Her Knight's Quest: A Warriors of the Mist Novel (24 page)

The captain stumbled to a halt, his eyes blinking slowly as if he’d just awoken from a heavy sleep. Maybe he had, but he woke up angry and ready to fight. One glance at the horror that surrounded them, and he screamed out his fury and charged Duncan.

All finesse was gone, and victory would be a simple matter of stamina and luck. So much for hoping that the man would lose the will to fight when his connection to the duke was severed.

This would be a fight to the death. Duncan forced the man to retreat several steps. Pressing his advantage, he kept the man on the defensive. He stumbled back into one of the horses, which were still penned in by the fighting. When the animal tried to lunge out of his way, the impact sent the captain flying forward right onto Duncan’s sword.

His eyes widened in shock as he sank to his knees, staring down at the sword stuck into his chest. He grasped the blade with his hand in an attempt to drag it back out, probably hoping to undo the damage that had been done. Duncan helped him with that, yanking his bloody blade free. Leaving the captain to finish dying, Duncan turned his attention to aiding his own men with the last two of the duke’s guards still standing.

For a few seconds, there was silence, broken only by the low moans of the wounded and the dying.

Josup’s arm dripped blood where it had been sliced open to the bone. Duncan ripped off a piece of his tunic and used it to bind the wound until Sister Berta could treat it. One of Josup’s men had been killed, but the rest were more or less whole.

Duncan took charge. “Some of you, gather the bodies and cover them with blankets. We’ll decide what to do with them later. The rest of you, catch the horses and see to them. Store their tack in the stable and turn them loose in the corral.”

One of the guards reached for the captain’s necklace. Duncan caught his arm and then picked up the chain with the tip of his sword.

He lifted it high. “Do not touch any of these. They’re tainted with Duke Keirthan’s magic. I’ll collect them myself.”

The guards backed away. Even if Duncan wasn’t immune to the Duke’s magic, he wouldn’t have risked his men being ensnared by the talismans. When he had all twenty chains hanging on his sword blade, he pounded on the door for the remaining guards to let him in.

Inside, he went into the kitchen to find a rag or sack to put the talismans in. Once he had them safely stowed, he debated whether he should stop to clean up before letting Lavinia know that this wave of attack had been soundly defeated for now. No doubt Duke Keirthan was already aware it had failed.

Vicious tyrants like Lavinia’s brother wouldn’t give up easily. The bastard had already shown himself to be wildly reckless in his attacks. If he’d had a little more control, those bolts of light could’ve easily destroyed the abbey and everyone inside. A man willing to kill innocents so indiscriminately had to be stopped. Surely now Lavinia would agree to come with him to Lady Merewen’s keep.

Duncan marched through the abbey, heading straight for the workroom. He barely noticed Lavinia’s wards as he pushed through them. The door opened just as he raised his fist to pound on it. When Lavinia peeked out at him, his temper flared.

“What are you doing opening the door without asking who is out here? What if it had been the duke’s men?”

She frowned at him. “I knew it was you. No one else could’ve gotten through my wards without setting them off.”

That did little to reassure him. “The fighting is done, and Sister Berta is needed.”

She stared at his bloody tunic. “Are you injured? And what about our guards?”

He ignored the question about him. “We lost one. Several of the others are wounded. Josup’s arm will need to be stitched up.”

“And Duke Keirthan’s men? Do they need their wounds treated as well?”

When Duncan shook his head, her fair skin paled. “How many?”

“Our lookout counted twenty as they approached. It seems unlikely any escaped.”

There was nothing to be said that would make Lavinia feel better or ease the sick knot in his stomach. They both knew those men were as much victims of Keirthan’s greed as their own men.

“These are the medallions they wore. I’ll leave it up to you what to do with them.”

She accepted the bag. “We’ll say prayers over the men who wore these.”

That was as much as they could do for them, and they could not spare a moment for regrets. It wouldn’t take long for Keirthan to regroup and plan his next move. But before he could strike out at Lavinia and the abbey again, Duncan planned on robbing him of his intended targets.

“Once the guards have been seen to, tell the sisters to pack their things.”

Lavinia stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind her. “I’ve already told the younger sisters they will be moving to the abbey where the mother superior resides. Sarra knows that she will be leaving with you.”

