must come with me.”

  He heard gasps from behind him, but didn’t turn.

  “What kind of poison?” the herbalist asked.

  Terran shook his head. “I don’t know. We have to leave. Now!”

  The man nodded. “I’ll get my things.”

  Terran released him and the man raced toward a small thatched hut near the rear of the garden, leaving Terran alone for a long moment. He wanted to scream at the man, wanted to go in after him and pack his things, anything to make him hurry. Bria could be... He refused to finish the thought. He refused to think his wife, the woman he loved -- yes, loved -- was slipping away, and he couldn’t be at her side.

  Terran’s hands gripped the reins so tightly his knuckles ached. How could this have happened? Why had she left him in the middle of the night? Where had she gone?

  A sudden, vivid image of Kenric shoving poison through her lovely lips with his dirty fingers flashed through his mind. Terran’s jaw clenched. Kenric said there was no herbali
st, and yet here he was at Castle Delaney at Bria’s urging, getting an herbalist to save her life. Had Kenric not known about this herbalist? Why would he try to kill Bria? What would it serve him? Was Bria lying? She didn’t lie about being a virgin, a small voice inside him reminded.

  And what about Bria’s declaration Kenric killed Odella? Was it true? If Kenric had poisoned Bria, why not Odella, too? Rage simmered in Terran’s veins. All this time, I believed Odella’s death was my fault. All this time.

  Terran cursed silently. There’s more to this. It doesn’t make sense. Why would Kenric kill Odella in the first place? I’ll discover the truth and see things righted. He shook himself. Where was that cursed herbalist?

  Finally, the man ran out of the house, holding a large sack in his hand. Terran grabbed his shirt front and hauled him up behind him. Then he spurred his horse hard toward Castle Knowles.

  Terran held the herbalist’s arm in a steely grip as he pulled him through the halls of Castle Knowles. He reached the door to his room and threw it open, then stopped cold at the sight that greeted him. Bria lay on the bed, unmoving, eerily still. But what made Terran’s heart freeze was Kenric standing at her bedside.

  Where the hell was that wretched farmer? Had he abandoned Bria?

  “She’s still alive,” a voice said.

  Terran swiveled his gaze to see the farmer sitting in a chair not far from the bed.

  Relief coursed through Terran. There was still time. The farmer had faithfully stayed to watch over Bria. He protected her when I could not.

  “Where have you been?” Kenric asked.

  The herbalist impatiently pushed past Terran and then Kenric to get to Bria. He quickly knelt at her side, checking her lips, her skin.

  “Who’s that?” Kenric wondered, following the man’s movements with his dark, suspicious eyes.

  “The herbalist from Castle Delaney.”

  Kenric looked up and Terran could see the shock in his cousin’s dark eyes. “I didn’t know.” But there was no remorse in his voice.

  Terran’s back stiffened. “You should have,” he snapped. “Perhaps it would have saved Odella’s life.”