Nightshade (48 page)

A wave of guilt followed her words, but Owen accepted it with little argument.
Taking the brunt of the rage that was meant for me. That I deserve and no one else.

“Do you understand yet, my love, what you did?”

“I knew what I’d done when Aidan wept. I just didn’t know how to take it back.”

“And do you still believe our son?” she asked. “That to allow Darry the rights and privileges that our other children enjoy with fanfare and freedom will somehow damage five hundred years of your family’s rule? To openly accept another kind of love will weaken his position for the future?”

“I still see her in my dreams sometimes, handing me back your mother’s necklace.”

Cecelia moved across the room then knelt beside him and placed a hand on his leg. “You must accept her, Owen, for who she is. Not who you wanted her to be.”

“You mean Jacey?”

“Yes, my love.”

“She’s nothing like Jacey was.”

“She never was, Owen.”

“I know that. I’ve always known it.”

“Then why have you always fought her so?”

“Because she loved me the same.” He said the words he had never spoken before. “She looked at me the same way, right through me. I couldn’t help but think of them in the same breath, though I knew it was unfair. I kept thinking she would change, even though you told me she wouldn’t. Even though I knew it as well. I never wanted her to be Jacey.”

“The sword is her destiny. And as to how she loves, it is only that, Owen. It’s love, and the heart does as it pleases. No man has a say in this decision, and no woman either. She could no more change the path her heart follows than you could, my darling.”

“I know it. I just thought, well, here is yet another thing I cannot protect her from,” he admitted at last. “Here is yet one more danger she’ll walk into alone, and I must watch as the world tries to destroy her, if only a little at a time.”

Cecelia lifted his hand and placed it against her cheek. “Owen.”

“I thought at the last that at least I could teach her fear.”

Cecelia was startled by the words.

“The fearless die young, my love,” he said. “She had no fear. It was my brother’s fate as well, to walk through the world without fear. Though he finally found it at the end of a sword upon the field. If he had held but a measure of caution, Malcolm would be King now and you and I would’ve lived a different life entirely.

“He was as she is, a natural with the blade. I knew it that day, the day I struck her. I knew her completely when she held her wooden blade to Wyatt’s throat and smiled down at him, waiting for him to yield. And I’ve never been so frightened in all my life. I saw her laid low, but a girl still, for she would rush in as Malcolm had. Not arrogant, but unafraid of losing. She doesn’t understand it. She had no concern for such a thing as failing.

“And when she declared herself backwards? I saw it yet again, though it was
my
fear for her that led to all of this.”

Cecelia saw his mind at work. She saw the shame he felt at his actions.

“That she kept their love hidden for so long, she had learned to fear and I didn’t see it. It was my fear that listened to our son. I wanted him to be right. I wanted to believe that the council would turn against me. I wanted the Bloods up in arms. I wanted Aidan’s father to break from the Guilds and campaign against me on the strength of his disapproval. If they did these things, I would not be wrong in my own displeasure at their love, for how could that be love? How could I protect her from something I didn’t understand?”

“Owen.”

“No, Cece,” he said. “But I knew when Aidan wept. When she looked at me and spoke of saving Darry’s honor, no matter what it cost her. Bloody hell, she was just a girl.”

“Owen, you must finally answer for what you did. And we must deal with Malcolm for what he’s done. That he shared such things with Marteen and Melora. It was a cruelty that Darry will seek satisfaction for. It was in the worst form possible and unworthy of him. We’ve made a terrible mistake in allowing him his feud. It is founded only in prejudice. It serves no purpose but to torture them both.” She felt fear at her own words. “And I think it’s made him careless, Owen, and cruel.”

“I see it,” he said. “It’s in his voice when he loses patience. A distaste and contempt for the opinions of others. An arrogance in his manner that’s dangerous.”

“I think we should look more closely at what he’s doing,” she said, remembering Jessa’s words from the grove. “I’ve reason to believe that Mal plays a deeper game here, one that neither you nor I has any knowledge of.”

