Warrior (78 page)

happened to Jaisyn. She and Mathilda

had sat together for long hours

through the night. Mathilda was

unusually quiet until she fell asleep.

Shock had kept Isolde from fighting

through the guards to get to her sister,

but today, she was determined to get

answers today.

It was still early in the morning so

her maids had yet to come to her

room. Stepping from her nightgown,

she ignored the deep chill and padded

over to the day gown that Iliana had

hung out for her. As she slipped into

the dress, she was thankful the

buttons and laces were at its front.

The hard part over, she ran a brush

through her hair and pulled a ribbon

around it. Passing a quick glance back

to the bed, where Mathilda was curled

under the covers, she moved quickly

to the door.

***

Varian had come to a decision. He

left the chambers that his mother had

previously occupied and walked,

keeping his back straight, to Jaisyn’s

rooms. He knew he would find his

brother there. He expected to see the

numerous guards that congregated

before the queen’s door; he did not

expect to see Isolde.

His stride slowed as his gaze drank

her in. She was demanding to be let

inside to see her sister. The guards

had their instructions and refused to

budge.

As if sensing him, her head swiveled

in his direction and a sigh escaped her

lips. She moved away from the guards

and came at him. For a moment,

Varian thought she would throw

herself in his arms, and although he

was glad that she did not, he couldn’t

help the shiver of anticipation that

rushed through him for that fleeting

moment.

Her eyes were round as she came to

an abrupt halt before him.

“What has happened? No one will

tell me anything. Has something bad

happened to my sister? Has Lady

Lydia recovered from her swoon?

Why did she faint?”

***

Varian stared at her for a long

moment, and Isolde stepped closer to

him. She couldn’t read anything from

his expression. Normally, Varian

wore a smile that fooled one into

thinking that he was calm, but today,

his expression was neutral. Blank.

“Swoon?” he repeated slowly, as if

testing the word in his mouth. Isolde

nodded. She’d seen Lydia’s body in

his arms yesterday. “No. She has not

recovered.”

With that, he stepped around her

and Isolde stared after him in

confusion as he approached the

guards. He said nothing but after a

few moments, they cleared a path for

him. She followed after, watching as

he disappeared into her sister’s

chambers until the door closed. The

guards moved back into place, arms

crossed over their chests as they

stared straight ahead.

“You will move aside at once!”

Isolde demanded angrily. One of the

guards looked down at her before

returning his gaze to something above

her head. They were ignoring her.

There had been only a handful of

times she’d wished she were as skilled

with the sword as her sister. At the

moment, she wished she were more

like Jaisyn. Then she could hack

through them until they let her in to

see her sister.

Chapter 20

Vulcan heard the door open and

lifted his head to see who was

entering his wife’s chambers. It was

still

early

morning.

When

he

recognized his brother’s face, Vulcan

slid quietly from the bed and met him

at the window. The healer was still in

her chair and Jaisyn slept on.

Looking behind Vulcan to where

Jaisyn rested, Varian asked calmly,

“How is she?”

“Sleeping. She will live.”

Varian nodded, his blue eyes never

leaving his brother’s. “I am sorry.”

“The blame is not yours, brother.”

Angling his head, Varian spoke

firmly. “With your permission, I

would like to take my mother’s body

back to the Mountains. I also ask that

you allow me to return Calista to her

father. You can be assured she will be

punished for her part in this.”

Vulcan stared at his brother’s stoic

countenance and nodded. He hadn’t

seen Varian since last eve, when he’d

walked from his wife’s chambers

cradling the dead body of his mother

in his arms. Dressed in black, Varian

was the reincarnation of death.

“How long will you be gone?” he

asked evenly. His brother looked

relaxed, as he usually did, but another

emotion, one Vulcan had never seen

before, lurked silently in his eyes.

Varian shrugged. “It should be no

more than a few weeks.” He paused,

his eyes lazily taking in Vulcan.

“Unless you have some objection to

that, liege.”

The two stared at each other for

long moments before Vulcan moved

closer to Varian.

When he stood before his brother,

Vulcan spoke softly. “I am sorry for

your loss, Varian. I know how close

you were to your mother.” He pushed

back the anger that enveloped his

body as he thought of how near Lydia

had come to killing his wife and child.

“You may take her to the Mountains,

but know that Calista is forever

banned from my sight. If she is seen

anywhere near this castle or my wife,

I will have her exiled from all of

Morden.” He paused briefly to allow

Varian to raise any objections to his

decree. He only nodded in agreement.

“And Varian…take all the time that

you need.”

Varian dipped his head and looked

back to where Jaisyn lay. “I am truly

sorry for the wrongs my mother has

committed against you and your

family.”

