Keeper of the Wolves (26 page)

My breath fogged the window. I dropped back
to the dusty carpet and waited for Lord Brayton to speak. When he
did so, it was on a topic that surprised me. “When you are done
here, you’ll have a place at Miduan Castle.” I stared at him, but
he continued to watch the activity below. “What you’re doing can’t
be easy, and if you are as enamored with Koya as you say you are,
you won’t want to be present after she chooses a suitor.”

A pit formed in my stomach. I had shied away
from such thoughts, but Brayton’s certain tone pounded into my mind
the finality of living without Koya. Seeing her with another man
would kill me, of that I was sure. He was offering me an out with
my dignity intact and a place to run to when the world fell down
around me.

I tried to tell myself that Koya loved me,
that she had promised we would find a way, but I only saw the
uncertainty in her eyes when she spoke of how Joven would react and
her duty to her duchy. I couldn’t tear her away from those who
needed her, but I wanted to with all of my heart.

I turned to find Brayton watching me with
sorrow in his eyes. “You’ve proven yourself to be a valuable
friend. Such a thing is hard to find these days.” A furrow formed
between his eyebrows. “Come to Miduan and we’ll live in bitter
reminiscence of the women we love.” He said it in a
self-deprecating tone, but the touch of humor in his eyes made it a
joke.

I hesitated, then realized if Koya was
forced to choose a suitor for the sake of her duchy, I would have
no other choice. I gave a short nod. Brayton turned away and
clasped his hands behind his back as he studied the chaos below
once more. “Good,” was all he said. I watched him in silence for a
few moments.

When I left the room, I felt more troubled
than when I entered, but I held a firm respect for the man who
offered me a place in his kingdom. I could only hope I would never
need to take advantage of his offer.

***

Silence filled the castle after the last
carriage rolled down the cobblestones. It was near evening, far
longer than the Dukes and Duchesses of Rala wanted to wait before
leaving, but with the amount of belongings they had brought along
with the bedlam of loading dozens of different carriages and
outfitting horses for guards, their departure took a considerable
length of time.

The sun lowered behind the nearest mountains
as farewells were said and final tokens of appreciation were
shared. Lord Brayton said his goodbyes, then nodded at me
meaningfully from his carriage that was painted white with red
roses along its exterior. In wolf form I could merely watch, but
the gesture sent a pang of worry through my stomach.

I glanced at Koya, but Brayton’s gesture had
gone unnoticed. She waved at the last carriage. Turning away with a
sigh, she said, “I don’t suppose anyone’s up for dinner in the
kitchen.”

Joven gave a snort of disgust, but Koya
merely pushed his arm. “It’s been a while, and I doubt Steward Weis
has the dining hall put to order quite yet.”

“
You know how Cook Tamus
feels about us eating in her kitchen,” Joven argued. “It’s unseemly
for Lords and Ladies to dine with their servants.”

Koya rolled her eyes in a perfect impression
of her brother. “Propriety leaves nobles lonely and their servants
bored. I say we shake things up a bit.”

Rasmus and I followed the brother and sister
as they argued all the way to the kitchen. I swear I heard a laugh
escape him, but when I glanced up, I saw only a carefully
controlled countenance. When Koya and Joven entered the kitchen,
everyone stopped in the midst of the cleaning they were doing. Cook
Tamus’ eyes found me the second I walked into the room. She
glowered but didn’t say anything in the presence of the
siblings.

“
Mistress Cook,” Joven said
with a jovial bow. “My sister has insisted on dining in here to
save Steward Weis the trouble of cleaning up the Grand Hall
twice.”

The head cook bowed. “You honor us with your
presence,” she said in a tone that completely hid the annoyance I
smelled wafting from her in waves.

“
Thank you,” Koya replied.
She elbowed Joven discreetly in the side. “See,” she said under her
breath. They made their way to a table Cook Tamus quickly cleared.
Both siblings seemed utterly unaware of the wide eyes and awed
faces of the servants around them. Apparently dining with the
castle workers was entirely out of the ordinary.

