WindLegends Saga 9: WindRetriever (54 page)

His mistress glowered at him. "Can it not wait?"

Chaim shook his head. "I think not, Your Grace. The messenger rode hard to get here from Basaraba and nearly killed his mount in the process."

She didn't like the sound of this. "Tell me."

Conar looked in the mirror and hated what he saw. His dark complexion was made darker still by the color of the black robe. If his blond hair was hidden beneath a headpiece, he'd bare a very strong resemblance to Jaleel Jaborn. His mouth turned hard. Why had he never seen the likeness before? Had Sybelle? He thought perhaps she had and the notion infuriated him. His hands ripped at the robe, yanking it from him and he threw it in the corner of his room and stood glaring at it as though it would come to life to attack him.

"You bitch," he muttered, wishing he could break his sworn vow to her and leave.

He turned, stared at the walled garden for a long time. His honor had always meant something to him. He'd tried never to go back on his word, especially not if that word had been given honorably.

"But was it extracted from you with honor?" that inner voice that had plagued him all his life asked. "Did she not trick you, McGregor? Did she not dangle before you your very existence in order to keep you at her side?"

Aye, he thought with bitterness. She had swapped his handicaps for health. She had swapped his freedom for this damnable incarceration in her lush prison. She had swapped his very manhood for total, blind obedience. Had that been honorable?

"No," he whispered. It had not. It had been blackmail, pure and simple. And did he owe her honor for that?

Conar found himself at the base of the tall sandstone wall, looking up, staring at the clear midnight blue sky above the top. He put his hand on the stone. It was cold, cold like his life had become.

"There will come a time, little bird," he could hear Ching-Ching reminding him through the winds of time, "when there will be no mountain you can not climb. No wall you can not scale. No height you can not conquer."

He lifted his foot and dug the toe of his boot into a mortared joint. His fingers found a purchase point above his head and he hefted himself up.

Sybelle was worried as she paced her living quarters. The news Chaim had brought her was totally unexpected. Not even in her worst nightmares had she dared to think his men would come after him.

"They say nothing can stand between the men of the Wind Force and their Overlord, Your Grace," Chaim had whispered, fear showing in his dark face. "They will take Rysalia apart stone by stone until they find him.

"We must hide him," Sybelle said as she stopped before the cheval mirror and stared Charlotte Boyett-Compo WINDRETRIEVER 241

gloomily at her body. A body that, even then, was thickening with the Serenian's child. "I will not let them take him from me."

Word that McGregor's own brother, Lord Legion A'Lex, King of Serenia in McGregor's absence, had come, himself, to find the missing man, had brought intense fear to Sybelle's heart.

That an entire kingdom should want for adequate leadership while its two strongest leaders were absent, told her that what Chaim had said was true, nothing would stand in the way of his men retrieving Conar McGregor.

"Where?" she asked her reflection as she tried to think of a place to which she could take the father of her child. "Where so they can not find him?"

The answer came to her on the softest of whispers, the coolest of night breezes, and she lifted her head to look out the window of her chamber. Her lips parted in a secret smile.

"Yes," she sighed. There could be no other place but there. "I shall take him to the Wealdzone."

Turning hurriedly away from the window, she yanked open her door, passing a servant as she started down the long hallway.

"Have someone saddle two horses," she told the servant.

"Yes, Your Grace," the servant gasped, having been frightened by the rush of her mistress.

Sybelle flung the door to his chambers wide. "McGregor!" she called out, not seeing him in the outer room where he spent most of his time. She walked to his dressing area. "McGregor?"

The room was empty, the black robe she had demanded he wear lying crumpled in the corner by the copper bathing tub.

"McGregor?" Her voice was husky, anxious. She entered his bedchamber and her heart began to thud heavily in her chest. He never left his chamber without permission. "McGregor!"

Chaim stood uncertainly in the doorway. He had heard his lady calling. As she came out of the Serenian's sleeping area, he could see the fear on her pale face.

"Where is he, Chaim?" she demanded, striding toward the servant. "Is he in the dining alcove?"

Chaim shook his head. "No, Your Grace. I thought he was in here."

