Tapestries 03 - Woven Dreams (17 page)

She swallowed several times before continuing. Jarmon was pleased to note that the color was starting to come back to her face. “Because of their defeat, some of their allies abandoned them, not wanting to take on the combined wrath of the Bakra and Garen families. That left them in a weakened state. To form a new alliance, they promised me in marriage.”

“To whom?” It made his blood curdle just imagining what kind of monsters her brother would choose.

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“The Luther brothers.” She raised her head and met his gaze unflinchingly. “I refused and Leon…well, Leon did what he does best. He reacted in anger.”

“He beat you.” Jarmon saw no reason to temper his blunt words. If there was ever a man that needed killing, it was Leon Craddock. What man would hand over his only sister to animals like the Luther brothers? Rumor had it that they’d already killed one wife. Most people wouldn’t have anything to do with them.

“Yes, he did.” The matter-of-fact way she spoke of it told him that it was a common occurrence. “I had already planned to escape, but I had some help.”

“Who?”

“My youngest brother, Radnor. He surprised me actually.”

“How so?” Now that he had her talking, Jarmon wanting to hear the entire tale, as distasteful as it was.

“I always thought he’d hated me like the rest of my brothers. Actually, he’s ignored me my entire life. It was a shock to find out that he’d done it for my own protection.

Any hint of sympathy from him toward me always brought out Leon’s anger. By ignoring me, he was protecting me in his way.”

“He should have killed Leon to protect you.” These harsh words came from Garrik, who had been quietly listening up until now.

“Leon was much older and stronger. Besides, it wasn’t just Leon. Radnor would have had to kill the other five. Maybe just four—my brother Sednar mostly ignores me as well.” She shrugged and continued. “I was suspicious at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that Radnor had deflected Leon’s anger from me many times, sometimes taking beatings himself, especially when we were younger.” Jarmon grunted. Perhaps he wouldn’t kill this younger brother when he met him on the field of battle. Maybe. There was no doubt in his mind that a day of reckoning was coming for the Craddock brothers. And soon.

That thought spurred him to action. He stood, Genny still cradled in his arms.

“Your brothers will be searching for you. We must get you back to the safety of the castle.”

“No!” Genny struggled in his arms and he reluctantly released her. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she whirled to face them. “Are you mad? I will not bring my problems to your doorstep. I will not allow my brothers to hurt your family any more than they already have.” With each word she spoke, she came closer until she was poking both of them in the chests with her fingers to emphasize her point.

In spite of her angry tirade, Jarmon met his brother’s gaze and grinned. Garrik looked just as pleased by her outburst. It was good to see the feisty woman they’d come to know and love. And love her he did. He would do whatever it took to protect her. If that meant killing every one of her brothers, then so be it. If he had to sacrifice his own life to protect hers, then it was well worth it.

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“Genny,” he began, only to be cut off as she backed away from them, her arms crossed and a look of pure disgust on her face.

“What are you thinking to even suggest such a thing? What would your family say if you brought me home with you and my brothers retaliated by burning out your farms or trying to steal your women? They would hate me and rightfully so. It could damage your relationship with your brothers and your mother. I cannot and will not allow that to happen.” Turning her back on them, she strode away from them, stopping long enough to grab the tapestry and her pack and sling them over her shoulder.

Both brothers loped after her, flanking her on either side. She stopped and huffed.

“You have to let me go.”

“No.” Leaning down, Jarmon finally did what he’d wanted to since he found her again. He kissed her. She whimpered as his tongue swept inside her mouth, reclaiming it, reassuring himself that she was safe and back in his arms where she belonged. Her pack slid from her shoulder and hit the ground with a thump, but he ignored it, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her right off her feet.

She slanted her head, her hands cupping his face as she kissed him back. A knot in his belly released as she opened herself up to him, giving as eagerly and as openly as she always had. She still wanted him. A small part of him had wondered if she’d left simply because she hadn’t really wanted either of them for a husband. They were both gasping for breath when they finally broke away from the kiss.

