Crystal Moon (25 page)

startling Hakan yet again by shouting. He leaned down, wrapped

an arm around Sianna and hauled her across his lap.

He braced himself for a reoccurrence of their strange

emotional connection, but nothing happened. Instead of the relief

he knew he should feel, he was disappointed. Still, her fear and

agitation communicated itself clearly to him. Her slender body

quivered in his arms, her breathing as fast and erratic as his

own.

Gripping his coat front to maintain her precarious balance

on his lap, she squirmed around until she faced him. He shivered

as the cold of her fingers sliced through his thick shirt. The feel

of her soft, round buttocks grinding into his groin stirred an

unwilling response from him. He almost missed her next words.

“Lisha cannot ride into danger. You must forbid it.”

With her now safe in his arms, he nearly laughed at the

command in her tone, but was oddly hesitant to humiliate her in

front of his men by calling her on her arrogance in giving him

orders. Silence had fallen over the troop as they waited to hear

the rest of the conversation. Kyne considered dismissing them

and moving the women to a secluded area, but before he could

act, Lisha spoke.

“Sianna. This is not your concern.” Anger and warning

rang in Lisha’s words. “I am my own master. No man commands

me. Do not meddle in this.”

“Someone has to. You are too reckless for your own good.”

The argument sounded like one of some standing, yet how

could that be, Kyne wondered. The two women had met just

days before and hadn’t been together at all that he knew of

those few days. What went on here?

“Lisha has already proven herself a capable warrior. Why

shouldn’t she ride with us?” he asked.

“Because....”

“Sianna.” Lisha’s low growl stopped whatever Sianna had

been about to say.

She glared back at the other woman, defiance obvious in

her mutinous expression.

Both women were good at giving commands, but neither

seemed willing to take them.

“Well?” Kyne prompted. From the look of Lisha’s set,

angry features, a war waged within her.

For a moment her mouth quivered and her eyes moistened,

then her shoulders went rigid and she whirled her mount away

from them. “I ride with Rul Cathor,” she shouted. Her quinar

reared up at her command. “Who rides with us!”

Battle cries filled the air. Men whooped and hollered. The

quinar went a little mad, adding their raucous screams and

stamping feet to the commotion.

One arm occupied holding Sianna, Kyne struggled to

restrain Hakan from following suit. He barely felt her shudder

of despair as she clung to him, her cheek pressed to the hollow

of his throat.

The women’s argument forgotten in the excitement of

pending battle, the troop went on with its preparations.

“Keep her safe from harm, my lord,” Sianna whispered.

“She cares not what she risks in search of her vengeance against

my father.”

“Tell me why she should not ride with us, and I will

command it.” Why did he feel the urge to fix whatever was

wrong in this woman’s life? If not his enemy in fact, she was

his enemy’s daughter. Her distress should not weigh heavy on

his shoulders.

“I cannot. She must follow her own destiny, but if she suffers

an injury or...death, only the Eternal One could forgive me for

my silence, for I never will.” She raised tear-filled eyes to his.

“I can only beg you to guard her with your life.”

“I guard all my people. Is this stranger so important to you?”

“Yes.”

Je’al moved closer and spoke. “The troop is ready to leave,

my lord.”

Kyne nodded and reined Hakan over to the edge of the

courtyard where Katya stood. He let Sianna down. Cold touched

him at the loss of her warmth against his chest. His arms and

his heart felt empty.

“Keep a close watch while we are gone,” he told Katya. “I

doubt DiSanti has knowledge of our fortress, but I would take

no chances.”

“It will be as you command, brother.”

In the last few days Katya had changed from a petulant,

angry child to a woman. Now she faced him as an equal,

confident in her strength and knowledge, but mature enough to

admit her limitations and accept guidance and command from

one with more experience. Determination shone in her golden

eyes. How like Aubin she looked. Pain mingled with pride in

Kyne’s heart.

