Chapter 24
My breath stalled.
The look she pinned me with was unsettling, off, predatory.
Danger. Danger.
In a flash her eyes grew empty again, the flat affect returning to her face. I was sure no one noticed, then my gaze found a pair of electric blue eyes and I knew at least Nikolas had by the way his brow furrowed in confusion and alarm as he gazed from me to her and back again.
My mother marched forward, tears welling in her eyes as she took the hollow face of the girl in her hands. “You are safe now, child.”
The girl turned lifeless eyes to my mother, looking right through her as a single tear crawled down her face.
A chill tiptoed down my spine.
I was probably just being paranoid. Who wouldn’t be creeped out?
Right?
Danger.
I wanted to tell them all to get away from her, that she couldn’t be trusted, that she wasn’t safe. But what reason did I have? She didn’t seem like someone you would need protection from, she seemed like the someone who needed protection.
Nikolas studied her warily. Maybe his gut was whispering the same thing as mine.
Danger.
I found Sir Landon in the small crowd, he too looked uneasy.
Murmured questions rose in the air. What to do with her? How did she escape? Where were her parents living now?
My father settled the question of her parents by sending word to the census keeper that he was to track down the family Annette Connolly and a party be sent to retrieve them immediately upon the discovery of their location.
My mother insisted on having the girl housed in the guest corridor and having the physician tend to her at once. She also sent for Soleil in order to inspect the girl for traces of black magic.
How she escaped? That was a question with no answer. Not from the girl, not from anyone.
I looked at Sir Landon…strong, able, a trained fighter. I could fathom his escape. I looked at the girl…frail, damaged, empty. I could not fathom her escape.
Liam approached me at my post by the door, his nose was set, but the bruising and swelling was more than evident on his face. Somehow, even with all that, he was still beautiful. “What troubles you, Dani?”
I shook my head, taking in his swollen nose and black eyes before answering. “I can’t see how she escaped.”
Liam looked back to the girl. She hadn’t moved an inch. “Nor I. I cannot recall ever seeing her in the castle, perhaps she was set free years ago.”
I set my teeth into my bottom lip while I turned that over in my mind. “Do you believe that’s what happened?”
Liam looked back to me, eyes roaming over my face. “No.” He drug a hand through his hair. “But I cannot imagine that she escaped. No one escapes Castle Knox.”
I tilted my head in Sir Landon’s direction. “He did.”
Liam was quiet for a moment, watching the man who’d held a knife to his throat. “He did not escape on his own.”
“How do you know that?” I asked.
Liam considered me for a moment. “Because I drugged his guards. I carried his unconscious body to the hidden tunnels.” He lifted his black eyelashes to watch me from beneath them. “From there he made his own way once he regained his consciousness.”
“Why was I not told that part of the story?” I asked, bothered that Nikolas had left that out.
Liam shrugged. “I doubt he remembers quite everything that happened. He had been brutally beaten…repeatedly and was still out cold when I retrieved him. That does not make for ideal circumstance when you are trying to recollect an event.”
My harm warmed toward Liam, undoing most of the damage done with his jealous fit. “You should tell him! He should know that!”
Liam quickly shook his head. “My actions were not in hopes of recognition. It was only what was right.” He said in low voice.
I just couldn’t figure Liam out. He was like one tall, hot, brooding, mysterious, jealous question mark. “You are an enigma.” I whispered, mostly to myself.
Liam pulled me away from the door, out of the way of Soleil who was making her way into the room. He released my arm gently and looked at me with those piercing green eyes. “Are not we all?” Then, he bowed slightly and made his way back toward the circle still surrounding the girl.
I felt eyes on me and looked around until I locked eyes with Nikolas, who quickly looked away, falling into conversation with the guard standing to his left. I watched him briefly, but he did not turn his gaze on me again.
A glow appeared in the room around the tiny girl and I watched in awe as Soleil molded and smoothed the light around the girl, fitting it to her. Eyes closed, Soleil looked deep in concentration, like she wasn’t really there at all.
