Her Knight's Quest: A Warriors of the Mist Novel Page 25

  The troops saluted him with drawn swords and shouts of victory to come as they rode out. He dutifully stood by and watched until the last one was out of sight. Appearances were everything, especially when he was surrounded by the members of his court. He’d already suffered two defeats and couldn’t risk his people questioning his ability to rule Agathia.

  Once they dragged Lavinia before him in chains, he would spill her bastard blood on his altar, supping richly on its power. Then everyone would know for all time that he was the strongest of the Keirthan lineage. Hoping that day would soon arrive, he led the procession back inside, the dim interior a relief after standing in the burn of the midday sun.

  A gaggle of lesser nobles and merchants waited inside, all of them wanting to vie for his attention. His first instinct was to lash out, to order them from his sight. But common sense dictated that he continue to act the part of a duke who actually cared about his people.

  He waved the first man forward. “Attend to me, Lord Vulan, and tell me how I can be of help.”

  Chapter 26

  Josup had proven to be a master of organization. While Duncan saw to his own preparations for travel, the guard had set his men to loading the wagons with the basic necessities for their trip across the mountains to safety.

  The plan was for the guards and sisters to depart at dawn. After burying one of their own, the guards had helped with the funeral pyre for the duke’s men. With so many to send on their way to their final rest, there’d simply been too much to do to leave before the sun faded in the west. The switchback was tricky enough in daylight. To attempt it at night with wagons was asking for disaster.

  Duncan added the last of his gear to the pile by the door, and then looked up and down the hall. Where had Lavinia disappeared to? Had she decided to do the sensible thing and ride with him and Sarra for Lady Merewen’s keep? He truly hoped so. If she even hinted that she planned to stay here at the abbey alone or that she wanted to ride with the other sisters, he’d have to do something drastic.

  He didn’t want that to happen. Josup and men had been hired to protect the sisters and the abbey. Would they stand against him if they thought Duncan was a threat to Lavinia? Surely she wouldn’t put them all at risk.

  The guards were loading crates of books into the wagons, so she’d finished sorting the library. He was guessing that she had left her own packing for last, which meant most likely she was in her quarters. If they were going to argue about her plans, he’d prefer to do so in privacy. Once he had her convinced to come with him, they could present a united front to the other sisters.

  If he could convince her.

  He knocked softly on the office door. No answer. He slipped inside anyway. Her office looked as if it hadn’t been touched. It seemed unlikely to him that she’d leave behind everything in the room.

  The garden was empty, too, and her scrying bowl was exactly where they’d left it earlier. Now he knew for sure that something was wrong. Lavinia might not be able to pack the heavy metal stand, but she would never abandon the bowl itself, not when it was her connection to the gods. He crossed the garden to listen outside her bedroom door.

  She was in there. He could hear her mumbling to herself as soon as he approached the door. Should he knock first? Even though she’d shared her bed with him, he wasn’t sure of his welcome now.

  A choked-off sob took the decision out of his hands. If she was that upset, if she needed a shoulder to cry on, he would offer his. He found her perched on the edge of her bed with her face buried in her hands.

  Not wanting to startle her, he whispered her name. “Lavinia?”

  At first, she didn’t respond, but then she let her hands fall down to her lap. Her eyes were red and swollen, her cheeks stained with the tracks of tears. Clearly she’d been crying as if her heart had been broken. Maybe it was. Evil had reached right through the thick walls of the abbey not once, but twice, both times targeting Lavinia.

  She had to be terrified. Any rational person would be. He stepped closer, finally sitting down beside her to put his arm around her shoulder. When she ducked back to avoid his embrace, he didn’t try again.

  “I’m so sorry, Lavinia.”

  She scrubbed at her face with the sleeve of her robe. “Why? You’re not the one who sent those men after me.”

  “True, I didn’t. However, I truly regret that your brother has chosen to follow such a twisted path, and that his actions are hurting you and those you care about.”

