Born of Magic: Gargoyle Masters, Book 2 (12 page)

It was exactly as she had imagined and yet entirely different. The stone buildings and paved walkways were just as her mother had described, colorful and strong. Beneath her feet was hard-packed earth for wheels and horse hooves to travel upon. Both crowded the wide street where four horses could walk abreast in both directions at once.

This was a relatively arid city, with vegetation in spurts. She spied a fountain here and there, but for the most part it was much drier than the Rim, much as her mother had said.

The people, however, were nothing like she’d pictured.

Voices echoed off every stone wall and from every direction. She nearly clasped her hands over her ears. Every style of dress she had ever seen, and many she hadn’t, were in evidence. The women were just as loud as the men, some selling their wares, others yelling after children. The men walked beside the women rather than in front of them, and no one seemed to think it odd. No, this was not the city her mother had left. Or, more likely, not the city her mother had imagined she had lived in all those years ago.

Theda wasn’t naïve enough to believe a queen could walk these streets like any common woman. Her mother wouldn’t have been like those present now, but had she truly been a prisoner in her own home? Only her father could answer that and Theda wasn’t certain he could be trusted.

She looked at Kephas again and instinctively knew he would tell her the truth of the King if she asked. But that might also make him suspicious. Best to wait before the questioning. Wait until she was ready for the answers.

Despite his aversion to civilization before, Giga appeared to have no problem traipsing among the crowds. Every few minutes they had to stop and wait as a child or two gave him their delighted attention. The little animal seemed to bask in it. Kephas laughed and those around them visibly relaxed. As a protector he was obviously respected, but as a man who could turn into a gargoyle he was apparently feared to some degree. She watched how the men spoke to him quietly and some of the women gave him bold looks.

An unexpected spurt of jealousy hit her when one woman actually reached out to touch his arm. She was beautiful in an exotic way, with fiery red hair and an expertly painted face. Theda knew her perfection had to be contrived but had seen so few women paint their faces in such a way, it took a moment for her to realize what she saw. The kohl outlining the woman’s eyes gave her a shadowed and mysterious look.

“Good day, Master Kephas,” she said with a smoky voice that had no doubt caught more than one man’s attention.

“Good day to you, Serine,” he answered with a nod. However, he pulled his arm from her grasp and wrapped it around Theda’s shoulders.

Her tension eased and she tried to hide a smile, but Serine scowled at her.

“It has been too long since you’ve visited my parlor.”

He frowned and tightened his hold on Theda. “I’m sorry if you’ve been offended by my absence, but I will no longer be a visitor there. One of my many brothers will still appear regularly, I’m sure.”

He abruptly turned away and led Theda and Triton farther into the city. Giga caught up with them with a wide grin on his little face.

Theda held her tongue when she really wanted to both question and rail at him. But what business was it of hers who he kept company with before they met? He’d already lived an entire lifetime and she had newly stepped into it. Really, her jealousy was unfounded. Or so she tried very hard to convince herself.

After a few more minutes they were free of the jostling crowd and walking along a paved pathway that led away from the first collection of buildings. A large white tent waited in the distance with yet another crowd streaming to and fro.

“What is that?” she asked.

“The market. You can find everything you can think of under that tent. Food, drink, clothing, jewelry, weapons… You name it and it will be there.”

Her step quickened without thought and her heartbeat matched it. “Oh.”

Though she didn’t want to let on how much the thought of seeing all the wares excited her, Kephas seemed to pick up on it. He stopped walking, still holding onto her shoulders. When she faced him, a serious expression was on his face.

“I’m sorry about Serine, Theda. Unfortunately, I can’t promise we won’t meet more women like her as we travel to my castle. However, I can promise once we’re there that will end. I’ve never welcomed a woman into my home and they know not to visit me there.”

But there would be visits elsewhere, she imagined. And why not? They weren’t married. They weren’t even truly courting. He’d made no claims on her other than to bed her every night. He’d made no promises other than to see her safely into Halstrid, and now they were here. Soon she would be on her own again, whether she was ready for it or not.

The thought choked her and she swallowed hard before replying. “Yes…all right.”

She pulled away from him and turned to face the tent again. “Can we go there? To the market?”

“Of course. But we should go to my castle first. I can fly you back here in no time at all. But first you should rest a bit and have a meal.”

Her stomach rumbled at his words and he grinned. As usual, it made him even more handsome than should be possible. But this time instead of being enthralled, she wanted to slap the grin from his face. How many other women had he looked at like that?

