Defending Destiny (The Warrior Chronicles) (27 page)

The last and final symbol was self explanatory. She wondered if Taryn really found it on one of her charms or if her sister was just trying to tell her something. Either way, it spoke volumes. A winding thistle entwined with a daisy, very similar to the tattoo on Magnus’ chest, only this image had what looked to be a wedding ring binding them together. Daisy ignored it and focused on the other symbols.

She looked at Merry. Something told her that of all the people in the room, Merry held the most potential for answers. “Do these symbols mean anything to you?” Daisy asked, holding the pendant out for Merry.

Merry didn’t take it. But she answered anyway. “The scepter is the symbol of the Arm-Righ. It’s almost as old as the Damselfly Society itself. The current King carries it with him to every meeting of the Council. He’s all about the pageantry on the outside. On the inside he’s nothing but shrewd self-interest and cruelty. He’s evil to his core. He’ll stop at nothing to gain as much power from as many artifacts as he can obtain. And, he doesn’t care who has to die in the process. Don’t underestimate the King or his Second, Daisy.”

Magnus and Lauren listened but didn’t speak. Nor did they question Merry. That meant only one thing as far as Daisy was concerned, they already knew most of what Merry had revealed. The fact that Lauren knew more than he let on didn’t surprise her. Magnus did. She wondered what other secrets he was keeping from her. Daisy knew Magnus worked on and off for Lauren, but until that moment, she didn’t know that what he did involved
secrets even she wasn’t privy to.

“What is the symbol above the King’s scepter? Is it religious?” Daisy asked.

“It is,” Merry answered, but said no more.

Daisy didn’t push Merry further. She didn’t know her well enough yet for that. She looked directly at Lauren, feeling slightly betrayed by his standoffishness with her. She’d been shot, dammit. Shouldn’t he be more concerned? Yes, for someone who professed to love her like a daughter, he should be, even though technically she was supposed to hold her own at all times. Daisy shook her head. She didn’t like feeling sorry for herself. In fact, it pissed her off even more. Not a good thing in a small room filled with projectile-worthy cleaning supplies.

Lauren held her gaze, unblinking, jaw tight. That too was odd. Generally he’d hit her with some caustic comment because she challenged him visually. That he didn’t worried her. Her shoulders slumped and suddenly she was bone tired. “What do these symbols have to do with my getting shot? Was the bullet even meant for me, or was it meant for Magnus?”

Daisy suddenly felt queasy. She started to salivate in that awful way that signals a stomach about to rebel. Until she said the words, she hadn’t thought that Magnus was the target. She started to get up. She needed to leave before she disgraced herself all over the floor.

Lauren must have read the dismay she was feeling, because he finally spoke. “Magnus wasn’t the target. You were. The shooter wasn’t trying to kill you, or you’d be dead. It was a message, Daisy. A message for you. A challenge for me.”

Daisy looked at him and saw determination and sorrow flash in his eyes before both were replaced with a calm sort of stoicism that was one Lauren’s default expressions. “I don’t understand,” she said, although that should have been obvious.

“It’s not a coincidence that the day I returned from the Council, after naming you as my Second, you get shot at with such precision that you will still be able to hold a sword the day after tomorrow.”

Three sets of eyes stared at him. Merry’s with empathy. Magnus’ with narrow-eyed concern. Daisy’s with shock.

…

Lauren looked at Daisy and knew she was going to be sick if he didn’t head that off, and quickly. He didn’t want to tell her like that, but was there a good way to tell someone they were your heir in word and deed and the only way to change that was for one of you to die? Probably not.

On the plus side, Daisy looked around the room for weapons, and her stance said she was willing to fight her way out if it came to that. One way or another, it probably would since one didn’t change one’s world without some sort of fight. It pleased him that Daisy’s backbone got rigid even though she was obviously exhausted and that the bone-deep warrior in her never left her eyes. All anyone who was the least bit attuned to the energy around them had to do was look at her to know that you crossed swords with Daisy Bennett at your peril. You may wound her, but she would take you down no matter how much that might cost her.