Rasmus took up residence against a wall
where he had a clear view of the room. I sat near Koya’s chair and
studied the surroundings, though by the smell and obvious rapture
on the faces around us, we had little to worry about.

I wondered what would happen to the people
of Vielkeep Castle should Koya marry someone without vast holdings
and armies to defend them from the greed of the surrounding
duchies. I planned to talk to Joven when I changed that night; it
was easier to change by moonlight, especially after the last few
taxing days. A million reasons why we shouldn’t wed tortured my
mind, but they were dampened by the glances Koya threw me, looks
tempered in love, happiness, and secret joy, looks for which I had
gladly given up my world.

Chapter 15

I met Joven in the library that night. The
air smelled of aging paper and inks that told of charcoal, tar,
fish, copper, and pine. The carpet underfoot was soft and thick, a
dense weave that muffled the sound of those who walked upon it. The
cavernous ceiling rose high above us and the walled were lined with
bookshelves to the top. I wondered how anyone had the time to read
so many pieces of work.

The chair Joven sat in was well worn to the
point of comfort, one of the few tattered pieces of furniture I had
seen in the castle. I set a hand on the threadbare cloth.

Joven caught my look. “It was my dad’s
favorite,” he said. The slightest hint of longing colored his
voice. “I used to sit on his knee while he studied the histories of
Rala and the deserts we came from.”

“
What’s a desert?” I asked
when he paused. My voice was scratchy and rough, the voice of one
who spoke five words a day at most. It was such a contrast from his
refined speech and tone that I felt embarrassed for speaking and
breaking his train of thought.

He answered my question without noticing my
discomfort. “It’s a land of barren sand and scrub as far as the eye
can see. Our ancestors left when the drought got worse, driving
them from the dunes. They found the valley of Rala and were happily
settling in when the Viel attacked.” He spoke the words as if he
read them off a page in one of his history books, but I pictured
the fear on the faces of men and women when they realized their
dire error.

Joven continued, “Thousands were killed,
including the original royal family. My great-grandfather, Duke
Fasred, led his men under a cover of fire and steel to slay the
Viel. They won, but barely. Duke Fasred was granted the title of
the first Duke of Rala, and he appointed his four generals as Dukes
of the other duchies. I don’t know if you’ve noticed the torch in
the courtyard near the front gate.” He glanced at me and I nodded,
picturing the giant steel and wood contraption that burned whether
it was night or day. “The torch of Rala is kept burning in each
duchy as a reminder of the safety we treasure. We owe a great deal
to our ancestors, and we can’t forget the price we paid to live
here.”

I walked to the shelves of books and studied
the spines. The characters on them made no sense to me, but a
longing to read the stories within burned in my soul. If they told
of histories like the one Joven recited, perhaps I could find the
truth of my origin and my place in the world.

Joven cleared his throat as if he guessed my
thoughts. “I’ve scoured them since your arrival for any word of
your ancestry. I’ve yet to find any accounting of men who turn into
animals, or,” he glanced at me, “vice versa. Your origin is a
mystery.”

Discomfited, I crossed to the narrow windows
that took up meager space between the packed bookshelves. The view
gave me a corner of the courtyard below, enough to see the
ever-burning torch flickering in the evening light. The shadows of
guards moved around the gate.

I watched them without thinking until their
movements sunk into my mind. Mouths opened and arms moved,
gesturing quickly. The tall mass of shadows that looked like Master
Guard Waylan shouted something. The gate lifted and a rider thunder
through. The horse stumbled on the cobblestones, then righted
itself and galloped across the courtyard.

“
Something is wrong,” I
said. My heart started to pound. Something was definitely
wrong.

Joven rose and moved to the window just as
footsteps ran up the hallway. I turned at the sound. Joven moved
with me and watched the door. It flew open and Steward Wies ran in
just ahead of the black-cloaked rider. The rider threw back his
hood and I stared at Lieutenant Aled.

“
He demanded to be seen,”
the Steward gasped out. “He wouldn’t stop.”

Joven lifted a hand. “It’s alright, Master
Steward. Thank you for your assistance.”

Rasmus appeared at the door just as the
Steward bowed and left. “I heard the news. How bad is it?”

