Druid Knights 02: Knight of Rapture (27 page)

“The question grew on me. You have your staff. You always have your staff. Are you ready?”

“Here? Now?” The center of the large room was empty but still.

“It may not be the manor ballroom or the lake but it will do.” Louise twirled her staff and took aim at Rebeka’s right hand.

Rebeka spun out of the way and stepped on the edge of her staff, sending it flying into her hand. She completed the spin and faced Louise.

“Yes, here. I’ve always wanted to beat you soundly. I never believed it quite appropriate at the manor. See, I do care, Rebeka. I don’t need others to see you defeated. It’s enough that you and I know.” Louise advanced, poking Rebeka with her staff.

Rebeka stepped back, trying to figure out a way to put an end to this. But the woman was serious and pressed on maneuvering toward the center of the room, every so often landing a glancing blow.

“Arik said you were phenomenal with the staff. He told me, several times, that he believed you were special but I don’t see it.” There was no talking Louise out of this match. She realized that the woman had been building up to this moment for some time.

Louise stopped when they reached the center of the room. Louise would use the next few seconds to prepare. So did Rebeka. She heard and saw nothing. She perceived and felt everything. She was focused, ready and totally committed.

Louise stepped forward with her opening gambit. She brought the point of her staff down and aimed at Rebeka’s legs. Rebeka blocked the low attack. She stepped forward and swung her staff up, tapping Louise hard on her chest with the tip of her staff.

She hoped that would give the woman incentive to stop.

“Ah, the aggressor. Now it’s getting interesting.” Louise’s eyes glowed with delight.

Rebeka stepped back, anticipating the counterattack, and blocked Louise’s strike.

Louise came at her again. Again Rebeka pulled away, avoiding Louise’s thrust. Holding her staff in the sweet spot where the balance was just right, she directed her staff under Louise’s and again targeted the woman’s chest.

“Come, these are basic strikes. You can do better than this.” Louise knocked Rebeka’s staff away.

She let the momentum caused by Louise’s deflecting strike bring her staff around full circle. With a small correction, she redirected the staff and struck Louise on her left side.

Louise recovered and came at her, the smile on her face replaced with a glowing mask of rage.

Rebeka stepped forward and narrowed the space between them. She brought the middle of her staff underneath Louise’s. The tip of her staff caught Louise in her soft, fleshy armpit. Taking advantage of the closeness of their hands, Rebeka covered Louise’s wrist and staff with her hand, immobilizing her. Rebeka twisted to the side and, using her staff as a lever, raised Louise up and over. She fell hard on her back.

Rebeka gave Louise her hand to help her up but Louise pushed it away and got to her feet.

“All I need to do is wait. Soon enough you’ll fade away. You shouldn’t have come back. You should have stayed where you were.”

“Why, Louise?” Fade? What was she talking about?

“Why? I saw an opportunity to get what I wanted. Lady Emily had done the research. I put the plan together. George Hughes isn’t the only brilliant schemer. When he found you I was certain it was all a swindle. I even had the Trust check the financial records. Two can play his game. I needed the manor to fail and you to be gone to keep people from suspecting anything. A few changes to the documents and the new heir is found. Just like George found you, someone would find me.”

“Your plan won’t work now. You can walk away and no one would be the wiser.”

“It’s gone much too far for that.” She raised her staff.

Rebeka was ready for her. She kept her eyes on Louise’s face and waited for the small tell that would announce Louise’s change from her pattern. They blocked and lunged across the room. The small flare of Louise’s nostrils alerted her. She was ready.

Louise’s strike came at her midsection. She stepped to the side, deflected the staff and struck Louise’s neck with a well-placed thrust. “Enough, Louise,” she demanded.

Louise fell back onto the desk. She rolled to the side, sending everything but the lamp shattering onto the floor.

Louise recovered and with quick strikes maneuvered Rebeka against the wall. It would be difficult for her to defend herself in this spot.

Rebeka took a defensive position, holding her staff vertically in front of her and moving it from side to side, blocking Louise’s strikes that rained down on her.

Louise grabbed the drapes and, with a firm tug, pulled them off the wall. Rebeka pushed herself forward. The drapery rod crashed to the floor behind her. The heavy rope ties that held them in place pulled free and flew against the adjacent wall.

The distraction was enough to allow Rebeka to plant her staff on the floor and vault over Louise, away from the wall and the heap of material.

