Cameron didn’t speak for such a long while that she thought he wouldn’t answer at all. Couldn’t he remember, or was he taunting her mentor with his muteness? She exhaled when he finally broke the silence.
“I think the trinkets healed me, then brought me out of unconsciousness. They were shining like stars when I opened my eyes. To tell you the truth, it seemed to me they were responding in some way to the magic in the fortress. Or possibly assisting, I can’t say for sure.”
He blew out a breath of air before running his fingers through his hair and turning round to face them.
“All I know is that I witnessed something incredible. I saw an intense white light blazing around the castle. It was so pure and blinding that I had to shield my eyes. Although the radiance emanated from the inside, it appeared to encompass the whole structure.”
She figured the three magical objects had saved his life right around the time she was healing the morbid disease called the Darkening. Placing a hand over her belly to appease her inner turmoil, she sent silent thanks to the Ancients and the Mighty Gods, then listened to her lover’s calm voice.
“I reckoned a fierce battle was raging on, but I also knew the magic wouldn’t let me through. This wasn’t my fight, but yours.”
A lump blocked her throat as he settled his gaze on her. Face impassive, he looked at her with so much love that her heart skittered.
“I feared for you, Ariana, more than for my own life. And I prayed you wouldn’t lose hope or faith.”
“I didn’t.”
“No, you didn’t. You’re without doubt worthy of the Ancients’ trust, for you are the bravest woman I’ve ever met.”
Her eyes watered, but even a little impaired, her vision didn’t miss the beaming pride reflected in his gaze. Rooted to the floor, she just stared at him while he resumed his tale.
“All of sudden, the brilliant light vanished. So did the trinkets. I had them in my hand, and the next instant they were gone. I wouldn’t know what happened to them, shaman. That is for you to discover.”
“By all means, my lord. I assume the king’s wizard will be very interested in assisting me in this wondrous quest.”
“Good, but that isn’t all. I looked up, and the black fortress was altered. Although the same structure stood in its place, I knew with absolute certainty that Ariana had defeated the darkness.”
“How so?”
“Because the clouds shadowing the land began to disperse, and sunrays already struck the castle. I had to rub my eyes to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. The fortress now appeared to be made of the purest crystal imaginable. The walls, towers, and gates shone white and limpid under the glare of the sun. If I was to live centuries, that is a sight I’d never forget.”
She heard awe in his tone as he etched into words the beautiful spectacle. The recollection of the Black Fortress still fresh in her mind, she deplored missing an image that might help her leave behind a haunting memory. Yet she disregarded the regret as he carried on.
“Anyway, I got up to run toward the castle, and that’s when I realised I was back in my own body.”
Up to then, seemingly captivated by Cameron’s story, her shaman abruptly frowned. “What do you mean back in your own body?”
Chapter Forty-Six
In two long strides, Cameron closed the short distance between him and her shaman. She watched him round on her mentor without trying to stop him. Eyes cold, he appraised the smaller man.
“Don’t look so surprised. It won’t do you any good. I haven’t forgiven you for this trick you played on us, and I don’t care to hear your explanation. You shouldn’t have done it without my consent.”
“My lord, I promise I know of no trick.”
“Had Ariana died, and had I survived the injury I believed fatal, I’d have seen you hanged. You belong to a healers’ tribe. Thus you are under my authority. You ought to throw yourself upon my mercy.”
Fear crossed her mentor’s features when the Lord of the Clans’ reproach hit him. She saw the hard lump of his throat bob up and down several times before he worked his mouth.
“I am, and always will be, your humble subject, my lord. My whole life has been dedicated to healing our people, not trick them. On what is most sacred to me, I swear I can only plead ignorance.”
Faced with the displeasure of his giant sovereign, he knelt at his feet, dropped his head, and stayed in this subdued posture. The moment lengthened, prompting her to think he might not be pretending after all. Cameron stared at the bowed man before crossing his arms over his chest.
“Rise, shaman.”
The gaunt man obeyed. Beads of sweat glistened on his brow as he assumed a standing position without glancing at her. His features turned to ice, Cameron regarded him with attention.
“When we met in Frahern, you told Ariana you’d start her training in the morning but, very conveniently, you then disappeared.”
“There was nothing convenient about my departure. I chose to leave because Ariana wasn’t ready.”
“What are you getting at?”
“Had I stayed, she’d have relied on me for guidance and support instead of mentally preparing herself for the ordeal ahead. I knew she had to face a great evil, and the only way to help her was to let her confront it alone. In good conscience, I estimated she needed to feel abandoned to figure things out for herself. Else she’d have failed, and the Four Kingdoms would be no more.”
Her shocked gasp acknowledged the chastened man’s clarification. How could he have been so cruel?
“You pretended you’d train me for this battle, then you deliberately abandoned me? I can’t believe my ears.”
“There was no other way, dear girl. I wish I could have spared you the hurt and loneliness, but you’ve always had a habit of leaning on others, and that would have been your undoing.”
In spite of her distress, she had to admit he looked sincere, as well as sorry. The melancholy in his eyes told her that he’d acted in good faith, regardless of the fact that right now she wanted to yell at him. Swallowing a long string of reproaches, she left it to Cameron to continue the questioning.
