An Accidental Seduction (21 page)

“Y
ou should have told me you were injured.” Savaana was huddled against a boulder in a washed-out cove etched into the sharp shoreline. Clarette sat up. Newly conscious, she cupped her forehead and steadied herself.

“You take this role of older sister too seriously,” she said, and glanced at the bandage now secured around her upper arm.

Savaana knew the wound should be cleaned, but there was little she could do about that just now. Thus she remained as she was, freezing cold and watching.

“So you admit the truth,” she said.

“What truth is that?” Clarette wrapped her arms around her lower legs, tucking her knees beneath her chin.

“That we’re sisters.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“And I didn’t say I was older.”

Clarette shrugged. “You don’t have enough patience to be younger.”

Savaana considered how best to untangle such a statement, but the subject seemed too foolish to pursue. “You have the moon,” she said instead.

Clarette gave her a high-browed glance. “And you have the starlit night.”

Savaana scowled, wondering if her sister was hallucinating, before remembering her penchant for sarcasm. “Your moon,” she said, “where did you get it?”

Clarette only stared, so Savaana lifted her own chemise, baring goose pimpled flesh.

“Attractive as you are,” Clarette said, “I’m afraid my interests gravitate toward someone with less bosom and more—”

Savaana turned, showing her back and waiting, breath held. Truth to tell, in all of her years, none but the Irishman had mentioned the crescent on her back. She had only his word to go on, for as she told him, she’d never seen it herself.

Silence echoed between them, and for a moment Savaana thought her sister would say she saw nothing, but when she turned back, Clarette shrugged.

“So?”

She lowered her garment. “Surely you’ve noticed yours.”

No response.

“You’ve a small moon under your right shoulder blade.”

Clarette’s expression was bored, but beneath that attitude there seemed to be a layer of uncertainty, of nervous curiosity. “It may have been mentioned a time or two.”

Their gazes met.

“What is it?” Savaana asked.

“A birthmark. Nothing more.”

“It’s blue.”

Another shrug, saying volumes with its elitist boredom. But Savaana couldn’t be fooled forever, not even by her sister.

“It was two and twenty years ago when I was left with Dook Natsia, the Magic Gypsies. Grandfather said I was not yet four years of age at that time.

“How old were you then?”

“A lady doesn’t reveal her true age.”

“So you don’t know either.”

Clarette neither denied nor confirmed it.

“The Beloreich were ousted from power in 1795,” Savaana said. “Prince Radu of the Ludricks killed the king, his cousin, shortly after that.” Even now it was not a simple task to keep the emotion from her voice, for she had long wondered who she was. Had ruthlessly questioned any who might be able to shed some light on her circumstances. Not until a few years ago had she begun to suspect her heritage. After that, she learned all
she could of the tiny Delvanian empire near Romania’s border.

“The Beloreich?” Clarette’s teeth were clenched against chattering and her lips looked to be an odd shade of lavender.

Shifting her feet beneath her, Savaana reached for her sister’s hand. It felt as cold as a gravestone between hers. She rubbed vigorously, trapping her eyes. “Their symbol is a crescent moon.”

Clarette scowled. “When I first met you I had no idea you were a student of foreign culture.”

“Grandfather’s family came from Delvania many years ago.”

“Ahh, so he was the one who put these crazy ideas into your head.”

“He said that when my mother came to the camp, she spoke a language he could not quite understand. Delvanian, perhaps. Said she wore a necklace of priceless gems. Said she carried a baby in her arms.”

“So naturally she was royalty and
I
was that baby.”

“Top Hat said her name was Princess Eliane.”

“Top Hat.”

“The little man in the woods near Reardon’s mansion.”

“The man who tried to kill us?”

“I don’t think…” Savaana began, then drew a deep breath and continued where she’d left off. “I believe our
mother was being pursued. I think she was desperate to keep us safe.” Or did she just
want
to believe that? Had she just dreamt it so often that it now
seemed
to be true?

“So you’re sticking with the sister story.”

Savaana considered defending her beliefs, clarifying her ideas, but she was so tired. “It’s the only one I have,” she said.

Clarette snorted. “Well, you don’t lack imagination.”