He lowered her back to the ground only to have her swept from his hands as Garrik hauled her into his arms and kissed her. He couldn’t blame his brother for needing to strengthen the bonds between them, to remind her that they were there, as strong as ever, and weren’t going away any time in the future.

Garrik crushed his lips against Genny’s, his hands cupping her behind as he ground her pelvis against his. Jarmon’s leather pants grew tight as he watched the passionate embrace between his brother and their woman. The need to take her right here, right now, and claim her pounded through his body, thickening his blood. His cock ached to thrust into her warmth over and over again until she screamed with pleasure.

He was so distracted, he almost missed the small, unnatural noise. He clamped his hand down on Garrik’s arm, ignoring the annoyance radiating from his brother’s eyes as they snapped open. He motioned with his hand and Garrik froze. Ever so slowly, he released Genny, placing his hand lightly over her mouth when she began to protest.

Her eyes widened above Garrik’s hand as their tension began to seep into her awareness.

One slow inch at a time, Jarmon drew his sword as he strained to identify what sound his ears had caught. The slight scrape of metal announced that Garrik had drawn his weapon. They all grabbed their packs and, keeping Genny safely between them, Jarmon led them into the thick underbrush. His mind worked furiously as he pinpointed exactly where they were and what was around them. Satisfied he knew where he was going, he kept moving in a southerly direction.

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The sounds got closer and became easily identifiable as men on horseback. Who was it? It could easily be Zaren and Bador or some of the men-at-arms from the castle, but instinct warned him differently. Picking up the pace, he moved quickly and cautiously, knowing Garrik would help Genny if she needed it. All his concentration was focused on protecting her from whatever threat lurked.

The small cave he was leading them to was just ahead in the distance. The sounds of the men were getting louder. It would be close. They could just crouch down in the woods and take their chances, but they had a better chance of going undetected up in the cave. It was a gamble, but Jarmon decided it was worth the risk.

A quick glance assured him that Garrik and Genny were right behind him. Genny looked pale but composed. Garrik’s expression was one of determination. Time was against them as they hurried forward. Climbing up the steep incline, Jarmon heaved himself up into the cave. Garrik gave Genny a boost and he caught her hands, pulling him into the dark opening. He hissed out a warning and Garrik practically flew up the slope. The cave was only about six feet deep and eight feet wide. It was a tight fit, but they all squeezed against the back wall just as the horses broke through the trees below them.

“I didn’t expect that stupid bitch to be so hard to find. She must have had help. And when I find out who it was, I’ll make them sorry they were ever born.” There was no mistaking the pleasant tones of Leon Craddock, Jarmon thought sarcastically. His fingers tightened on his sword hilt. The urge to just leap from the cave and impale Leon with his sword made his body twitch. But there was a time to fight and a time to retreat.

With Genny’s safety at risk, this was definitely a time to retreat.

“Maybe she didn’t go in this direction at all.” The calm voice of reason was shouted down immediately.

“Of course she’s gone this way. Every time someone mentions the damned Bakra brothers, her ears perk up. She thinks nobody notices. Stupid bitch is half in love with them. Like attracts like and dogs will sniff out other dogs.” Beside him, Jarmon felt Genny flinch at her brother’s hateful words. He caught her hand in his and squeezed it tight. Her fingers slowly wrapped around his, returning the gesture. He risked a short glance in her direction and was glad to see that her head was resting against Garrik’s shoulder.

“Besides which,” Leon continued. “It’s the furthest direction away from us.” His cruel laughter echoed in the small cave, surrounding them. “She’s smarter than I gave her credit for, though. She was gone for two days before I even noticed. The dogs lost her scent in the river just beyond the Keep—otherwise we might have found her before she got too far. Then we wasted even more time dragging the useless animals back home again before searching for her trail. I’ll teach the little bitch to run away. If she’s lame, she won’t be able to run, now will she? The Luthers won’t care as long as she can lie flat on her back and spread her legs.”

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Genny drew her legs up to her chest, burying her face against them. Yanking her hand from his, she covered her head, trying to drown out her brother’s words. Jarmon’s heart ached and the vein in his temple throbbed. How in the name of the gods had she grown up in such a vile household and turned out so good and kind? His estimation of Genny’s character grew even larger than it had been. He couldn’t imagine how someone as gentle as she had survived.

