Honor's Price (31 page)

K
ane held Theda close, breathing in her warmth and savoring these last few moments of peace. It was late afternoon, yet he would not leave their bed until the very last minute. The summer solstice was upon them. Just past midnight, it would be time to stand at the river's edge and face the gods.

Theda had insisted on accompanying him and her stepson back to Lady Merewen's keep. It had come as no surprise that Sigil had ultimately refused to formally accept the title of Duke Keirthan until the Damned stood judgment at the river. He'd left Lord Kai and Commander Bojan in charge of the city and the realm.

Theda blinked up sleepily at him. “Is it time?”

“Not yet. You can go back to sleep.”

She rose to stare down at him, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You were going to sneak away without saying good-bye.”

He brushed her hair back from her face and knew he couldn't lie to her. “On the contrary, I said good-bye to you every way I could think of last night.”

His body stirred at the memory. They'd retired early and made love until they'd both collapsed, too exhausted to continue. He'd taken her again during the night, and she'd awoken him in the early hours of the morning. Hunger had finally driven them down to the hall for the midday meal, but then they'd immediately returned to the privacy of this room.

He stared up at the ceiling, not wanting to see the pain that his next words would cause her. “I love you, Theda, but the journey to the mountain is one that the Warriors of the Mist make alone.”

Theda pointed out the one flaw in that statement. “Lady Merewen is going.”

“True, but that is because she is the one who called us.”

And so Merewen would face the judgment of the gods as well, a truth that was killing Gideon. Returning to the river was never easy for the warriors, but this time was worse than any they'd ever faced. Four of the six would be leaving behind their hearts even as the gods claimed their souls.

Sigil was also torn between the vow he'd made to the gods and the duty he now knew he owed the people of Agathia. Most of his memories remained locked away, but he was a man of honor, one who took his family's obligations seriously.

Only Averel would return to the river, his heart intact, his duty clear.

“Well?”

May the gods forgive him, but Kane could deny her nothing. “You may come as far as the horses can go. After that, you and Lady Lavinia must return to the keep with Lady Alina.”

Then, to forestall any further discussion, he showed her one last time how much he would miss her.

*   *   *

Theda and Alina followed Lady Lavinia up the mountain. Her mage light allowed them to make faster time up the steep trail, but they all despaired of reaching the river before it was too late. They'd only pretended to ride back to the keep, returning to follow their warriors and their hearts.

Lavinia's voice whispered on the cool night air. “I can hear the river. We're almost there.”

Her words vanquished the last bit of Theda's weariness. All three women hurried their footsteps,
determined to reach the top in time. It was not yet midnight and the beginning of the solstice, but time was passing.

She realized the trees had grown thin and there was a glint of silver in the distance. “There. I see it.”

For the first time, the three of them hesitated. Kane and his two friends had given them stern orders to return to the keep. Kane had held her close and kissed her so sweetly. Then he'd tossed her back up in the saddle and slapped her mare on the flank to send it trotting away.

Her tears had choked her as she'd watched back over her shoulder as Hob and Kane had disappeared into the darkness. Watching him walk away when she knew she was going to follow him had been hard enough. Saying good-bye for good might just kill her.

Lavinia's mage lights faded away, and the three women clasped hands to give one another courage as they strode out of the woods to where the six warriors and Merewen stood watching the river.

Hob spotted her first, letting out his eerie howl. Shadow's answering scream echoed off the rocks, as did the wolf's mournful cry. The dogs and the two avian avatars added their own voices to the chorus.

As much as Theda appreciated their welcome, she wished Hob's master would say something. Kane stood off to one side, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes pinned directly on her. She wouldn't back down, not when she could touch him one last time, hold him in her arms, and remind him how much he was loved.

She took a hesitant step forward and then another. As soon as she did, he held out his arms, offering her a safe harbor high on the mountain. As they came together, she was dimly aware of Duncan and Murdoch charging past her to claim their own ladies.

Kane buried his face in her hair, his breath tickling her skin as he murmured, “I'm glad you came.”

She did her best to blink back the tears, but then it was too much. “I am, too. Don't ask me to leave until after . . .”

They both knew what she was trying to say even if she couldn't utter the words aloud.

Averel called out, “Look who is coming now!”

They all turned as one to face the path as Kestrel and then Rogue walked into sight. Behind them came the mares that had served Murdoch, Sigil, Duncan, and Averel.

Kane led Theda over to where Rogue had stopped, as usual, standing apart from the other horses. They moved to his far side, using his solid strength to carve out a small bit of privacy here among Kane's friends, both the ones who walked on two legs as well as four. Hob joined them, standing nose to nose with Rogue.