“The girl.”

“Yes.”

“I know it. He is too focused on Joaquin. There’s a play that runs deeper, and our Lyonese peacock is up to his neck within it. As is Mal, I fear. He has that look he gets when he’s living in the distance. When we thought he would court Celine, he had the same look…dreaming of the future and making grand plans. It’s time that Mal and I had a talk.”

“But Darry first,” Cecelia said. “You must answer to her first or she’ll be lost to us, do you understand?” Her tears slipped free. “Don’t let her run, Owen,
please
. I can’t lose another child. I can’t do it.”

“I never meant to hit her.”

“Owen?”

“Yes, love?”

“There’s something else you need to know.”

He took a deep breath at her words and let it out slowly. “Of course there is.”

“Your rooms are good then?” Emmalyn looped her hand in Nina’s arm as they walked.

“Bloody hell, Emma.” The freckles across Nina’s nose glowed as her cheeks lifted in a smile. “If my sister brings any more luggage I’m going to shove her lovely ass into the biggest trunk I can find and send her back home in it.”

Emmalyn laughed. “And the house was fine?”

“Of course. They sent me ahead to do a serf’s work, as always.” Nina spied Jessa moving down the stairs. “Where in the seven hells is Darry, anyway? Jessa!”

Emmalyn lifted her arm free and pushed her to the side as they walked. “
Princess
Jessa to you, water rat!”

Nina’s eyes flared. “Don’t start
that
again.” She growled, sounding both annoyed and amused. “I like the water, what of it?”

Jessa came down the last steps into the foyer. “Am I late for our lunch?” she asked, knowing already that she was.

“You cannot be late, Jessa,” Emmalyn said. “It’s only lunch.”

“You look damn fine, Jessa.” Nina took her elbow. “Let us find a few bottles of good spring wine, shall we?”

“Yes, let us have it, Lady Lewellyn,” Jessa said.

“Fucking hell and hounds.” Nina laughed. “Call me that again, Jess, and I shall never speak to you again. Even if you do marry my
fool
stick of a cousin. He may be the King of Arravan one day, but he’ll always be a stick.”

Emmalyn laughed and stepped close, putting a hand over her cousin’s mouth. “Ignore her, please, Jessa. She’s a smelly street urchin we picked from the gutters and has yet to learn her manners.”

Nina’s eyes narrowed in a threatening manner.

“Will you behave?”

Nina mumbled against her hand and Emmalyn released her, whereupon she turned to Jessa. “Have you seen Darry? I’m here for days and days and not even a kiss hello? She can’t escape me now. I’ve taken over the north wing and intend to root myself here until after Solstice. Father can look after his own bloody house when he gets here. Do you know where she is?”

“I imagine not far behind,” Jessa answered, “knowing that you’ve arrived. She’s had duties that must be seen to, though most likely she was thinking of you while she did them.”

Emmalyn stared. Jessa’s voice as she had spoken of Darry filled with something familiar and altogether intimate. She had spoken as if answering for Darry were as natural to her as taking a breath.
She answers for her lover. Mother was right. Bloody hell, Mother was right.

“Darry is a rogue and a cad for ignoring me,” Nina said.

“Yes, she’s a cad for certain,” Jessa said in a faraway voice.

Emmalyn saw it in Jessa’s eyes. She recognized the emotions and the tell-tale signs of desire. She knew what it was like to be unable to control her body’s response to Royce’s touch, or even the thought of it in an unguarded moment.
This will spill like blood to the foot of your throne, Father. My sister’s blood, and now mine as well. All of us.

“Emma?” Jessa asked.

“I’m starving.” Emmalyn turned her thoughts as smoothly as she could. “Off we go.”

The three of them moved toward the great hall and Nina started the tale of opening her father’s house in the city and preparing it for her family’s arrival. Her language was peppered with curses and phrases both hilarious and decidedly ill-advised, considering her rank. Neither Emmalyn nor Jessa could resist their laughter, however, for Nina’s charm was too great and her enthusiasm for the tale far too amusing. When Emmalyn mentioned the impropriety of her language, Nina shrugged.