Silence descended over the room as everyone watched, a few looking like they’d seen this a dozen times, but most could’ve been bought for a penny as soft white light emanated from each of Soleil’s delicate hands, wrapping around the girl.
Moments passed and the light snuffed out instantly when Soleil opened her eyes. She stared down at the girl curiously, the girl who hadn’t seemed to notice what had transpired.
Looking to my mother and father, Soleil shook her head once, but confusion clouded her fair face.
I inched closer as Nikolas and my father made their way over to Soleil, desperate to hear their conversation.
“What is the matter?” Nikolas asked, his voice hushed but urgent.
Soleil shook her head slightly, stirring the golden wisps of hair framing her face. “She is not cloaked in dark magic…” She trailed off, lost in thought and staring at the girl. “There is something very strange about her, I fear she may be lost inside her own mind.”
“What can be done?” My father asked, studying the frail creature across the room.
“I could not say. We should keep a close watch on her, have the healers see to her.” Soleil seemed troubled as she spoke. “Keep a close watch on her…I would not leave her unguarded.”
Nikolas glanced back over his shoulder at me, checking on me again, then directed another question at Soleil. “Have you discovered what is located in Ruedenbury, milady?”
Soleil gave a small shake of her head. “I have not, it troubles me greatly for I am certain there is some purpose behind this seemingly random act. I shall be in quarters if I am needed.” Her honeyed eyes searched my face as she exited, making me want to cower in a corner somewhere.
My mother appeared, placing a delicate hand on my shoulder and offering a gentle smile.
“Shall we retire my dears?” My father asked.
My mother nodded to me. “Yes, Dani. You must be exhausted. You should get some sleep, I will see that the girl is taken care of properly.”
Accompanied by two guards, my mother gently pulled the girl to a stand and guided her forward. I felt like maybe I should go along, like perhaps it was my duty, but I couldn’t part company with the eerie girl fast enough.
I blinked and Nikolas was standing in front of me, his body positioned in such a way that I could not see the girl any longer. He stayed there, guarding me, until the girl had been ushered from the room. Once he’d decided I was safe, he crossed the room to Liam.
I expected to feel the air thicken with tension when they spoke, but whatever their issues with each other, right now they were all business. I watched as they conversed, apprehension lacing the air around them. Both seemed quite uneasy, suspicious even.
So was I.
Mind made up, I strode up into the middle of their conversation.
“I cannot recall ever seeing her at the castle, but that does not guarantee she was not there. I believed she’d been killed all of those years ago…I never sought her out.” Liam was saying.
Nikolas nodded. “Indeed, it appears we were all fooled.” His eyes slid to mine, then back to Liam.
I blinked at him, then blurted out what I’d come to say. “I had, I had a vision kind of thing today and…I saw her face, that girl.” I wrung my hands as I looked up to gage their reaction to my words.
Nikolas’ eyes widened, while Liam slowed turned his head to look directly at me.
Liam spoke first. “Has this happened before? Where were you? How long did the vision last?”
I shook my head, trying to get the questions he’d asked straight so I could answer accurately. “Uh, okay…no it hasn’t happened before and I was bathing.” Liam crooked an eyebrow at that. “And only for a second, but it was her. I don’t know what it means, but I have a bad feeling.”
Nikolas’ eyes shifted to Liam. “Well, then…that makes three of us.”
Liam looked to me and back to Nikolas. “What must we do?”
“I will insist upon doubling the guards around the girl, the king will have to allow that. It will be a necessity until we understand more about her and her circumstances. Aside from that, I do not know what else can be done, especially since Soleil has deemed her free of black magic.” Nikolas rubbed the bridge of his nose slowly in frustration, then his eyes flashed. “Tell me, Liam, what do you know of Ruedenbury?”
A perplexed looked crossed Liam’s face. “Nothing, aside from its location. Why do you ask?”
They just stood there talking like Nikolas did not punch Liam in the face earlier.
Boys were so weird.