  She scooted farther away from him. That small distance left him feeling cold and alone. “Lavinia, I can’t help if I don’t know what you’re thinking.”

  Rather than answer right away, she left the bed to pace the length of the room and back. On the second trip around, she finally spoke.

  “Your goddess spoke of your honor, your duty.”

  By now, her tears had dried up, but they’d left their mark on her soft skin. There was nothing soft about the look she gave him now. “She also said that your concern for me has divided your loyalties. That I’m making you weak.”

  “But I’ve already told you—”

  Without waiting for him to reply, she resumed walking. “I understand her concerns, but I must consider my own duty and honor. Certainly, the sisters look to me for leadership. No doubt they expect me to leave with them in the morning, even knowing that I took a solemn vow to protect this abbey and its library. How can I run at the first hint of danger?”

  She rounded on him again, arguing with him even though he’d yet to say a word. “I know we’re sending the most precious books with the sisters. And, yes, many of the books can be replaced if necessary, but that is beside the point. What does it say of my personal honor if I abandon not only my post but the very things I have sworn to protect?”

  He wanted to shake some sense into her, to make her realize that she was infinitely more precious than even the rarest of the books in the abbey library.

  “One woman cannot stand against Duke Keirthan alone, Lavinia. Not even you.” Clearly, for all the attention she paid to him, he was pouring water on infertile soil. “Lavinia, you must—”

  Big mistake. Her eyes flared wide as she glared at him. “Do not try to tell me what I must or must not do, Duncan. You don’t have the right.”

  She wielded the sharp edge of her words with deadly accuracy, leaving his heart bleeding. True, he had no claim on her and was in no position to make one, not when his days numbered so few. But, by the gods, she mattered.

  Rather than argue when she was obviously not ready to listen to him, he waved his hand, telling her without words to continue. She jerked her head in a sharp nod and began pacing again.

  “We both know that Ifre is not going to give up. If I go with the sisters, his men will follow after us. I cannot be responsible for visiting his evil on another group of innocent sisters, especially in another country. Agathia has enough trouble without inciting a war with our neighbors.”

  “So what have you decided to do?”

  “Isn’t it obvious, Duncan? I have to leave with you. Even then, my brother’s men will likely follow us right to Lady Merewen’s gate. And I will be responsible for bringing harm to her door again. Yet what choice do I have? We must band together to fight Ifre’s evil or most assuredly we will all perish at his hands.”

  She paused to pick up a small vase. To him, it looked perfectly ordinary, but she cradled it as if it were most precious. Why?

  “This belonged to my mother. It and my scrying bowl are the only two things of hers I was able to keep. Everything else was given to the maids or else burned.”

  Her next words came out on a choked sob. “Once again I am being forced out of my home, taking only what I can fit into saddlebags.”

  She moved as if to throw the vase against the wall, but Duncan caught her hand before she could.

  “We will make room for this and the bowl. Bring what is most important to you. We can always take a second packhorse if necessary.”

 
He pried the vase out of her fingers. “I well understand losing everything that holds meaning in your life. This vase might remind you of your mother, Lavinia, but she isn’t in this vase. She lives on in your heart just as my mother lives in mine.”

  He set the vase aside and wrapped his arms around Lavinia, relieved that she didn’t fight him this time. “I will do everything in my power to ensure that you will once again know peace in your life. But until that day, I need you to let me keep you safe.”

  “Who keeps you safe, Duncan? When will you know peace?”

  A question that had no happy answer. “My friends and I stand together.”

  She settled against him. “I look forward to meeting them.”

  He smiled at the thought. “That will be interesting. For certain, you will like Lady Merewen. She’s a strong woman just like you.”

  Finally, Lavinia sighed and stepped back. “I should start packing if I want to be ready to leave with you in the morning.”

  Good. One less battle for him to fight. “Good. Sarra will be happy to know that you’ll be with her.”

