Knight of Runes (26 page)

“M’lady, you go on ahead. I must get back to the Manor before they miss me.” Drago gave a nervous glance over his shoulder. “You’ll be fine here. I’ll keep watch for you and make certain you and Mistress Skylar get back safely.” Without waiting for Rebeka to respond, he wheeled his horse around and rode off back toward the Manor.

Rebeka sat on the mare and scanned the meadow from the cover of the trees. Every sense told her something wasn’t right. Feeling surprisingly calm and even a bit detached gave her time to develop a strategy. Something or someone lay in the tall grass, moving ever so slightly. Her instincts told her it wasn’t Skylar—she couldn’t have gotten to the meadow so quickly. But Rebeka wasn’t willing to take any chances.

She searched the area with a warrior’s eye for fighting advantages and vulnerabilities. If this was a trap, the attack would come from the stand of trees to her left. She walked the mare to the right, staying well hidden from the meadow. She never took her eyes off the center.

The beating of her heart echoed in her ears. She welcomed the strong steady rhythm as it morphed into her war song, priming her for battle.

There was movement now. In the meadow, the dry grass rustled and quaked. She saw a raised arm. Was it a signal for help? Focusing her energy and calming her breathing, she brought the reins behind her ready to slap the mare into action when a sparkle of red from the raised hand caught her eye.

She stopped frozen. Jewels? Skylar didn’t wear jewelry. The mare pranced, ready to gallop. She patted the mare, speaking into her ear. She needed to stall for more time. Arik would be here soon.

Once again, a commotion in the middle of the meadow drew her attention. Whatever was on the ground was struggling. She couldn’t take a chance. What if someone held Skylar? Rebeka, staff in hand, spurred the mare forward.

Rebeka saw the blade before she saw Katherine. She whipped her staff around in a wide downward arc, striking Katherine’s hand hard. As she rode past, Katherine’s scream told her she hit her mark. Rebeka wheeled the horse around and dismounted, her staff at the ready. Katherine scampered to retrieve her sword.

“So, Rebeka, were you expecting to save poor little Skylar?”

Rebeka didn’t say anything. The two women circled each other, crouched and ready to strike.

Rebeka needed to keep Katherine busy until Arik arrived. She had no doubt that he would. She worked her staff in large circles, spinning the staff in whirls creating a spherical barrier making her staff both a weapon and shield.

Time after time Katherine hit Rebeka’s staff, biting into the wood with her steel.

“What’s that staff made of? My blows land and sink into it but it doesn’t show any wear. It’s as strong as ever. Has your druid lover enchanted it?” Katherine’s face set in a sneer.

Her father had told her he saturated it with magic. She wasn’t helpless. Her staff was enchanted, powerful, and so was she. The thought gave her renewed energy.

Katherine came at her, thrusting her sword at Rebeka’s stomach. Rebeka shifted back and swung her staff in an arc, striking Katherine’s thumb. The sword dropped. She took advantage of the staff’s rotation and brought the other end over to hit Katherine in the head. She pulled the staff back while she stepped forward. For maximum impact, she rotated her staff and thrust the spiraling weapon, catching Katherine hard in her stomach right below her ribs and sending her to the ground.

Close to the stand of trees now, Katherine called out.
She wasn’t alone.
Rebeka knew that if Katherine’s men got to her, they would tear her apart.

Drago stood in the middle. He stepped out and faced her saying nothing, a blank look on his face as he moved forward with the others.

Rebeka didn’t have time to think of his betrayal. She would leave that to Arik.

Hugo came out last, and gave her a slight bow, his face set with a smirk.

She could easily see Hugo recruiting Drago for this little mutiny. Hugo had some degree of charm.

“I like a woman with spirit. I’ll show you what a real man can do, once I teach you who is the master.” Hugo advanced. He signaled one of his men to grab her. “Don’t cut her too badly. I want something left to play with later.”

The attacker leered at Rebeka and rushed toward her with his knife. Keeping her eyes leveled on his, she stepped to the side and brought her staff up between his legs, hitting him hard in the groin. His eyes bulged and he cried out. She slid the staff forward, running it along his groin, maximizing the pain, planting the end solidly on the ground. Her hold shifted, allowing her to grab his hand as she pushed him backward using her staff as a lever.

He fell to the ground on his back writhing in pain, his quarry momentarily forgotten. Still holding his hand, she pulled her staff out from under him and, with the tip, jabbed him in the temple. He didn’t move.

She turned and faced Hugo, Drago and Katherine.

More men joined. Rebeka twirled her staff in circles creating a barrier from their strikes. She watched for any opportunity to jab and disable them but keeping them busy was her main plan. She had no idea how long it would take Arik to reach her. Time. She just needed to give him time.