She offered a weak smile and followed as she fought down her ridiculous feelings. What would he want with a woman like her anyway? She had no home, no family other than a father who might want her dead or imprisoned. She had barely more than the clothes on her back. Kephas had been chivalrous enough to purchase another set of clothes early in their travels, but she had refused to let him buy her any more than that. With no obvious way of paying him back, she hated being in his debt. He had called it a gift, but she still felt indebted.

He led her along a trail that skirted the marketplace by a large enough swath that they weren’t bothered by the crowds streaming in and out. She glanced at the people, still amazed at their colorful clothing and the seeming equality between the men and women. Hopefully it was always thus, and today wasn’t special in some way.

“Is today a holiday?” she asked.

Kephas shook his head. “No. Is it where you come from?”

She frowned in thought. “Not as far as I know. But to be honest, I’ve lost track of the days. I’m not even certain what month this is.”

His thick brows went up and he grinned again. “We’re in Artemisios now, but only just. Haven’t you noticed the wild flowers blooming?”

“Oh…yes, of course.”

He stepped closer to her but she made certain to keep some distance between them. From the edge of her vision she spied his frown as he moved closer to her again. She would have moved away once more, but Triton was in the way. With a huff she stayed between the gargoyle and his horse as they walked on.

They stopped to eat on the side of the road, sitting atop a low hill that looked over a wide valley. Kephas pointed to a collection of stone dwellings a short distance away. In their midst stood a tall, dark castle. A gargoyle flew away from one peak as she watched.

“That’s my home, Theda. The Masters’ castle. We will rest for a day or two before inquiring about your father.”

She stared at the beautiful structure in the distance and a pang of longing hit her. No place had ever truly felt like home in all the years she remembered. The castle was dark and intimidating, but it was also inviting. Especially because she knew Kephas rested his head there each night.

“Are you certain I won’t be keeping you from anything?” she asked. “I don’t want to impose.”

“You’re not imposing. Your quest is very important and I will help you see it through.”

She nodded even when she considered arguing. There would be no point in voicing her doubts now. She would follow him home and then make her own plans.

Chapter Twelve

Giga seemed perfectly happy to follow Kephas up the stone steps leading to his room. The odd little creature had ignored the dogs kept by the human staff, preened in front of the other Masters, and sniffed every corner of each new room he entered. Kephas watched him with amusement, happy someone was excited to join him. Theda, on the other hand, walked as if the path ended at the gallows.

The smile she’d given his brothers was weak at best, her greeting to the human staff a mumble. Only Astrid, Phaidra, and Ourania seemed to get a bit of enthusiasm from her, but it was minimal. Her steps dragged as she studied the tapestries on the walls. At first he thought perhaps she was just tired, but as soon as they reached the door to his room she froze.

“Where will I sleep?” she asked.

He almost laughed until he noticed her expression. She wasn’t jesting.

He barely tamped down a growl. “With me, of course. Just as you have these many nights past.”

She opened and closed her mouth as a slight stain reddened her cheeks. He ushered her into his room while she was still flustered.

“But…we’re in
your
home now,” she said. “I’m sure you’d like to get back to your normal life as quickly as possible. There aren’t dangers here as there are on the road.”

“One never knows where danger might lurk. My brother, Orestes, nearly lost his wife not so long ago. She was kidnapped from this very castle.”

“The one I met in the library?”

“Yes.”

“That must have been terrifying for her.” She turned away from him to survey his room. She had been nice to Astrid and that gave Kephas hope they would become friends.

“Yes. It was terrifying for little Ourania too, who turned herself to stone and forced her way into this world before we even knew of her impending arrival.”

Theda faced him again with a look of horror. “Astrid gave birth to a stone baby?”

He fought down a chuckle. “Nearly. She was human once she began to emerge and hasn’t returned to her stone form since. The wizards believe she sensed the danger her mother was in, and turned to stone for protection. She is quite a remarkable little girl.”

“Yes. And very beautiful.”

Finally a slight smile graced her face before she turned away again. He watched in silence as she explored his bookshelf and desk next. She walked up to his wardrobe and rested her palm against it, but made no move to open it or the chest at the foot of his bed. Finally her wanderings took her to the chair before his fireplace. She sat down with a sigh and leaned her head on her hand. He walked over and made a fire for her, Giga close on his heels. The little creature stretched out nearby and promptly fell asleep.

“Astrid will have the kitchen send up food, but for now you can rest,” Kephas said.

“I should search for my father soon… So you don’t have to keep me clothed and housed at your expense.”

He barely held in a growl of frustration. Once the fire was lit, he knelt at her feet and removed her boots and stockings. She said nothing as he ran his hands up her calves over the trousers she wore. They had decided to have her remain dressed as a boy for their travels for safety.