  “There is that, but it’s not as if I have a choice in the matter. But as I said, Ifre will follow. He’s already proven his magic will allow him to seek me out wherever I go. Better that I ride to where there are warriors prepared to fight him. Any other choice would only put the sisters at risk.”

  Lying was of no value to either of them.

  “That much is true, Lavinia, but always remember that none of this is your fault. Ifre set all of this in motion when he sent his men after you, but I am sorry that it has come to this for you.”

  He started to leave, but he had even harder news for her. “The three of us will leave tonight.”

  Her eyes widened. “But I’ve already told everyone to be ready to depart in the morning.”

  “That’s safest for them. The trail up the hillside may have been compromised by the duke’s attack. Josup will need clear vision to be able to safely maneuver the wagons down to the valley floor. My ability to see at night is far superior to a normal man’s, so I can guide us safely down the hillside. Besides, their tracks will help hide ours. We’ll cut cross-country for a while rather than follow the road. I’m hoping that will help throw the duke’s men off our trail.”

  The defeat in her posture was painful to see. “Fine, then. As you wish. Packing will not take me long.”

  He looked around her room. “You can send much of this with the sisters. Once we’ve defeated Keirthan, you can either send for your things or rejoin the sisters here at the abbey. For now, take your vase and the scrying bowl. Add to that a change or two of clothing, personal items, and anything else that a horse can carry that you cannot bear to leave behind.”

  “The books—”

  He stopped her. “I’ve already packed the few you said we’d need to take with us to Lady Merewen’s keep. The others that we can’t risk falling into the duke’s hands are already in the wagon. I asked the sisters to move the rest of the library into the workroom.

  “Before we leave, you can strengthen the wards. That’s the most any of us can do right now. Meanwhile, Sister Margaret has put together food for us, and Sister Joetta has helped Sarra prepare for the journey.”

  For the first time since he’d walked in, Lavinia’s eyes sparked with life. “You’re making me feel like so much baggage. I’m surprised you didn’t tie me on one of the packhorses.”

  Her comment startled a laugh out of him. “I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I considered doing exactly that if you refused to ride with me.”

  From the shocked look on her face, she must have believed him. “I can’t believe you would admit to such an outrage. How dare you!”

  His smile faded. “I would do that and more to protect you, Lavinia.”

  Her anger faded as quickly as it had come. “I apologize, Duncan. I well know that you are not the enemy here.”

  Then she surprised him. “I’m not sure I could’ve watched you ride away without me. My first duty is to the sisters and the library I’ve sworn to protect, but everything that’s happened has convinced me that my true path runs beside yours.”

  “We both understand what our gods expect of us.”

  Then she surprised him. “It’s not my duty that has me riding with you, Duncan. It’s my heart. I care about you too much to watch you disappear from my life one minute before you have to.”

  His own heart pounded in his chest as she said the words he’d never hoped to hear. “And I care about you, as well, Lavinia. Your courage, your strength, everything about you.”

  He drew her closer once more. “And I will keep you safe or die trying. This I swear.”

  Then he kissed her long and hard to seal his promise. Lavinia responded with such sweetness, enticing him to deepen the kiss. Would that they had time to do more than simply taste each other, but the duke would’ve already unleashed more of his troops to avenge the deaths of his men.

  As it was, Duncan and his two charges would pass perilously close to the road to the capital city on their way back to Lady Merewen’s keep. If they timed it wrong, they could very well cross paths with their pursuers.

  He broke off the kiss, wishing he could slam the door closed and carry her down onto the bed. But no, that way lay folly.

  “Pack what you need, Lavinia, while I finish saddling the horses. As soon as you’re done, we ride to join my friends.”

  “I’ll be ready.”

  * * *

  Lavinia walked beside Duncan, leading her horse and the pack animal while he led his own mount and the one Sarra rode. The little girl had quit complaining about having to leave the abbey as soon as she’d found out that Lavinia would be going with her. There’d been a few tears when Sister Joetta had hugged each of them good-bye, but Sarra hadn’t hesitated to let Duncan boost her up into the saddle.