The faint sound of galloping hooves reached her ears. Was it Arik? She didn’t need any more of Katherine’s goons. She faltered, her concentration broken. She couldn’t tire now. She focused on completing each
kata
and moving on to the next.

The lone rider burst through the trees, pulling his sword from his scabbard as he rushed toward her.

“For Honor!” Logan yelled as he closed the gap between them.

The men turned at the sound of the war cry and faced the oncoming rider. Logan took advantage of their confusion and ran two men through with his sword when he rushed past them. He left his sword in the chest of the second man and wheeled his horse around. Unable to reach Rebeka on horseback he dismounted, grabbed his own quarter staff and ran to join her. Standing back to back, they continued to fight.

An attacker worked his way through their defense and grabbed Rebeka’s shirt. Shifting her weight to the side, she shoved him away with her hip and brought the bottom of her staff up, striking him hard in the ribs. She grabbed his hand off her shirt and twisted it while she pivoted, pinning the staff between his body and arm in a forward lock. She continued to twist his arm while she dragged him to the ground finally pulling her staff free.

Logan jabbed the man squarely in the eye.

Rebeka felt Arik’s approach before she heard or saw him. A column of men broke onto the field, Arik at the head of it.

Katherine tugged on Hugo’s sleeve at the sound of the riders approaching and the two fled, leaving five men against Rebeka and Logan.

Arik and the others circled the area in close rank but stayed back from the fight. Arik sat on Spirit, his icy stare giving nothing away.

Arik struggled to stay calm. Every muscle twitched to join them, protect them both and he would if they needed him. He looked at Marcus and saw a smile touch the warrior’s cold stare. What did Marcus know that he didn’t? Arik turned back to the fighting. While two attackers kept Rebeka busy, three others concentrated on Logan. But Rebeka and Logan were well-practiced and their synchronized fighting made them an awesome team. They anticipated blows and parried or struck their attackers one after the other, their precision far superior to those they fought.

Rebeka gave the command. Logan leaped into the air, executing a perfect horizontal spin spearing one of the attackers in the throat with his quarter staff. Rebeka quickly swept her staff in a wide arc, hitting the men behind their knees and taking their legs out from under them. The arc spun her around to face the two men at her back. When Logan landed, he struck one attacker in the temple and, using his elbow, smashed the other in his face, breaking his nose and sending him to the ground. Rebeka and Logan stood side by side sweeping their staves and jabbing their attackers with lightning speed. When the dust finally settled, of all the attackers, only Drago remained.

“So, Drago, you play the traitor.”

Drago raised his chin and looked up at Arik.

“Why? What did Katherine promise you to make you turn on your own people?” asked Rebeka.

He looked at her. “Skylar,” he said. “She promised me Skylar.”

Logan spun him around to face him and punched him hard in the jaw. “Have you done anything to harm her?”

Held up only by Marcus’ grip, Drago made no move to even try to protect himself. “No, Logan,” he muttered spitting out blood and broken teeth. “There were times when Lady Katherine planned to harm her but I convinced her otherwise. Lady Katherine teased me telling me she would give Skylar to Hugo first and I could have what was left. I protected Skylar as best I could.”

Drago staggered when Marcus released him.

“Lady Katherine and Hugo thought it amusing I cared for Skylar. Today she and Hugo told me to bring Skylar here to the meadow. They said Rebeka would come after her.”

He turned to face Arik. “I feared for Skylar, Lord Arik. They told me they wouldn’t harm her but I didn’t trust them. I knew she would be defenseless against them and that I could not protect her here. So I brought Rebeka. I would never let anything happen to Skylar, never.” He looked away from Arik. Rebeka glanced at Arik. She knew they had already decided Drago’s fate. There was no tolerance for traitors. She waited as Arik sat silently on his horse, observing and listening.

“I am a fair man, Drago.” Drago’s head whipped up and he looked at Arik. “If Skylar had feelings for you, I wouldn’t have stopped either of you.”

Drago’s face went ashen. “I knew I was lost when I threw in with Lady Katherine and Hugo.” His shoulders slumped, and his eyes went blank and unseeing. “I know the punishment for traitors.”

“What does Katherine want?”

“She wants Rebeka dead.” Drago looked at Rebeka steadily. “She and Hugo told us she was the threat she was told would come. They never told us a threat to what, just that she needed to be killed.”

“Where are Katherine and Hugo now? How many men are with her?”

“They have gone to The Ridge with two hundred men.”

“Drago, you know the punishment for treason. For protecting Skylar, I owe you my thanks. But I cannot stop what you have brought upon yourself.” Arik paused. “I will give you the right to die on the field with honor when we go to face Katherine and Hugo.”