“Kiss me,” Kane whispered next to her ear.

There was nothing she wanted more. Once again, he held her so gently, his kiss tasting of desperation.

Choking on her tears, she gave him her truth. “No matter what happens tonight, know that I will always love you, Kane.”

“I want you to find someone who will make you happy, Theda. Don't live your life alone because of me.”

Before she could respond, Gideon called out, “It's time.”

She thought her heart would stop as the six men lined up along the river's edge. Their avatars stood beside them or sat perched upon their arms. Merewen stood beside Gideon, their hands clasped.

Theda wanted the same for herself. She pushed her way between Gideon and Kane, taking Kane's hand in her own. He gave it a soft squeeze without taking his gaze away from the river, which now roiled and foamed. Everyone shifted yet again as Lavinia and Alina joined the gathering in awaiting the arrival of the gods.

Finally, a woman and a man slowly rose out of the water, their power blazing in their eyes as they made their way down the long line of warriors and women.

Starting with Merewen and then Gideon, the holy couple silently stared at each person in turn. When they
stood in front of Theda, she felt a short burst of pain, as if someone had pressed hard against the inside of her head. It ended as quickly as it had started when they moved on to stand in front of Kane.

He flinched, but held his ground. When they finally moved on, he slumped to the side. Theda wrapped her arm around him, offering him what support she could.

“What's wrong?” she whispered.

He didn't answer, his expression bleak. Had they judged him and found him lacking? How dare they? He'd sacrificed so much and asked for nothing in return. All of the warriors had. She would wait to see what the gods had to say for themselves, but she would not hold her tongue if they failed to understand the true worth of Kane and his friends.

*   *   *

Kane held Theda close at his side, hating that she trembled in fear. He would never suggest the gods needed to rush to judgment, but he wasn't sure how much more of this he could take.

Finally, the two gods conferred for what seemed like an eternity before once again facing the people on the shore.

It was the Lord of the River who spoke first. “You were called to save the people of Agathia. Many died, some at the hand of Ifre Keirthan and others at yours.”

The Damned nodded as one, acknowledging the truth of that statement. The god continued on.

“Captain Gideon, you served us well, leading your men and your allies with wisdom.”

“Sir Averel, as always, you proved yourself to be a man of honor.”

“Sir Murdoch, you let your own prejudice and mistrust of magic color your opinion of Lady Lavinia but otherwise followed the right path.”

“Sir Sigil, as promised, you will no longer be judged for the deeds you did in the name of Ifre Keirthan.”

“Sir Duncan, you gave in to a moment of weakness
and almost let magic overrule your honor, but only almost.”

“Lord Kane, you alone gave yourself completely over to the darkness of your bloodline.”

Kane spoke for the first time. “I would ask that you not hold my weakness against my friends. It was not their doing, but mine alone.”

“We have taken that into consideration, Lord Kane.” The Lady of the River moved to stand next to her mate. “Know then, Warriors of the Mist, that we have weighed your efforts and will now render our judgment.”

As their captain, Gideon spoke for them all. “We will accept your verdict without question.”

Theda started to protest, but Kane shook his head. “It is our way.”

“Lady Merewen, we trust you are satisfied with the service of our avatars.”

“Yes, my Lord and Lady, most satisfied. The evil has been vanquished. My people are grateful to you.”

“Then hear our verdict. Listen well and heed our words. Captain Gideon, Lady Merewen will need you at her side to help raise the son you have created with her during the night.”

Gideon's face glowed with joy as he wrapped Merewen in his arms. “Thank you, my lady.”

The goddess moved on. “Sir Duncan, Lady Lavinia and her abbey could use another scholar to watch over and guard its library. Young Sarra will need your protection, as well. We trust you will accept those responsibilities.”

“It will be my greatest honor, my lady.”

“Sir Averel, we thank you for your service to us and to our captain. Your life is now yours.”

Without waiting for a response from the young knight, the goddess turned her attention to Murdoch. “You have ever stood at your captain's side. We see no reason for that to change. We are sure Lady Alina will be happy to share her home with you.”

Then both of the gods drifted back to hover in front of Kane. Theda immediately moved to stand in front of him, once again doing her best to save him. He loved her for it, but he would not let her come to harm because of him.

“Forgive her, my lady. I am the one who let the darkness touch my soul.”

Instead of getting angry, the goddess surprised him with a smile. “Lady Theda seems to think you are worth saving, but then so do we. May the two of you find much happiness together, Lord Kane. It is time for you to know peace in your life.”

