Love's Call (27 page)

Heat crept up his neck and he averted his gaze. “She asked me why I wanted to marry her, and I couldn’t answer her.” Leargan closed his eyes.

“Aww, hell.” Jorrin repeated.

“I’m a complete idiot.”

“There
is
an upside to all this,” the duke said, a ghost of a smile playing at his lips.

“What could
that
possibly be?” Leargan asked.

“You still have a day or two to fix your mess.” Jorrin’s voice was much too bright.

Tristan chuckled.

Leargan glared at them both.

Chapter Twenty-five

They’re going to arrest him today!” Avril burst into the Duchess Solar, relief washing over her, mouth curving in a slow smile.

No fear.

She wasn’t afraid of Tynan anymore.

Soldiers were mounting up at this very moment, to be led by Sir Leargan and Lord Aldern themselves.

Her knight had fought to be included. His captain and the duke couldn’t stop him.

Avril’s heart had dropped to her stomach when she’d witnessed the argument between Roduch, his captain and the duke.

He’d vowed he would refuse a direct order, no matter the punishment if they left him behind. After a heavy sigh, Sir Leargan had made him swear an oath against killing Tynan and relented, with the begrudged approval of Lord Aldern.

They were going to march on her former husband’s holding and arrest him. Throw him in Castle Aldern’s dungeons. Hopefully, throw away the key.

The duke had told her he’d sent people to subtly access Tynan. He’d gone to Greenwald Main to search for her, but after staying for several days at several inns, he’d gone back home.

Avril had told them all she knew about the holding to help them arrest her former husband and protect themselves.

Then when the king arrived, Tynan Mont would have a trial.

Roduch had said there was a place for him in Dread Valley, the penal territory in the far off Province of Dalunas. Her knight also said
the bastard
deserved death over prison, but Avril was fine with either. As long as he stayed locked away forever and she never had to see him again.

He would pay for
all
his crimes, blackmail, theft of land and holdings, and murder, in addition to his treatment of her and violating their marriage agreement.

Too bad it wasn’t illegal to misuse magic.

Her eyes darted around the lovely bright room.

Mistress Ansley was alone, sitting by one of the many windows, face tilted down toward the courtyard.

Something’s wrong.

Avril squinted, concentrating to access her magic. The older girl’s aura throbbed, a mixture of pale blue sadness and white hot pain. It fluctuated, other emotions floating in and out, interwoven. A rainbow of unpleasantness.

With a wince, Avril smoothed the front of the green gown; one of the four Lady Cera had gifted her. It was shimmery and soft, and needed no straightening, but nerves and sympathy crept up from the pit of her stomach, replacing her joy that her former husband was about to be captured.

What had happened to the normally bubbly redhead? Since Roduch had talked her into spending time with the ladies, Avril had made three fast friends. The three young women had welcomed her with open arms. Actually, even the staff of the castle had been nothing but friendly and kind.

Meara, the maid she’d met on her first day there was rarely far from her side, seeing to her every need. Avril also considered her a friend.

Along with Ladies Cera and Aimil and Mistress Ansley, she spent a great deal of time in the Duchess Solar. Laughter and lightheartedness.

Something that was a shocking change in her life. All the pain was fading into the background. Her new friends…and her new love were helping her forget…heal.

Roduch.

Sleeping in his arms every night, kissing him…it was new for her, but she wanted more. Her heart leapt. Avril was falling for him.

Roduch hadn’t pushed her. Staunch that he’d be waiting when
she
was ready, but he’d made it plain he wanted her.

Could he be feeling for her what she was starting to for him?

She sucked in a breath, stomach fluttering. It was to ponder later. Something was wrong with her new friend.

Avril loved talking to Mistress Ansley, with her thick northern accent—not unlike her knight’s—and Lady Aimil, with the slight southern lilt, since she’d come from Ascova.

“Mistress Ansley?” Avril ventured but didn’t move closer. She didn’t need magic to know the other girl wanted to be alone.

“Hi, Avril,” Ansley said but didn’t look over her shoulder.

Watching from where she stood, Avril saw Ansley’s aura flicker and turn white. Something was hurting her. “Did you hear what I said?”

“Aye. I see the men in the courtyard right now. I’m relieved for you.”