Drago acknowledged the boon. “You give me honor when I deserve none. I will serve you well in this fight, Lord Arik, to show you I am worthy.”

Arik nodded. “Marcus, take the men and go to The Ridge. I’ll take a small detail and meet you there after I am finished adjusting the last ward.”

“Yes, sir.” Marcus led Drago away.

Logan came up to his brother. “I’ll go ahead and prepare the stones.”

Arik smiled at his brother. “You did well, Logan. You and Rebeka have developed a unique fighting style. Go on ahead with Simon. I’ll meet you at the last ward.”

He turned to Rebeka “Wife, ride with me.”

Mounting the mare, Rebeka joined Arik. She took the skin he handed her and drank thirstily.

“So you are warrior, witch and wife.” He smiled. “You did well and you have taught Logan well too. As a warrior, I commend you for your ability. As a witch, I see your staff is still whole. Not an easy feat the way they hacked at it. As a wife, well as a wife I didn’t want to see you fighting. I wanted to be the one protecting you, but I am learning. You are a valuable partner in every way.” He reached for her hand and covered it with his.

Rebeka was stunned. She searched his face and saw his sincerity and pride. “Arik, those are great words of praise and understanding. I didn’t realize how much I’ve been longing to hear them from you.”

“To hearth and home,” he commanded loudly. In a much softer voice he said, “Come, Rebeka, the next time I kiss your neck I want to feel you in my arms.”

The field was littered with sparse grass and rock rubble. The only substantial features were the large standing stones. Made up of two concentric stones circles, this ward stone sat in the center of the sacred inner circle.

The small group picked their way across the field, got as near to the sacred area as they could and dismounted. Logan, finished with his part of the ritual, waited for Arik in the outer circle.

“Arik, why are we here?” asked Rebeka.

“This is the last ward to be adjusted. I don’t want to take any chances. We’ll complete the warding then go to The Ridge and face Katherine and Hugo.”

Any other time, he would’ve brought her to this sacred place and taught her the wonders of his world. There was so much to show her, so much she needed to learn. How he would enjoy teaching her. He let out a deep sigh. Soon, he told himself. After she learned who she was. And if she still remained with him.

“All is prepared. We can start whenever you’re ready.” The men gathered in the outer circle. The sacred inner circle waited for Arik.

Arik reviewed the formulas. Conflicted with personal desires, he battled with himself as the drumming in his head got louder and faster. Should he tell her she was a powerful druid and his destined mate? If he told her, would she still love him? Should he erase her memory and let her return? No, this wasn’t the time. He would know when the time was right. The battle over for the moment, he decided to say nothing. He nodded to Logan and started the ritual.

The mist gathered between the stones. It thickened into a more substantial vapor enveloping and finally obscuring Arik from the others. The only sign that he was there at all was the sound of his strong deep baritone voice marking out the steady familiar beat of the chant.

Spirit pranced and whinnied, stirring Rebeka out of her reverie. One look at the horse and Rebeka was immediately on high alert. “Simon…”

He looked at her. “Yes, Spirit is our best alarm. I’ll see who approaches.”

Simon quickly returned. “M’lady, it’s Lady Katherine and Hugo. They’re about three miles away on a steady march.”

“Go tell Marcus, he’s at The Ridge, and bring the men back. I’ll stay here with Arik and Logan.”

“There are only six men here. I can’t leave you with such limited protection.”

Using her most commanding voice she took control. “Get Marcus and bring him back.”

She watched for some time as the dust cloud in the distance approached. She hoped Simon made it through. At last, Hugo, on a large black horse, marched two hundred men over the rise at a slow steady pace. They spread out into a long line and stopped. Finally, they came down from the hill and started to circle the stones from the east. Katherine was on Hugo’s left, a wild look in her eyes.

Arik stood at the stone, not yet finished with the warding.

“Logan, why are they waiting?” They had a perfect opportunity before Marcus arrived, but there was no movement among Hugo’s men.

Logan smiled. “It’s an ancient tactic…”

“Bring fear to the enemy to wear them down.”

“Yes. They are not counting on our troops arriving.”

“I don’t feel good about this. In all my dreams, Katherine kills the family.”

“She won’t kill us. She hasn’t the power.”

“I don’t think we know what she has, Logan, and I, for one, am not willing to find out by losing all of you.”

“Nor am I.” Arik stood next to them. He ran his hand down her cheek in a soft caress, a gentle smile lighting his face. “We’ll fight together as one, protecting each other’s back.”

Rebeka looked at him. She never wanted to leave him. “Then you’re finished here.”