Sybelle felt the first fledgling flicker of true alarm fluttering through her chest. She reached out to grab hold of McGregor's desk. "Then where is he?" she asked, her voice thick.

"I don't know," Chaim told her, "but we will find him!"

Spinning on his heel, not waiting to be dismissed, the servant stamped down the hallway, calling for other servants. Sybelle could hear him questioning them, his own voice now raised in pique.

She sat down at the desk, looking about her with stunned eyes. He's gone, she thought.

He's found a way to freedom and he has gone. She knew it as surely as she knew the sun would rise on the morrow with bright hot rays.

"You broke your word," she said. Her fists clenched in her lap. "You have disregarded your honor, McGregor, and broken your promise to me."

There would be a reckoning, she thought, her dark eyes glowing with anger and hurt and revenge.

"I will make you regret ever having betrayed me, you infidel dog!"

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Chapter Eighteen

Nicholas couldn't believe what he was seeing as the troop of men wound their way toward the camp where he and Nate were staying. He made sure his vision wasn't playing tricks on him, then scooted down the slippery dune and vaulted onto his mount. He beat his reins against the unfortunate animal's taut flanks and galloped back to the encampment. When he reined in and threw one long leg over the steed's head, his feet had barely hit the ground before Asher Stone was hurrying to intercept him.

"Who?" Asher asked. "Enemies?"

Nick shook his head violently, then reached out to grab Asher's arm, propelling him toward Sajin's tent as they walked. "Far from it!"

Sajin flinched with surprise as the flap of his tent was thrown open and Nick came striding in. The man's wide shoulders nearly filled the opening and Asher came hustling into the tent as though the hounds of hell were close on his heels.

"My blasted brother and what's left of the Wind Force are bearing down on us, nomad,"

Nick snapped. "What the hell are we going to tell them?"

Nate, who had been playing a friendly game of chess with the Kensetti prince, stared hard at Nick. "Which brother?"

"Legion," Nick grumbled. "The eldest bastard!"

"A'Lex?" Nate asked, one thick brow crooked in stunned surprise. "He's here?"

"What did I just say, Nathan?" Nick growled. "Did I say the man's here?"

"Hell," Nate mumbled. He leaned back on Sajin's pallet. "That puts the proverbial fly in the ointment, doesn't it?"

"Aye, it does!" Nick agreed. He became aware that he was still clutching Asher's arm and let go, flicking a mute apology at the man as Asher put up his free hand to rub at the bruise that was going to be on his forearm come morning.

"Well," Sajin said, standing up. "I suppose we go out to meet him."

"And?" Nick challenged.

Sajin shrugged. "We tell him we don't know where Conar is."

"Have you any idea what A'Lex will do when he hears that wondrous piece of news?" Nick thundered. "He'll be down on me and Nate like a boot on a June bug!"

"Then I suppose," Nate said as he came to his feet, "we tell him where our little brother is and let Legion take it from there."

The Kensetti prince turned to his chess partner. "You
know
where he is?"

"Aye," Nate sighed. "We do."

"He's with your sister!" Nick bellowed. He glanced at Nate, then away.

Sajin blinked. "Are you sure?"

"We're sure," Nate answered. He put a hand on Sajin's shoulder. "And we just found out for sure yesterday that she's pregnant."

Nothing could have stunned Sajin more than that simple statement. He staggered beneath it. His face lost all its normal ruddy coloring and he sat down heavily. "Is it Conar's?" he asked in a pained voice.

"Aye," Nick told him, "but before you go get your knickers in a bunch, the two of them are married."

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"Married?" Asher gasped. "But he's already ….." He stopped because Sajin had leapt to his feet.

"Married!" the Kensetti fairly screeched. "Conar and Sybelle?"

"Aye," Nick said, backing away from the anger that was suddenly blazing on Ben-Alkazar's now-green face.

"But how?" Asher whispered. "He's already married to my sister."

"And to Catherine!" Sajin hissed. He skirted the chess table and reached out to grab Nick's shirt in a vicious tug. "When did this happen?"