Avril slipped closer, following her friend’s gaze. Roduch’s tall form stood next to a huge blue roan stallion, his large hands on the reins as he waited to mount up.

The captain’s dark head was bent with the duke’s.

Ansley’s gaze was glued on the two men.

“Are you all right?” Avril asked.

Misty, blue-green eyes met hers as Mistress Ansley looked away from the scene below.

Avril sat next to her friend, heart skipping. She’d come to care about the redhead very much in a short amount of time. She’d saved her. Shown her what a strong woman was.

“I’m fine.” Ansley averted her gaze.

Avril said nothing about the lie, but sighed. “I know we haven’t known each other very long, but I’m here if you want to talk about it. If not, that’s all right, too.”

One corner of her mouth up, the other girl met her eyes again. “Thanks. You’ve been through too much to endure my issues as well, but I very much appreciate the offer.”

Avril shook her head, smiling softly. “I’m fine, I promise. Just know I’m here for you, all right?” She wanted to reach for Ansley’s hand but stopped herself.

Touching people was still difficult. Though she’d not forced her magic since she’d come to the castle, she didn’t always have warning when a vision was going to present itself, and touch was a trigger. She wouldn’t want to see anything of Mistress Ansley’s future without being asked to look.

Funny, as much as Roduch had touched her, it hadn’t happened with him. And they still hadn’t
really
figured out why he’d been seeing her since he was a boy. Lady Cera’s cousin, Avery, hadn’t been able to find anything in any magic tomes. He agreed with the boy; theirs was a case of true, divine fate.

Faith and love.

Avril would grasp it with both hands and hold on with all her might.

“I appreciate it. Really,” her new friend whispered. The other girl reached for her hand and squeezed.

Avril accepted the gesture, but her head spun as the familiar sense of magic crept up, then engulfed her.

The present fell away and two unknown figures shimmered into her mind’s eye, wavering at first, but finally coming into focus.

Her body heated and her magic surged.

Sir Leargan and Ansley were standing with hands joined, facing each other. Gazing into each other’s eyes as if there was no one else on the continent. Avril gasped as love washed over her. Their love for each other. Feelings of forever.

Her friend was dressed in wedding attire, a gorgeous, lavish gown the pale green of Greenwald. Her red hair was braided intricately, and she wore a traditional wedding crown of woven flowers.

The knight was dressed in shiny decorative armor one would never fight in, the howling white wolf of Greenwald etched and painted in color on his chest plate.

Avril’s heart pounded as she comprehended the scene before her.

The vision was surrounded in the pale purple aura of things yet to come. She was looking at the future.

Mistress Ansley and Sir Leargan’s wedding.

As quickly as the premonition started, it began to fade, the couple flickering as they went, as soon as Sir Leargan leaned down for a kiss.

Magic dissipating made Avril’s head spin, and she reclined back in the chair, taking a deep breath when her shoulders hit the carved wood.

“Avril? Are you all right?”

Her friend’s sadness washed over her when their eyes made contact again, pulling back to the here and now.

So opposite of the vision.

Avril squeezed Ansley’s forearm and smiled. Peace settled over her, and she wished she could project it onto the Rider like the healer could. “Yes, I’m fine. And you will be, too.”

Mistress Ansley’s teal eyes widened and she swallowed.

She wouldn’t reveal the vision, since it was unplanned, unrequested, but Avril wanted her friend to feel better with all her heart.

“Truly, Mistress Ansley. It will be all right. Better. It’ll be as it
should
be.”

Ansley’s stare burned. Like she was trying to make sense of Avril’s assurance.

“Trust me.”

Puzzlement settled over the redhead’s expression, but Ansley nodded; said nothing even though her lips parted.

The sound of scraping nails made Avril glance over her shoulder.

Ali, Mistress Ansley’s large black she-wolf made her way across the solar, heading straight for them.

Avril reminded herself her friend’s bondmate would never harm her and forced herself to sit still.

Ali gave her a onceover that had her stomach jumping as she stopped between them. She bumped Ansley’s hands with her large head, sitting on her hindquarters with a slight wag of her tail.

Her friend smiled and obeyed, burying her hands in the wolf’s thick dark fur. Ansley’s still-visible aura shifted, the multifaceted pale colors of love weaving in.

