Soul Magic (19 page)

“A bad dream.”  He nodded.  “I see.”

“But you
don’t
.”  Alanna’s eyes flashed green fire.  “Ellette dreamt of my son.”

A chill went down his spine.  Wynne.  Turning, he looked for the elderly woman.  She had gone.  Of course she had – for some reason she didn’t want to face Alanna.

Carefully, he chose his next words.  “Tell me of this dream.”

The tiny girl once again burst into tears.  Her wails were loud enough to shake the sides of the tent.

Alanna made soothing sounds, gathering Ellette close and smoothing the damp curls from her forehead.  Finally, the child’s crying subsided. 

“She fears for Caradoc’s life.”  Alanna’s tone was flat.

“She told you this?”

“As best she could.”

He knelt down in front of them.  “Ellette?” 

She hid her face in the crook of Alanna’s arm.

“Ellette, please.  Tell me what you saw.”

“She said—

“Wait.”  He cut Alanna off before she could tell him.  “I want to hear this in her own words.”

Peering up at him through lashes spiky with tears, Ellette appeared to be considering him.  Finally, she rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“BadmanhasCawadoc.”

Bad man has Caradoc.

He nodded, keeping an expression of fatherly concern on his face.  “A bad man has Caradoc.  Yes sweetheart, we know.”

Her face scrunched up and he thought she was going to cry again.  But instead, she pounded Alanna’s leg with her small fist. 

“Magic.  Bad magic.  Hurt Cawadoc.”

Darrick felt another chill.  Exactly as Wynne had said.

Rising, he looked at Alanna.  She’d composed herself, wearing her mask of royal iciness once more. 

“Get yourself and the child ready.  We need to try and stop them before they go too far.”  He looked away.  “We cannot let them cross the sea.”

He saw the question in Alanna’s eyes.  How could he answer her, when he didn’t even know the solution himself?  He was human, not Fae.  He had no special gifts – he could not foretell the future.  All he could do was take one step at a time and attempt to learn from the mistakes in his past.                “Wynne paid me a visit.”

Alanna’s eyes narrowed.  “And?”

He had to push the words past the constriction in his throat.  “She claims Caradoc is in danger.  But we already knew that.”

He saw the sudden stillness in her.  “Has the peril increased?”

“She didn’t say.  She spoke of Gorsedd using Caradoc’s power too soon, and how that might hurt him.”

“Power?  What power?  My son has no power.  He is too young, and a changeling besides.”

Darrick lifted his shoulder in a shrug.  “I merely repeat her words to me.”  He glanced at Geoffrey and Sarina. Both watched with curiously identical expressions. 

“Get ready to move on.”  Raising his voice, he made sure his men would hear.  “We ride as soon as possible.  We have a few day’s journey before we reach the coast.”

Less than an hour later they were on their way.  The wintry sun’s position showed it to be late afternoon, much earlier than they usually traveled.  Darrick saw no point in continuing to ride only in darkness – the attack of the dark riders had clearly shown Gorsedd knew of their pursuit. Knew and would try to stop them any way he could.

Darrick had a feeling that thus far they’d been lucky.  The closer they drew to Caradoc, the harder Gorsedd would raise his magical hammer against them.  He only hoped they would survive.

                                          *    *    *    *

             
When they rode out, Geoffrey again kept to the rear of their column, while Darrick rode to the front.  This way, Geoffrey could keep watch on everyone, including Sarina and Alanna.  Though Sarina and he had agreed to be partners in their mutual quest to keep Darrick and Alanna apart, he didn’t entirely have confidence in the woman.  How could he trust someone who haunted his every waking thought?

“Geoffrey.”  Darrick called his name. 

Geoffrey urged his war horse into a jog, riding up to join his liege lord at the front.

“Ride beside me.  I need your counsel.”

His
counsel?  Geoffrey felt a flush of pleasure.  Though once he’d once sought it often, Darrick had not asked his advice at all as of late.

“Of course.” 

They moved ahead, keeping several lengths in front of the others.

“I do not wish our conversation easily over heard.”  Darrick sounded worried.  Did he finally understand the possible repercussions of being involved with Alanna and her kind?

“I fear for the boy.”

“The boy?”  Whatever he’d expected, it wasn’t this. “What of your lady mother?” Geoffrey swallowed, working to keep his expression neutral.
             

“I worry for her as well.  Yet I believe her situation might have improved if Morfran sent her with Alanna’s son.  Wynne – the wise woman of Rune – has seen a vision.  And now Ellette had a dream.  Truly I believe the threat to his life is imminent.  We might not be able to reach him in time.” 

With a snort, Geoffrey felt obliged to point out their own position.  “
Our
lives are in danger.  More than our lives, actually.  If this Gorsedd was going to slay a child, he would have done so by now.  I think Caradoc will be fine.”

Darrick stared at him as though he spoke a foreign tongue.  “The boy has some sort of power.”

“Power?”  Geoffrey’s lip twisted.  “Black like the force behind these awful attacks?  Is it possible the child does not want to be rescued?”

“He has but five summers. Of course he wants his mother.  Who wouldn’t at that age?”

A strange and awful expression crossed Geoffrey’s face.  “I was three when my mother sent me to live with your family at Thorncliff.”

“You had no father.  She wanted you to learn from mine.”

Geoffrey swallowed.  “And I did.  I loved your father.  But still I longed to be with my mother.  Because it would hurt her, I did not give in to my desire to become a priest. You are right.  But I fail to understand how Caradoc had any power at all.  Even Alanna seemed surprised when you said it.”

“Who knows?  Wynne believes he has power.  He is half Fae.”

“But their power fades.  Or so you have told me.”

Darrick frowned.  “I know not.  The Fae legends and puzzles are too much for me.  Great weariness showed in his voice.  “Would that things were much more simple.”