“All we need is the last chant. Logan will complete it.”

A battalion of men swooped up unseen from the valley on the opposite side and rushed to take their postion. It was Marcus.

Hugo moved forward on foot into the stone’s outer circle, Katherine lagged behind him. “I knew this ploy would work. I have the three of you at my mercy.” Hugo spit out the words and sneered at Arik.

Arik and Rebeka were ready. Doward stood beside Logan.

Marcus and his men emerged from the stones and surrounded the outer circle, cutting Katherine and Hugo off from their men. Hugo’s force responded to the threat. While inside the circle was calm and quiet, a battle raged beyond.

With his sword drawn, Hugo advanced on Arik playing a game of attack and retreat. Arik kept on advancing, working Hugo against the stones.

“You were always a mediocre fighter, Hugo. I kept you only because you were Katherine’s man, or should I say
toy
.” Arik barely worked up a sweat.

“You’re all bluster and wind,” said Hugo, his anger at the verbal jab apparent. “You’re weak in dealing with men. You don’t whip them into obeying. It’s time Fayne Manor had a new leader.” His fighting style was untamed, filled with more bravado than ability.

Arik didn’t answer him.
So that’s what Bran offered him.
He kept advancing and nipping him with his blade drawing blood whenever and wherever he could, his forearm, his thigh, his shoulder, his neck, his cheek. “Come, Hugo,” he taunted. “You make this too easy! You’re bleeding like a stuck pig and I’m getting bored.”

In a wild flurry, Hugo let his emotions take control. He advanced swinging the sword upward, trying to reach Arik’s heart. Arik parried each stroke, exposing his back briefly, but Hugo hesitated. It was time to finish this scene. Arik spun around with speed and agility, striking Hugo in the abdomen. Pulling the sword upward, he sliced his heart in two. For an instant, Hugo stood there in disbelief. Arik turned and put his foot against Hugo’s chest, glaring at him as he pulled his sword out.

Hugo, his eyes fixed on Arik foot against his chest and a look of bewilderment on his face, crumpled at Arik’s feet.

Rebeka advanced. She wanted to be certain Katherine didn’t interfere with Arik and Hugo. In a clumsy attempt, Katherine struck out at Rebeka and lost her footing. As she fell, she tore the bodice of her dress, exposing the top of her breast.

Doward grabbed Katherine’s arm and raised it, exposing the
H
branded on the soft white flesh. Katherine struggled and freed herself from Doward’s grip.

“That’s the same mark the men who attacked us at the Stone River had on their wrists,” Rebeka said to Doward. She never took her eyes off Katherine.

“You work for Bran?” Doward advanced and stood close by.

“I work for no one. I have no master.”

“Katherine, you wear his mark.” He backed her against the stones, close to the two Cove stones.

“Why do you want to kill Arik?” Rebeka stood next to Doward. Katherine positioned herself even closer to the stones.

“Oh, I’ll kill Arik and soon, a living death. He’ll die a thousand deaths.” Katherine’s hysterical laugh echoed through the stones.

Rebeka saw the madness in her eyes. Katherine was mumbling. No, not mumbling. Chanting. What was she bringing? She advanced, working her staff, battering Katherine and raining punishing blows down on her that pushed her between the stones.

Katherine took a step to the side of the two stones, screaming out the last of the chant, timing it perfectly. At the same moment Rebeka’s staff hit the inscribed stone and opened the portal.

Rebeka felt the wind twist and circle between the two stones. Startled, she stood still, her staff gently glowing.

Katherine took advantage of the moment and pushed Rebeka between the stones, into the portal.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Doward lunge to grab her and pull her out but she was already too far.

She saw Katherine turn toward Arik, murder in her eyes.

She saw Hugo lying dead at Arik’s feet. His blank eyes locked on Rebeka as the portal took her farther away.

Rebeka tried to warn Arik but he just stood there. Soon she wouldn’t be able to see him or the others. If she had to return to her time, she would go knowing that she saved him, but she needed to act quickly. Each heartbeat sent her farther away.

She held her staff tightly, took her dirk and closed her eyes. Her heartbeat rang like a loud drum in her ears. She cleared her thoughts. At the edge of her mind, her father’s voice strongly chanted a new song, one she didn’t know.

She chanted along with him. Her lips glided over the sounds. With each word, her staff glowed brighter. Her mind clear, she envisioned her mark. She could have kept her eyes closed but she had to make certain of her success. She opened her eyes and noticed no one stirred on the other side of the portal. She let loose the dirk with her own war cry. “For hearth and home!” Her words thundered through time.