The Lord of the River now spoke. “Warriors of the Mist, on this night you are released from our service, but not from our hearts. Your honor has been restored. You will no longer bear our mark, and you will now live out your lives as mortal men with our blessing. You may keep your avatars, who can still rest in your shields, to be passed on to your eldest sons when the time comes. That is our final gift to you.”

They looked at Gideon one last time. “Captain, as we have released you from our service, it is time to release your friends from yours.”

Then the gods flowed back down into the darkness of the river, leaving everyone else in standing in stunned silence.

Finally, Gideon cleared his throat and met the gaze of each of his friends in turn. “No other man has been blessed with friends such as you. It has been my greatest honor to serve with each of you, but it is time to seek out lives that will bring each of you peace and joy at long last.”

Averel looked around, his eyes wide in confusion. “But what do I do now, Captain?”

Gideon smiled at their young friend. “You live your life, Averel. I have released you from my service, but know you will always be welcome in our home.”

Sigil spoke up. “Averel, I will need all the good men I
can find. That invitation goes for you, too, Lord Kane, and I would value Lady Theda's wise counsel as well.”

Kane hadn't expected to walk down off the mountain and couldn't think beyond the moment. “Theda, what do you want?”

“That's simple, Kane.” She smiled up at him. “I want you. All that matters is that we're together.”

Kane held out his hand to Sigil. “I have some experience as the captain of the guard, Duke Keirthan, if you'll have me, provided you have no objections to me wedding your stepmother.”

Sigil took Kane's hand in both of his. “I would be a fool to say no to either of those propositions.”

Kane swept Theda up in his arms, tossed her onto Rogue's back, and then vaulted up behind her. “Take us home, horse. I have better things to do with the rest of the night than stand by the river.”

Theda pressed back against his chest, her voice full of laughter. “I do like the way you think, Lord Kane.”

Together they led the procession back down the mountain to the valley below, the warriors damned no more.

Don't miss the first book in Alexis Morgan's Snowberry Creek series!

 

A Time for Home

 

Available now from Signet Eclipse wherever books are sold.

“W
e're almost there, boy. Then you can stretch your legs.”

Nick's canine companion was too busy sniffing the wind to care. Mooch had kept his nose stuck out the window since the minute they'd gotten in the truck. He reached over to pat the dog on the back, still carrying on the one-sided conversation.

“I bet it smells a whole lot different than the streets of Afghanistan. Doesn't it?”

Mooch thumped his tail in agreement. In truth, everything here was a whole lot different. Nick scanned the road ahead—there was so much green that it hurt his eyes. He had to tip his head back to see to the top of the firs and cedars that were crowded close to the two-lane highway. They made him claustrophobic. Too many hiding spots for snipers. Only one way through them, leaving him no avenue of escape.

Nick flexed his hands on the steering wheel and reminded himself that he'd left all that behind weeks ago.

No one here wanted him dead. Not yet, anyway.

“Think she'll forgive me?”

Nick hoped so, because he hadn't been able to forgive himself. Something in his voice finally had Mooch looking at him, the dog's dark eyes filled with sympathy. Of course, maybe Nick was only imagining that the mutt understood every word he said. There was no denying that the dog had known his own share of suffering back in his homeland.

Mooch's shaggy fur didn't quite hide the jagged scar where a bullet had caught him in the shoulder. He'd taken one for the team after he'd barked to warn them about an asshole lying in ambush. The bastard had shot the dog to shut him up, but too late to do himself any good. In retaliation, the squad had made damn sure it was the last time he ever pulled a trigger. Nick's buddy Spence had carried the wounded dog back to camp and conned one of the army vets into stitching him up. After a brief swearing-in ceremony, Mooch had become a full-fledged member of their unit.

In war, some heroes walked on four legs, not two.

Nick spotted a sign up ahead. He slowed to read it, hoping he was about to reach civilization. He'd left I-5 behind some time ago and hadn't expected it to take this long to reach Snowberry Creek. He had mixed feelings about what would happen once he reached the small town, but he and Mooch had been on the move long enough. Some downtime would feel pretty good.

But instead of announcing the city limits, the sign marked the entrance of a small cemetery. Nick started to drive on past, but a sick feeling in his gut had him slowing down and then backing up.

He put the truck in
PARK
and dropped his forehead down on the top of the steering wheel. In a town the size of Snowberry Creek, how many cemeteries could there be? He reached for the door handle and forced himself to get out of the truck. Sooner or later he was going to have to do this. Nick had never been a coward and wasn't about to become one now.

“Come on, Mooch. We've got a stop to make.”