“You needn’t worry about my expenses, Theda. I have enough money to keep you in jewels for the rest of your days. I’ve more than enjoyed your company these past few weeks and would gladly keep you housed here with me, in my room, for as long as you will allow it.”

He’d kept his head bowed as he spoke, focusing on her legs as he massaged them. After too much silence he finally raised his head. The tears streaming down her face arrested him and for a moment he was at a loss for words. Then he moved up to pull her to the front of the chair so she rested against him.

“Shh, don’t cry, my love. There’s no reason for tears.”

“You don’t even know me, Kephas. Not really. Not enough to make such promises.”

Her heartfelt confession and the anguish in her voice made up his mind. He set her back against the chair and stood, moving a few paces away.

“I may know you better than you know yourself…Princess Theodora.”

Shock appeared on her face before she jumped to her feet and ran for the door. He hadn’t been expecting that, but still caught her around the waist before she could open the latch.

“No! Let go. Let me
go
—”

“Never. Calm down. We have much to discuss. Firstly and foremost that you have nothing to fear from me. I swear it.”

She stopped struggling and remained pliant as he lifted her into his arms. He returned to his chair and sat down with her on his lap.

“My name is Theda,” she said stubbornly.

He nodded and kissed her temple. “All right. But we are missing our princess and her name is Theodora.”

“And what makes you think I am she?”

He rubbed his nose against her soft hair and inhaled her unique scent. “Because you’re the same age, you resemble our beautiful Queen in many ways, and you have the same birthmark as the Princess.”

She stiffened. “I don’t have a birthmark.”

“Oh yes you do, my love.”

He stood and carried her to the bed. Though he was reluctant to release her, he did so and quickly grabbed a hand mirror from his desk. She’d remained on the bed, but sat up to watch him.

“You must remove your trousers to see the mark.”

She scowled. “Of course I do, so then I can’t run off again.”

He chuckled. “Somehow I think you would still run off even without the trousers if you had a mind to escape me.”

Her scowl remained, but she untied the knot holding her trousers on and kicked them from her legs.

“Lie back,” he said.

Though she still appeared skeptical, she did as he asked. He grasped one ankle and opened her legs before placing the mirror in a position to capture the inside of her thigh. She lifted her head enough to peer at the glass and gasped.

“I never knew that was there,” she whispered.

He nodded and placed the mirror on his bedside table. “You certainly wouldn’t have been able to see it without the mirror, but it is one way I was told I would know you for who you are, Princess.”

She abruptly closed her legs and pulled away from him, sitting at the furthest corner of his large bed. “So, what if I am this princess? Am I in trouble?”

“No, of course not. Your father has been searching for you. I was tasked with bringing you home.”

“Why?”

“This is your true home, Theda. Why wouldn’t you want to be here?”

“Why does the King want me back
now
…? He couldn’t know of my mother’s death so soon, unless he caused it.”

That drew him up short. “He wouldn’t have done such a thing. He loved his Queen.”

“Then why did she run? And why did she keep me hidden all these years?”

He huffed out a breath in frustration. “I don’t know the answers to those questions. I’m not sure anyone but she knows why she left. But I did see your parents together a few times, and they always seemed happy together. Even after she left, the King never spoke ill of her or badly to her in front of me or my brothers.”

“Well, he wouldn’t have, would he? You’re security, not his trusted advisors. Or even his friends… Are you?”

The hopeful tone of her voice ate at him but he wouldn’t lie to her, not about something so important for certain. “No, we’re not. I rarely interact with the King except when it’s my month to guard his castle. Even then, I have dinner with him at most and don’t see him much of the day.”

She nibbled on her bottom lip and pulled her knees up to her chin. The man’s shirt she wore barely stretched to mid-thigh. Kephas was graced with a display of smooth skin that he badly wanted to kiss.

He slowly began removing his clothes and it seemed to take a minute for her to notice. When she did, she stood on the other side of the bed, but luckily he was between her and the door.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m tired from our travels. You might not want to rest, but I do. It would please me greatly if you’d lie with me.”

He tried to make it sound like an option, though he really wanted to make it a command. The thought of her leaving his room ate at him.

She said nothing as he stripped off his weapons, shirt, and boots. He was about to untie his trousers when a knock sounded on the door.

“That’ll be our food,” he said.

He answered the summons and took a heavily laden tray from a kitchen server. After thanking the man he shut the door and locked it, then carried the tray to his desk.

“I need to have a table put in here,” he said. “I usually eat in the kitchen or at the dining table with my brothers.”

