Honor's Price (15 page)

Her disappointment was obvious. “Promise me you won't forget. The horses miss us when we're not there.”

Sigil leaned down to tap her on the tip of her nose. “I will not forget. You have my word.”

Then Sarra skipped off down the rampart, pausing before she descended to the bailey below to smile at him one last time. He smiled back, his heart lighter than it had been since he first awoke to a world with no memories and a new chance at redemption.

K
ane saddled Rogue. He wasn't sure who needed a hard run more, him or the horse. As he rode through the streets, the close walls of the city pressed down on him to the point it was difficult to breathe.

Over the days he'd spent in the capital, he'd grown used to the pungent scent of Keirthan's magic tainting the air. But after leaving Theda last night, his sleeping hours had been plagued with dark dreams, ones that still shadowed his mood. It was as if a new layer of potent magic had blanketed the city overnight.

He'd planned to ride by himself, but he slowed Rogue as they passed near the tavern where Averel worked. Perhaps it would be better to see if his friend was available to join him.

After dismounting, Kane tied Rogue's reins to a fence post some distance from any of the other horses. The stallion's mood was a reflection of Kane's own, meaning he'd try to kick any horse that got too close.

Kane ducked inside the tavern and waited for his light-sensitive eyes to adjust to the dim interior. As soon as he spotted Averel, he headed straight for him, not caring if anyone wondered what kind of business the captain of the guard might have with the troubadour.

“Let's ride.”

Without waiting for his friend to respond, Kane stalked back outside. Either Averel would join him or he wouldn't. While he waited to see which it would be, he stroked Rogue's nose and watched the ebb and flow of
people passing by. Unless he was mistaken, more people were heading out of the nearby gate than were entering the city. Did they sense the growing darkness, too?

“What's going on?”

Averel came out of the back door of the tavern, strapping on his sword. His dogs tripped over each other as they hurried to follow their master out into the street.

Kane jerked his head in greeting. “We'll talk once we're outside the city. Do you need help saddling your mare?”

His friend rolled his eyes and walked into the stable alone. The dogs stayed with Kane, taking turns flopping in the dirt and then shaking hard to send up clouds of dust in the air. Once again Rogue's ears went back, but Kane thumped him on the shoulder.

“Hey, stop that. We'll be moving again soon enough.”

The stallion chuffed, looking disgruntled until Averel reappeared leading his mare. As soon as they came into sight, Rogue's head came up, his ears flicking forward at the mare's approach, but she only ignored him. Clearly Kane wasn't the only one with woman problems.

He gathered Rogue's reins and swung up on his broad back. Averel followed behind, both horses moving at a brisk trot until they left the gates of the city. Once they were clear of the clutter of others on the road, Kane cut across country and kicked Rogue into a full gallop.

With the dogs running off to the side, Kane and Averel rode hard until they reached the same clearing where they'd met before. Kane dismounted and walked Rogue to cool him down before leading the horse to the small stream that ran along the edge of the woods. His young friend showed amazing forbearance by not demanding an explanation for the unexpected trip, for which Kane was grateful.

By the time they both sat down, he was ready to talk.

Before he could say a word, Averel gave him a considering look and asked, “What did the lady do this time?”

Kane didn't bother asking Averel how he'd guessed
that Lady Theda was the source of his agitation. “She asked me to marry her.”

The look of utter shock on Averel's face was worth the price of a bad mood and a bone-jarring ride. Kane waited to see what the younger knight would say once he recovered his ability to talk.

“Truly, she proposed marriage to you? What did you say?”

Kane's amusement faded away as quickly as it had appeared. “I told her about my past and about the Damned. I could not bring myself to lie to her about who and what I am. I owed her the truth.”

Averel nodded, accepting the necessity of what Kane had done. “What drove her to propose to you? Surely that is not how these things are done, not with the widow of the former duke.”

Kane leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he stared down at the ground. “She thought if we were to marry, it would protect her from the kind of bastard that Keirthan would choose for her. In return, I would gain control of her land and wealth.

