Both women bowed their heads in formal greeting.
“I trust my son has done his best to represent Colechester with dignity and grace,” Lady Bethany said stiffly.
Cara blinked at the woman, until she realized that she must be Wesley's mother.
“He has,” Cara offered, even though she knew very little of Wesley. He had remained somewhat obscure to her.
“Come let us take a seat,” Lord Wilber said, guiding Cara to the banquet table, seating her next to his wife.
“You have a lovely home Lady Hadlee,” Cara said.
“I'm sure it's a nice change after visiting the eastern provinces. I've heard the most horrendous rumors about those places. I can't even imagine how you managed to stay in such filth and desolation. I pity you when you have to visit Dalgliesh. I've heard that there peasant folk don't even where clothes. They just run around naked all day, like animals. I've even heard rumors that they paint themselves like blue demons and wear the teeth of their slain enemies around their necks.”
Cara was taken back by the woman's words. Was she being serious? Did she actually believe the things she said, or were her words merely for effect?
“Tahdaon has never mentioned such,” Cara murmured, trying not to react to the woman's prejudice. “You may get more reliable information if you speak to him yourself.”
“Oh, is that the name of the Dalglieshan you travel with?” Lady Hadlee regarded her, and then turned her gaze to Tahdaon who sat near the end of the table with Hauk. “What a beast of a man. I'm surprised he has survived this long, but then again we have become more civilized in recent years, or your men aren't as ambitious as the last group. Either way, I was so sorry to hear about the loss of your Crowthornian man. What was his name?”
“Reyn,” Cara said quietly, wishing she were seated next to anyone other than the Viceroy's wife.
“Reyn, right, well, I can't really say we were all that surprised to hear about his unfortunate accident. A fire wasn't it? Everything is so poorly made in those backwater provinces. It must have been absolutely deplorable conditions. From what I've heard their beds are filled with lice and bedbugs, but you would know better than myself of course, having been there.”
Cara's breath hissed between her teeth, and she held the woman's gaze unblinking. “Crowthorne may not have as many resources or connections as Colechester, but it is a beautiful province, and its people are well-mannered unlike some of the other places I have visited.” Lady Hadlee huffed at the insult, but Cara continued her rant. “Once I am queen, I can assure you that the ridiculous tax burdens that have crippled the province will surcease, and Crowthorne will once again prosper. As the future queen of this country, I take offense to anyone insulting any of the provinces, especially the one I that I called home less than a year ago.”
Lady Hadlee's hand slid over her mouth, silvery grey eyes wide in embarrassment. “Oh dear, I forgot you grew up in Crowthorne. I didn't mean to offend you. Wilber is constantly reprimanding me for speaking without thinking.”
Cara didn't argue with her. The woman was rude and outspoken, but she had said something that had sent a shiver of foreboding down her spine.
“What did you mean earlier, when you said you were surprised Tahdaon has survived this long?”
“Oh, forgive my blathering. I didn't mean to worry you, although I'm sure you wouldn't mind being rid of such a man from your company.”
Cara stiffened at the woman's words. “Quite the contrary, Lady Hadlee.”
“Oh, well,” her voice rose in surprise, and gave a startled laugh. “I didn't mean for you to take offense. We just aren't used to having Dalglieshans under our roof, and it makes me slightly nervous.”
“Tahdaon is harmless.” That wasn't exactly true, but Cara wouldn't tell the Viceroy's wife otherwise.
“Well, that's reassuring,” she said, inclining her head, but Cara could see the skepticism in her expression. “Perhaps that's why he's survived as long as he has. From what I remember of Birkita's Twelve, she had already lost three of her men by the time they reached Colechester. If memory serves me, the Dalglieshan was the first to go, but then I was only a small child at the time, so I could be mistaken.”
Cara frowned. She had heard similar rumors, but she had attributed them to the corruption surrounding Birkita's reign, rather than animosity among the men.
“What happened to them?”
A harsh smile curved her lips. “Accidents, illness, there was always an excuse, but everyone knew the truth.”
“The truth?”
“Oh dear, don't look so startled. Surely you have to realize that this——” She made a grand gesture with her hands. “The tour. The moon festivals. It's all a competition. Think about it. Only one of the men can become king, and no man, especially one with ambition, wouldn't leave such a decision in the hands of a woman.”