That much had always been true. Imagination and resolve. That’s what Grandfather said. And she was not about to give up now. She glanced toward the east. Their cover of darkness wouldn’t last forever. “Stay here through the daylight hours,” she said. “If I’m not back by dusk, head north toward Knollcrest.”

“What the devil are you talking about?”

“I think the Ludricks are chasing us, but there may be others who…” She scowled, then shook her head, thoughts churning. “Don’t trust anyone.”

Clarette chortled. Her teeth chattered. “Too late to start now. What others?”

Memories roiled through Savaana’s mind like midnight waves. Wisps of scents, fragments of songs, images, so fleeting they were gone before she could visualize them. “The giant…I think…” He had frightened them, yes. Had caught them. But he had also looked at her with such tenderness, such hopelessness. Hadn’t he? “Perhaps they were trying to save us.”

Clarette raised her brows. “So you
have
gone mad.”

“It’s possible.”

“Save us from whom?”

“Radu’s men. Aren’t you listening? The ones who want the Ludricks in power.”

Clarette scowled and jerked her hand from Savaana’s grasp. “And to think I once pined for a sister?”

“Did you?” Savaana breathed.

“No,” she said, and wincing, rose to a crouched position.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“I think I’m not being left behind to freeze to death in this godforsaken wilderness.”

Savaana shook her head. “I’ll come back for you. Until then—” she began, but Clarette interrupted.

“It’s going to be dawn soon. If we’re going, we’d best do so now.”

“You’ll only slow me down.”

“Then I guess you’ll have to carry me,” Clarette said, and grimaced as she stepped away from the river.

“Stay here,” Savaana ordered. “I’ll return as soon as I can.”

“And let you run off with the necklace?”

“What are you talking about?
You
have the necklace.”

“Well, maybe you plan to let me freeze to death, then come back and take it from me.”

“That’s ludicrous.”

“Maybe. But you told me to trust no one,” Clarette said, and slowly ascended the hill.

Savaana glared after her. “Don’t be daft. If all I wanted was the stones, why wouldn’t I have taken them and left long ago?”

Clarette shrugged as she stepped over a log and pushed aside a frond of drying thorns. “Maybe you’re not very intelligent. Maybe you wanted to make sure I was dead so you’d have the diamonds to yourself. Maybe—”

“You’re staying here.” Grabbing Clarette’s arm, Savaana braced herself for a tempest. Their mother had managed to save them both. Damned if she herself was going to fail them now. But her sister was silent for several seconds before speaking.

“Maybe I don’t want to die alone,” she said, and something inside Savaana crumbled.

They stared at each other. “Tell me if you’re weak or tired,” she said, and turned to climb the slope.

Clarette followed in her wake. “I’m weak…” she said, “and tired.”

“God help me,” Savaana rasped, but grinned silently at the tiny flicker of hope in her heart.

It seemed a lifetime before the woods finally thinned. A meadow of sorts lay ahead, dotted with a few lone trees and the jutting corners of rocks. A glimmer of morning
was just lightening the eastern sky as they struggled over another log and gazed upon the relatively open moors ahead. It would be easier going now, but caution, or something like it, kept them hidden in the shadow of the old growth. Eyes rimmed with white, they stared out at the retreating darkness.

“What now?”

Savaana shook her head. “There must be a road somewhere up there.”

“What if they’re waiting for us?” Clarette’s voice was no more than a cracked whisper, but her hand felt strong as she steadied herself on her sister’s shoulder.

Savaana felt terror tangle with her other senses, but she peeled it away, buried it inside. Just another performance. Reaching up, she covered her sister’s hand with her own. “Then they’ll have to deal with the Beloreich,” she said, and meeting Clarette’s eyes, felt a swirl of familial pride unfurl inside her.

“Well, I hope they get here soon,” Clarette said. “Because my arm is throbbing like a bridegroom’s winkle.”

The tender moment was shattered. Savaana tilted her head. “I meant—” she began, then realized she was simply experiencing her sister’s dubious sense of humor. “I think I understand why your husband left you,” she said, and glanced ahead. “Better to stay to the woods or chance the open?”

They gazed out on the meadow together. Dotted with
sharp boulders and the occasional tree, it looked green and inviting compared to the dark undergrowth through which they’d been struggling.

“We’d make better time in the open.”

“And we haven’t seen any sign of trouble for some hours.”