“Like that would matter to me.” He picked up a stick and threw it for the dogs. “Even if I had a lifetime to live with her instead of the few weeks left before we face judgment again, I wouldn't care about such things.”

“And I'm guessing your lady knows that. If she thought you were a greedy bastard like her brother-in-law or his friends, she wouldn't have let you touch her.”

Averel gave Kane a sly look, his pale eyes twinkling with wicked humor. “And she has let you touch her, hasn't she?”

Kane shoved his friend hard. “Careful how you speak of her. Your listeners tonight wouldn't like how you'd sound with your nose broken.”

Averel scooted farther away on the log, holding his hands up in surrender. “I meant no insult.”

Kane backed off. “None taken. I've been edgier than usual since last night.”

He rubbed his chest as he spoke, wishing the ache caused by having to refuse Theda would go away. “It nearly killed me to tell her we couldn't wed.”

Averel stared at where Kane's hand rested on his uniform. “Why are you rubbing that emblem on your uniform?”

Kane looked down. “I'm not. It's my chest that hurts.”

“All over or in that one spot?”

What was he getting at? “The pain radiates from there. Why?”

“Do you remember when the duke's guard saved Murdoch's life by throwing himself between Murdoch and Merewen's uncle? When Lord Fagan thrust his sword through the emblem the man wore around his neck, it released a blast of magical power.”

Kane studied the badge of office that Keirthan had given him to wear. He grasped it with his right hand and closed his eyes. Sure enough, there was the barest hint of power flowing from the sigil. Worse yet, it carried the same taint as all of Keirthan's magic.

He jerked his hand away from the offensive symbol. “You're right, Averel. How could I have missed sensing the connection between this symbol and Ifre Keirthan himself?”

“I'm not sure.” His friend leaned closer. “What do you think its purpose is?”

There could be only one logical answer. Kane touched his own cheek. “The duke must think this mark means I share my grandfather's gift of power. We already know that Keirthan consumes the magic of others along with their blood for his own foul purpose. Perhaps he believes he can gain access to the kind of magic this mark would normally signify.”

“And can he?”

Kane had always assured his friends that he'd
forsworn his family's magical heritage. While it was true that he'd never openly practiced the kinds of spells he'd learned as a youth, that didn't mean he'd necessarily shed himself of the potential to do so.

His gut twisted in a knot as he admitted, “I truly don't know. If I'm now sensing the effects of this device, there must be some possibility.”

He ripped the emblem off his tunic and tossed it a short distance away to break the connection for the moment. If they were right, Keirthan would know if Kane destroyed the cursed thing. But how much longer could he risk wearing it?

Averel moved closer again, pitching his voice low, as if he feared being overheard. “Perhaps we should leave now right from here.”

Maybe he was right. Who knew what Keirthan was capable of now? It was tempting to leave the emblem behind and ride hard for Lady Merewen's keep to rejoin the other three Damned, but he couldn't.

“I can't. I left Hob in my quarters because I didn't think I'd need my shield.”

He rolled his shoulders in a futile attempt to ease the knots of tension that seemed to be his constant companion lately. “Mayhap I wasn't thinking at all, at least not about our mission back there in the city. Have we even learned anything that will be of value to our purpose?”

Averel looked no happier. “Just that the townspeople are restless and frightened. Yet few seem willing to point toward the duke as the source of their fears.”

Kane stared out at the horizon. “What do they think happens when they hear rumors of people disappearing?”

“They don't say, and I'm leery of asking very many questions. People tend to forget that I'm sitting there, so they don't guard their tongues. If they were to realize I'm listening, it's less likely that I'd learn anything useful.”

That made sense. “If you do hear about any townspeople missing, let me know. I'll pay a visit to their
former dwellings to see if the same magic was used in their disappearance as on those abandoned farms on Lady Merewen's estate. Either way, though, we must leave soon.”

The time with Averel had improved Kane's dark mood, but he couldn't afford to be gone for long. “I should get back to town. Thanks for coming with me. I hope being gone this long doesn't cause you problems at the tavern.”

