Beloved (16 page)

“The only way a Royal can choose another is if the woman dies giving birth to her husband’s child. While she has given her life to bring another one into this world, he is left alone and with a child who needs a mother. It is the only way he could choose another.”

“But Nigel’s baby died, so . . .”

“He thought the same thing, that he could never love another because his child died as well, but then he met a man in Morganstar whose circumstances were similar to Nigel’s and he had been bound to another and not become a Darkord. It gave Nigel hope.”

Kira thought about Octavion’s father, King Belesgar, and how he’d married Lydia’s mother after his first wife died giving birth. She’d always wondered why he hadn’t become a Darkord after that. Now she knew. “So . . .?”

“He met Tani. She was beautiful and young and they fell in love and we all thought everything would finally be good for Nigel. They were bound not long after they met, but then Nigel started to notice changes in his gifts. He had a voice that could soothe a beast. Merely speaking with him would put a person at ease and when he sang . . .” Blayde’s eyes began to fill with tears. He looked away and stood with his back to her.

“Knowing what Zerek had gone through, it wasn’t long before he realized he was becoming a Darkord. It was then that he knew Siri’s father had lied. He went to him and found Siri living like a slave under her father’s rule. Their baby girl was also alive and well. Siri was furious at her father. He’d told her Nigel had died as well. She lashed out at her father and he hit her and killed her. Nigel took the baby and came here.”

“He has a daughter?”
Jaya.
But he wasn’t old enough to be her father, was he? “Who?”

“I do not know for sure, but I have my suspicions.”

“Not Jaya?”

“No, but he treats her as his own.”

“But what about Tani?”

“Darkord’s are filled with poison. They’d been intimate and . . . she suffered excruciating pain before she died. When it was her time to pass, Nigel sang to her late into the night. He held her in his arms and soothed her pain as best he could. When it was all over, he swore he’d never use his voice again, and that his daughter would never know him as her father. He couldn’t bare it if something happened to her because of him or his blood.”

Kira couldn’t find the right words to express how that made her feel. All this time she’d thought he’d done something horribly wrong and in some way deserved to be a Darkord, like Zerek did. Now she understood his behavior where she was concerned. He was one of the good guys—someone Kira could truly trust. It also explained why he was so afraid of turning on her and why he wanted her to be able to protect herself.

“Thanks for telling me,” she finally said.

“You will keep this between us, yes?”

“Of course.” Though she knew Nigel would recognize sympathy in her eyes and question it.

They went back to the clearing and, while Blayde recounted every blow of their sparring match to Nigel, Kira helped the women divide the day’s take into the baskets. By the time everyone took their share and retired to their pods, she was exhausted. As she climbed into her bed, she found a small bundle waiting for her. She untied the string and laid back the tattered piece of fabric to find a shiny new knife with an ornate design carved into the handle, along with a new leather sheath.

Blayde.
He may have gone to see his father to help him, but he’d also made her a new weapon. She slid her old one out of its sheath and compared them. She hadn’t realized how bulky her other one was until now. It had obviously been made for a man’s hand. The new knife was more feminine and fit in her palm perfectly.

She laid them both at her side, then whistled a short, high-pitched message—her way of saying thank you. A few seconds later she heard what sounded like the hoot of an owl and knew he’d heard her and understood.

For the first time since she could remember, she felt like she belonged somewhere. She’d truly found a home here with people who understood her and welcomed her with open arms.

Lairdor was her home.

Being one of the largest kingdoms, Finvarra was always alive with activity. Merchants selling and trading their wares lined the streets while Royals and commoners alike busied themselves trying to outdo the other in the newest fashion. Octavion had never seen so many women wearing hats and the hems of their dresses seemed to border on immodesty, riding midway between their knees and ankles. He had to laugh when Cade commented on a gown that showed a little too much cleavage. His cousin had never walked down the streets in Kira’s world or he’d not take a second look.

When they reached the town square, Luka and Cade broke off and went another direction, hoping they’d be able to cover more territory. Octavion stayed with Altaria, though more than once he would have preferred leaving her behind. There were too many beautiful fabrics and linens distracting her and he had to back track and pull her along with him.

“Can I get something clean to wear? I’m so tired of this dress. And since you refuse to let me wear pants, I have no choice but to look the part of a girl.”

Octavion laughed at her pitiful expression. “You are the one who wanted to ride around on a horse. Besides, a clean dress will only make the rest of you look dirtier.”

Her mouth dropped open for a brief moment before it clamped shut, her lips pressed tightly together. “That is mean. Perhaps I should find a bathhouse and . . . oh, that is a wonderful idea. I would love a hot bath with—”

“Absolutely not. There is no time for that. And how would it look for a beautiful princess to be riding around with three heathens? It was your idea for us to look the part.”