“Maybe we’ll get lucky and run into that Bakra bastard before we find her. This time I’ll make sure he stays dead.” The laughter faded as the horses moved off. No one in the cave moved for a long time.

When Jarmon figured enough time had passed, he turned his attention to the woman huddled in a tight ball beside him. He smoothed his hand over her hair before letting it slide down her back. “We have to leave.” He kept his voice pitched low as a precaution. No need to take unnecessary chances. He cursed inwardly at his inability to erase her brother’s words from her memory. She hadn’t needed to hear his vile promises.

She raised her head slowly. Her eyes had that faraway look they’d had earlier when he and Garrik had found her. He recognized it now as a survival mechanism, a way of removing herself from the reality of circumstances she couldn’t change. But now that the situation was past, her eyes cleared and she squared her shoulders. Nodding her acceptance, she scooted toward the edge of the cave and waited.

Jarmon met his brother’s determined gaze. As always, they were of an accord. They would protect Genny with their lives, and once they had her safely behind the walls of Bakra Castle, they would love her long and well until she couldn’t even think of ever leaving them again.

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Bakra Castle was huge. Genny stood between Jarmon and Garrik, feeling dwarfed by the high walls of the main hall. Rich tapestries adorned the entire area and in spite of her fear, Genny wished she could take a closer look. Several long tables filled the space, including an ornate one that sat on a raised dais at the head of the room. It was an imposing room, yet for all that it retained an air of almost hominess.

It wasn’t anything like Craddock Keep, which was smaller and more rustic. Her brothers were as likely to smash the furniture in a fight or toss their leftovers onto the floor for their hunting dogs. It had been a full-time job for Genny to keep it relatively clean. But here, everything sparkled, yet it was obviously well lived in.

She hadn’t had a chance to see much of the outside of the Castle as she’d been quickly hustled inside. What she had seen had been very impressive. The people had watched them with curiosity in their eyes. They’d all looked healthy, clean and well cared for, as did their homes.

Again the contrast was astounding. The people of Craddock Keep were a sullen, dirty bunch who did their best to ignore anything that did not directly pertain to them.

No one wanted to attract the attention of any of her brothers. Here, they called out to Jarmon and Garrik, greeting them by name. Not only that, but both men responded in kind. They even knew the names of the laughing, barefoot children who’d run alongside them as they made their way through the large metal gate, past the stone walls and up to the huge front door of the castle.

An air of prosperity clung to their home and Genny found herself wishing that it were hers as well. However, she knew that wasn’t likely. Jarmon and Garrik might want her here, but she couldn’t imagine that their older brothers would allow it.

“Genny.” Garrik nudged her gently. While she’d been busy gawking at the room, several people had assembled by the gigantic fireplace that flanked one wall.

Comfortable-looking chairs were scattered around it, but no one was sitting. Everyone was staring. At her.

A tall, hard-looking man stood slightly in front, his arms folded across his massive chest. There was no doubting that this was the eldest Bakra brother. There was an air of power that clung to the man, but if that wasn’t enough, he bore the thin braids that fell from either temple, proclaiming him the eldest son. His pale blue eyes were so familiar, yet there was no warmth in their depths. His face could have been sculpted from stone, it appeared so harsh and forbidding.

Genny swallowed hard and prayed he wouldn’t slay her where she stood. She trusted Jarmon and Garrik, but she didn’t know what to expect from their family. There was another man and a woman standing just behind him. The man looked enough like 92

the rest of them that she knew he must be the other brother. The woman was slender with black hair and dark eyes. She couldn’t quite tell the color from this distance, but they appeared kind, which gave Genny some hope.

“I knew you were going hunting, but I admit that I didn’t know you’d be hunting such spectacular game.” The deep, rumbling voice seemed to fill the entire room. The man’s expression seemed to lighten for a moment, but she couldn’t be sure it wasn’t just a trick of the afternoon light streaming in through the high windows.