All of that was good, but it wasn’t enough. “Tell the rest of the sisters they will be leaving as well.”

“But—”

It was time to lay it all out for her. “Your brother attacked an abbey full of defenseless women, Lavinia. Soon he will know his men have failed to capture you. Do you really think a second failure will make him any less determined? If those bolts had hit the abbey any harder, we would’ve been digging your bodies out of the rubble.”

He crowded closer. “It’s your decision, Lavinia. But I’m telling you right now that if you don’t leave here soon, this place will no longer be your abbey; it will be your tomb. Order your friends to ride to safety, or tell them to say their final prayers and make peace with their gods.”

There was nothing left to say. Either she’d listen or she wouldn’t. If she didn’t make the right decision, he’d do what he could to convince the sisters himself, but he couldn’t expend much time doing so.

He’d already sent Kiva to tell Gideon he was heading back to the keep with Sarra. Those plans hadn’t changed, with one exception. If Lavinia wouldn’t come with him of her own accord, he’d tie her across the saddle and drag her back with him that way. He’d rather she came willingly, so he’d give her a chance to make the right decision.

“Tell Berta that her patients will be waiting in the infirmary.”

Resisting the urge to kiss her one last time, he walked away.

Chapter 25

L
avinia stared at Duncan’s back, her mind numb with pain. So many dead. She prayed for their souls; she prayed for wisdom; then she prayed that this nightmare would end.

What had she done to make Ifre hate her enough to risk killing so many innocent souls to come after her? Even the men who had chosen to serve him might have done so out of loyalty to Agathia without realizing their ruler had been corrupted by a driving need for power.

She had to clear her head. Important decisions had to be made. Now. She retreated back into the workroom where she was quickly surrounded by the comforting presence of the other sisters. They all had questions. She didn’t have many answers.

Raising her hand for silence, she drew a deep breath and told them what she knew. It didn’t surprise her that their reaction was a volatile mix of relief, distress, and fear. Berta immediately left to care for the wounded, taking the two sisters who served as her apprentices with her.

Lavinia envied them their clear sense of purpose. Margaret started to follow after them to see what could be salvaged of the food that had been left on the fire.

“Please wait, Sister. I have a couple of announcements to make, ones you should hear.”

Once again, the room grew quiet. Lavinia took a few seconds to study the women assembled in front of her. She knew them all by name; some she’d known since she was a child; others she’d met when she’d returned to the abbey. Each was dear to her.

“The attack is over, but Duke Keirthan will come at us again. At me, really. I’m the one he wants. The reasons aren’t important right now, only that you are safe before he tries again.”

The women exchanged worried looks. She didn’t blame them. “Here’s what we’re going to do for now. Sister Berta is taking care of the wounded. She will need help dealing with the large number of dead. If your own duties don’t require you to be elsewhere, please seek her out to offer your aid.”

She moved on to more pleasant subjects. “Sister Margaret and her helpers will put together a meal for all of us. Again, please assist her in any way that you can.”

Finally, she turned to her own role in all of this. “I will be returning to my office to seek the guidance of the gods and to make plans for what should come next. Unless it’s an emergency, I would appreciate not being disturbed until I join you in the dining hall.”

Thank goodness for Sister Margaret’s ability to take charge. In seconds, she’d shooed everyone out of the workroom except for Lavinia herself. When they were gone, she set the bag Duncan had given her on the table and stepped back to reset all the protective wards.

Once their soft glow surrounded her, she spilled the talismans out on the granite tabletop. Their pulsing darkness beat at her senses, the blood magic’s filth making her feel unclean without even touching them.

How best to destroy them? One by one or all of them at once? She suspected the release of the power her brother had fed into them would cause a backlash, weakening him at least for a short time. Would destroying them all at once cause him irreparable harm?

What kind of person was she that she hoped it would? The answer was easy. She wanted to be the kind of person who would do whatever it took to stop his attacks on the people of Agathia.

Using the cloth bag to protect her hand from having to touch the talismans directly, she quickly laid them out in a circle on the table with the largest in the middle. When they were arranged to her liking, she raised her hands in the air, palms up and fingers spread wide.