“Your father has been holed up there as of late, but why is a mystery. He has not attacked, he has not demanded control of the village…he is simply…staying there. I find it exceedingly odd.” Nikolas explained calmly.
Liam nodded his head as his eyebrows rose. “As well you should. Have you considered it is a distraction?”
I chimed in. “Why do you let him stay there, why doesn’t someone attack?”
Liam looked at me as if this were a dumb question.
Nikolas calmly explained it to me. “If we were to attack, Raythen would put the village to the torch. Innocents…countless innocents would lose their lives…women, children, babies…they would be massacred.” Nikolas took a breath. “It is what history has taught us.” He looked tired and sad.
Liam looked ashamed. That made me sad because he carried the guilt of his father’s actions as if he were responsible…sometimes. Sometimes, apparently he got angry and goaded someone into punching him. Maybe that’s why he did what he’d done earlier today, maybe he thought it was no more than he deserved.
“Oh, that makes sense.” I felt like an idiot.
A dark look shadowed Nikolas’ face, a mixture of aggravation and embarrassment. “If you will excuse me.”
I followed his line of sight to find Brigitte staring daggers, alternating between Nikolas and I.
Uh oh.
I could hear the smile in Liam’s voice as I stood with my back to him. “Now there’s trouble.”
My eyes fell on Nikolas for a beat where he stood in conversation with Sir Landon. “Tell me about it.” I muttered under my breath.
Sir Landon looked to me, nodded once then made his way over. He smiled at me, a smile that oozed charm. Nikolas’ mannerisms made a little more sense to me. “I am to see you safely back to your chambers, Princess.”
I nodded. “Thank you.” I turned to Liam. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Liam nodded, looking vulnerable and unsure…like he had when we’d been alone together in the woods. I liked him much better when he came down a peg or two.
Turning, I took the arm Sir Landon offered and let him lead me from the room.
We were halfway to my chambers where I couldn’t bear the silence any longer. “So, you kind of raised Nikolas?”
Sir Landon nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, I suppose you could say that.”
“You did well, he’s…he’s so good and loyal and brave.” Good Lord, someone put a sock in my mouth.
Sir Landon chuckled. “I cannot take credit for his virtues. Sometimes I believe the boy was born that way…just inherently good.”
I nodded. “I believe that, I believe people can be innately good…or bad. But, I can see pieces of you in him, so I am certain you are at least partly responsible for his virtues.”
A smile crept across Sir Landon’s face. “If so, I am glad of it. Nikolas has been like a son to me.” He paused, looking at me meaningfully. “He is fond of you…quite fond of you.” We’d reached my door and he stopped and turned to face me, taking my hands in his. “If he doesn’t come round on his own, please promise me you will do what you can…do not let him enter into a marriage with that selfish, shallow, brat of a girl.”
I scoffed, shaking my head emphatically. “I…I can’t…what I say would make no difference. I’m sure he knows what he’s doing.”
Sir Landon let out a humorless laugh. “Yes, of course he does…he always does the right thing. For once in his life, he should do what is right for him. Sometimes, you must put yourself first. That is a lesson I’ve never been able to teach Nikolas. Perhaps you can.”
How could I refuse? This was basically Nikolas’ father asking me to help him keep Nikolas from destroying his chance at happiness. “Of course I will do my best if it comes down to it.” I said the words, but I didn’t know how or what I could do about any of it.
The stress disappeared from his kind face. “Thank you, a thousand times, thank you.” Sir Landon bowed. “Have a pleasant night, Princess.”
“Thank you.” I muttered, still in a state of shock at being asked so bluntly to try and stop Nikolas from marrying that she-devil.
But, I’d given Sir Landon my word and I wanted to be a…woman of my word. And I also didn’t want Nikolas to live in misery. And I was pretty sure that is what this marriage would amount to…misery for Nikolas. Even if I wasn’t kind of head over heels for him, that would be the end result.
So that was it. If Nikolas didn’t make the call himself, I would nudge him in the right direction.
Or shove or kick…
If it came down to it, this time I would save Nikolas.