Avril could see the magic of their bond, appearing as a thick gold rope as well as the wolf’s much less complicated aura, which was also made up of pastel colors. “She looks soft.”

Ansley looked up. “She is. You can touch her. She likes affection.”

Avril reached out, praying her hand wouldn’t shake, and rested her fingers on the wolf’s back.

Ali looked at her, but Avril averted her gaze.

Eye contact with a wolf meant an assertion of dominance. She swallowed back a gasp.

“Avril, it’s all right. She likes that you’re petting her.”

Slowly, she turned back toward the animal that weighed more than she did. Avril smiled and stroked Ali’s head.

The big she-wolf leaned into her hand.

“See? She likes you.”

Avril grinned. “Good. I’ve never seen a wolf up close, before coming here. The first time I saw Trikser I screamed and jumped into Roduch’s arms. We were walking down the corridor on the way to the great hall.”

Ansley laughed, but the sadness didn’t leave her teal eyes. “I bet it was disconcerting. Minding your own business and there’s a wild animal not five feet down the hallway.”

Giggling, Avril nodded. “Yes. Then I saw Ali
and
Isair. Of course, Roduch explained things to me, but it was still a shock.
Three
wolves in a castle.”

“Cera tells me Morag will never accept it.”

“I like Headwoman Morag,” Avril said.

“Aye, as do I. But she’s too conservative for Cera’s tastes.”

“And always will be,” Lady Cera said, sauntering into the room with her son in her arms.

Avril grinned. She loved holding little Lord Fallon.

“You don’t even know of whom I speak,” Ansley said, smiling. For the first time, her aura brightened. A happy peach color came to the forefront. She was happy to see Lady Cera and her baby.

Aimil slid from behind Lady Cera into the doorway, grinning. “Morag,” she said at the same time the duchess did.

The four of them shared a laugh.

Fallon must not have liked their joke, because he let out a wail, but his mother propped him higher on her shoulder and rubbed his back. The little one quieted, and Avril couldn’t help but stare.

Sadness and regret washed over her and she suppressed a frown. Avril wanted a child. She wasn’t sorry she’d never had Tynan’s children…he would have treated them as badly as he had her, but she would have loved any child she’d bore.

With her knight…she had a second chance.

But was he throwing
his
chance at fatherhood away if he stayed with her?

Tynan had shoved his seed into her over and over during the course of their four turn marriage. Never had she conceived.

Was there something wrong with her?

Could she even have children?

Roduch’s blond hair and pale blue eyes floated into her mind. She was dark…he was light. What would their child look like? Her heart galloped.

“Avril?” Lady Cera took a seat as Lady Aimil took Lord Fallon into her arms and rocked him by the hearth. A warm, inviting fire burned brightly.

“I’m fine, my lady.”

The duchess smiled. “Good. I’d worried a bit. Today’s a big day. Don’t fret. You won’t even see him, all right?”

“I know, my lady. I’m not frightened.” Avril nodded for effect, her breath exiting on a whoosh.

Those words were
true.

She wasn’t afraid of Tynan Mont and it was
glorious
.

Lady Cera and Mistress Ansley looked at each other. Some sort of non-verbal communication passed between them, but Ansley averted her gaze, busying herself with her bondmate. Her aura throbbed, turning bright white again. She was hurting. Badly.

Avril’s heart ached. She wished she could reveal the vision, but would it help Ansley or make her doubt the truth?

Things would work out as they were supposed to. Her visions were never wrong.

Ansley was sweet and genuine. But, what could’ve happened? And why did the duchess look vexed with her? Concern was in Lady Cera’s expression, too, but the color of her aura confirmed she was frustrated with her friend when Avril concentrated enough to make it visible. The duchess had more magic than Ansley, so the color scheme glowed brighter.

Lord Fallon let out a wail loud enough to break glass, and their collective gazes shot to Lady Aimil struggling to rock him. “See, Cera? I told you he doesn’t like me.”

Chuckling as she rose to her feet, Lady Cera shook her head and retrieved her son from her friend. “Aimil, he likes you just fine. He’s just fussy this morning. Fed and changed and he still gave me a hard time. Until Jorrin held him and calmed him. Temporarily, obviously.”