CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Only the clink of bridles and the hollow plod of hooves to earth broke the silence of the night. We rode for an eternity
though
it
was likely no longer than two or three hours. Samuel and I sat perched atop the lead horse and his
three
brothers
on
sharing
the other two.
Tham had dissolved into the darkness but said he would remain close at hand. Kobi too had shed his human form and taken to swirling in a sulfurous
black mist
,
citing,
‘
he
"
didn’t ride bitch for no one
’
.
"
Either his scent or his inhuman presence unsettled the horses, and after a near bolting of Deaglan’s steed, Samuel had told him to keep his distance.
So, by way of starlight, we wove through the endless turns and corridors of the living maze. Even mounted on horseback we could not see anything but the sky above. The arborous walls surrounded, rising high above our heads and offering width enough for the horses to ride single file. No signs or markers indicated our destination, yet the Murray brothers knew the way, Samuel included.
As the silence stretched on, the night grew bitter cold, both in temperature and in Samuel’s demeanor. “What happens next, Samuel?” I whispered over my shoulder.
He pursed his lips and tilted his gaze toward his brothers. Questions jostled in my mind like maple keys twirling in the wind. Did he not trust his own kin? What did Samuel know about my calling as Queen? How was he so familiar with this strange, isolated place? What was his family doing here? Were the past failures of my race part of the reasons he held Highbornes in such disdain? Was it more than Galan winning Jade’s love? And what about Jade? Now that we had shared intimacy, what place did she hold in his heart?
I shivered and Samuel’s mood relented a little. He gathered me closer and he had taken from his brother tighter around me. Grateful as I was for the contact, I wanted to hear his voice. He smelled of frustration, hurt, and mistrust. I hoped not all his anger was directed at me after Kobi’s confession of indiscretions.
After another long stretch of silence, Samuel’s chest expanded behind me and he whispered in my ear. “How much did yer brother tell ye about the Aina Ohtar?”
I thought back to the past summer as Samuel’s thighs shifted and clenched to guide our horse on our path. I wished, yet again, we had stayed in bed this morning. “Galan said the were the Holy Warriors of Queen Rheagan, a secret society formed to protect her before the exile
and
but they
grew into what we now consider the Scourge.”
The closest Murray brother drew breath and turned a hateful glare on .
Or mayhap not.
Samuel patted my thigh with the hand he had out to work the reins and shook his head behind me. “Partly right. They are the Holy Warriors formed before the exile, but they were formed to protect the throne of the realm, not Rheagan herself. When Castian realized what his sister was up to, he took steps to correct the course of what had been set in motion.”
“But the Oracles said—”
His arms tensed. “I ken what they said. I was there that afternoon. They dinnae get the facts just right. When Rheagan was exiled, there were a group of men who broke off from the sect with plans to release her from her sentence. They used the name of the Aina Ohtar in their cause, but had no right to it.”
A gust of wind whipped up my skirt and goosebumps rose on my flesh.
Samuel’s arms came tighter around me and adjusted my shroud. Gods, he was warm. “We’re not far off now, lass.”
I shrugged, thankful his foul mood was dissolving. “How is it you know more than the Oracles?”
His chest vibrated against my back, his breath warming my neck. “The Murray’s are one of the five founding families of the original organization. It has been our duty to safeguard the crown of the realm for millennia.”
“Is that what you meant when you spoke of your father
's
and brother
’
s
’
station?”
“Aye, that’s what I meant.”
“And you chose a different path.”
He paused for a moment and smoothed the woolen fabric against our legs. “Aye, to my Da’s disappointment, I have much more of me Mam in me than he’d like. When she died, I lost the taste for this life of waiting and watching. I struck out on my own. Castian guided me to Reign and the Talon. Not that life got much easier out in the realm.”
The ache in his tone squeezed my heart, whether for the loss of his mother or choices made, or how the Fates had turned on him, I had no idea. I yawned again.
I wanted to hear more but the day dragged on and the monotonous plodding through a never-ending labyrinth had me rocking and swaying like a babe in a cradle. My eyes grew far too heavy to fight.
“All right, mochridhe.” Samuel shifted his arms until my cheek rested against his shoulder. “I should have let ye rest more last night, I take it.”
I shook my head and nipped his chin.
He chuckled and snuggled me closer. “Drift off, I’ve got ye. Dream of the tropical sun and warm rivers of yer village. They’ll be time to face the cold when ye wake.”