“
Bad,” Aled replied, gasping
for breath. He was holding his arm close to his side. His face was
pale and the scent of blood colored the air. “They’re everywhere.
The Dukes and Duchesses don’t have enough men to stop
them.”

“
Stop who?” Joven
demanded.

“
The Viel,” the Lieutenant
forced out between clenched teeth. “They attacked just south of
Vielkeep. There are too many of them.”

The remaining color bled from his face. I
closed the space between us and caught Aled just as he stumbled. He
leaned against me, his strength spent. “He’s been hurt,” I told
Rasmus. “He needs a physician.”

The General’s eyes widened. He lifted Aled’s
shirt to reveal a deep, bleeding wound down the length of his ribs.
He pulled the Lieutenant’s arm over his head and we helped Aled
down the hall toward the palace healers. Joven followed close
behind.

“
You’ll ride at my side,”
Joven said to me as we waited by the door. The air of command in
his words and eyes reminded me of the alpha wolves. It was an order
to be followed. I nodded. With Aled being tended to, we hurried
down the hall. Joven spoke to four servants at once and each ran in
a different direction.

He and Rasmus left when we reached the main
doors. I watched the controlled chaos of a castle preparing for
battle. Servants ran back and forth while soldiers gathered in the
corridor and the courtyard beyond. The General returned in battle
armor with four soldiers behind him. One handed me a short sword
and a leather breastplate.

At my look, the young soldier grinned. “We
saw what happened the last time you fought the Viel. Imagine what
you could do with some armor and your own weapon.”

Rasmus slid the breastplate over my head and
fastened the side straps before I could protest. “If you ride with
us, I want you prepared,” he said quietly. “I won’t have a soldier
at my side who isn’t armored and armed.”

I accepted the sword without a word and
buckled the sheath around my waist. The armor was thick but didn’t
impede my movements because it only covered my chest and back. The
weight of the sword was unfamiliar against my side.

I glanced at the soldier who had given it to
me. The man watched me with something akin to awe in his eyes. I
lifted an eyebrow like Joven was fond of doing. “If only I knew how
to use it,” I said. The comment brought a laugh from the other
soldiers.

The General gave me an appraising look. “I
think you’ll do just fine,” he said.

Soldiers and guards were rallying at Joven’s
call. In the space of moments, horses were pulled from the stables
and weapons were handed out. I saw a different side of Vielkeep,
one far different from the warmth, comfort, balls, and laughter. In
its place, the sound of metal sliding into leather sheaths, men
talking quietly, horse hooves on stone, and an air of expectancy
held. Vielkeep was truly a fortress to be reckoned with.

One scent rose above them and I turned to
see Koya waiting on the stairway above us with a look of worry on
her face. Her eyes found mine, then widened when she saw the armor
and sword. She shook her head. I hurried up the stairs between us
and her hand slipped into mine, breaking my grasp from the sword
hilt.

“
You don’t have to go,” she
said.

“
Your brother asked me to
ride with them. If the Viel are as strong in numbers as they say,
he’ll need every soldier fighting if anyone’s to come home
alive.”

She shook her head again. “You’re not a
soldier.”

The fear in her voice cut me to the core. I
pulled her close and she buried her face against my breastplate. I
took a deep breath of her scent, allowing it to calm my pounding
heart and slow my frantic thoughts. “I am today,” I whispered into
her hair.

She took a deep breath and stepped back.
Tears showed in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. “Come
back to me, Victus. Come back to me and bring Joven with you.”

I put a fist over my heart. “I will, my
lady.”

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed me
quickly as if she couldn’t help it. “Take care of yourself, Keeper
of the wolves,” she said. “That’s an order.”

A smile touched my lips and I bowed. “As you
wish, my lady.”

Four of Rasmus’ soldiers marched up the
stairs with determined looks on their faces. They wouldn’t leave
their Lady until we returned. Even so, it was hard to walk back
down the stairs with her gaze on my back. I rested a hand on the
hilt of the sword as if it belonged to me and straightened my
shoulders. I would honor her by not having fear of the future; I
would return.