Theda remained beside his bed as he uncovered the various dishes, revealing fragrant meats and steaming vegetables. The rumbling of her stomach sounded from across the room but he made no comment.

He moved the chair from the fireplace and set it beside his desk chair, then swept out his arm towards it. “Join me?”

She wanted to run right into his arms, damn the food, but still feared what was to come. She trusted Kephas, of course. He had earned it many times over in the past few weeks. However, he was bound to his King and the laws of the land. If she was in fact considered a traitor, he’d have no choice but to treat her as such. Even if he disagreed with the verdict.

But for now, there was food and she was hungry. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to share one last meal with the man. Plus, she’d need her strength to escape if it came to that.

Giga wasted no time in running to the table, as if Kephas’ invitation had been for the little creature as well. He laughed and tossed a bit of meat to him. Giga stood on his hind legs to catch it in his mouth.

“Well, the meal has Giga’s approval,” he said.

She could tell he was trying to lighten the mood. Though still fearful of the future, she decided to sit in the chair he offered.

“Who am I to deny a meal that has Giga’s approval?”

Kephas continued to grin as he sat beside her. He handed her an empty plate and then took his own and began serving himself from the various platters. She looked at each item carefully before selecting a few meats and cheeses.

“You don’t eat vegetables?” he asked.

She frowned and poked at a squishy, steaming, brownish thing with one finger. “Is that what you call this?”

He chuckled. “Yes. I promise, it is much tastier than it appears.”

He tore a small bite off and held it up to her lips. She almost protested the intimate movement, but the hopeful look in his eyes stopped her. With a quick lick, she opened her mouth and accepted the morsel. “Mmmm. Yes, it is good.”

That seemed to appease him as he went back to gathering his own meal.

“The wizards taught us of various foods, and stressed that we eat each grouping in equal parts. Every one of our meals will have meats and cheeses, but also fruits and vegetables. Plus the breads, of course.”

“And fish?”

He shrugged. “At times. However, we’re not on a coast as you were in the south. Fish isn’t as plentiful here within the city.”

“Oh.”

“I can fly you to a fishing village if that’s what you hunger for.”

He stood as if to put his words to action on the spot. She laughed and lifted her hands to halt him. “No, Kephas. This is fine. Truly.”

“Are you certain? I don’t mind.”

She motioned to the table laden with food. “This is more than fine. I was just curious.”

He watched her a moment more before returning to his seat. She began to eat but still felt his gaze upon her.

“I want you to be happy here, Theda. I’ll keep you safe and do everything in my power to give you all you need. But I really want you to be happy.”

Her heart raced at the sincerity in his tone. He had proven himself to be both loyal to her and caring of her needs as they traveled, but now they were back in his homeland. Could he really remain faithful to her?

With a huff she pushed away from the table and stood. He remained seated as she paced away, then back again.

“I have to ask you something, Kephas, and I need your honesty. You haven’t given me reason to doubt you, but we don’t really know each other after all, do we?”

“I’d like to think we do, after the past few weeks together. A name is just a name, Theda. Whether you’re a Princess or a maid matters not to me.”

“And to your King? What if he names me a traitor once you tell him I’ve been found?”

He shook his head. “No. The wizard who sent me to find you would have told me if you were to be brought back as a prisoner. Point of fact, he didn’t really ask me to bring you back at all. He said you and your mother had been spotted. I was to discover if it was truly you, and see how you fared. At most he asked me to
convince
you to visit. That was my task.”

Some of her tension eased and she rested her hands on the back of her chair. “So the King wants to see me as my father? Not as my sovereign?”

He seemed to think it over. “I can’t say what his motivations are, or what he expects. But I can tell you there is no reason to name you as a traitor. You’ve never worked against the King, correct?”

“No, of course not.”

“Then you’re no traitor. Your mother essentially kidnapped you, so neither are you a deserter. In fact, you made a point to journey here upon her death, under your own free will. That will show you have no desire to remain away from your father, or your King.”

“For now.”

He bowed his head in acknowledgement but didn’t argue the point, which made her feel better. She returned to her seat with a calmer pulse and a settled stomach that allowed her to resume eating.

After a few minutes of companionable silence, she asked the question that had been plaguing her. “How soon will I have to meet him?”

He gave a soft sigh. “I wish I could give you all the time in the world, but soon the wizards will know I’ve returned. Once they realize I’ve brought a woman with me, they will assume my duty is done.”

“You told your brothers my name is Theda.”

He grinned. “And they weren’t fooled for a second. They too knew your mother and no doubt saw the resemblance. Also, they all know I would never abandon my duty for any reason. They will assume you are the Princess and not think much of the name change. They will wonder about the Queen, however.”