My Lady Mage: A Warriors of the Mist Novel (25 page)

Her eyes widened in horror. “That cannot be. The
gods would never be so cruel or unfair. All you can do is your best. That is all that can be asked of any man—or woman.”

“Ordinary men may concern themselves with what is fair or not, but I’m not an ordinary man, Merewen. None of the Damned is. I serve the gods as an avatar, even as Scim serves me. Our fates are all twined together for better or worse. I repeat, I will not risk the souls of my friends, not even for you.”

His words hurt her, but what choice did he have? “We have yet to discern the full extent of what the gods are demanding of us this time. We suspect that regaining control of your home is only the first part of the purpose the gods have decreed.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “What do you mean?”

“You have felt the evil that roams this land yourself. You’ve sensed its growing presence in your uncle and his men.”

He didn’t wait for her to admit it. “To make sure that you are safe, we must seek out the source of that evil and stop it before it grows too strong to be contained. We know that it feeds on both innocence and blood. Unless we can contain it and soon, the people of Agathia will live, suffer, and die in darkness for eons to come.

“I fear greatly for you and your people. We need to find the root of this dark magic.” He let his hands drop back down to his sides. “But I should not have started this discussion tonight when we are both tired. Tomorrow will be soon enough after you are rested.”

It was far past time to see her safely to her chambers. “Let me confer with Kane briefly, and then I will walk you inside. Will you wait?”

She nodded, looking sad and weary beyond description. “I’ll be here.”

Ignoring his own exhaustion, Gideon jogged over to the gate. Kane stepped out of the darkness, startling him.

“Damn you—don’t do that.”

Kane’s teeth gleamed whitely in the darkness. “After all these centuries you should be used to it. But then, I suspect the lady has your thoughts tied up in too many knots to leave you much room for clear thinking.”

It was no less than the truth. That didn’t mean Gideon wanted to hear it. “Any sign of Olaf and his men?”

“No. Duncan sent the owl winging after them. He returned but a short time ago. From all appearances, they are riding straight for the capital city, most likely to warn the lady’s uncle that he is no longer welcome here.”

Gideon had guessed as much. “That should buy us a few days to shore up the defenses.”

“I have some ideas on the subject, but they can wait until tomorrow. Go. Your lady needs to seek her bed. With Olaf gone, I suspect she’ll sleep more soundly than she has in a long time.”

Memories of what he’d seen earlier came flooding back along with the need to avenge Merewen’s honor. “The lady has had good reason to fear the night. If we’d arrived even a few minutes later, he would have—”

Kane’s big hand came down on Gideon’s shoulder. “But we weren’t late. Be content with that for this night. We’ll have our vengeance upon him soon enough.”

Hob prowled by, stopping only long enough to taste the air around Gideon with a flick of his forked tongue. The beast snorted, clearly not happy with the smoky smell that clung to Gideon’s skin.

For the first time in hours, Gideon smiled. “If I smell bad enough to offend a gargoyle, perhaps I should delay seeking my bed long enough to bathe.”

With that, he returned to Merewen. Together they trudged wearily toward the great hall.

M
urdoch carried the last of the wounded fighters over to a pallet in the corner. After he was settled on the blankets, the man gingerly stretched out his leg, wincing at the pain. His skin was ashen, but that had more to do with the stress of having the jagged gash in his upper thigh stitched closed than the severity of the wound.

It wouldn’t hurt to repeat Lady Alina’s instructions one last time. “Remember, if it hurts too badly, ask for more of that special brew to help you sleep. Right now, rest is what you need.”

The weary man’s eyes were already fluttering closed. “Yes, sir.”

Satisfied he’d done all he could for the man, Murdoch headed back to where Lady Alina was tending to the last few of the injured. He stopped short of where she and the cook had set up the tables to treat those who had required more than a dash of salve or a simple bandage.

He’d already known Ellie to be a forceful woman who ran her kitchen with a strong hand. It was Lady Alina who had managed to surprise him. From the instant the first of the wounded were carried into the hall, she’d been here, there, everywhere with an encouraging word, a gentle touch, and a fierce determination to give even the lowliest of Merewen’s people the best care she could offer.

