He jumped out.
Luciana dropped her weapons and ran to the window. His cloak rippled in the air as he swooped down. He landed, immediately rolling forward in a somersault. When he rose smoothly to his feet, his hood fell back.
She gasped. Red hair. As if he’d heard her, he looked up.
It was him. Red and black. The man on the black horse. The man in the Great Hall. The man she’d intended to keep secretly in her dreams. He had been the one who had listened to her confession.
He lifted a gloved hand and smiled.
Her heart thudded so hard, she pressed a hand to her chest. Clattering noises sounded behind her as the guards rushed in. They talked to her, but their voices didn’t register. She could only stare at the mysterious man who had invaded her room.
A guard moved beside her to peer out the window. He yelled, and the guards dashed from her room.
“Go,” she whispered, but the redheaded man was already running down the wall walk. Guards from the gatehouse battlements started toward him. Soon, she saw her guards charging from the tower.
He would be surrounded.
Suddenly he leaped over the wall. His cape flapped in the wind, then disappeared.
Luciana inhaled sharply. How could he survive such a fall? But then he was no ordinary man.
She turned and leaned her back against the wall. Her hand was still pressed against her pounding heart.
And if you dream, think of me.
She sighed. “I believe I will.”
* * *
“Tatiana! Are you all right? Tatiana!”
Luciana woke with a start.
Christopher’s eyes widened. “You’re alive!”
“Aye.” She sat up in bed. Sunlight was pouring into the tower room now. She must have slept several hours.
“Oh, thank the Light.” Christopher tried to bounce up onto the bed beside her, but slipped through the mattress. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. I heard in the kitchens that you were dying. The servants are so upset.”
Luciana winced. “I’m sorry.”
“My mom was crying.” Christopher stuck out his bottom lip. “You should tell her you’re all right.”
“I wish I could.” Luciana hesitated, then decided the boy could handle the truth. He’d suffered much worse trauma than this. “The duke wants everyone to believe I’m at death’s door.”
Christopher blinked. “Why?”
“So the assassin who tried to kill me will leave me alone.”
“What?” Christopher’s form wavered.
“Don’t worry. I’m fine,” she reassured him. “And I’ll stay fine as long as I remain hidden.”
“Why?” Christopher’s form grew more solid. “Why would someone want to kill you?”
“The king wants the Duchy of Vindalyn, and he’s sent three assassins here to kill me and my father.”
Christopher thought for a moment. “Then the king is a bad man.”
“Yes, he is.”
“And the assassins are bad, too.”
Luciana swung her feet over the side of the bed as a thought occurred to her. She’d sent her sister to spy on the guards in the barracks. Perhaps Christopher could help, too. “Father believes one of the new priests could be an assassin.”
Christopher’s mouth fell open. “Really?”
“You could help me and the duke. If you watched the priests, you might discover which one is the bad one. You might even find proof. You could be a spy for me.”
Christopher’s eyes lit up. “A spy?” He bounced around the room, then stopped in front of her. “I haven’t been this excited in ages!”
She smiled. “Then I will ask you to kneel.” When he did, she took the dagger left behind by the redheaded man and pretended to tap the flat of the blade against the boy’s shoulders. “You may rise, Sir Christopher.”
With a giggle, he jumped to his feet. “I’m a knight!”
“And a fine one at that. Do you accept your mission?”
He nodded solemnly. “Don’t worry, Tatiana. I’ll find the bad man for you.” His form wavered, then disappeared.
Luciana had barely risen to her feet when he popped back in. “Oh. That was fast.”
Christopher laughed. “I forgot to tell you. I heard something else in the kitchens. They were busy making a fancy luncheon for your father and your betrothed.”
Her heart lurched. “My…”
Christopher nodded. “Aye. The man you’re supposed to marry. He arrived a few hours ago, and he’s in the library with your father. My mom said it was so sad that he arrived just as you were dying.”