I did, in fact, dream of my village. I dreamed of the last days and nights before Galan’s Ambar Lenn, when he and I had lounged in the long grasses of the meadow and shed the heat of the day by swimming in the crux of the two rivers bordering our home. Life was simple. The solitary worry weighing on me was my coming age of eligibility and finding a suitor. His only concern was to fret over me. It had been merely the two of us, but that life, like the dream, faded in memory never to ring true again.
The illusion of security shattered like glass the moment I woke atop a bed the size of my entire bedchamber back home. I blinked, the plush velvet canopy above washed in warm mid-day light. How long had I slept? Where was I?
“Samuel? Tham? Kobi?”
A parchment note on the opposite pillow rustled when I stretched. Addressed to me, it was written in Samuel’s hand.
Lia, sleep well, for yer as safe as ye’ve ever been.
Deaglan and Nolan are outside the door standing watch. I think I sent Tham on an errand—hard to tell when speaking to thin air if he actually heard and ventured .
I know ye have questions. We’ll find answers together.
For now, I have Order details to tend to.
Meet me in the small hall at your leisure.
Until then,
S.
I re-read the name Deaglan and chuckled at the spelling. Samuel pronounced it Deklan. Seeing it written out made me smile. At my leisure. My smile grew and I drew a cleansing breath. Little leisure had graced my life in a long while.
I sat up and swept the fancy throw aside, thankful that in my filthy, post-horse-riding state Samuel had settled me on the bed and not in it.
The chamber stole my breath, decorated in gold and black, with rich purple accents, smooth stone walls, and wide wood beams high overhead. Light streamed in from the three long, leaded-glass windows, casting a kaleidoscope of colors across the opulent space.
Rolling across the mountain of golden, silk blankets, I struggled to exhume my legs from my crumpled skirt and head to the ensuite.
Answers would wait until after I freshened up.
I made my way to the vanity to wash my hands and glanced in the mirror. My gods, the journey had taken its toll and phew, I smelled most pungently of horse.
I stretched, wincing at the strained muscles between my legs. The horses of the Realm of the Fair resembled the Renier of our village, but with a broader body which widened my seating to the point of stiffness. Closing my eyes renewed the sensation of riding that virile beast with Samuel’s body wrapped around me.
A warm awareness woke throughout my body.
I shook myself. There was no future with Samuel. Could never be. For despite the hours we had stolen making love, I remained bonded to Abaddon.
Also, Samuel and his family detested Highbornes and my Highborne family detested him right back. But Galan did seem slightly more civil last night. Ughh, the hopelessness of the situation dragged on endlessly. I pushed all thought of my situation from my head.
“At
my
your
leisure,” Samuel had
said
written
.
Both the dysfunctions of my life and the claims against my future waited for me whether or not I took a moment to myself. Staring into the mirror, I eyed the bathing basin behind me , and a gown and matching ribbons hanging on the dress-stand behind the door.
And another note.
I turned from the mirror and skipped over to snatch it up.
Can’t have you looking like I dragged you through a keyhole. What kind of guardian would I be then, aye?
I thought the silver would look nice with your hair.
S.
I ran my fingers down the sheer, blue gown. The bodice was midnight blue velvet, embroidered with silver cross-hatching and sparkly gems where the lines intersected. The skirt and sleeves, however, flowed and fluttered, the fabric resembling the finest gossamer. The coloring faded from dark blue at the waist to a silver ice where the skirt swept above the stone floor.
My own stained skirt pooled to the floor, discarded. It would take more energy than I could spare to scrub and cleanse that garment. I set my mourning band and Castian’s crescent moon pendant on the counter and drew a bath. After a long hot soak in the tub, I combed out the tangles in my hair and plaited it with the ribbons Samuel left for me.
The dress fit like a second skin, elegant and sleek. It was more revealing than I was accustomed to, like the gowns females wore in the village after their coming of age. With my relocation, I had yet to switch my wardrobe over from the layered skirts and high-necked bodices of youth. I crisscrossed the long silver straps of the shoes up my shins and tied them below my knees. After leaning close to the mirror for one final look, I pinched my cheeks for color and practically floated to the door.
The brothers Murray waited outside the chamber door, as Samuel said in his note. In the light of day, their similarity to Samuel lessened. What I had thought to be ebony hair in the bleached light of evening was, in fact, dark auburn. And, of course, Samuel’s eyes were no longer the brown-black of his family, but the glittering opal of magic intervention.