Other than the one man killed outright by Olaf, no
other lives had been lost from among those loyal to Merewen. While it was difficult to forgive Fagan’s men for setting fire to the stable, their actions may have helped keep the deaths to a minimum. Cornered, the traitors would have fought like trapped rats.

“Sir Murdoch!”

He straightened up at the call of his name. “Yes, Lady Alina?”

She started for him, stopping when she was only an arm’s length away. The difference in their heights forced her to tip her head back at an awkward angle. Her diminutive size and grace made him feel big and clumsy, at the same time triggering all of his protective instincts.

“Did you need me to lift another patient?” In his mind he added,
Or anything else I could do to help,
as he searched for any excuse he could use to remain close to her.

“No, I wanted to thank you for all your help with the injured. You made our job much easier.”

His manners were a bit rusty, but he managed a stiff bow. “It was my pleasure, Lady Alina. Is there nothing more I can do?”

She bit her lower lip as she looked around. “We need to scrub the tables clean so that they are ready for the first meal in the morning, but that is not work for a noble knight such as you.”

Murdoch would have scrubbed the garderobe if it had pleased her. He kept that to himself.

“At least let me carry the tables back to where they belong for you.”

His willingness to help seemed to please her. Before she answered, though, one of the other women called out to her.

“Shall we boil more of the herbs in case some of the injured need them during the night?”

When Alina turned to answer her, Murdoch noticed
she had a piece of thread in her hair; without thinking, he reached out to remove it. Or maybe he was thinking how nice it would be to touch the spun gold silk of her hair.

His reasons didn’t matter; only the effect his thoughtless gesture had on Alina did. As soon as she noticed the movement of his hand out of the corner of her eye, she cried out and threw her hands up in self-defense as she lurched backward, trying to get out of his reach and ward off the perceived blow.

Murdoch’s first instincts were to catch her, but one look at her too-pale face and the icy fear in her eyes froze him instantly.

Dangling the piece of thread in the air, he pitched his voice low and soothing. “My apologies. I didn’t mean to startle you. I thoughtlessly reached to remove this from your hair. I would never—”

He cut himself off midsentence. The last thing Alina would want would be for him to promise never to hit her the way that bastard Fagan clearly had. Even so, she obviously knew exactly what he’d been about to say. She swallowed hard as understanding came flooding back, her cheeks flushing bright in embarrassment.

Everyone in their immediate surroundings stood in hushed silence, staring first at him in disgust for frightening her and then at Alina with what looked like pity. He didn’t care what they thought of him, but Alina was a prideful, private woman. She would hate to be the object of anyone’s pity. She seemed caught in a trap, unable to break free.

Someone had to take charge of the situation. “Cook, I’m sure Lady Alina would be happy to show you how to brew more of that herbal tisane for the wounded. While you do that, the rest of us will move the tables back and get them scrubbed clean.”

He was well aware that any other time the cook would have come after him with one of her skewers for having
hinted that she wouldn’t know how to boil water and herbs together without help.

Instead, she gave him a brief nod of approval as she gently took Lady Alina by the arm and led her from the hall.

Murdoch wanted very badly to follow after them and even see Alina safely to her room. Did she believe his unspoken promise to never raise a hand to her? Now wasn’t the time to question her further. It was bad enough that everyone in the household knew of her abuse. If he caused her honor to be called into question by showing too much interest in her, he would only compound the evil done by her husband.

Better that he concentrate on his duty as one of Gideon’s warriors. For tonight, he’d clean tables, but come the morrow, he’d hone his sword and prepare for battle. It was all he was good for.

Merewen kept her head up, carrying herself as if she really were in charge and knew what she was doing, when all she wanted to do was crawl into a corner somewhere and hide. Yes, she was glad the keep was now firmly in possession of Gideon and his men. But right now, it was all too much.

Before everything could spin out of control, a firm hand touched the middle of her back. “Steady there, Merewen.”

Just that quickly, Gideon’s solid presence helped rein in the tumble of memories. “Thank you.”