Louise lunged at her with the point of her staff. Rebeka turned to the side, out of her line of attack, and fired off blow after blow, forcing Louise to step back.

With Louise off balance for the moment, Rebeka had only seconds to respond. She set her foot behind her and coiled like a spring. She tucked her staff under her arm and unwound, striking Louise full across her back and shoulders and sending her to the floor.

Louise spun and fell hard on her back, losing her staff. She clawed her way backward and scurried away from Rebeka amid the smashed glass from her desk all over the floor. She struggled to her feet holding a large shard of broken glass in her bloody hand.

Rebeka brought her staff up and over, snapping the point down hard on Louise’s thumb. The crack of the staff and the sound of breaking bone were a second ahead of Louise’s scream as she dropped the makeshift weapon.

Rebeka used the momentum of the staff to bring it full circle. She stepped forward and struck Louise on the side of the head. She pulled her staff back, then, putting her entire body behind her effort, stepped forward and thrust her staff into Louise’s chest, throwing her against the sideboard.

“Louise, enough,” she demanded and stepped back.

Louise grabbed the bottle of soda and squeezed the soft plastic, spraying the soda into Rebeka’s face.

Rebeka stepped back to avoid the spray. She bumped into the desk and sent the already unsteady lamp flying to the floor, plunging the room into darkness. Her staff clattered to floor.

It was anyone’s guess where it had gone.

She needed to get away from the desk before Louise trapped her there. Remembering there was nothing left on the desktop, she slid onto it and off the other side. She stood on the drapery, careful not to trip. She crouched low and crept toward the wall. The wall would give her some sense of where she was.

The sound of Louise’s staff hitting the desk full force broke the silence.

“Dammit, Rebeka. Where are you? Why don’t you let me get this over with? Make it easier on yourself.”

The debris on the floor announced Louise’s location as she crossed the room. A loud thump and the crash of falling books were close by.

“Shit.”

Rebeka, squatting with her back against the wall, reviewed her options and discarded them as quickly as they came to mind. There was one that appeared more possible than the others. She needed to get to the door halfway around the room. She’d hug the wall and to cover any sound she might make she synchronized her movements with Louise’s.

It was slow going on her hands and knees but she was close to the adjacent wall—one, maybe two, more moves. The door was within her grasp. Her hand touched something and she froze. Her fingers explored it. Relief rushed through her. It was the thick rope that had held back the drapes. She ran her hand along the rope. It was knotted at intervals. She looped it around her waist and waited for Louise to move again. Her hand in front of her like a blind man, she move forward and touched the adjacent wall. The sound of Louise’s soft curses and the staff whipping through the air told her Louise had changed direction and was closing in. She stood and flattened herself against the wall. She didn’t move a muscle. She focused on the sounds.

Louise wasn’t even attempting to be quiet now. She kicked obstacles aside and swept the room with her staff, smashing anything that got in her way. Her hard breathing got closer. Louise’s staff hit the wall a few feet from her, cracking the plaster board.

“Damn.”

Louise slammed her back against the wall. “Blind man’s bluff is not my favorite game. You’ll find out how much I like it when I tag you.”

Louise was inches to her right. She sensed Louise push herself away from the wall and sidestepped in front of her. Again Louise swung her staff.

Rebeka had no idea where her staff was. She needed a weapon. She removed the rope from her waist and hefted it in her hand. The heavy cotton braid had weight. She would have to make a move soon.

The slight movement in the air signaled Louise’s overhead attack. Rebeka stepped away from the wall for a better position.

She held the rope taut in front of her as if it were as solid as her staff. Her hands between two knots, the final knot dangled at the end, about eight inches below her hand.

Rebeka blocked the strike.

A surprised gasp echoed in the room. Louise hesitated.

Rebeka snapped her wrist. The tail end of the rope whipped around and caught Louise in the face.

Louise let out a scream and dropped her staff.

“Rebeka,” someone shouted from the other side of the door as it was thrown open.

The sound of feet running across the hall reached her ears. Louise clutched at her face. Rebeka looped the rope around Louise’s hands. “It’s over, Louise.”

Blaring light poured in and Arik stood silhouetted in the doorway. For a moment everything stopped. Even in the darkness she felt his eyes on her, his silent assessment that she was all right and his rage that he had not been at her side. Her champion, her knight. The moment passed. George came up behind Arik and they rushed into the room with Detective Chief Inspector Bardsley and his men close behind.