Her smile faded to a scowl. “You really are mean.” She stomped off, leaving him to fend off the looks of three middle-aged women who’d obviously only heard the part about him being mean. He hurried to catch Altaria before the crowd swallowed her up or one of the women started hitting him over the head with her hat.

After hours of learning nothing from the locals and the travelers they’d met and hearing her complain about how dirty she felt, he finally gave in to paying for not only a bath for all of them, but a good night’s sleep in the local inn. He also surprised her with the new dress she’d picked out and a fancy pair of boots to replace the ones she wore that were thick with mud and dust. He hoped it would help lessen the blow of his decision to stop searching on horseback. He’d given it enough time without success. Now he would do it his way.

While Altaria dressed and primped her beautiful self, he joined Luka and Cade at the local pub for the largest mug of ale he could order. He had to admit the bath had left him feeling a little less like a beggar and even though he’d not shaved off his scruffy beard, he seemed to hold his spine a little straighter and recognize a hint of princely countenance in his demeanor. He leaned his elbows on the table and purposely slouched to blend in better with the roomful of fellow patrons and his cousins who sat across from him.

“Where to next?” Luka asked before chugging down a healthy swig of ale.

Octavion paused with his mug an inch away from his lips. “I have no idea, but I am finished riding. We can leave the horses with the stableman and send for them later.”

Cade nearly choked on the weaker substance his older brother had allowed him to order—a fermented fruit juice with about as much kick as a goblet of watered down wine. “Altaria will be furious. She thinks if we travel slowly she will be more likely to sense Kira’s location.”

Octavion’s mug hit the table a little too hard, splashing a few drops onto the wooden surface. He leaned closer to his cousins, determined to get his point across so there would be no further discussion. “If she does not like my decision, she can go home.”

Luka laughed. “Good luck with that, cousin.”

“Good luck with what?”

Octavion spun around to find Altaria standing behind him, the entire pub fell silent as all eyes were on her.
Great! So much for not drawing attention.
He made sure she heard his thoughts.

Her crooked smile lit up her face as she slid in beside him on the bench. “There are so many beautiful women roaming the streets here, they won’t even remember me come tomorrow. Now why do you need luck? Has something happened?”

He took an extra big gulp of ale, finishing off his first mug. This was only the second time he’d allowed himself to indulge in a strong drink and his head was already beginning to buzz. “I want to rethink our tactics. I think we should leave the horses to speed things up a little.”

He was prepared for her rebuttal, but instead she nodded in agreement. “That is the reason I came down here, to tell you I figured something out and I think we need to get back to that fishing village we passed through a few days ago.” She looked at Luka. “What was it called?”

“Do you mean Orrin?” Luka asked. “The one you complained so much about because it was so filthy and the men there were rude to you?”

“That’s the one.” She pushed up her sleeve, exposing the welt on her wrist. It had several more red lines that now formed an intricate design. “I realized when I was bathing that it doesn’t itch here—not one bit. But while we were in Orrin the itch was so deep, all my scratching and rubbing gave no relief at all. It has to mean something. Maybe we were close to Kira and the Crystor was trying to tell me that.”

“Or maybe we are close now and that is why you have relief,” Cade said.

Altaria scowled at him. “Then why didn’t it itch in Xantara? Do you think she is being held in the castle? Oh, wait. Maybe she is hiding in Octavion’s lair or maybe Ussay has her tied up in the village and is forcing her to—”

Cade held his hand up, cutting her off. “Hold on, it was only a suggestion.”

Altaria leaned back against the wall and folded her arms. “Well, you are not helping the situation.”

Octavion knew her frustration, he felt it as well—made all the more urgent as each of them fought the call of the new moon. He could see signs in both his cousins’ eyes—they needed to feed. “Perhaps we should all hunt tonight and set out for Orrin in the morning. I have already paid for our rooms, so if we hunt early enough we should still be able to get a good night’s rest.”

Altaria leaned forward, resting her arms on the table. “And we go straight to Orrin at first light?”

“Yes,” Octavion said.

Luka downed the last of another mug of ale and slammed it down onto the table. “I have twenty coins that say I get first kill.”

Octavion and Cade took his bet, but Altaria declined. “You can keep your money. There’s no way I am getting my new dress dirty or leaving that soft bed up there.” She nudged her brother in the ribs. “Order me something from the inn keeper and have it sent to my room. Your duties as my guardian are over for the day.”

“As you wish, my lady.” He had to admire her tenacity. It hadn’t been that long since he stood by her bed and thought he’d lost her forever, so to have her back—attitude and all—was worth any orders she felt the need to issue.

Octavion ordered another round for Cade and Luka, along with a tray of the inn’s finest cuisine for his sister, paying a generous tip to have it delivered to her room immediately. He walked Altaria to her room, painfully avoiding the urge to remind her she needed to keep a low profile and stay safe. At some point, he had to learn to trust she could protect herself. He knew that. But nothing could remove his protectiveness, no matter how much she complained.