Though I could not say for certain which was Deaglan and which Nolan, I bid them good morning and asked to be escorted to the small hall. The corridors of the building were wide and well-lit by modern electrical sconces and chandeliers. The windows rose toward the high ceilings, segmented by diamond-shaped leaded-glass. Stone and wood beam construction continued, giving off the opulence of a palace mixed with the same stable comfort I felt while in the old stone mill of our village.
“How old is the Silver Citadel?” I asked.
One of the brothers Murray swept a hand through the air, gesturing down the next corridor. “This way, if ye please. They’re waiting on ye.”
“They? Who?”
The taller one, Deaglan I felt sure, cast me an elitist sneer and opened a set of carved double doors exposing a grand dining room. As he ushered me inside, I marveled. If this was the small hall, how many could feast in the grand hall?
Two long wooden harvest tables ran end-to-end up the center of an intricate mosaic floor. Laden with gold trays and floral displays, I gauged the number of chairs and figured the room could sit more than a hundred diners.
An embroidered runner spanned the entire length of the a butted tables, dotted with centerpieces bursting several feet into the air. With brilliant, freshly cut flowers, silver ribbons and colorful feathers they accented the velvet drapery and brocade tapestries hanging on the walls. The one long window wall looked out upon the vast green landscape with the standing stones just beyond.
As we entered the long rectangular room, a group of five men in matching knee-length, gray leather skirts and wine velvet vests fell silent. Standing rigid next to the oversized buffet, opposite the long window wall, they turned as one hostile force.
The hair rose on the nape of my neck. Samuel was not among them.
Their huddle opened to the room, the five fanning out as they faced me. It was the male in front, pinning me with a sharp brown-black glare, which froze my breath in my lungs. Lithe and tall, with fine-drawn bones, the male could be no other than Samuel’s sire. He held the same chiseled lines of face and jaw as his sons, with dark auburn hair tied back from his face in a leather thong.
There ended the similarity. He looked me over, a cruel tightness around his mouth and suppressed anger in his eyes. He eyed my dress, my hair and my curves. “Weel, if lady Highborne does na e finally grace us with her presence.”
I cast a glance over my shoulder but the exit was blocked. Was there no end to the Murray clan? “Where is Samuel?” I asked.
The elder Murray flashed a cruel smile. “Bound and beaten bloody by now, I should hope.”
“Why would you say such a thing?”
He barked a laugh, his hand sliding to the hilt of the dagger sheathed on his hip. “Not that it’s any of yer business, but the coward abandoned his duty and deserted his oath. Did ye know that?”
The other men clustered closer, exuding the scents of anger and mistrust.
Duty? I frowned. “No one has sacrificed more in the name of duty than Samuel. In Castian’s service, he gave up his love, his life, . . . he gave up his sight for goddess sake.”
A low murmur of voices followed the shuffling of feet to stone floor but no others moved forward to speak.
“I beg to differ with ye, said. “The lad’s bin gone fer years and when he decides to show his traitorous face, he brings a filthy Highborne on sacred grounds.”
Sacred grounds? “He brought me here for good reason.”
“Aye, he said as much. Still, he knew the penance for his actions. Highbornes are not welcome here and no one leaves the Order. Not even spoiled lads who’d rather play at magic than serve the realm.”
I rubbed at the pounding taking root in my head. Was this man even speaking about Samuel? My Samuel? “Your son serves the realm as a Talon enforcer and as an instructor of future warriors who will stand against the Scourge. He deserves admiration, not disdain. You must release him or at least, take me to him.”
The man stormed forward, pressing his face to mine. The heat of his tightened my stomach, his bushy rust eyebrows looking like fat, angry caterpillars arching on his brow. “Maybe I’d feel different if he sought out the council last night to set things right. Instead, the idiot roused the staff to prepare a room for the Queen’s heir while he fussed with findin ' a dress and pretty ribbons. Does that speak of his commitment to duty?”
The knot in my stomach squeezed tighter. I had been enjoying a moment of pampering while Samuel had been incarcerated and beaten for putting my needs before his own. I whirled, to go back the way I came. I would find Samuel myself and set things right, even if I had to shove my way past his entire family tree to do so.
Rough hands grabbed my shoulder and spun me round.
Master Murray’s smile grew wider. His grip locked on my upper arm. “Ah, Chuck, dinna leave just yet. We waited while ye had yer rest and prettied yerself up like a wee doll. Why such a rush to leave when ye’ve come so far in yer plans.”
I swallowed. “My plans? What plans?”