There was unexpected warmth in his voice. “All things considered, you’ve held up remarkably well. I would suggest a quick check on the injured, and then you should retreat to your room for what is left of the night. Kane and our avatars will remain on duty to make sure all stays quiet while everyone gets some rest. Nothing and no one will get by them.”

“A peaceful night of sleep would be a true gift from the gods.” She managed a small smile. “But not until I make sure the wounded have been seen to.”

They made a quick circle around the hall, and she was pleased with the care everyone had gotten. Her last stop was the kitchen. It was no surprise to see Ellie had fresh bread baking and a pot of apples stewing for the morning meal. However, she hadn’t expected to find her aunt seated on one of the benches with a mug of something hot clasped in her hands.

Alina stood up as Merewen walked in. “Niece, I’m glad to see you are well and unharmed. Sir Murdoch had said so, but it is a relief to see for myself.”

For the second time since the fire, Merewen found herself wrapped in someone’s arms. This time the hug was brief but still heartfelt.

“I’m fine. Tired, but fine.” Merewen gave Alina one last squeeze before stepping back. She smiled at the cook. “Ellie, I appreciate what you two have done for all of the injured.”

Alina shrugged her shoulders. “It’s good to be useful again.”

Her simple statement contained such pain. “You were more than just useful. Everyone out there was most eager to tell me of your kindness and gentle touch. They will all heal much better, thanks to the care you gave them.”

That was true, but right now it was Alina herself who concerned Merewen. The woman looked as if the slightest touch would shatter her into a hundred pieces. Merewen wasn’t the only one in need of sleep.

“I’m on my way to my room. Would you walk with me?”

Alina looked around, as if unsure how she’d come to be standing in the kitchen or what she needed to be doing. The cook came to the rescue.

“Both of you need to get out from underfoot. I have work to do, and you’ll only be in the way.”

Merewen half expected the woman to flap her apron at them the way she did the chickens and geese out in the bailey. Still, her no-nonsense attitude gave Alina the push she needed to get moving again.

Tomorrow, Merewen would ask her friend what had happened to cause Alina to look so forlorn. With Fagan banished from the keep, Merewen wouldn’t have been surprised to find her aunt celebrating his absence.

Ellie followed them back out into the hall. Merewen hid a smile when the woman gave Gideon an appraising look. She sniffed the air and frowned. “I’ve been heating water all evening for people to use to wash up. Lady Merewen, that fancy tub of your uncle’s is waiting for you in your room.”

Then she pointed at Gideon. “I told your man Murdoch and his young friend that no one comes to my tables smelling of horse and burned wood. There are tubs for you and the other men set up in the room down the hall from Lady Alina’s. Use them.”

With that edict, she disappeared back into the kitchen, no doubt ready to terrorize her assistants into getting their chores done. Merewen couldn’t help herself and let loose with a peal of laughter. The stunned look on Gideon’s face was just too funny.

At first, he looked mildly irritated, but then he gave in and grinned back at her. “I can think of half a dozen battles that would’ve been more easily won with that woman in command.”

“You should tell Ellie that sometime. It would please her.”

He nodded. “But not tonight. I wouldn’t dare set foot in her kitchen in this condition. I’ll see you to your room and then seek out that bath she mentioned.”

They started to walk away but noticed that Alina
wasn’t moving. Merewen had never seen her look quite so lost. Gideon gave her a questioning look. She shrugged, unsure what to do.

Finally, Gideon stepped forward and presented his arm to Lady Alina. “I am Captain Gideon. Would you allow me the honor of escorting you from the hall, my lady?”

Her aunt finally nodded and accepted the offer, looking grateful for his support. Merewen fought down the bit of jealousy she felt at watching Gideon charm another woman. It was an unworthy emotion, especially when it was so clear that right now Alina needed his attention more than Merewen did.

As she followed in their footsteps, a movement in the far corner caught her attention. It was Murdoch, his size making it impossible to mistake him for anyone else. It wasn’t just his odd behavior that had caught her attention, but the expression of raw hunger on his face as he’d watched Alina and Gideon walk across the great hall on their way to the staircase.