Louise tugged at the rope, trying to raise her hands to her eyes. Rebeka didn’t give her an inch.

Someone found the switch to the overhead light and clicked it on.

Rebeka squinted, trying to accustom her eyes to the light. Arik stood in front of her solid and safe.

The room looked like the aftereffects of a drunken teenage brawl. Papers were everywhere, mountains of drapes were piled next to the desk, and the floor was littered with broken glass, books and other debris.

Someone righted a chair then put Louise in it. The rope was still looped around her wrists.

The detective relieved her of Louise. “I have so much to tell you.” She picked up her staff.

“You already have,” Arik said.

She gave him a quizzical stare.

He grabbed her backpack from where it landed undisturbed, took out her cell phone and handed it to her.

She glanced at it and smiled. “I got a call and sent it to voice mail.”

George came up to them. “No, you answered it and left the connection open,” he said. “We overheard everything. I made certain it was recorded.”

“Louise Richards, I have a warrant for your arrest,” the detective chief inspector said.

“Arrest?” She glanced at Arik.

“The men who beat Bill and set fire to the mill were paid by Louise,” he said.

George picked through documents he found undisturbed against the wall.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Hughes, but we will need this all as evidence,” the detective chief inspector said.

“Of course. I will represent Dr. Tyler in the case. Please make certain your office provides me with a complete accounting of the evidence.” George put the papers back.

“Dr. Tyler, would you happen to know how Ms. Richards cut her hand?” the detective asked.

“She picked up a shard of broken glass and attacked me,” Rebeka answered.

“The evidence is adding up. Accomplice to arson and battery is one thing but attempted murder takes this to a different level. Do you have anything to say, Ms. Richards?”

“George should be here any minute.” Cora poured herself a second cup of tea. “What do you think Louise will say?” She stirred her cup and took a seat at the library table.

With Rebeka safe, Arik shifted his concern to Louise and her attack. If she was responsible and the arsonists wore Bran’s tattoo, how was this all connected? He was eager to hear what George had found out.

“Hello, everyone. I’ve brought a guest.” George came through the library door followed by Detective Chief Inspector Bardsley.

“Tea, Detective?” Rebeka held the pot poised to pour another cup. She, too, was eager to hear the results of the interrogation. George took the pot out of her hand and poured his own cup.

“No thank you, Dr. Tyler. I’ll be quick. I’ve come with Mr. Hughes to give you an unofficial report.”

“Then the interrogation is over,” Cora said.

“Yes. It was quite interesting. Almost bizarre, if you ask me.”

Charles came in with a trolley carrying six boxes of documents. “Put them over here, please.” George pointed to one of the bookcases. Charles made quick work of it and left the room, closing the door behind him.

“I wanted to return these to you. They’re from Louise’s office. Mr. Hughes has verified they’re the missing Fayne Manor documents,” Bardsley said.

Arik could almost hear a collective sigh of relief from around the table. The detective was nice enough but he hoped he’d leave soon. He wanted to see what was in the boxes.

“It seems Lady Emily had given the documents to the Trust’s researcher, as they requested, before she asked me to assist her in finding Rebeka.” George took a sip of his tea. “When the Trust confirmed her claim they ordered the documents returned to Lady Emily. Their
researcher
had other ideas.”

“Don’t tell me. Louise was the researcher.” Cora put her cup down hard on the saucer. “She always had that I-know-something-you-don’t attitude about her.” Arik considered that for a moment. Cora was right.

What did Louise know that they didn’t? He glanced at the boxes stacked by the bookcase. He was more eager to go through them.

“According to Ms. Richards’s statement, it was obvious that when Lady Emily approached the Trust an heir didn’t exist,” Bardsley said as he took an offered scone. “Her plan was to forge a new proclamation giving the land to one of her ancestors and eventually make her claim to Fayne Manor and all proceeds.” Arik listened, his rage boiling beneath the surface. That anyone was attempting to take his domain… Rebeka’s touch got his attention. His temper cooled, a bit.

“One of her ancestors?” Cora asked. “How is that possible?”

“Proclamations include mother’s and father’s family names for land rights,” Rebeka said. “We use legal documents all the time for following family lines.” Arik threaded his fingers in hers and noted that she was as agitated as he was.

“Yes, she altered Mannis’s mother’s name to point to her family. Her plan was to have someone present her forged proclamation after May the first,” Bardsley said as he raised the cake slightly. “Very good scones.” He took another bite.