The dog crawled down out of the seat. Once on the ground, he gave himself a thorough shake from nose to tail before following Nick up the slope toward the rows of gravestones. Normally Mooch liked to explore new
places on his own, but this time he walked alongside Nick, silently offering his support.

It didn't take long to find what they were looking for. There were several granite markers with the last name Lang. Nick hung a right and followed the row, finally reaching a longer than normal stone that held the names of a husband and wife, most likely Spence's parents. Nick had to force himself to take those last few steps past it to stand in front of the last headstone.

He dropped to his knees on the green grass and wrapped his arms around his stomach. God, it hurt so fucking much to see Spence's name etched there in block letters. His eyes burned with the need to cry, but the tears refused to come. Instead the pain stayed locked tight inside his chest and in his head, a burden he'd been carrying since he'd held Spence's bloody dog tags in his hand.

As the memories began playing out in Nick's head, Mooch whined and snuggled closer. But even the familiar touch of the dog's soft fur couldn't keep Nick grounded in the present. His guilt and his fear sucked him right back to the last place he wanted to be. Just that quickly, he was in the streets of Afghanistan, riding next to Spence on yet another patrol. Instead of breathing the cool, damp air of Washington, Nick was sucking in hot, dry air and feeling the sun burning down from above as he got caught up in the past, living through it all over again.

The fiery depths of hell had nothing on the heat in Afghanistan in July. Maybe if he could've stripped down to a pair of cargo shorts and a sleeveless T-shirt, it would've been bearable. But only a fool would go on patrol without all of his protective gear, and Nick was no fool.

The back of his neck itched. It had nothing to do with the ever-present dust and grit that grated against his skin like sandpaper. No, there were eyes on them. Had been since they'd entered the city. A couple of well-placed
shots had cut them off from the rest of the patrol. They were trying to circle around to catch up with the others.

Nick scanned the surrounding area, constantly sweeping the buildings ahead, looking for some sign of who was watching them. In that neighborhood, it could be anyone from a mother worried about her kids to someone with his finger on the trigger.

Leif stirred restlessly. “You feeling it, too?”

“Yeah. Spence, do you see anything?”

Before his friend could answer, a burst of gunfire rained down on them from the roof of a building half a block down on the right. A second shooter opened fire from a doorway on the opposite side of the street, catching them in the cross fire.

Nick returned short bursts of fire while Spence drove like the maniac he was, trying to get them the hell out of Dodge. Leif hopped on the radio, yelling to make himself heard over the racket. After calling in, he'd joined Nick in trying to pick off the shooters.

“Hold on! This ride's about to get interesting.”

If more than two wheels were on the ground when Spence took the corner, Nick would happily eat MREs for the rest of his natural life. Not that he was complaining. His friend's extreme driving style had saved their asses too often. The M-ATV lurched hard as it straightened coming out of the turn.

“Fuck yeah, that was fun!” Spence's grin was a mile wide as he laughed and flung their ride around another corner.

The crazy bastard was actually enjoying this. Nick shook his head. He loved the guy like a brother, but damn. They made it another two blocks before the shooting began again, this time from behind them.

Leif yelled over the racket, “Ever get the feeling we're being herded?”

Nick nodded. The thought had occurred to him, but what choice did they have but to keep going? The street was too narrow to hang a U-turn and stopping sure as
hell wasn't an option. He continued to scan the area for more shooters and left the driving to Spence, who knew the streets in this area better than anyone. It was like the man had a built-in GPS system. He'd find a way out for them if anyone could.

The gunfire was sporadic now with longer periods of silence between shots. The streets remained empty, as if the locals had been warned to crawl into the deepest hole they could find and stay there.

“Think we're in the clear?” Leif asked, still studying the rooftops and doorways for new threats.

Before Nick could answer, the whole world exploded in fire and smoke. A sharp pain ripped up the length of his upper arm as their vehicle started rockin'-and-rollin' on them. It went airborne and finally bounced to a stop, lying on its side up against a building.

With considerable effort, Nick managed to climb out. He retrieved his weapon and shook his head to clear it. The blast had left him deaf and, thanks to the cloud of dust and smoke, damn near blind. Nick found Spence more by feel than sight. He was lying facedown in the dirt with blood trickling from his ears and nose.

Nick checked for a pulse. Thready and weak. Son of a bitch, this was a major clusterfuck. He spotted Leif writhing in pain a few feet away. He crawled over to him.

“Are you hit?”

“My ankle. It's busted up pretty bad.”

If the bastards who'd been shooting at them weren't already closing in, they would be soon. Nick needed to get Leif and Spence somewhere safe—and fast.