“I can’t help it, Emma,” she said. “Everything is so big inside it just comes out that way.”

“I rather like it, water rat, if you must know.”

“Water rat?” Jessa asked.

“Don’t you start too, Jess,” Nina said.

“Nina!”

Nina turned quickly at the voice and looked back the way they had come, then gave a whoop to rival a war call, lifting her skirt as she ran.

Darry watched Nina, impressed by her speed as she closed the distance between them, and laughed as she braced herself for the impact. A few seconds later Nina was in her arms and clinging to her neck.

“
Darry
!” she cried happily and Darry whirled in a circle. Darry felt kisses on her face and laughed harder, setting her down. “Darry.” Nina smiled, breathless. “I’ve missed you.”

Darry pushed the hair away from Nina’s beautifully freckled face. “And I you.”

Nina stepped back and let her hands slide along the lapels of Darry’s royal blue jacket and trousers. “Cocks and balls, Darry, but you look bloody fucking handsome.”

“And you’re even fouler than last time we met, my sweet.”

“I’ve been practicing in the pubs,” Nina proclaimed. “Where my tongue is given the respect it deserves.”

“I stand in awe,” Darry replied. “You cut your hair.”

Nina shrugged. “It was very heavy. Too hard to swim.”

“My champion paddler. I would see you race a tiger fish in the Sellen Sea,” she said. “Auntie Phillipa must’ve had a bloody seizure.”

Nina leaned against her. “You have no idea.”

“Seven hells, the wedding. On Winter’s Eve?”

Nina made a sour face. “Yes, and it won’t grow back in time. I’ve heard it all, you must trust me.”

“How is Hammond?”

“He’s fine. He’s always fine. Gods, Darry, but our foreign Princess is bloody-well beautiful. I like her.”

Darry followed her gaze to see Jessa smiling as Emmalyn spoke to her. “Yes,” she said simply.
She’s everything.
“So do I.”

“Does she really intend to marry Malcolm?”

“She will marry someone, I think.” Darry pulled at her hand. “Come on. I’m dying for my lunch.”

“I hear you danced the Mohn-Drom, cousin.”

Darry let out a startled laugh as they followed Jessa and Emmalyn. “Yes, and it was perhaps ill-advised.”

“Practically fucking on the dance floor, Darry. You’re even more shameless than I am, and with a
man,
no less!”

“But you were not here yet, my sweet, or I would’ve danced it with you.”

“And I probably would’ve let you take me afterward as well,” Nina said with a touch of wickedness. “The Mohn-Drom is a very serious dance.”

“You’re my first
cousin
, my love.”

“Cousins have fucked before,” Nina said, coyly lifting an eyebrow. “How else can you explain my sister’s husband?”

Darry laughed and seized her waist as they passed beneath the arch. Nina let out a startled cry as Darry swept her up. “Poor Bernard, you’re worse than I am, Nina.”

“I know, isn’t it grand?”

They danced a step gracefully to the music of Nina’s laughter.

Emmalyn stood beside Jessa on the far side of the dance floor as Darry led Nina through their steps, both women extremely graceful as Nina pressed against Darry rather shamelessly.

“I like your cousin very much,” Jessa said.
Though she presses too closely.

“They’ve always adored each other,” Emmalyn replied. “Stuck together through thick and thin, and alike in so many ways.”

“Yes, they’re both wild at heart and honest.”

Emmalyn felt instantly threatened at Jessa’s words and the adoration she heard within them, and a swell of dread rose in her throat. She wanted to cry out as Darry and Nina danced, afraid it would all come crashing down. Everything, and her sister’s life would hang in the balance.

Darry and Jessa were alone, and Emmalyn would not allow it despite her mother’s order for silence. Their father would be home by now and it would all end, one way or another. She made the decision with very little difficulty. If Darry and Jessa were truly in love, it would not be only Darry who disappeared into the night.