“This is all well and good, yet you spiked our tea. As a consequence, I found myself in Ariana’s body the next morning, and she in mine. Do you still deny using magic against us, shaman?”
Her mentor wore such a quizzical air that she realised he had nothing to do with the body swap. Eyebrows raised, he joined his hands together.
“My lord, I don’t deny having a little magic at my disposal, but I use it solely to relieve people and appease their suffering. I’m flattered you’d think so highly of my abilities, yet I wouldn’t be able to sprout wings on an ant even if I wanted to, let alone exchange human bodies.”
Pins and needles seized her toes as her shaman suddenly wrenched his gaze away from Cameron to turn his eye on her.
“To the best of my knowledge, a single magic is potent enough to achieve such a wondrous feat. It is the power of the Ancients.”
“Are you suggesting Ariana is the perpetrator?”
“I am, my lord, without the shadow of a doubt.”
Mind blank, she felt like shrinking under the sudden scrutiny of both men. She wasn’t responsible for the body swap, so why were they staring at her as though she’d committed a dangerous offence?
“Would you quit looking at me like that? I didn’t do it.”
Her shaman unlaced his hands to take hold of her shoulders, and his low tone gave her goose bumps.
“Maybe not on purpose, but I’m convinced you did. Think, Ariana. You’ve complained about your lack of physical strength for as long as I’ve known you. When you ultimately admitted the Ancients bestowed their magic upon you, couldn’t you have imagined a way to use this power to become stronger? Like, say, the Lord of the Clans?”
“I’d remember if I had.”
“Not necessarily. At the time, you weren’t confident enough to dare perpetrate such a bold move, which is why I believe you did it in your sl
eep. The unconscious mind can be a very powerful tool.”
“This is preposterous, shaman.”
He shook his head, pursed his lips, then released her shoulders. While the gaunt man backed away, her lord continued to observe her with a strange, bland expression that set her nerves jiggling.
“Cameron, please stop staring at me. You aren’t going to give credence to what he says, are you?”
“I’m inclined to.”
“Why? For the love of the Creators, why?”
“Because his presumption makes sense.”
Perhaps it did, but she still had difficulty seeing herself in the role of a mighty witch able to change people’s lives at will. Rationality dictated that she fully accepted her magic, yet she had to refrain from stomping her foot.
“It doesn’t.”
“It does. How else do you explain we were back in our rightful bodies when you destroyed the Darkening?”
“Well, because...”
Her voice trailed off as no valid reason came to mind. Oblivious of her loss of words, he answered for her.
“Because you’re the one who exchanged us in the first place. And when need arose, when you couldn’t vanquish the evil with sheer strength, you took your magic back. Your shaman wasn’t present in the Shrouded Mountains, was he? Or do you suppose he can cast spells from a long distance?”
No, she didn’t suppose that, and the idea that she wielded so great a power dried her mouth. On the other hand, the body swap had allowed her to understand what her mentor strove hard to teach her. Mind over matter. She wouldn’t have defeated the darkness otherwise.
As she shuddered slightly, Cameron took the last step separating them and wrapped his arms around her.
“Don’t be scared. You’ll get used to your magic.”
“Do you think I still have it?”
“That’s a question for your shaman.”
She glanced at him over Cameron’s shoulder, but her mentor’s hesitant look didn’t tell her much.
“I’m sorry, dear girl, I have no answer for you. I guess we won’t know until you try healing someone.”
“Then we’d better find a wounded person. We’re in Palance, and I’m sure this castle is full of injured soldiers.”
He grinned at her, probably glad to see she hadn’t lost her sense of humour, and that his lord wouldn’t have him hanged after all.
A maid entered the chamber as Cameron loosened his grasp. She set a tray down on the table and bowed to them before leaving the room. Her stomach grumbled at the sight of roasted birds and fruit pies.
She wished her cheeks wouldn’t translate her embarrassment at making gurgling noises, but she hadn’t been fed for half a moon and the delicious-looking food called to her in an aggressive manner. As much as she’d have liked to keep discussing serious matters, she wanted to eat. Cameron clearly sensed her craving because he took her elbow to guide her to the table.
“You need strength after your long sleep. Eat, Ariana.”
She sat down with a smile, grabbed a bird, and tore its wings apart before sinking her teeth into the juicy flesh. After she swallowed her first bite, she gestured at the two men.
“Won’t you share with me?”
Although they declined, her appetite wasn’t hampered. She chewed and munched with growing satisfaction while her companions began discussing the state of the Four Kingdoms in the wake of the previous year’s war.
Far away from politics, she enjoyed the royal food until a footman appeared in the doorway and inclined his head before Cameron.
“The queen requests your presence, my lord.”
He exhaled a loud sigh, nodded briefly and then turned to her with a reassuring look on his face.
“I shan’t be long.”
By the Mighty Gods, what did this woman want with him? Were they going to argue again? Would she throw him out of her palace for disobedience? She licked juice off her lip and stared at him.
“What’s wrong? Does the queen have something against you?”