“You did not know, Varian.” He

paused, wondering if Varian had any

idea of exactly how much wrong

Lydia had done to his family. She’d

killed his mother, bewitched his

father, attempted to kill him numerous

times, and had done the same to his

wife and child. Did he know

everything? Vulcan could read nothing

in his brother’s eyes. “I have never

had cause to question your loyalty.”

He did not reply to that, but

continued to stare at Vulcan.

“I intend to spend no more than a

month in the Mountains, but I am

unsure. I have not been there for

many years. Perhaps I will tend to my

holdings in that region before I return

to Lytheria.”

The king could only nod. He knew

that Varian had inherited keeps and

estates from his mother but his brother

had never shown interest in them.

They were currently run by their

individual

stewards

and

while

nowhere near as grand as the castles

that belonged to Vulcan, they were

large and uniquely built creations.

“If you ever have need of me, you

have only to send word.”

Inclining his head once more,

Varian turned and headed for the

door.

“Varian—”

He stopped right before the door

and turned back to Vulcan. “Go with

the Gods.”

Nodding, Varian replied solemnly.

“May they keep you and your

family.” He left without looking back.

***

Isolde waited until Varian emerged

from the chambers. She was standing

to the side and he did not see her as

he first. He spoke some words to one

of the guards before he turned in the

opposite direction. Isolde picked up

the skirt of her dress and walked after

him as quickly as she could without

running.

“Varian!” she hissed softly, ignoring

the looks of the servants as she

brushed past them. She held little

hope of catching up to the long strides

of the seemingly oblivious prince.

He turned into the passageway that

led to Lydia’s chambers and Isolde,

after noticing that path was clear, tore

into a run. She caught up with him

then, planting herself directly in his

path, and effectively preventing him

from continuing on.

For her efforts, she received a lifted

brow from Varian.

“Why are you avoiding me?” she

asked, taking in deep breaths.

“I was not avoiding you,” Varian

replied, and Isolde frowned when she

noticed that his face was still

completely blank.

“Then why did you not stop when I

called you?” she demanded, shaking

her head and exhaling. “What has

happened to my sister?”

Something flickered briefly in his

gaze and he closed himself off to her

once more. “My mother, apparently.”

Her brows furrowed in confusion

and she reached out and grabbed his

arm. His gaze moved down to where

her arm rested against his sleeve, but

lifted to hers once more.

“Varian, you’re confusing me. Your

mother?” Isolde moved her hand from

his sleeve and fiddled with her hair.

“What does your mother have to do

with my sister?”

“Everything.”

Isolde stared at him for a long time.

Why was he acting like this with her?

Varian was usually very forthcoming

when it came to her and now he was

aloof.

“You do not understand?” He

questioned lightly, a cool smile

forming on his lips.

She shook her head. Moving closer

to her, Varian reached down and

picked up her arm, the arm that she’d

removed from his sleeve. He replaced

it over his. “I will show you.”

A chill went up her spine and she

considered snatching her hand back.

Varian had become coolly polite, and

that meant something was terribly

wrong. Although she wanted badly to

turn around, and run back to the

doors that housed Jaisyn, she trusted

Varian. Whatever he had to show her

would help her understand what was

happening with her sister.

***

As soon as they entered Lydia’s

chambers, a chill crept into Isolde’s

bones. No fire was lit therein. It was

also dark, and through the bed

curtains, Isolde could make out a soft

silhouette.

She turned to look at Varian,

wondering why he would bring her

into this chamber when Lydia was

asleep.

Varian moved closer to the bed.

When he was within arm’s length, he

pulled the bed curtains away and

pushed them up.

Isolde’s feet inched closer to Varian,

and she froze when she observed the

white gauze that held a bound body.

Her hands went to her mouth as her

eyes lifted to Vulcan’s.

She shook her head, horrified, as

her mind began to piece things

together. She’d seen a motionless

Lydia in Varian’s arms last night and

had assumed the dowager queen had

fainted.

Removing her hand from her mouth

slowly, she asked, “Is that…?”

Varian lifted his eyes from the

gauze-wrapped body and nodded.

“My mother.”

Her brain still reeling with the fact

that Lydia was now deceased, Isolde

could only mutter, “How?”

“Poison.” He turned around to face

her. “It seems my mother tried to

poison Jaisyn. It backfired and she

now lies dead.”

Eyes widening in fear, Isolde moved

closer to him. He looked away from

her. “What of my sister, Varian? Is

she dead as well?” Isolde paused and

thought of the guards blocking her

entry to Jaisyn’s chambers. Was that

why they were keeping her out? Was

Jaisyn dead?

Varian shook his head. “No. When

last I spoke to my brother, your sister

was alive and well. My mother’s plans

were thwarted.”

Relief

rendered

her

slightly

lightheaded but as she continued to

stare at Varian, the meaning of what