“May the first. That was the deadline she said the Trust gave us.” Rebeka had a quizzical look on her face. “I understand all that but why the fire?” Magick is at its strongest several times a year—Beltane is one of them. Arik half expected to see the Shade. He had a strong feeling that Louise had a specific reason for picking May 1.

“Someone at the Trust found the old newspaper article. She panicked. She had our friends that are in custody torch the newspaper to cover up the theft of the file they had on the Lady Emily. That’s what they burned at the mill,” Bardsley said. “She must’ve believed she had everything under control and panicked when Rebeka sent her the picture and article.”

“In the meantime,” George said, “the Trust was experiencing some financial differences with Trust accounts Louise managed. She needed to make certain we didn’t make any requests. That would draw attention to her. She contrived a story we were being investigated. I confirmed with Mr. Blake that they’ve been suspicious of Louise all along.”

“That’s when the Trust called us in to investigate.” Bardsley leaned back in his chair. “Louise has been suspected of fraud for some time. When we found the arsonists we showed them her picture and things started to fall into place.” Arik still had unanswered questions, ones Bardsley couldn’t answer. He was still concerned about the tattoos on the arsonist’s arm and the May 1 date.

“Your man Bill was right. He did hear a woman’s voice. She hid in the shadows while her men took care of the documents and Bill. Before she left she told them to burn down the mill.” Bardsley got to his feet. “I’m happy to tell you that this case is closed. And I’m glad of it. The woman has this self-satisfied grin that has the Trust concerned she may have compromised other properties. They’re reviewing that now.”

“Yes, she’s a bit unnerving. She sees me and nearly breaks out laughing. They’ve ordered a psychiatric evaluation,” George said.

“Well, if you’ll excuse me,” Bardsley said. George started to get up. “Please, sir. That won’t be necessary. I’ll find my way out.”

Bardsley left the room.

“That was interesting,” Rebeka said. Arik wouldn’t call it interesting.

“George, did you speak to the men in custody?” Arik wanted to make sure Bran wasn’t involved. “About the tattoos.”

“Yes. He said Louise took him to a tattoo artist in Avebury. She gave the artist the design and paid the fee. I got a good look at the tattoo.” He took out his phone and thumbed through his pictures. “Here.” He showed them a photo.

Arik and Rebeka moved to see what he had. “It’s a heta as Marle described,” Rebeka said. She glanced at Arik. “It’s not Bran’s mark.”

“But it’s close enough. Louise knows more than she’s saying.” He looked at the boxes again.

“I’ve got to get over to the garden house. I see you’re eager to get to the boxes. Call me if you find anything interesting.” She kissed him and started to leave.

“Wait for me,” George said. “I have to get back to the office. I want to finish up this business with the Trust. We can touch base later. Come, Cora. I’ll drop you off at home.” The three left. Arik didn’t want to be ungracious but he was glad they were gone. Rebeka was right. He wanted to read these documents. He was certain the secret Louise held was in them.

He took one of the boxes to the table and settled himself in the chair. It was going to be a long day. The manor journals were the first to tackle. They were stacked in chronological order. He located the 1606 journal and pulled it out. His heart pounded as he opened the final pages dated April 29, 1606, and read Logan’s entry.

For a fortnight, Bran’s forces have been gathering at the western edge of the field. I’ve taken every precaution and had the farmers and villagers move behind the wall. Marcus and Doward agree the attack will come soon. It is clear Bran intends to leave no one alive.

At Doward’s insistence Robert and I took Skylar and Aubrey to Autumn Chase to protect the family line. Skylar begged to marry Robert. I could not deny her. He has sworn if we do not succeed he will return to Autumn Chase and care for them both.

I fear I have failed. I promised to defend Fayne Manor and keep it safe. I had no idea Rebeka’s life depended on Fayne Manor’s survival. I will keep searching for Maximillian’s writings hoping to find a solution. It is our last hope. We make our final stand tomorrow on Beltane and pray the gods are with us.

He read the words over and over until he could recite them from memory. The book fell from his hand.

Something clicked. Something Louise had said.

He pulled out his cell phone and replayed the conversation Louise had with Rebeka at her office. Louise may not be all that crazy.

“…All I need to do is wait. Soon enough you’ll fade away.”

Fade away.

He reread Logan’s words. “I had no idea Rebeka’s life depended on Fayne Manor’s survival.”