The dirk pierced the portal sending it off kilter. She steadied herself with her staff and watched the dirk hit Katherine clean and deep. Time once again resumed its pace. She watched all she loved retreat farther away from her.

Arik reached through the portal to pull her out but she was beyond his grasp. He called to her, “My heart!” His voice resonated and she turned ever so slowly to look at him one last time, tears running down her cheeks. She screamed loudly, “I love you.”

Arik stood helpless while the spinning vortex drew her farther away. He grabbed at the portal edges refusing to let it close.

Katherine, lying on the ground dying, laughed. “Look, Arik, all you love is leaving you. And I did it all. I got rid of Leticia and now her.” The grin on her face was a mixture of pain and pleasure.

“What do you mean? Why?” Logan stood over her.

“I convinced Leticia the wards were failing and they must be reset immediately, and she couldn’t wait for you to return. I gave her the formula but it was to weaken them. I even reset her amulet, to weaken her. She was so easy to persuade. I told her everything when she lay dying. The look on her face when she realized she had betrayed you was exquisite. The torment on her face, the agony she felt was magnificent.

“And Rebeka, we kept her from coming back, me and Bran. It is only by accident she got here at all, your betrothed. She doesn’t even know does she? And I have closed the portal. She can never come back now.

“You think you’re safe from him. Bran will come. He’ll avenge me.” She laughed, her laughter punctuated with fits of coughing that brought up great amounts of blood. She leered at Arik and started mumbling a chant.

Logan couldn’t take her taunting any longer and lunged at her. In one sweep of his sword, he severed her head silencing her forever. Logan and Doward lent their backs to holding the portal open.

The vortex spun violently. Gravity seemed to pull Rebeka in every direction, yet she felt rooted to one spot. The glimpses of the pictures she saw in the swirl now made some sense. It took all her strength but she turned her head to look for Arik, the portal opening now only a small aperture.

She thought of Arik with a longing she had never felt before. Her head began to hurt with the steady rhythm of her heartbeat. It kept getting louder and louder. She closed her eyes hoping the pain would subside. But it didn’t go away.

She touched the amulet around her neck and when she opened her eyes she saw Arik’s image in front of her. He spoke but she couldn’t hear what he said. The drum beating in her head distracted her. She looked at his lips, trying to make out the words but couldn’t understand. It was no use. One thought raced in her head—she was going back and he wouldn’t be there.

She cried, the tears flowing freely. Still holding the amulet, she looked at Arik’s face and saw his pained expression. She closed her eyes and felt him kiss her on her neck. Leaning heavily on her staff, she murmured to herself, the words weak. “To hearth and home.”

He stood there, eyes locked on the vapor, saying the sacred words, invoking the powers of the druid Council, determined to succeed. She heard him. She had answered his call. It came to him in a sudden roar.

Gradually the swirling clouds stopped and a stillness set in. He used every bit of energy he had and commanded the portal to bring her back to him. The breeze picked up, barely a hint at first. It spun in the opposite direction. He couldn’t stop now. There was only one very slim chance he could get her out.

The stagnant vapor scattered, and in the distance he saw her coming closer. The edges of the portal strained to close and it took all of Logan’s and Doward’s strength to keep it open.

“Beka!”

Her tear-swollen eyes looked at him in disbelief.

He reached into the portal, his hand open. His meaning was clear.

She looked at his hand and at his face.

“I can’t. I must go back.” Her voice was a mere whisper.

Looking into her eyes, he stretched his hand in closer to her. “Beka, trust me.” He closed his eyes and implored her softly, “My heart, trust me.”

His voice echoed in her head filled with all the promise of the future. The portal tugged on her, straining to close. She closed her eyes, the thought of leaving him too painful to bear. How had she moved so far away from him? Frantic, she tried to move back toward the portal opening. She dug her staff into the ground as an anchor. The wind tore at her. Her feet slipped and the portal tugged at her more urgently. She stetched out her arm, extending her fingers as far as possible. It wasn’t enough. She needed something, anything to reach him.
Don’t panic.
She looked at her staff. It was the only thing holding her in place. Keeping her eyes on Arik, she pulled her staff out of the ground and reached out to him with it.

He saw her purpose and caught hold. He gripped the lifeline tightly and the runes by his hand began to glow, igniting one by one, and rushing toward her.

“Don’t let go, Beka. Hold on.”

“I won’t let go, ever,” she called.

She watched the runes come to life. She looked at Arik and saw the light fill him. She looked back at her staff. All the runes glowed but still the light marched on, warming her hand, her heart and finally her mind. As quickly as the glow began, it ended. Gently, Arik pulled on her staff and brought her out of the portal, and into his arms. He crushed her to his chest.