Averel stood up. “I'm not worried. The owner needs me more than I need him. Besides, it's a relief to simply be myself for a while.”

That it was, especially when it came to Theda. No matter what happened from this point forward, at least she knew Kane's truth.

Something of his thoughts must have shown on his face, because Averel clapped him on the shoulder. “Don't give up completely, Kane. The goddess might ask a lot of her warriors, but she's not without compassion.”

And yet how many times had she ordered the Damned back into the river to sleep? Had they not earned a respite from the endless cycle of non-death alternating with unrelenting battle? He held back his bleak thoughts from his young friend. Somehow Averel had managed to hold on to his good nature despite all the centuries of service to the goddess. His cheerfulness helped Kane balance his own tendency toward the darker emotions.

As they walked back to the horses, Kane stopped to retrieve Keirthan's sigil. He stared at the cursed thing before once again affixing it to his tunic. Feeling the sick chill of the duke's magic slither across his skin, he murmured, “I will continue to serve the goddess as I always have.”

As they mounted up, a feminine voice whispered inside Kane's head.
“Have faith, my warrior. You do not carry your burdens alone.”

The unexpected message from the Lady herself
startled Kane into jerking on the reins as he spun his head from right to left, looking for the source of the words. Rogue immediately picked up on his rider's agitation and bucked a few times. Averel kept his mare far enough away to avoid being kicked by the unpredictable stallion. “What happened to set him off this time?”

Kane wasn't ready to share what had just happened, not when he didn't quite believe it himself. “He's been skittish all day. I want to give him another hard run before we reach the city. When we get closer, I'll circle around and enter from another gate. I think it better that we avoid being seen returning at the same time, especially since we left together.”

“Good thinking.” Then Averel frowned. “But one more thing, Kane. I know you told Lady Theda about the Damned, but I'm guessing you didn't tell her about me being in the city as well. I think you should do so.” He stared up toward the sky as he spoke. “If something should happen to alert Keirthan to our purpose in the city, he could attack you without warning. Someone should know to send for me.”

“I will.”

That is, if she wanted to see him again after last night. Another thought crossed his mind, one he kept to himself. It wouldn't hurt to show her how to call forth Hob. If something happened to Kane, she might need the gargoyle's protection from Keirthan or his men.

He braced himself in case the goddess had something more to say on the subject. But for the remainder of the ride, the thoughts inside his head were his alone.

*   *   *

“Where is Kane? Why is the link so weak right now?”

Keirthan walked circles around the fire pit in the center of his underground chambers. It was impossible to know if the sweat dripping down his face came from the heat of the blaze or from nerves. He'd already sacrificed two more to the darkness, but it wouldn't be satisfied for
long, because neither of the victims had offered even a hint of magic.

Instead, the power he'd unleashed constantly hungered for blood laced with magic. Its demands pounded inside Ifre's head, leaving him unable to concentrate on anything but the thought of finding more power to feed his creation.

He glanced across the room to where an ebony cloud hovered and swirled right above the altar. Two days ago, his creation had surprised him by taking on a physical form. Just yesterday, it had been much lighter in color. Now it was thick and heavy with a new substance. Worse yet, it now watched him. More than once, he'd seen two eyes staring out of the darkness and following his movements. Once it even seemed to smile, its maw ragged and filled with dagger-sharp teeth.

He shuddered and kept walking. Was it really becoming sentient? Why had the books not told him that was even possible? The fear that he was losing control over it haunted his thoughts constantly. The only hope would be to either weaken it through starvation or increase his own personal power to the point he could ignore its constant hunger.

Right now, Kane was the closest Ifre had to a potential new source of power, one he desperately needed to keep for himself. But how was he supposed to utilize Kane's potential if the bastard refused to stay close enough for Ifre to strengthen his hold over him?

He paused at the far end of the pit, hoping the power of the fire itself would prevent the monster over the altar from tracking his thoughts. In his mind, he grasped the thread of magic that tied him to Kane. Earlier, the slender tendril had been stretched to the breaking point. When he'd tried to follow its path outward, it had suddenly snapped back, the connection to them broken.