“Is there a point to this story?”
“Aye,” she said sharply. “He got his own brother and me mum’s killed during a robbery what went bad in London. For that, she hated him. Yet she knew her brother had loved him as his friend and so she didn’t turn him in when he came wounded to her to hide.”
Cameron paused a moment before she continued. “As me dear father used to say, we can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark, but the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. When we refuse to see the truth that lies before us because facing it is too hard and scary for us. Because when we acknowledge that light, then we see the monsters the dark no longer hides and we are honor bound to do something to stop them. It’s easy to lock your heart with hatred. But only when it’s free will you be able to move forward without pain anchoring you to a past that’s holding you back.”
Grief filled her eyes. “Like you, mum, I’ve lost many what were dear to me. But were I ever lucky enough to find one who could love me, one who looked at me the way the captain stares after you whenever he thinks no one’s watching him … that I’d hold on to with a white-knuckled grip.”
And with those words, Cameron left her alone with her Bane.
How Mara wished it were as simple as the girl thought it to be. Unfortunately, Duel had a way of complicating the simplest of matters. He always had.
Her heart heavy, she went to the bed to inspect his injuries. The good news was that he’d heal. But he was rather battered.
And it was her fault. As Cameron had said, she’d let her indecision go on far too long and delayed helping him when she shouldn’t have.
He would never have withheld his protection of her. No matter their quarrel.
Grimacing at the bruises and cuts, she gently pulled his shirt over his head, then used her powers to manifest a towel so that she could dry him off.
Yet as she began to clean and dress his wounds, she became aware of the scars that marred his perfect physique. The roadmap of battles he’d fought for his people.
And for his sisters.
Every part of his body was covered with them. And in her mind, she didn’t see the captain. She saw the barbarian warlord in his black armor who’d ridden at the head of his army.
The bastard leader of the Dumnonii.
As she touched his hand and saw his ring, those thoughts scattered.
Was that …
Her heart stopped. It was a harthfret! How had she missed it? In all the years they’d been together, she’d never really looked at his ring. Never once noticed what the vibrant red stone was.
Biting her lip, she reached for it, then hesitated. He’ll kill you. Deader than even dead itself!
In fact, he’ll bring you back just to kill you again.
Aye, he would. But if she had control of him, he wouldn’t be able to harm her. She’d own him completely.
Scared and trembling, she forced herself to pry the ring loose from his finger.
Yet the moment it came free, it shot a light through the room. One that blinded her. More than that, it ripped a hole through her emotions as she realized too late that it wasn’t his harthfret, after all.
It was his sister’s.
Suddenly, she was in the past. In the Great Hall of Tintagel where Dón-Dueli’s family had ruled with an iron fist.
“Elf!” he roared as he came through the doors in all his massive glory and sent the hounds and servants scattering for cover. Even the watchmen seemed a bit nervous and in want of shelter from even so much as his passing glance.
The only one who wasn’t afraid was a tiny wisp of a teen girl who sat in a wooden chair near the window, doing needlework. “Would you stop calling me that already? My name is Elyzabel.”
He’d snorted dismissively. “Why weren’t you in the list to train?”
“I told you why. I’ve no intention of learning swordplay. It’s what I have you for, Duey.”
The growl he let out succeeded in causing the watchmen to withdraw from the room. They scurried away like rats fleeing a fire.
She laughed. “You’re scaring the guards again, brother.”
“Too bad I can’t scare you.”
Sighing, she tied off her thread, then bit it in twain. “Well, you need the frustration of dealing with me. Everyone else gives you your way.”
With a grimace that would have caused a sane person to wet herself, he knelt by the girl’s chair and handed her the cup from the floor so that she could sip at it. “Why won’t you train?”
She reached to toy with the braid that fell down from his temple. “I’ve no wish to take a life.”
When he opened his mouth to speak, she placed her finger to his lips to stop his argument.
“That is no judgment against you, Duey. I love you more than anything in this life and I always will. But as you know no peace, I want to know no war. Ta gave you no choice in your life or your fate. He forced a sword into your hand as soon as you could walk, and saddled you with responsibility for me and Edyth and our people. Never once have you ever complained of it. I’ve watched you all these years as you’ve grown from a beautiful boy to a handsome man. I couldn’t be prouder of you. And I thank you for the fact that you’ve given me a choice as to my future here with you and with our people. Please don’t take it from me now.”
He lifted her hand into both of his and kissed it. “I want you safe, Elf. You’ve no idea what horrors I’ve seen. What happens to the women when their men fail to protect them. The Romans keep advancing on us. I’ve held them off thus far. As well as the Adoni, but should I fall—”
“You will not fall,” she said with a chiding smile. “No one can defeat my brother.”
He brushed his hand tenderly over her scarred knuckles. “What happened to my little Elf who used to climb trees and beat any boy who said she couldn’t run as fast or shoot as well?”
Sadness darkened her eyes before she blinked it away. “Childhood scuffles are vastly different from what you do.”
“You blame me for our parents.” He started to stand.
She held him fast by her side. “I never said that. ’Tis your guilt driving you, not me. I want to see you happy, Du. You never speak of family or peace. ’Tis as if you don’t think yourself worthy of either.”
He let out a bitter laugh. “How can I marry and have children when every woman, save you, cringes at my approach?”
“Not true. I’ve seen the ones what vie for a place in your bed.”
“And flee the moment we’re done as if terrified I’ll strangle them come morning.”
“Then let them see the side of you that you show to me.”
He glowered at her. “What side is this?”