“Lords and ladies, guide me with your strength. Let those whose blood was spilled to form these abominations rest in peace.”

The air around her thrummed with a pulsing power that shone brightly with a pure light, slowly consuming the darkness carried by the talismans. When all of the darkness was centered over the one in the middle, she clapped her hands as hard as she could and called on the power of the rocks and earth and air, and then invoked the secret name of the goddess.

As the last word rang out, the smallest of Ifre’s sigils burst apart, but the black stone in the largest one continued to flash brightly. Lavinia paused to draw a deep breath and then shoved a final pulse of power into the talisman, crushing it into a fine powder. The effort left her feeling as if she’d been running a long-distance foot race.

She waited a few seconds to make sure the talismans no longer had the ability to work their evil. When she was satisfied the danger was past, she lit a small brazier and swept the dust into it, letting the heat of the fire destroy any last connection to Ifre’s magic.

The flames burned hot, first blue, then green, and finally a fine healthy red and orange. She waited several minutes before dousing the fire. Exhausted, her work finished, she released the wards and dimmed the mage lights in the workroom. The spells had left her tired, but she still needed to seek the guidance of the gods, and that meant scrying again.

After filling a pitcher with fresh water at the well, she walked down the hallway, soaking in the comforting sounds of life within the abbey walls. She was relieved to see that Sister Margaret had put Sarra to work in the kitchen, keeping her busy and distracted. As Lavinia made her way through the familiar surroundings, it seemed as if she were saying good-bye to her life here at the abbey. She wasn’t sure why. Until she attempted to hear from the gods through her scrying, nothing was decided.

When she reached her office, she wasn’t surprised to find Duncan waiting for her. Rather than speaking to him right away, she headed straight outside.

He followed her into the garden but stood back out of her way. She emptied the bowl and then refilled it with fresh water. Silently, the two of them assumed their accustomed positions on opposite sides of the green glass as the water churned and swirled.

She stared across into Duncan’s pale eyes as if she would find the answers to her questions there rather than in the swirling water. When his grim expression softened slightly, some of her own tension faded.

The surface of the water slowly smoothed out to reveal the first image. The sisters stood grouped around a large funeral pyre, their heads bowed in prayer. She shuddered at the size of the fire; too many had died that day.

The vision of the flames faded away to reveal several of the sisters riding in the farm wagon they used once a year to haul supplies back from the capital city. This time it was leaving the abbey loaded down with baggage and wooden crates. Other sisters rode behind the wagon surrounded by grim-faced men led by Josup.

So the gods agreed she needed to send the sisters out of Ifre’s reach. She recognized Margaret, Joetta, and Berta, but where was she? She leaned closer but didn’t find herself in either the heavily laden wagon or on horseback.

She continued her vigil, hoping that the gods would choose her destiny for her. Once again the water swirled, erasing everything that had been reflected there.

“Guide me, please. This I pray.”

But instead of the goddess who ruled over the fields and forests, a different form appeared in the water, rising up out of the surface fully formed out of the crystal clear liquid. Despite her diminutive size, there was no mistaking the power the goddess wore as comfortably as she did her clothing.

Even if Lavinia didn’t immediately recognize the woman, Duncan obviously did. He dropped to his knees and bowed his head.

“My Lady of the River.”

“Sir Duncan, my avatar and warrior.”

Lavinia’s own knees gave out on her. Never before had she heard of a god appearing in person to speak directly to a mere human. But then Duncan was not an ordinary man. Although he was showing his respect, he did not appear to be particularly afraid. She was.

“How can I best serve you, my lady?”

Rather than answer Duncan immediately, the goddess gestured with her hand, leaving Duncan frozen and staring out of eyes that were no longer pale, but a rich, dark brown. What was happening here? The goddess then turned to study Lavinia. She wanted to look away from the Lady of the River, but the power of the goddess’s gaze held her prisoner.

“It appears that Captain Gideon is not the only one of my avatars whose heart has been claimed by someone other than me. My Duncan is a fierce warrior and a brilliant scholar. He’s known little of love and gentleness in his life; yet his soul and honor remain unsullied.”