Lauren saw all that flash through Daisy’s face and knew he’d made the best choice for a successor. After he was gone, she’d be Arm-Righ. The first female to hold that position since its inception. Many in the Council chose to forget that their first King was a woman. All of the men who ruled after her couldn’t erase that fact. Lauren didn’t forget his lineage, nor did he shy away from it. He wanted to elevate the Society once again so it represented the laudable principles it was created to uphold:
Truth, Honor, Courage, Fidelity, Discipline, Industriousness, Self-Reliance, Hospitality, Perseverance…
Not so different from Bushido, the Japanese warrior code, whose principles Daisy was raised to live by from birth:
Duty & Loyalty, Justice & Morality, Complete Sincerity, Polite Courtesy, Compassion, Heroic Courage, Honor.

It was time for strength and empathy to replace guile and greed. Daisy wasn’t always polite or courteous, but she exemplified most of the rest. Lauren was well pleased with his choice. The only questions to be answered were whether Daisy was pleased, and would she take up the mantle and dedicate her life to those principles and to ensuring that the Society followed them?

No time like the present to find out.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Magnus looked at Daisy’s expression and wanted nothing more than to help her make the world go away for a little while. That wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

He could take her back home, but she wouldn’t be safe there. Quite the contrary. Back home any accident at any time could befall Daisy and there would be no tie to the Arm-Righ or the Council. Members of the Damselfly Society were in every state of the union, but they didn’t do Council business there. Business of any magnitude had to wait for the quarterly meetings of the Council. All Magnus and Daisy would achieve by fleeing would be making the Arm-Righ’s job easier.

That wasn’t going to happen.

There was no absolute way to save her, except to prepare her for the challenge that the Arm-Righ would certainly level. Not that Daisy would allow herself to be saved if there was a way. She wouldn’t. The only time Magnus had ever known her to back down from an inevitable confrontation—that she knew she was on the right side of—had been with him. He’d convinced her she wasn’t on the right side then, and maybe she hadn’t been. But then neither had he. They were both on the right side of the inevitable this time. So was Lauren.

Magnus was bound to be part of the fight whether Daisy chose for him to be or not. He’d secure her safety insomuch as that was possible before he came back and stood beside Lauren, but come back he would. This King threatened Taryn, Daisy’s brother, Jesse, and had the balls to order Daisy shot. The man knew no boundaries. If he wasn’t stopped, soon, someone was going to die. Someone was probably going to die anyway; Magnus just wanted to ensure it wasn’t someone he cared about.

Lauren tried to shield his feelings from Daisy, that was obvious. He did a credible job for the most part, but he couldn’t shield himself from Merry. Merry was too attuned for that. She’d taught Magnus how to “tune in” to the energy around him and honed his skills until he was able to pick up on small shifts. He was nowhere near Merry’s level of mental communication, but he was pretty damn good at reading people—most before they were even aware of their changing emotional state. Magnus was getting better at his receptive skills as well as his active energy skills. Active energy was easier for him. He sent some out to Lauren and to Daisy: Lauren to hold fast, he was on the right path even though his motives were mixed, Daisy to follow her heart, hoping that if she did it would lead her to a life doing what she loved. With him.

Lauren was worried about Daisy and her reaction to his announcement. It was obvious he was worried about her. What was less obvious was his concern for himself, which was there too, whether Lauren acknowledged it or not. Lauren was an ambitious man. He wanted to be King. He needed Daisy to achieve it.

Now that he’d named a Second, Lauren would have to face every challenge, every fight—alone if Daisy declined the position. If Daisy accepted, she’d be a target for a long time, until she accepted the mantle of leader herself. If she was going to live long enough to see that happen, she’d have to fight hard and decisively. Right from the start she’d need to show Court and Council that to mess with her or with her Ceannard, Lauren, was to welcome pain.