She smiled, and the resemblance to Aubin faded. While

Aubin’s smile burst with the radiance of Sol, Katya’s was the

soft glow of a waning moon.

“In my absence I charge you with the care of the castle

and its people.” He glanced at Sianna, who stood at Katya’s

side.

She followed his gaze. “I will protect all.”

“Moon stones! Sons of water worms!” Graham’s deep

curses burst from the castle followed by his body carried on a

chair by two lads. “Clumsy oafs! Do not jostle me so.”

Several feet away the lads stumbled. The chair thumped to

the stone paving. Graham’s face went white. The chair creaked

ominously. He groaned.

Katya scowled. Sianna’s eyes widened, and her fingers

flew to her lips. Both women rushed to the fallen giant’s side.

They fluttered like sparrows around a downed quinar.

“Fool,” Katya yelled.

“Have a care for his legs,” Sianna fussed.

“Take him back to his bed.”

“Leave me be, you knocked-kneed, ham-fisted moon

blights!”

Heads swiveling from Katya to Sianna to Graham, the lads

turned and bolted into the safety of the castle. Graham slumped

in the rickety chair.

Kyne dismounted and came to his side. At his quelling look,

the women fell silent and took a step back. If only they obeyed

his other commands so easily.

“Apologies, my lord. I had no wish to detain you, but I

would say my farewells,” Graham rasped.

Bending down on one knee, Kyne clasped Graham’s

shoulder. “It is I who owe you an apology. I should have come

to you before I left.”

“Would that I could ride at your side.”

“You will for our next battle.”

“Pray to the Eternal One there is no next battle, my lord. I

grow too old for fighting. I weary of the clash of swords and

find myself wishing for quiet days beside a warm hearth, children

and pups playing at my feet.” His heated gaze stole to Katya.

Color slashed across her cheeks seconds before she whirled

and disappeared into the men and quinar milling in the courtyard.

Graham’s shoulder sagged beneath Kyne’s hand. Kyne

smothered a grin. Graham and Katya’s game of advance and

retreat amused him.

“Have patience, my friend.” Kyne stood and glanced at

the rising sun. Apprehension trickled down his spine. “I must

leave now.”

Graham sighed and nodded. He turned and bellowed into

the castle hall, “Come back here, you weak-willed, puling pups

and carry me to my bed!”

“Farewell, friend.” Kyne quickly swung into Hakan’s saddle

and pulled the beast around.

Sianna bustled to Graham’s side. Though she said nothing,

Kyne could feel her gaze like a warm summer sunbeam on his

back as he herded his troop out of the courtyard and down the

mountain trail.

***

The hours passed slowly into night.

Other than her visits to Graham, there was little to occupy

Sianna’s time. A grumpy, difficult patient, he allowed her

attentions, did the exercises she prescribed, then demanded to

be left alone. She tried not to be hurt when he permitted Katya

to spend time at his side. She should be thanking the Eternal

One for his wisdom in bringing these two lost souls together

rather than feeling jealous of their growing love.

The infirmary emptied of patients. Zoa, her lungs healed,

scampered and played with the other children. Their laughter

cut like sunshine through the thick air of tension in the castle.

People stopped at their chores and smiled when a group of

children passed at their games. Though anyone in the castle

would welcome Sianna and include her in their activities, she

found herself discontent with their company.

Night birds dipped and swayed through the dark sky, their

high chirps like the tinkle of crystal bells. Few insects flew in

the snow-scented harvest air. Soon the birds would flock to

their hidden caves and sleep through the coming winter.

Sianna sighed, her warm breath fogging the air in front of

her, and wished she could do the same until Kyne returned, but

sleep eluded her. She leaned forward against the cold, damp

stone wall and gazed sightlessly into the night. Long ago the

joining moons had set. Night lay over the mountains like dirt

covering a grave. No glimmer of light came from beyond the

castle’s walls.