“Oh.” She’d thought he was delayed a few days. She’d thought she would have some time before having to meet him.
Christopher frowned. “Some of the servants called him the Beast, but my mom told them to hush. Why would they call him a Beast?”
Luciana swallowed hard, then waved a dismissive hand. “Nothing but gossip, I’m sure. Now, off you go. You have a mission, remember?”
“Aye, Captain!” Christopher saluted with a grin, then vanished.
Luciana made the sign of the moons. Luna and Lessa, help me. The Beast had arrived.
A knock on her door made her jump. Was he here already?
“My lady?” Jensen called. “Are you awake? I thought I heard your voice.”
“I-I was talking to myself.”
“Permission to enter?”
“Just a minute.” She quickly put on the black gown she’d worn the night before. After braiding her hair and stepping into her shoes, she unlocked the door.
Jensen bowed. “We have orders to take you back to your bedchamber for a little while. Please wear your hooded cloak so no one will see you. And don’t worry. We’ll have guards posted at both entrances. You’ll be safe.”
“All right.” She pulled on her dark cloak and followed Jensen down the spiral staircase. “I’m sorry you were knocked out. Again.”
Jensen glanced back with an apologetic look. “You must think I’m incompetent.”
“No, not at all. I appreciate what you’re doing.”
“Thank you, my lady. Keep your hood on so no one will see your face. While you’re in the keep, we’ll be installing a bolt for your door here in the tower.”
She bit her lip. They were doing what the redheaded man had ordered? When they reached the ground floor, she asked, “Then I will continue to live in the tower?”
“Yes.” Jensen gave her a worried look. “I don’t wish to alarm you but your betrothed arrived early this morning. He’s currently in the library with your father.”
She nodded. “I understand.”
“The Lord Protector requested a meeting with you,” Jensen continued. “That’s why we’re taking you back to your dressing room. So you can get ready.”
She swallowed hard. “I see.” She pulled her hood up and started across the sheep meadow with Jensen and two other guards. Soon she would be meeting the Beast.
Jensen sighed. “The Lord Protector’s arrival has changed everything. You’ll be expected to spend time with him. And once the servants know you’re alive and well, the news will spread quickly.”
Her hands tightened their grip on her cloak. “I will be in more danger then?”
“You should be all right. Only a few guards know that you are sleeping in the tower. And no one would dare try to harm you when you’re with the Lord Protector.”
Because even the assassins feared him? Luciana took a deep breath to steady her nerves.
Back in her room, Gabriella burst into tears when she saw her. “My lady! I was so afraid something awful had happened to you!”
“I’m fine.” Luciana gave her a reassuring hug.
With a blush, Gabriella stammered, “Th-thank you, my lady.” She wiped her cheeks. “We mustn’t tarry. Your betrothed wishes to see you soon.”
For the next hour, Luciana was bathed and scrubbed and slathered with scented creams. Her hair was washed and braided with pearl
s. Gabriella decided on a gold brocade gown, claiming it would make her look like a princess.
The time flew by too quickly for Luciana, for she dreaded the moment she’d have to meet the Beast. By the time she was declared ready, her dread had grown into outright fear. She could barely eat any of the bread or cheese that Gabriella had brought to her room. While her maid rushed off to let the duke’s secretary know she was ready, Luciana paced about her room.
Her sister’s warnings flitted through her mind. I heard he killed his nanny and his mother. He fries people with his touch. Sizzle! With a shudder, she paced toward the hearth. Don’t think about it! She needed a distraction.
The letter from her sisters! She checked the opening in the upholstery of the chair where she’d hidden the note. It was still there. In two more days, she was supposed to leave a message on the rock offshore. How would she manage that when she was being so carefully watched?
And what could she possibly write? That assassins wanted to kill her and she was about to marry the Beast of Benwick? She couldn’t frighten them like that. She was frightened enough on her own—
She jumped when the door slammed open.
“Captain,” Jensen protested. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“Stay outside,” Captain Bougaire snarled as he shut the door in Jensen’s face.
Oh, no! Panic bubbled up inside Luciana. What if the Beast came now? “You have to leave.”
Alberto Bougaire spun around to look at her, and relief flooded his face. “Thank the Light. There’s a rumor going around that you’re dying. I knew it couldn’t be true.” He strode toward her.
She circled behind the chair to position it between them. “Please leave.”
“No!” He reached for her, but she jumped back. “Tatiana, we have to go. Now! Before the Beast—”
“Stay away from me!”
He lunged for her and grasped her by the shoulders. “You promised you would run away with me. You love me!”
“No!” She struggled to get away, but he pushed her against a wall. Pinning her there with one hand, he gripped her chin with the other.
“Listen to me. No one gets between your legs but me. You’re mine!” He rammed his mouth against hers.
With a strangled cry, she shook her head. No, no! This couldn’t be her first kiss! She shoved with her hands, kicked with her feet, then suddenly he was wrenched off her and flying into a wall.
She gasped. The redheaded man was here! And he’d thrown the captain like he weighed nothing.
“What the hell?” Alberto scrambled to his feet. “How dare you come in here? Guards!”
“They no longer answer to you.” The redheaded man flexed his gloved hands as he glared at the captain. “I informed them that you’ve been dismissed from your post.”
“What?” Alberto eyed him with disdain. “You have no authority over me. And no right to attack me! I should kill you.” He fumbled for his sword, but in only a second the redheaded man whisked a dagger from his boot and pointed it at Captain Bougaire’s neck.
Alberto gulped.
“You truly wish to kill me?” the man said softly. “I’ll give you the chance. Meet me in the courtyard at dawn. Your choice of weapons.”
Luciana’s breath caught. A duel?
“Fine.” Alberto sneered. “I’m the best swordsman in the keep. When I win, I’ll demand my position back. And I’ll claim Tatiana as mine.”
With a hint of a smile, the redheaded man lowered his dagger. “You will not win her.”
Luciana stiffened. “Excuse me? I object to—”
“Don’t worry,” Alberto interrupted, slanting a wary glance in her direction. “I’ll be sure to win you.”
“Nobody is winning me,” Luciana declared. “I object to being a prize at a tourney.”
The redheaded man turned his head to give her a curious look.
His eyes are a beautiful green. Like new leaves in spring. Or a meadow at dawn— She pushed those thoughts away. “I appreciate you rescuing me from the captain’s unwanted attention, but—”
“What?” Alberto huffed.
“I don’t see why either of you should suddenly feel a need to kill each other,” she finished.
“He insulted me!” Alberto pointed at the redheaded man.
“You insulted my woman,” he replied.
Luciana scoffed. “I am not yours. I don’t even know who you are. And both of you had better leave before my betrothed…” A niggling suspicion crept into her pores. Her eyes widened as she stared at the redheaded man.
One side of his mouth tilted up as if he found the situation amusing.
He couldn’t be. This man had arrived with the army, and her betrothed had been delayed. Besides, this man was far too handsome to ever be called a Beast. His dark-red hair gleamed in the sunlight that poured through the windows. His square jaw and sharp jawline were shaded with whiskers a little darker than his hair. And his eyes, that beautiful shade of green, were focused entirely on her.
He arched a brow as if he were asking if she’d figured it out.
She shook her head. He couldn’t be. If he was, then he’d lied. He’d been here all along. Tricking her.
“What’s going on?” Alberto looked back and forth between her and the other man. “Who the hell are you?”
He slipped his dagger back into his boot. “I am Leofric of Benwick, Lord Protector of the Realm.” He slowly smiled at Luciana. “And your future husband.”
Her heart lurched. She didn’t know whether to rejoice or crawl into a hole to die from embarrassment. He was the man of her dreams, but he’d played her like a fool. All the time that he’d spent watching her, taking her confession, sneaking into the tower, he’d always known who she was.
But he’d kept his identity a secret. So even though he’d made her heart flutter, he’d also caused her heart to ache, for she had believed she would be forced to marry someone else.
Had he found it all amusing?
Tears stung her eyes. “I should have clobbered you when I had the chance.”
Chapter Fourteen
Leo’s smile faded. This was not the reaction he had expected. Had he been wrong in believing their attraction was mutual? Was he so starved for affection that he’d misinterpreted every glance she’d aimed his direction?
“What?” Captain Bougaire regarded him in horror as he stumbled back a few steps. “You’re the Be—Lord Protector?”
The bastard had come close to calling him the Beast. Leo cut him an annoyed look. “Leave us.”
“Y-you should have warned us,” the captain whined. “You should have told us who you are.”
“Exactly,” Tatiana ground out, her beautiful blue eyes glaring at him.
She was agreeing with the bastard? And how could she threaten to clobber her future husband? Leo stepped toward her. “Are you … angry with me?”
Her eyebrows lifted. “You’re clever. I like that.”
What the hell? She was using his own words against him. And there was no mistaking her sarcastic tone. No one dared talk to him like that. Only the general, Nevis, and Brody could get away with it, and only in private. Why, he could make hardened soldiers piss their pants with just a look—a sudden realization struck him.
She was standing up to him.
Since the age of five, he’d seen how people reacted when they learned he was a monster. They recoiled from him, cowered in fear, and refused to look him in the eye. But not Tatiana.
He moved closer and rested a gloved hand against the wall on one side of her head. Her eyes widened, but she didn’t flinch or turn away. “You’re bold. I like that.”
Her eyes remained fixed on his, and his heart pounded in his chest. She was breathing quickly, the lovely upper curves of her breasts straining against the bodice of her gown. By the Light, he wanted to touch her. He wanted it with a fierceness that made his heart ache.
He searched her eyes, and there it was. A sense of time slowing down. A world melting away w
ith only two souls remaining. An eternity of longing. Bittersweet and desperate.
Couldn’t she feel it, too?
“Stay away from him!” Captain Bougaire yelled. “If he touches you, it will kill you!”
With a wince, she looked away, breaking the trance. Don’t be afraid of me, please. Leo stepped back, lowering his hand. “I promised to do my best to never harm you.”
“What about the duel?” Captain Bougaire whined. “It won’t be a fair fight if you—”
“Enough!” Leo scowled at him. “I will not use my powers. It will be a test of skill. If you have any.”
The captain snorted. “How can I trust the word of a Be—” He turned pale when Leo stalked toward him.
“Show up tomorrow. Or leave the castle now in disgrace. That is your choice.”
The captain gulped. “I’ll be there.”
“Good. Leave us.”
Captain Bougaire hesitated, casting a wary look at Tatiana.
Leo gritted his teeth. “Go!” He watched the bastard scurry from the room. “And shut the door behind you.”
He turned back to Tatiana. She was glorious in gold brocade, as bright and beautiful as the sun, and thankfully the fire had returned to her eyes.
She lifted her chin. “You may go, also. I wish to be alone.”
Was she giving him orders? His mouth quirked. This would be a duel he would enjoy. “I will stay. I wish to become better acquainted.”
“Odd that you would say that, since you waited so long before introducing yourself.”
He sauntered toward her. “This is only my third day here.”
“More than enough time.”
“Barely enough time for one of your very long baths.” He breathed deeply. “Roses. I like that.”
She crossed her arms, apparently oblivious that the action pushed her breasts higher against the low neckline of her gown. “You shouldn’t remind me of your deception. Lying to me, pretending to be a priest—”
“I never said I was a priest—”
“You said the lines of a priest.”
“And you said the lines of a confessor. Did you expect me to believe your long-bath story?” He scoffed. “We were both pretending to be someone we’re not.”