The feigned, heartening air on his face vanished to give way to severity. “On the contrary. She wants me to wed her daughter.”
Chapter Forty-Seven
She had always known he’d marry high. Notwithstanding Kelton’s warning, this was the way of the world. She’d buried the upsetting information along with her memories of the Darkening, yet this day had come. He’d been offered the princess of Palance.
A hurtful pang streaked her belly. She pushed her plate back as Cameron walked to the door, then looked back.
“I’ll be with you before you know it. In the meantime, stay here with your shaman and enjoy your food.”
Well, the meal was definitely over for her. She’d have liked to discuss the delicate matter with him, but he was out the door before she had the leisure to comprehend the disagreeable sensation knotting her stomach. With him gone, the bedchamber felt empty and devoid of life.
Who did this woman think she was to order him around? Queen of Palance or not, she had no right to meddle in his affairs. The Clans were independent, and they should stay that way to ensure their freedom. If a queen put it in her head to secure their obedience with an alliance, where was the world going?
She then recalled that she, herself, had advised him to pick sides should another war occur. She gnawed at her bottom lip and wondered why. Probably because alliances provided strength in numbers against attackers, as well as safety for the people, but at the time, she’d envisioned the signing of a treaty between two territories. Not a marriage with another woman.
The unpleasant feeling twining her insides increased as she pictured Cameron lying naked on a bed with a faceless princess. Forcing herself to take long, calming breaths, she gestured to her shaman to come sit across the table. He complied readily enough, yet she had no care for his foxy grin.
“What’s so amusing?”
“This unexpected twist for once, but also the air on your face. I didn’t imagine I’d ever see the day.”
“What day?”
“Come on, Ariana, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten Kelton, for I haven’t, and I clearly remember the mild smile you put on the whole time you two were betrothed. For a young bride supposed to look forward to an entire life of happiness with him, you never showed any sign of being moved, thrilled, despondent, passionate, or even jealous. Not so now, is it?”
His mischievous tone tightened her muscles. She hoped he didn’t infer that the ache in her guts came from her being jealous, because it didn’t. Why would she resent a woman she’d never seen?
The idea was dumb given that Cameron wouldn’t be attracted to a stupid cow anyway, be she a princess or a commoner. What if the cow turned out to be a beauty, and lust sank its claws into him?
Her belly churned, spurred on by the workings of her suspicious mind. Dear Creators, how would she deal with being discarded, sent leagues away from him, and replaced by another whom he’d cherish for the rest of his life? How would she survive without the touch of his hands, the sound of his voice, and the feel of his steely gaze on her?
No, she needed to focus, take some time to consider the problem, and get a grip on herself. Surely he couldn’t fall into such a blatant trap because he was far too noble for that. As Lord of the Clans, he soared heights well above basic instincts. Did he really, or was she indulging in wishful thinking?
She knew he argued with the queen, yet their squabble didn’t mean he wouldn’t cave in, or give in to new desires.
Clenching and unclenching her fingers, she jiggled her legs against the chair. True, he had confessed his love for her, but he’d been dying at the time. The imminent confrontation with death might have prompted him to finish his life on a passionate note.
Enough! She needed to put an end to this hurtful melodrama that could only bring her misery. Her shaman rightly targeted the source of her torment. She was jealous of the king’s daughter, and she hated the manipulative queen for attempting to steal her man.
&
nbsp; Her man. Nobody else’s, but hers.
On the other side of the table, her shaman waited her out with a patient expression. His eyes still sparkled as he appeared set on finding this horrible situation amusing, yet she didn’t have the strength to blame him for his unkind attitude. He wasn’t the one betraying her. Picking up a knife to chop off bits of birds skin, she settled her gaze on him.
“What do you know of her? Tell me what she’s like.”
“Princess Failend is the eldest of the king’s daughters, and I must say she’s a demure, well read, very beautiful young woman.”
Cameron liked them demure, didn’t he? Her own shyness had sometimes pleased him so much that he’d laughed out loud. Dear Gods, why was her shaman painting such a perfect picture of her downfall? Had he woken up this morning intent on hurting her?
Before she could tell him to please lie to her because the truth felt too hard to bear, he winked at her.
“I’ve heard our lord has met the princess on several occasions, yet I trust he isn’t receptive to her charms.”
The heart she believed in the act of shrivelling to the size of a rotten nut began thumping in her chest. She squeezed her thighs as the knife fell from her hand and clanged on the table.
“How do you know? Has he confided in you?”
“Of course not. I told you earlier, that man hasn’t spoken three sentences to me until you came to. I just happen to think you’re the only person in the world he cares about.”
Her empty lungs cried for nourishment. Without daring to look away from her mentor, she inhaled blissful air.
“Are you certain?”
“As sure as I can be, but I shouldn’t be the one telling you this, dear girl. You’ve spent days on end with him, as well as nights, if I may be blunt. You know him much better than I do, so you must have a more insightful understanding of his true feelings toward you.”
“I guess so.”
“Then why are you acting like a frightened, unsure child?”
“I don’t know. I can’t seem to help it. She’s a real princess, while I’m a nobody. By right, he should be with her.”