He got down in Leif's face. “Give it to me straight up. Can you walk?”

After one look at the twisted mess that had been Leif's ankle, Nick didn't wait for an answer. Neither of his friends could make it back to safety on their own, but which one should he help first? Spence was completely
defenseless while Leif might be able to protect himself for a while.

On the other hand, Leif was bleeding; already his coloring was piss-poor. Nick crawled back to the rubble that had been their vehicle and pulled out the first-aid kit. He bandaged Leif's damaged ankle as best he could, but he'd seen enough wounds to know Leif was going to need surgery and damn quick. His decision made, Nick crawled back to his unconscious buddy.

“Spence, I'm going for help. I'll be back for you ASAP.”

Then he muscled Leif up off the ground and half carried, half dragged the poor bastard as fast as he could. The rest of their unit would be pouring into the area, looking for them. A minute later, he spotted them two blocks down and waved his rifle over his head to get their attention.

Their medic hit the ground running. “What do we have?”

“His ankle looks bad, but we've got to go back for Spence. I was afraid to move him.”

They carried Leif the rest of the way back to one of the vehicles. Nick patted his friend on the shoulder. “They'll get you to the medics. Save a couple of the prettier nurses for Spence.”

Leif managed a small smile. “Like hell. Tell him he's on his own.”

“Get yourself patched up. We'll be along soon.” He stepped back and checked his rifle for ammunition. “Let's move out.”

The medic stopped him. “You're bleeding, too. We'll get Spence. You go with the corporal.”

No, not happening. He'd return for Spence even if he had to crawl. “I'm all right. Besides, I promised I'd come back for him. Wouldn't want to piss him off. The man's got a temper.”

The medic didn't much like it, but he nodded. “Lead the way.”

Nick's ears were finally starting to function again, and he could hear gunfire in the distance. Son of a bitch! He picked up the pace, doing his best to watch for hostiles as he led the charge back to where he'd left Spence. When they were a block short of their destination, the deafening thunder of another explosion sent all of them diving for cover.

Before the echoes had died away, Nick was up and running, screaming Spence's name. He was dimly aware of the rest of his squad joining him in the mad race to save their friend. Nick's heart pounded loud enough to drown out the agonizing truth that he was too late, with too little. The building next to where he'd left Spence was nothing but a smoking pile of rubble.

He coasted to a stop at the corner. The horror of what had happened and what he'd done washed over him in waves. “Spence, where the hell are you? Come on, you dumb son of a bitch, this is no time for hide-and-seek.”

Please, God, let him have regained consciousness and crawled to safety.

But he hadn't; Nick knew it in his gut just as he knew it was his fault. There was nothing left of their vehicle now except scrap metal. A huge hole had been ripped in the street right where Spence had been lying, and the building had caved in on itself, leaving the street strewn with rubble. While several of the men stood watch, Nick joined the rest digging in the dirt with their bare fingers, heaving aside rocks and jagged fragments of metal, looking and praying for some sign of Spence.

Finally the medic froze. He looked across at Nick and slowly lifted his hand. A set of bloody dog tags dangled from his fingers.

“Aw, damn, Spence.”

Tears streamed down Nick's cheeks as he reached for the broken chain. He clamped his fingers around the
small pieces of bloody metal and held on to the last piece of his friend with an iron grip.

The medic motioned to the rest of the men. When they had formed up, he took Nick by the arm and tugged him back down the street.

“Come on, Sarge, let's go get your arm looked at. We'll get you all fixed up.”

Nick let himself be led away, but only because the longer they lingered in the area, the more likely it was that someone else would get hurt or worse. But they all knew there was no fixing this. Not today. Not ever.

Spence was—

A sharp pain dragged Nick back to the grassy slope of the graveyard. Mooch whined and licked the small mark where he'd just nipped Nick's arm. The poor dog looked worried. How long had Nick been gone this time? Long enough to be damp from the rain that had started falling since he'd knelt in the grass. The dog shoved his head under Nick's hand, demanding a good scratching that felt as good to Nick as it did to the dog.

“Sorry, Mooch. We'll get going here in a minute.”

He pushed himself back up to his feet and dusted off his pants, focusing hard on the moment. It was too easy to get caught up in spinning his wheels in the past. He needed to keep moving forward, if for no other reason than he had to make sure Mooch reached his final destination.

Nick had something to say first. Standing at attention felt odd when he wasn't in uniform, but the moment called for a bit of formality. He cleared his throat and swallowed hard.

“Spence, I miss you so damn much. Wherever you are, I hope they have fast cars and faster women.”

Then he sketched a half-assed salute and walked
away.