He glared at me with a cold smile. For the life of me, beyond a few physical features, I saw nothing of Samuel in th
is
e
male. “Claiming to be the heir to the throne. Ye dinna think us so foolish we’d believe it, did ye? Is it the power ye want? The riches? Are yer people in league with Abaddon yet, or did ye just wanted to sit at the head of the Queen’s table? How’d ye come to wear the Queen’s ring?” He gestured to the large blue diamond on my finger.
Confessing Abaddon placed the ring on me would only worsen my situation. My flesh was warming, building heat from the fire burning in my veins. I swallowed and cast a glance around the room.
“I lay no claim other than the truth, sir. I am here because Samuel brought me here to assume my duty to Castian and the Realm of the Fair. As Rheagan’s heir, I had little say in the matter. You can argue my lineage and question my intentions but I am to be your Queen. Now, the first thing you will do in my service is release Samuel.”
Sulfurous anger rolled off him in a choking wave. My senses prickled. Before I could withdraw, he wrenched a fistful of my hair and pulled me against his chest. His fingers tightened, pulling hair from my scalp. “Highbornes make no demands under this roof. Yer traitorous race brought the near downfall to our realm. Do ye know how many graveyards are filled at the hands of the Queen’s Noble Children?”
Tears burned behind my eyes but I blinked back the sting. My heart raced in my chest. My pulse thundered in impotent rage. Samuel was in trouble. I was in trouble. And at the moment, Samuel’s father was the source of it all. I lived my entire life threatened by a vicious father and yet again, as the Queen’s heir, I remained helpless to aid either of us.
Castian’s pendant grew warm against my chest and my hands tingled hot. “Unhand me, Master Murray. No matter what you may think, I am not your enemy.”
“Colum, stop,” a voice said, ringing with authority. “The Order doesna hold wi’ beatin’ on a lass, even Highborne filth. If we want the truth, we’d best get it from Samuel himself.”
Rage flashed in the elder Murray’s eyes and he shoved me.
Hurled sideways, my cheek caught the edge of the wooden table and pain exploded behind my right eye. I twisted in my fall, my hip and elbow connecting hard with the mosaic floor before I could get my hands beneath me.
The double doors flew open and a black swirling mass erupted through the space. Kobi’s demon form materialized before me, black wings arched, eyes glowing scarlet. His long, spiked tail smacked against the stone floor as a demented growl ripped from his chest. “Back the fuck off, assholes.”
The men of the Order scrambled, tripping over one another in their retreat.
Kobi shifted forms to stand in his Talon leathers.
Dazed, I rolled to hands and knees and fought to right myself. When I managed to stand, I met the gaze of each of the men.
“You cowardly bastards.” Kobi positioned himself between me and my welcoming committee. “Samuel brought her here so you denizens of the high order could protect her. Are your fucking heads so far up your tight asses you’d seal your own fates by attacking her? Just because she’s got a point to her ears?”
stepped forward from the back of the group. “And you know so much about what we do, you stand judge, demon?”
I smoothed a shaky hand down the front of my gown and took a tentative step to stand beside my protector. Hot agony sluiced down my hip and into my leg, but I forced the next step without wincing. “Will I search this castle chamber by chamber or will someone take me to my garda síochána?”
The muffle of male voices grew more heated this time.
Samuel’s father stepped forward and Kobi drew his dagger, raising the tip.
His caterpillar brows creased. “Garda síochána? And what idiot would make Samuel yer guardian?”
I laid my hand against the crescent pendant heating my flesh, wishing Castian was there with me. Instantly, the air swirled again, this time filling the room with the scent of bergamot and mint.
“That idiot would be me.” Castian’s voice was a boom vibrating from every direction as he materialized at my side. Dressed in brown leather riding gear and an ice-blue cape, he brushed a gloved thumb over my bloodied cheek. The air in the room crackled. In a move so fast it blurred, his hand lashed through the air. All five males flew backward, crashing into a wall or tapestry or cabinet.
The thuds echoed as each of them hung suspended like flies in an invisible web.
Castian spoke in a voice so calm it made the hair on my arms rise. “And what idiot would strike my niece? Who dishonors one of my family and makes an innocent woman bleed?”
The amused glint in Kobi’s scarlet gaze struck fear in my heart.
I swallowed. “I am fine, my Lord. It was an accident.”
Castian cast me an emerald gaze and shook his head. “Even if I couldn’t read minds , your glass face gives you away, young one.”
He laid his arm across my shoulder and gave me a gentle squeeze. “Go on with Kobi and find your guardian. These gentlemen and I need a private word about honor and what it means to obey their Queen. It’s been lifetimes since the Order was put into active duty. They’ve grown fat and complacent.”