In the end they stepped tentatively out of the woods, heading north, but the going wasn’t as effortless as they had hoped. Half-hidden rocks tried to trip them at every weary step. But finally they came across a trail of sorts. The grasses were worn down, exposing a rough thatch of shale. The path headed uphill in a wending fashion, leading into the trees again.

Their course was easier now, but Clarette’s breath was coming hard. The path widened, dividing around an enormous oak.

“Let’s stop for—” Savaana began, but suddenly something leapt at them. Clarette gasped. Savaana jumped, but the creature darted past, materializing into a dark stag that disappeared into the underbrush.

“Holy hell!” they said in unison, then laughed together at their odd similarities. Weak with relief and exhaustion, they dropped to the ground behind the oak.

They were silent for several moments, simply resting.

“How are you faring?” Savaana asked finally, then heard a branch snap.

They caught their breath in unison. Savaana leaned sideways to peek past the tree’s craggy trunk. A man rode alone through the scattered woods. It was still too dark to make out his face, but the brass buttons of his short jacket gleamed dully, and in his right hand he held a long curved sword. Within minutes he would be upon them.

“What is it?” Clarette breathed.

Savaana drew back into hiding. “A rider. Near the top of the hill.”

“Coming this way?”

She nodded, and in that moment they realized they were caught. They couldn’t leave their hiding place without darting across the open area of the path. And he was heading toward them, searching. They eased sideways, making certain they were well hidden behind the oak.

Clarette’s eyes were wide in her pale face. “Do you think he’s a Beloreich coming to save us, or a—”

“Can you ride?” Savaana hissed.

“Isn’t this an odd time to inquire about my equestrian skills?”

Savaana drew a deep breath to begin again but there was no time. “You’ll have to draw him toward you.”

Clarette raised one brow.

Savaana crouched lower, barely breathing. “You’re injured.”

Still no response.

“I don’t know how much farther you can—”

“God dammit, just tell me your idea!” Clarette rasped.

“You’re going to be the decoy. I’m going to steal his horse.”

Savaana sat in silence, watching her sister’s face, waiting for an argument or a question. Neither came. Instead, she finally nodded, her expression stony.

“Very well. But if you botch this up, you’ll be an only child again,” Clarette hissed.

“Don’t you want to know how we’re going to do it?”

“I want to know you’re not going to get me killed, too, but that’s not very likely, is it?” she asked, and gritting her teeth, peeked around the base of the tree.

Savaana remained where she was, back braced against the rough bark. “Is he still coming this way?”

“Have you ever brought me anything but bad luck?” Clarette asked, and dropped her head against the tree’s broad trunk. Closing her eyes, she exhaled sharply. “Where do you want me?”

“Can you run?”

She opened her eyes and all but rolled them in exasperation. “Are you asking if I can outdistance a horse? I don’t think so, but I’m pretty sure I could do a damn fine job of passing out.”

Savaana considered that an instant. “That might actually be better. There’s no point in trying to get away.”

“I thought we
were
trying to get away.”

“Get out onto the trail, then notice him. Act as if you’re startled. Scared.”

“Will it help if I wet myself?”

Savaana reached for her sister’s hand, and for a moment she almost laughed. “Do you think we might have liked each other?”

Clarette met her gaze.

“If we had been together all along. Do you think we would have been friends?”

“I’m told miracles happen sometimes.” Clarette’s tone was jaded, but her eyes were bright. “What do I do after he sees me?”

“Swoon ten feet in front of this tree.”

“Where are you going to be?”

“
In
this tree,” she said.

Clarette glanced into the branches overhead and winced, but then pursed her lips, setting her face in that chilly expression that was hers alone. “Swear to God, if you get caught, I’m not coming back for you. Sister or no sister.”

Savaana nodded and looked up at the sturdy branch several feet above their heads. “I won’t go easily. He’ll have to kill me.” She frowned, thinking. “Then he’ll take time to examine my body. To make sure I have the tattoo. He’ll have to dismount to do so. Grab his horse, but don’t move too quickly. The best mounts are often skittish. Once you’re astride, head north. Eventually you’ll find the
road that goes west to Knollcrest. Don’t stop for anyone until you get there. Gregors is a grouchy old curmudgeon but he’ll keep you safe until Lord Tilmont arrives.”