The goddess floated closer to Lavinia’s side of the bowl. “Rise to your feet and answer me this, Lady Lavinia. Are you worthy of such a man? In truth, I have my doubts. Your fear overrules your wisdom. He deserves better.”

The words lashed at Lavinia, leaving their mark on her heart. Only a fool would argue with a goddess, but she felt compelled to defend herself. “I was seeking the wisdom of the gods, my lady.”

The goddess snorted in derision, hardly an expression Lavinia would have ever expected from one of the holy ones. The Lady then shook her head.

“My child, it is not up to the gods to direct each step you take in your life. That would steal your free will from you. It should be your own choices, right or wrong, that guide your life. Don’t search in the water for your answers. Search within your heart.”

Then the goddess tilted her head to the side, once again studying her with an intensity that left Lavinia feeling weak. “You have great potential. Do not waste it. Your people need you.”

She turned her attention back to Duncan. “And this man needs your strength of purpose as well. Your indecision weakens him and divides his loyalties. That must cease immediately. Fail to give him what he needs, and it will have disastrous consequences. More than his life is at risk. His soul is as well. Know that it will take all of us—gods, avatars, and the people of Agathia—to defeat what your brother is about to unleash upon this land.”

When she gestured again, awareness flowed back into Duncan’s expression. He blinked, and his eyes were once again pale, bearing the mark of his service to the Lady.

“Sir Duncan, your captain has need of you. Do not delay returning to his side. Your enemy grows stronger.”

He shot a quick look at Lavinia before nodding. “I will ride for the keep before first light.”

“Sooner would be better, but I understand that there is much left to do before the good sisters here will be safe. Just remember that the days until we will meet at the river grow shorter with each passing minute. Use your time wisely.”

Once again Duncan bowed. “I will endeavor to do my best.”

The goddess laughed softly. “That is all I have ever asked.”

Then her form blurred and flowed back down into the bowl. The surface of the water remained mirror smooth, but no more images appeared.

Duncan gently picked up the bowl and poured its contents on the ground where the plants had been burned by the water poisoned by Ifre Keirthan’s dark magic. This time the few plants that were left swayed and grew several inches in a matter of seconds.

“Amazing.”

He returned the bowl to its stand. “Yes, she is. I’m sorry if her presence frightened you.”

Frightened was too weak a word for the rush of emotion she’d experienced, but Lavinia kept that to herself. “Does she often appear to you and your friends?”

He frowned. “No, in the past we’ve seen her only when it was time for the five of us to face her judgment. However, she appeared to Gideon not long after we were called forth by Lady Merewen. I don’t know what to make of it except that we’ve all sensed that this calling is different. We’re not sure why.”

Lavinia found herself blurting out, “Your eyes were the prettiest shade of brown.”

She’d clearly confused him. “What?”

“While the Lady spoke to me, it was as if she’d turned you into living stone. You looked the same as you always do except your eyes were dark brown, not pale like they are now.”

Duncan stared down at the empty bowl, his expression sad. “Until I came into the Lady’s service, they were brown like my mother’s.”

He crossed to where Lavinia stood. “The Lady truly spoke directly to you, yet I didn’t hear any of it. What did she say?”

When she nodded and stepped toward him, he held out his arms. At his touch, even the kiss of the sun felt warmer on her skin. Together they banished the chill of fear she’d been living with for hours.

Laying her cheek against Duncan’s chest, she did her best to explain. “Your Lady said I should search in my heart for answers, not in the water. That the gods cannot make all of our choices for us without stealing that which makes us human.”

Then she smiled. “I’m not sure your goddess thinks I’m good enough for you.”

She felt the wave of shock roll through Duncan at her announcement. “In truth, she said that?”

Lavinia nodded. “My indecision and fear are weakening your ability to do your duty.”

Duncan’s arms tightened around her. “I have never failed the goddess in my duty. I will not this time, either.”

“I know that, and so does she,” Lavinia assured him.

But she had decisions to make, her own honor to protect. It would be far easier for her to think clearly if she were alone with her thoughts. “There is much to be done before morning. I will need to get the sisters organized to leave. After that, I will pack the books that cannot be left here for Ifre to find. I’ll also set aside the ones that will be of the most use to you and your captain.”