“What would you do then?”

With a grim smile, Darrick shook his head.  “I would collect my mother and Alanna’s son and take them all with me to Rune.”

Confused, Geoffrey glanced back at the others.  Did Darrick mean to make Alanna his wife?  He looked at her and Sarina.  The two women rode side by side, their shining heads close together. 

“I seek to understand,” he said.  “Tell me of Alanna.”

Darrick frowned again, clearly undecided.  “What do you mean?  You have known her nearly as long as I have.”

Sadly, Geoffrey smiled.  “Nay.  Once you met her, things changed.  You came walking out of the woods with her on your arm, and thought of nothing else.  I watched you and her from a distance.  The two of you seldom included me when you were together.”

After a moment of silent consideration, Darrick dipped his head.  “I did not realize.  Why have you never spoken to me of this before?”

“Because I am a fatherless bastard.”  This time, Geoffrey did not try to hide his bitterness.  “And well I knew I was at Thorncliff only by the grace of your parents.”

“I would never have sent you away.”

“My own mother sent me away.  If she could do such a thing--.”  Checking himself, Geoffrey lowered his voice.  “`Twas long ago.  We were but children.  It matters not.”

“So this fear that I would make you leave, is this the reason why you dislike Alanna?” 

His stomach burning, Geoffrey nodded.  “Perhaps.  It could be that I was jealous of what you had.  It seemed I lost your friendship.  Yet how could I begrudge you such happiness.”

“I should have found a woman for you.”

Geoffrey’s laugh sounded hollow.  “If I had wanted a woman, I would have found my own.  I wanted to be a monk.  I did not understand about women.”

“And now?”

With a choked sound, Geoffrey indicated the others.  “Now I have met Sarina.”

“Confusion and women go hand in hand.”

“I think you might be right.”

“I know I am.”

They rode in silence for a few moments, Geoffrey wishing he could make Darrick understand his fears.  All of his life he had been forced to suffer quietly, while things around him changed.  His mother had sent him to foster at Thorncliff and, in order to please her, he had struggled to do as she wished and become a warrior rather than a priest.  The absence of his father – indeed, the lack of even knowing the man’s name – had created within him a deep, aching hole that he’d sought to fill with God.  The one constant in his life had been – and still was – his deep, abiding faith.

The concept of the Fae and magic and Rune did not fit in the careful world he had constructed around himself.  The foundations of even that were now starting to shift.  Geoffrey didn’t know how he would bear it.

“Sometimes I wish I lived in some monastery, far from ordinary travails.”  The words burst from him, full of pent-up emotion. 

Darrick turned to look at him in surprise.  “Still?  I know when we were children you longed for this, but would you so change your life now?”

With glum certainty, Geoffrey nodded.  “Aye.  I would.” 

“Then why don’t you?  Your mother is dead.  As if my father.  All of the people you feared to disappoint are gone.”

Except you
.  Too afraid to say the words out loud, Geoffrey simple shrugged.  Then, unable to help himself, he glanced back over his shoulder at Sarina.

Of course Darrick noticed. 

“Monks cannot consort with women,” Darrick pointed out.

Geoffrey’s laugh sounded hollow, even to his own ears.  “Consort.  Interesting choice of words.”

“My friend, your torment is written all over your face every time you look at her,” Darrick pointed out.

“`Tis only lust.”

“If you want Sarina so badly and she is willing, I fail to see your dilemma.”

“More proof of how we differ.”

Giving him a startled look, Darrick shrugged.  “We choose our own happiness.”

“Is that so?  Then what of your choice?  I fail to see how wanting Alanna makes you happy.  I cannot help but notice you suffer with care for her.”  A decided gamble – he had no way of knowing how Darrick would take his words. 

Instantly, Darrick expression went closed and cold.  “You know nothing of what you speak.”

Geoffrey bowed his head.  “Then again, I must apologize.”  But his apology was not sincere.  It was the first time he’d ever spoken falsely to his friend and liege lord.  His words were only truth and he was not sorry he’d said them.   If only Darrick would open his eyes and truly
see…

Darrick sighed.  “Perhaps the subject of those two women is one we should avoid.”

Relief flooded Geoffrey.  “Yes.  What did you want to discuss with me earlier?”

Shifting in his saddle, Darrick gazed out over the wintry landscape.  “I ponder the possibility that Caradoc could in fact, be my son.”

“Your son?”  Geoffrey’s mouth dropped open.  “But--”

“`Tis plain you think me deluded.  But Alanna and I shared one night of love.  `Tis possible my seed took root rather than Morfran’s.”

“Does Alanna--”

“She believes him to be Morfran’s.”

“But you have reason to think otherwise?”

Darrick gave a decisive nod.  “Aye. I do.”

“I see.”  Geoffrey looked away, struggling to compose himself.  Now at last he understood why Darrick seemed to hell-bent to help the woman who’d deserted him. 

“I see from the set of your jaw that you do not believe.”

“`Tis possible.  But how will you ever know?”

With a sigh, Darrick rubbed the back of his neck.  “I will talk to Alanna about this.”

“When?”

“Soon.”  His voice changed, became brusque.  “Now to other matters.  I have no doubt that those who seek to stop us will try again.  I need you to be ready.”

“What form will they take?”  Geoffrey thought of the shadowy riders who’d attacked them in the church and shuddered. 

“I know not, though I doubt they’ll send their shades next time.”

“Then what?  How?”

Frustration evident, Darrick growled.  “I know not.  Mayhap the same thing that killed Bart.”

“We did not see what killed Bart,” Geoffrey pointed out.  “We have only Alanna’s word for--”

“Enough.”  The command was spoken quietly.  “When will you realize there are things out we cannot see?”