  Lavinia understood why they had to take Sarra with them, but were they only leading the girl into the path of more danger? She prayed the gods would show mercy on Sarra; she’d already lost so much in her young life.

  Duncan stopped suddenly and handed off the reins to her as he leaned in close to murmur, “Wait here.”

  He drew his sword and slipped off into the darkness, leaving her and Sarra on the trail alone. She bit back the urge to demand an explanation. Clearly he’d sensed something might be amiss ahead. Delaying him could only make the situation worse, but she hated feeling so vulnerable, especially with Sarra beside her.

  Time dragged on. They’d left the abbey only a short time ago, but the distance traveled was far greater than the length of trail they’d walked. No matter what happened next, her heart told her that her life behind cloistered walls had come to an end. The horses stirred restlessly, no doubt as anxious as she was to be moving. Being caught here on the hillside, neither up nor down, was unsettling.

  One of the shadows down the trail moved. Her breath caught in her throat until she recognized Duncan leading a horse behind him. He quickly stripped the saddle and bridle off the horse and dumped them behind a thick clump of brush. When Duncan was finished, he slapped the animal on the rump, but the horse stubbornly stayed right where it was.

  “Fine. Stay or go. It matters not to me.”

  She hid a smile at the disgust in Duncan’s voice as he started the march on down the hillside, picking up the pace as he led his own horse and Sarra’s past the animal. Lavinia passed by next, trying not to laugh when the big gray fell in behind the packhorse.

  Maybe the animal had the right of it. He’d lost his own herd, so welcome or not, he joined their small band. Wasn’t that what both she and Sarra had done when they came to live with the sisters after losing their real families?

  Now that family was gone, too, at least for now. She studied Duncan’s broad shoulders as he led the way down the trail and realized that she didn’t feel abandoned this time. Yes, her life was changing yet again, and the future was unpredictable.

  But for right now, Duncan was wi
th her, and that was enough. As long as he stood beside her, she could face whatever tomorrow would bring. At that reassuring thought, she trudged on down the hillside, cocooned in the shadows and chill of the night air.

  Chapter 27

  Sigil swung down off his weary mount’s back, glad to be done riding for the day. Murdoch had been driving both men and beasts hard for two days, stopping only to rest the horses. There wasn’t a single part of Sigil that didn’t hurt, but soldiers didn’t complain about such things.

  Well, actually they did, but right now he was too tired to bother. He unsaddled his horse and then walked the exhausted animal until it cooled down. Afterward, they both drank their fill of cool, clear water from a small stream.

  Murdoch had ridden on ahead to scout the trail for a short distance, but Sigil expected him back soon. Neither of them would stay awake much later than sundown, so he gathered up an armload of dried wood to start a fire.

  They’d been surviving on cold rations ever since leaving the keep behind, but earlier Shadow had brought down a small deer and offered it to Murdoch. To keep up this pace and still have strength left to fight, they needed something more substantial than dried fruit and a few bites of cheese.

  Sigil had never expected to be grateful to a mountain cat. But then, nothing had been normal since he’d awakened in Lady Merewen’s keep with no memory of his past and an uncertain future.

  The first tendrils of smoke were snaking skyward when Murdoch finally reappeared, looking as tired as Sigil felt. He didn’t bother trying to strike up a conversation, concentrating instead on feeding more kindling to the fire and slowly coaxing the flames to life.

  About the time he had the deer on a makeshift spit and was turning it, Murdoch dropped down a log on the other side of the fire.

  “See anything?”

  The big man shook his head. “No sign of anyone in the area. No fresh tracks on the trail in either direction.”

  “I guess that’s good.”

  A movement in the brush behind Murdoch had Sigil reaching for his weapon. Before he could draw it, Shadow stepped out of the bushes. It wasn’t the first time she’d managed to startle him. She stared across at him, her mouth open in a cat grin that flaunted her fangs.