Her longing and worry for Kyne kept her from sleep. Eager

for dreams of his embrace yet fearful of nightmares of his

death, she shunned his bed. Instead she walked the battlements,

eyes searching the gloom for a sign of his return. Her heart

reached out to him, but like a pebble tossed into a bottomless

well it fell endlessly. Still, she tried again. Was he dead? No.

She knew the emptiness within her would be different—deeper,

darker—if he were. For now her ka waited in limbo.

Lost in thought she jumped when a strong, warm arm

wrapped around her waist from behind and tugged her back.

“I’d advise you not to lean on the stone.” A voice whispered

in her ear. Breath stirred the fine hairs on her cheek.

Katya spun her around and pulled her away from the edge

of the battlement. She kicked the low wall where Sianna had

rested her arms. A portion crumbled and tumbled into space.

Moments later a dull thunk echoed in the night. “Castle Vareck

is in need of some repairs.”

Sianna stared at the ragged gap in the battlement and dark

emptiness beyond and shuddered. She touched her fingers to

Katya’s hand. “Thank you. You saved my life.”

Katya’s arm tensed. Her muddled emotions flowed over

Sianna, none clear enough to decipher.

“Why do you haunt the night when a warm bed waits in

Kyne’s chamber?”

“Because that bed is empty.” The admission slipped past

Sianna’s cold lips.

“You love him, don’t you?” Tentative belief sounded in

Katya’s voice.

“Yes. More than my life.”

“Did you love Aubin?” Katya’s tone hardened.

“I never knew him. Until you abducted me, I’d never even

heard his name. I was not his lover nor his betrayer.”

“Who are you?”

“I am Sianna DiSanti, daughter of Endric DiSanti.”

Katya threw up her hands. “You befuddle me. You are not

what I expected of the spawn of DiSanti. If you tell me you are

not kin to him I will believe you. Kyne will believe you. Deny

DiSanti! Save yourself from judgement.” Katya’s voice grew

to a shout.

“I cannot. For all his sins, he is my father. His blood flows

in my veins.”

“Cannot? Or will not? You are a stubborn woman. Suit

yourself, but DiSanti does not deserve your loyalty.”

“Perhaps not. But he gave me life, and for that I cannot

deny him.”

Snow started falling. A fat white flake landed on Sianna’s

face and melted. Like a tear it ran down her cheek. She shivered.

Katya reached out and touched her arm. “By the moons!

You are frozen. Why do you wander the battlements dressed in

your night clothes? Do you court lung sickness?” She shrugged

out of her heavy woolie coat and draped it over Sianna’s

shoulders.

White speckled the darkness beyond the battlement, drifting

softly to cover the ground.

Sianna smiled at the motherly concern in Katya’s young

voice. The coat warmed her flesh, and Katya’s caring blew a

breath of summer across her chilled soul. But only Kyne’s safe

return could coax the bud to flower.

“I’ll walk you to your chamber.” Katya tugged at Sianna’s

arm. “Kyne will not return at least until morn. No one wanders

Azul Mountain trails at night.”

***

One misstep, and the journey would end.

Like a heavy shroud, darkness blocked Kyne’s progress

along the mountain trail. Hakan picked his way behind Kyne.

His hooves crunched the frost covered ground, the sound as

harsh as the rasp of breath from the woman draped over his

back.

“Hold on, Lisha. We are almost there.” Kyne spoke, but he

knew the woman was beyond hearing. Unconscious, she didn’t

respond. “Sianna will heal you,” he whispered his hope.

He pushed away the thought of others that could no longer

benefit from Sianna’s healing touch—Je’al among them—and

crushed the seed of grief. He would mourn later.

The trap had sprung true and well. DiSanti’s small guard

had fallen quickly before Kyne’s larger troop, but just when

victory lay within their grasp, the prey had escaped.

Separated from his men, his sword shattered by another

opponent’s blow, Kyne faced DiSanti alone and unarmed.