She’d needed to be ruthless and merciful at the same time. In short, she’d have to be bloody perfect. Magnus planned to be by her side the whole time, every time. Daisy would have to fight her battles, but she’d never truly be alone as long as there was breath left in his body.

“I did more than declare my intent. I named you as my Second before the entire Council.” Lauren paused, letting it soak in.

Daisy knew the rules. She knew what being named as Second meant.

“It’s a fait accompli if you give me your pledge before witnesses. The Court and the King have already sanctioned you as my second in command, my
presumptive heir.”

Lauren squared his shoulders and Magnus saw his breath as he expelled it. He was getting better at picking up energy of all sorts, especially breath work. Lauren’s radiated strength and concern. Magnus thought MacBain was wise to feel both.

“So, Daisy Bennett, do you declare your intent to act as my Second in all things? Will you serve as my right hand in word and deed? Will you accept the mantle of Ceannard, or whatever rank I hold at the time of my passing? Will you bring honor to that position as I now serve with honor? Will you serve the Lord and Lady? Will you preserve, promote, and protect the knowledge of our ancestors and share that knowledge for the good of mankind? Will you faithfully uphold the nine principles and live by the Code of the Damselfly? Do you so declare? Do you so swear?”

Daisy looked at Lauren, then at Merry, and finally she looked at him. Magnus felt the weight of her gaze. Today had been a day of extremes and promises and life-changing statements of intent. She’d given her love to him, asked him to marry, been shot, and now her career choice had turned into a life path that would turn even the most devout monk’s hair blue. Magnus wanted to hold her, but held still. She needed to make her choice on her own and whatever it would be, he’d support it and her.

Daisy gazed into him with her soul-searching golden brown eyes, and Magnus could almost feel her touching him. When she added a fleeting smile, she made him feel like he was the only man in her universe. The look she gave him was a questioning one. She was uncertain and sought assurance. She was asking without words if he’d stay, if he’d be there with her if she chose that path.

Magnus nodded once. If she walked on hot coals, he’d be right there with her.

She didn’t smile again, but she did nod back. Gratitude and more than a little of the hero worship she used to feel for him shone in her eyes. He was no hero, but for her, he wanted to be. He’d remember that look over the next few days when she shot daggers at him during training.

Daisy turned back to Lauren. Then she stood. Before she could say anything, there was a knock on the laundry room door. Merlin entered without being bidden, Gleipnir in his hand. Merlin held the sword out to Lauren. Daisy didn’t seem surprised to see Merlin or the sword Magnus crafted for her. That day had been full of surprises. Maybe she was all surprised out. Perhaps she simply knew that Merlin would show up. Magnus gave up trying to figure out Merlin or the woman he loved. Some beings were just ineffable and needed to be accepted as is, on faith.

Lauren took the sword.

Daisy went to one knee in front of Lauren and said, “I, Daisy Po Mohr Bennett, do declare my intent to act as your Second in word and deed; to honor the Lord and Lady; to assume the mantle of whatever rank you hold when you are no longer able to serve. I will preserve, protect, and promote the knowledge of our ancestors and share it for the good of
all. I will honor the nine principles and live by the Code of the Damselfly. I so declare. I so swear. From this day forward.”

Lauren held Gleipnir to each of Daisy’s shoulders. First her left. Then her right, saying, “Arise and go forth as my Second and my heir. You are now Second, Ceannard-in-waiting, for the United States; first among Ceannards of the Council. Arise, Second and take your place beside me.”

Daisy rose, head held high. She took her place to Lauren’s right. The room was heavy with silence until Lauren said the final words, “So has she sworn, So Mote it Be.” Twice more the words were said.

On a day filled with strange deeds, Daisy solidified her destiny in a room full of people she loved and their dirty laundry.

Now all Magnus had to do was help her defend it.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT