“What?”
“You heard me. Do you love Reyn?”
“Yes,” she answered, as her face turned red and tears welled in her eyes.
Cara nodded, satisfied with Maeve's answer. Until now she hadn't known for sure if Maeve returned Reyn's feelings. “Then we will figure this out. He will go with you to the Northern Province and you will start your new life together.”
She shook her head and frowned. “What you're saying is impossible. He's bound by blood to you. He might as well be your husband for all purposes of the law.”
“I will release him from his vows.”
Maeve's frown deepened. “And leave Crowthorne with an advocate, scorned and shamed throughout the country.”
Cara hesitated and thought about the implications. She smiled as she realized what she had to do. “I am the Crowthornian advocate. Crowthorne needs no other. As for Reyn bringing disgrace to his family and his name, I think I know a way to prevent that. Go back to your chambers and stay there until I tell you otherwise.”
“What are you going to do?”
Cara pulled the dark hood over her cousin's head. “Let me worry about that. Now go. I'll come to you soon. And Maeve,” she said, squeezing her cousin's hand. “I forgive you.”
Chapter 15
Herron paced in front of the large fireplace, while Finn, Callion, and Helfrich sat at the small circular breakfast table with their arms and legs crossed. Reyn leaned against the post of Herron's large bed, rubbing the back of his neck, while Tahdaon watched the proceedings in silence from the far corner of the room.
The only reason Tahdaon was there was because she needed him if her plan was going to work. She didn't like having to trust him, but at this point she had no other choice.
Herron looked at her skeptically. “What you're suggesting not only puts Reyn at risk, but everyone who's involved.”
“I know,” Cara said, searching the faces of the five other men that had congregated in Herron's private chambers. What she saw was a mix of emotions, most of which was apprehension and unease.
Herron stopped pacing and locked eyes with Reyn. “You're sure you want to do this?”
Reyn nodded. “Whether you help us or not, I will go with her.”
“And break your vows to Cara?” Callion scoffed.
“She has already released me from those vows,” Reyn said, but Cara saw the guilt in his eyes as he said the words.
She stepped forward and placed her hand reassuringly on Reyn's arm. “You swore to protect me always. You do that by keeping Maeve safe. She is a part of me, and I couldn't live with myself if I knew she was alone and unprotected. You do this as much for me as for yourself.”
Reyn gave her an appreciative smile.
“I have no objection to Reyn leaving with Maeve,” Finn said, rubbing his hands over his face in agitation. “But there has to be a way to do this without putting Cara at risk.”
“I agree,” Callion urged, pushing his chair back and standing so his hands rested on the table. “What if something goes wrong and we can't get her out in time?”
“I'm willing to take that risk,” she said, walking over to the table where she had drawn out a detailed plan. She placed her palms on the table and mirrored Callion's stance, looking him square in the face.
Beside her, Finn shook his head and raked his hands through his hair. “There's too many variables that could go wrong. I won't let you do this.”
She looked down at him. “It's not your choice to make.”
“I agree with Finn,” Helfrich said, placing his hand over hers. “There has to be another way that doesn't involve you risking your life.”
She shook her head and looked down at the plans on the table. “The only way this is going to work is if everyone thinks that Reyn is dead.”
“This is insane.” Callion pushed away from the table, stormed to where his brother stood and shoved his finger against Reyn's chest. “You're just going to stand there and let her risk her life for you? Bloody coward,” he shouted, and turned on the other men. “All of you!”
“Cal,” Cara said softly, using the pet name she used to call him when they were children together. She placed her hand on his cheek and made him look into her eyes. “Life is a risk. You and I know that better than anyone. How many people have we lost because of no fault of their own? We can't make decisions based on fear. If I can give Reyn and Maeve, two people that I care deeply about, the chance to be free, and choose not to, then it's me who's the coward. Please don't fight me on this.”
Callion let out an elongated breath and searched her face. Finally, he muttered, “All right.”
“Thank you.”
“Then it's settled,” Herron said behind her, and sat down in the seat Callion had occupied. “Let's go over the plan once more.”
The men positioned themselves around the table, and Cara let out a deep breath as she watched them pick apart her plans, adding their own opinions and recommendations. It would work, she knew it would. She trusted these men with her life, and she knew they would work out the details to the best of their abilities.
Turning to leave, she caught Tahdaon watching her. He had been silent through the whole proceedings, and she had almost forgotten that he was there. His expression stopped her cold. What was it she saw beneath the icy blue depth? Appreciation? Respect? He gave a curt nod and looked away, his face once again a stone mask.
Cara sighed and left the room.
She didn't understand why Tahdaon was helping them, but whatever the reason, it was clear that everything rested on him keeping his word. Maeve and Reyn were willing to trust him, and for them she would let go of her resentment and put her faith in him.
* * *
Cara hugged Maeve one last time.
“It's time to go,” Tahdaon said, grabbing Maeve's bag and throwing it into the wagon.
Cara tried to ignore the sensation that tickled her skin at the sound of his voice.
She pulled back and studied her cousin. Maeve's red hair had been dyed black with an oily concoction that Helfrich had prepared, and the dress she wore was as old and tattered as the dirty shawl she had tied to her head. To anyone who took notice, she appeared to be nothing more than a Crowthornian servant girl travelling north to find work in one of the more affluent provinces.
“Be safe,” Cara said, and kissed her cousin's cheek.
Maeve stepped into the wagon that Tahdaon had prepared. He would wait with her a few hours ride from Herron's estate until Reyn met them later that night.
Tahdaon's eyes fixed on hers, and if she didn't know any better she would think that he was worried for her.
“Thank you for doing this,” she said, and turned to leave, but before she could take a step, he grabbed her wrist and stopped her.
His grip was tight, and his expression darkened as he stared down at her.
“Be careful tonight,” he growled.
All she could do was nod and swallow past the lump in her throat. She had seen the same expression on his face only once before, and the memory sent shivers down her spine.
She stood moments later, staring after the departing wagon, and took a deep breath to dispel her nerves.
“Are you okay?”
Cara jumped at the sound of Finn's voice. She had forgotten that he was there.
She turned and tried her best to smile, “I will be once this night is over.”
“You and I both,” he said and opened his arms for her.
She went to him, placed her cheek against his chest, and relaxed into his embrace. “Is everything ready?”
He nodded against her head and then leaned back to look at her. “Did you know there is only one functioning temple left in all of Crowthorne?”
The shock in his voice made her smile. “Many of our people lost their faith years ago, and without any aid from the palace or tithes from the people, the priestesses couldn't support the maintenance.”
“Then who presides over all the festivals
and ceremonies?”
Cara shrugged. “Crowthorne can barely feed its poor. There's no money to waste for festivities. You have no idea what Herron has sacrificed for tonight's festival, or even just to house us these past weeks. Every coin spent means one more person will go hungry this winter.”
Finn's brows knit in a frown. “It's not right.”
“No. It's not,” she agreed, placing her hands on his chest. “But once this tour is over, and I take the throne, I will do everything in my power to change it.”
Finn kissed her brow and breathed, “I know you will.”
* * *
The autumn equinox, or the festival of thanksgiving as some would call it, had once been a great holiday among the Crowthornians, but as disease and poverty had devastated the province, the people found very little to be thankful for. It had been many years since the festival had been celebrated on the rocky cliffs overlooking the decimated trading harbor of Port Town, and Cara was overwhelmed by how many of her people had made the long journey to witness her commencement.
Already she could hear the people calling her by name, as if it were her and not Annul that they prayed to.
Cara shivered as a cold gust wind whisked through the tent. The temperature had dropped over the past week, and she was grateful for the pelt lined cloak she wore. Through the small opening in the tent, she could see that the sun was starting to set, and she took a deep breath to prepare herself for what she was about to do.
Unlike the festival in Lydd, there was no chanting, no hallucinatory smoke burning her eyes, only a single elderly priestess whose shoulders hunched painfully under her simple grey robe.
The woman hummed softly, as she made a sign of blessing on Cara's breast and brow.
“Annul is with you child, and her heart beats within your own.” The priestess' voice cracked, and she placed a small age-weathered hand on Cara's cheek. “Many trials will come, and you will suffer many losses along your journey, but the goddess will never abandon you. Everything that once was will soon be destroyed, but in the darkness Annul will plant a seed of light. Do not lose faith, for you are her chosen vessel, and although you will falter, she will not forsake you.”
Cara shivered at her words and watched as the woman continued to shuffle around the tent, humming, while mixing dried plants and flowers with a stone mortar and pestle. Pouring the contents of the stone bowl into a goblet, she mixed the herbs with red wine and handed it to Cara.
Cara shook her head and pushed the cup away. “If you'll forgive me, I think I'll pass.”
The woman smiled and urged her to take the goblet. “Drink, child, there's nothing harmful in my herbs. It will open your mind to the goddess' voice.”
Cara took the cup and looked down at the contents and sighed. Her stomach tightened, and she repressed a shudder as she drank the wine quickly.
Taking the cup from her, the woman patted Cara's shoulder and continued to hum as she went back to busying herself.
The tent flap lifted and Herron poked his head in. He cleared his throat and smiled as he entered and looked at her. “You look lovely Cara. Your father would be proud. May the goddess be with you tonight and always.”
Cara heard the hidden meaning in his words and she nodded solemnly.
Herron motioned for her to take her position beside him. She placed her hand on his extended forearm and followed the priestess out of the tent.
She blinked in shock as the crowd erupted in cheers.
Torches lit the landscape, and in the dying light of the autumn sun Cara took her place on the stone altar. The cheers turned to reverent silence, and one by one Cara watched as the people bowed before her.
With hands outstretched to the fading sun, her skin grew warm despite the cold wind that blew off the sea behind her. She let her gaze travel across the familiar and unfamiliar faces before her.
Cara blinked as her eyes rested on a woman who stood alone near the edge of the cliff.
Mother?
It was impossible, a trick of the light perhaps, but as she continued to watch, the woman began walking towards her. Cara's mouth went dry and she swallowed past the lump in throat as the ghostly image came to stand before her.
Cara wanted to scream, to run, but her body went heavy, as if it were made of stone.
The woman wore her mother's face, or at least the face that Cara remembered, but her skin shone unnaturally, and her eyes were unlike anything Cara had ever seen. It was as if the swirling silvery blue gaze could see to the very depth of her soul.
This was clearly a hallucination from the herbs the priestess had given her.
What was it with these women wanting to drug her?
The woman smiled as if she had heard Cara's thoughts.
“Daughter of Elara, you have found favor in my sight.”
Cara didn't know if the words were spoken out loud or only in her head, but as the ghostly figure reached out and touched Cara's forehead, an energy vibrated through her entire body. Closing her eyes, she threw her head back as heat pulsated down her arms to the tips of her fingers. Moments passed, and when she opened her eyes the woman was gone, but there were words on her tongue that she needed to speak.
“People of Crowthorne, do not lose hope. Annul has seen your suffering, and she weeps for the pain you have endured at her daughter's hand. Have faith and stand strong, for it is now, as it was in the beginning, when the goddess first came to land and saw the wickedness that ruled it. She has come to cleanse her kingdom of the evil that oppresses the innocent. When the waters return, and your fields no longer lie fallow, then you will remember the faithfulness of Annul.”
The words had come from her own mouth and yet they were not her own. Cara shivered and sank to her knees on the cold stone altar.
A murmur of awe spread through the crowd.
“Annul has spoken,” the elderly priestess intoned, and began the incantations that would further bind Cara to the province and its people.
The remainder of the ceremony was a blur.
When she entered the wooden hut and saw the corpse lying on the bed, she had to cover her mouth with her hands to stop from crying out in fear.
“Are you all right?” Reyn said, as he entered behind her.
Even though she knew it was part of their plan, she couldn't stop herself from trembling.
Reyn grabbed her hands and began warming them in his own. “You're freezing.”
“Did you see her?”
“Who?”
“The red haired woman. On the altar. Did you see her?”
Reyn's brows turned down in a frown, and he shook his head.
Cara's blood ran cold, and her teeth began to chatter.
“Hey,” Reyn said, tilting her chin to make her look at him. “Are you okay? Are you sure you want to do this?”
Cara nodded. She had to get herself under control. There was too much at stake to allow fear to overwhelm her, but she couldn't stop thinking about the woman, and her eyes kept darting to the corpse that lay on the bed.
“The wind has picked up. Make sure to start the fire on the bed, not near the doorway. The building was poorly made, and it will go up quickly. Once the body is fully engulfed you have to leave immediately. Cara,” he urged, grabbing her arms. “Did you hear me?”
She shook her head and looked away from the body. “Yes, of course.”
Reyn reached under the table and pulled out a box that contained a small bag of coins, a cloak and a scabbard. Fastening the scabbard and bag to his waist, he tied the cloak around his neck and pulled the hood over his head.
“You're sure you're okay?” Reyn asked again.
Smiling past the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, Cara answered, “I will be fine once I know that you and Maeve are safe.”
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. “Thank you for everything.”
“Go,” she said, blinking back tears, pushing him towards the back of the hut where Herron had built a hidden exit. ??
?Be safe.”
As Reyn disappeared into the darkness, Cara began to tremble again. She had to give Reyn enough time to get away before she set fire to the corpse, but the thought of being alone with the dead body made her uncomfortable.
Cara glanced around the small room which barely accommodated the bed and table. She thought about sitting on the floor and closing her eyes, but what if she fell asleep and forgot to set the fire? No, she had to stay awake.
Pacing the floor, her mind drifted back to the strange hallucination. That's what it had to have been. There was no other explanation for what she had seen. Why had she trusted the old woman when she said the herbs weren't dangerous? She should never have taken a sip of the wine. Even now her eyes were playing tricks on her, and she had to close them to block out the shadowy forms that moved menacingly around the room.
When she was certain enough time had passed, she picked up a candle from the bronze candelabrum on the table and walked to the bed. Through the thin gauze that covered the body, Cara could make out some of the man's features. She didn't know where Herron had acquired the body, but from what she could tell, the man had died recently and wasn't much older than herself. He was tall and lanky like Reyn, but his hair was a darker shade of brown. Not that the small detail would matter once the corpse was burned.
Taking the candle, she knelt near the end of the bed and held the flame to the mattress. Slowly the fire caught, catching the blankets, and sheet that covered the body. Within minutes the fire had spread, engulfing the body in a blanket of flames. Unable to tear her gaze from the smoldering corpse, Cara gasped as the body seemed to twitch and come to life.
She was certain that the hand twitched, and as she looked at the melting flesh, the face distorted into the image of her father.
She blinked, suddenly terror stricken, and shook her head sharply, but the image wouldn't go away.
His eyes opened and looked straight at her.
Cara screamed and flung herself backwards, knocking over the table, scattering the candles across the wooden floor. She watched in horror as the flames crawled up the walls. She knew she needed to get out, but she couldn't move, couldn't turn away from the burning corpse.