"Several months ago as best we can tell," Nate answered for his brother. For the first time in his life, Nicholas was incapable of speech. It wasn't something Nate enjoyed seeing although before that moment he would have sworn he'd have given anything to see Nicky at a loss for words.

"I don't believe this," Asher mumbled, shaking his head. "What do I tell Rachel?"

"Rachel?" Sajin spat. "What do I tell Catherine?"

"Three women," Asher stated in a flat tone. "The man's married to three women and I can't even find one!"

"Why didn't he let us know he was at Sybelle's?" Sajin questioned, shaking Nick. "Why didn't she tell me he was there when we visited her?"

"I suppose neither one of them wanted you to know," Nate replied. "For reasons of their own, I would imagine."

Sajin spun around, dragging Nick with him. "I'm her brother!" he bellowed, flinging Nick aside as he took a step toward Nate. "Why wouldn't she tell me?"

"You'll have to ask her," Nate replied calmly.

"I will!" Sajin snarled. He pivoted on his heel and thrust angrily through the tent flap, kicking sand behind him as he stomped to the picket line.

"Do we go with him?" Nick finally managed to ask. He wouldn't have thought himself afraid of any man on earth, but for some reason he had been terrified of the Kensetti and his reaction to the news of his sister's marriage to their brother.

"No," Nate said on a long breath. "We'd better wait for Legion.

Nick groaned. "Oh, hell," he said. He'd nearly forgotten about A'Lex.

Sajin, Azalon riding hell bent for leather behind him but not knowing why, passed the troop of men heading for his camp and didn't even look their way. He heard the challenge yelled out to him, but he kept on, ignoring it.

"He was in one mighty big hurry," Marsh said.

"That was Ben-Alkazar," Chase told the others. He turned in his saddle, looking after the thundering horses. "I don't even think the man saw us."

"He saw us," Shalu said. He scowled. "I wonder where the nomad was going in such a hurry?"

"Company," Paegan quipped, calling the others' attention to the riders heading their way out of the lowering sun.

"That's Hern's brother," Chase Montyne reminded them.

"Merciful Alel," Legion breathed as the three riders reined in before them. He stared at Balizar, unable to believe he wasn't looking at the old Master-at-Arms of Boreas.

"Well, now," Balizar said, his eyes twinkling. "You must be the first of the litter." He looked Legion up and down. "I remember you only as a lad of three or so who use to love taffy apples." His grin twitched. "Do you still like taffy apples, Lord Legion?"

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Legion blushed. "When I can get them." He dismounted, as did Balizar, Asher, and Rupine. Striding forward, he put out his hand to Arbra. "If I were to meet you on a dark night, I'd think I was being visited by Hern's ghost." He clasped the old warrior's wrist. "I wish I could say I remember you, but I'm afraid I don't."

"Doesn't matter," Balizar laughed. "I'm thinking we'll get to know one another well enough before it's all through." He glanced around at the men who had come to Rysalia with A'Lex, nodding at those he knew and giving those he didn't a questioning look.

"Lord Occultus," Legion said, looking behind him and bidding the sorcerer to step forward with an outstretched hand.

"Occultus," Rupine whispered and found the man whose name he spoke looking at him curiously. Rupine ducked his head and put up a finger to his temple in salute. "I've heard much of you, milord."

Occultus smiled. "All bad, I suppose?"

Rupine smiled back. "It depends on who was doing the telling."

"He's not with you, I take it," Occultus remarked.

Balizar shuffled from one foot to the other. "If you mean the brat, he's living not far from here as we understand it."

Legion caught the unease in the warrior's tone. "What's he done, now?" he asked.

Asher found Chase staring at him. He nodded politely, then looked away. There was no doubt in his mind that Chase, and probably the others as well, knew that Lord Khamsin had married Rachel, Asher's sister. It was going to be embarrassing to explain that the Serenian had also married another woman.

"You saw Sajin riding like a blue streak from camp?" Balizar asked, glancing at Shalu who was staring back at him with a dark scowl.

"Going after the brat unless I miss my guess," Meggie Ruck snorted as she moved back into the shadow cast by Shalu's bulk. She peered around the Necroman. "When did all this business happen?"