He pulled everything out of the boxes. There were books and documents before 1606 but he found only minor papers without any family information after 1606. The next journal was dated 1670. The farms were not doing well and he recognized only a few of the villagers’ names.

He raked a trembling hand through his hair. He couldn’t keep the information from her. Hiding it would not change the outcome.
Think.
He needed to find something, anything that showed him the manor survived after 1606. Anything.

“Where’re you taking that box?” Rebeka was entering the museum when one of the new Trust interns fumbled with a box at the door.

“The men who are doing the renovation at the blacksmith’s came across more artifacts. I’m putting them in the workroom behind the garden house with the other items being processed. It’s really exciting. Like our own archeological dig,” the intern said.

“Yes, very exciting but it’s not surprising. This area is rich with artifacts. We’ve found objects and documents about the estate that date back to 1086,” Rebeka said.

“It’s very humbling to find something that old. I’ve got to hurry back. We’re going to Avebury. There’s a lecture on the energy emitted by the standing stones. Afterward we’re going to measure it. All very magical, if you ask me.”

“The magick is greater at the stone’s middle but if that’s hard to find try the base. Here, let me hold the door for you.” The intern sidestepped through the doorway.

The memories and excitement of new discoveries, regardless of their importance, brought a smile to her lips. She still tapped in to that elation and satisfaction when she unlocked a translation or pieced together the mysteries of the past. All very romantic for sure but as a teacher it was rewarding when she saw the discovery on her students’ faces. It was like an initiation of sorts into some special society that only they understood. Staying here with them would not be difficult.

She came out of her daydream and moved on to the area with the new exhibits. This area focused on village life. The last of the items had been put in place and was ready to be displayed for May 1.

The cases were arranged by occupation. She compared the items in each case to their picture on her tablet, its description and how it was to be displayed.

Item 050106, in the case with miscellaneous items, held her attention. She took out her cell phone and dialed. “Come to the garden room, the village exhibit. There’s something here you should see.” She clicked off her phone and checked the item number on her tablet.

Her head came up at the staccato sound of Arik’s long, purposeful strides across the wooden floor as he entered the room. He stood next to her.

“What is it?”

“I don’t remember this item when we planned the displays. I looked it up in our catalog. Louise marked it specifically for the May 1 display.” She pointed to the object in the case.

“I checked the description. Miscellaneous piece of metal,” Rebeka said. “Why Louise would put it into the exhibit is beyond me. I don’t see the merit when we have so many other, more identifiable items. Did she discuss this with you?”

An agonizing moment ticked by as it registered. “No, I’ve never seen it before.”

“Is it important? I think we’ll get questions and we won’t have any answers.”

“It could be anything,” he said, struggling to keep his voice calm, wanting to tear the item from the case and heave it into the seventeenth century. If only he could.

“I assume you’re right.” She opened the case and removed the object.

“I’ll take that. I’d like to take a better look at it.”

She gave him the piece of metal. “I’m sorry I bothered you.” She closed the case and turned off her tablet.

“It’s not a bother. I’m glad you showed it to me.”

“I have a few more things to finish here then I’m going over to the mill to review those exhibits before they test the waterwheel. Want to join me?”

“Not right now. Perhaps later. I have things that need my attention.” He took her in his arms and kissed her deeply. She snuggled against his chest.

“I won’t get finished if you keep doing that. But after seeing this,” she gestured to the case, “I want to review all of Louise’s work. There are a lot of decisions that need to be made.”

“Yes, there are.” He went to the garage with his arm around her. He turned her around and held her by her shoulders. “I love you, Beka. More than life itself. I love you.”

She slipped her arms around him. “I love you, too, and I thank the day I fell into your arms. I wouldn’t change any of it. Now,” she said, stepping back, “I have to get this finished. I’ll see you later. Then you can show me how much you love me.” She got in her car and pulled away.

He watched the red taillights fade as the car drove off. He returned to the manor and went to his tower room. He reviewed the metal piece. The cleaved marking, the shape of the fragment, the embedded bits of stone and angle of the break told him it was a piece from a broken siege hook.

May 1. Louise knew what this was and its significance. That was why she had grinned at George during the interrogation.

He stood in the center of the tower room and stared at the now dim runes and searched them for an answer but found nothing. He paged through the books that were strewn on the table and slammed each closed, tossing it aside when he didn’t find what he needed. He picked up the next book with the same results. He pulled out parchments. His finger traced the words and symbols as he searched for an answer. He tossed them on the pile on the floor.