Cara's sucked in a breath. “Is that how your nephew sees his position, as a game to be won?”
“No, no,” she said light-heartedly, patting Cara's hand. “We told our Wesley right from the start to keep his head down. There hasn't been a king from Colechester on the throne in over two hundred years, and we didn't expect our dear Wesley to be the first. Especially not with his predisposition, if you know what I mean.”
Cara had no clue what the woman meant, but she nodded anyway, and encouraged her to continue. She didn't know what to believe, but the very thought of the men conspiring against each other, made her blood run cold.
“Don't despair, your men seem like perfect gentlemen. I'm sure you have nothing to worry about.”
Cara cast a sideways glance towards the end of the table where Edmund sat with Arwel and Theo. He had kept his distance over the past couple of months, and she had almost forgotten of his threats. Maybe she was wrong to overlook him, but then if he was going to threaten any of the men, she would have thought he would have done so by now. Maybe he already had and they had kept it from her.
She needed to talk to Helfrich. He would know if anything Lady Hadlee had said was true.
The dinner dragged on, and Cara found herself grinding her teeth at the woman's incessant chirping.
“If you'll excuse me, I have a touch of a headache. I think I'll retire to my chambers for the evening.”
“Of course dear,” replied Lady Hadlee. “I look forward to speaking more with you tomorrow.”
Cara cringed inwardly and managed to smile.
She tried to catch Finn's gaze as she left the hall, but he was in a heated discussion with Lord Wilber, and she didn't want to interrupt him and be dragged into another tedious conversation.
Outside of the hall she paused, shifted into the shadows, and tried not to gasp at what she saw.
“How could you leave me there?”
Cara didn't know the young man who spoke, but she recognized Wesley immediately, and she stared in shocked silence as she watched him draw the man into an intimate kiss.
“I had no choice,” Wesley said as he drew away, but his hand still lingered on the young man's cheek. “I can't tell you the reason, but we were forced to leave the palace alone. You know I would have come for you if I could. My heart has been breaking ever since we left, knowing you would think that I abandoned you.”
“Do you love her? Is that it? Is that the reason you won't take me with you when you leave?” the man whined.
“No,” Wesley replied. “Landon, listen to me. You don't understand the risk you would take if you came with me.”
“I don't care about the risk. I want to be with you.”
“I won't put you in danger,” Wesley said softly, taking the man's hands in his own. Cara could see the desperation in his eyes. He was in love with the man. There was no doubt.
The young man, who Wesley had called Landon, shook his head in despair, and turned on his heels. Wesley followed after him, and Cara stood as still as a statue, trying to comprehend what had just transpired.
“Didn't anyone ever tell you it isn't nice
to spy on others?”
Cara whirled around and came face to face with Tahdaon.
“Didn't anyone ever tell you it's not nice to sneak up on people?” she hissed, placing a hand over her rapidly beating heart.
He smirked.
“Did you know about that?” she asked, motioning towards the spot where Wesley and his lover had just been.
“I had my suspicions,” he said, tilting his head as if studying her. “Does it bother you?”
Cara frowned. She didn't know if it did or not. She wouldn't begrudge Wesley for having loved someone else, but the thought of a man being with another man was a new concept for her. The practice was frowned upon in Crowthorne, as it was in most parts of Elbia. Colechester was more liberal in its thinking, but she hadn't imagined Wesley liked men, but then she had never really given him much thought in any respect.
“I suppose I'm just surprised. I've never known anyone who was attracted to someone of the same sex before.”
Tahdaon laughed out loud at her comment.
“That's funny to you?'
“Trust me Cara, you've known plenty.”
She placed her hands on her hips. “”Like who?”
“Your precious Lord Herron, for one,” he said.
“He is not!” Cara exclaimed.
“No?” He lifted an eyebrow and smirked at her. “Have you ever seen him with a woman? Or even look lustfully at one? No, I didn't think so.”
Cara shook her head in denial, but as she thought about it, the more Tahdaon's words made sense. Herron had never really been interested in girls, but Cara had always assumed that it was because he was so busy with his responsibilities as Viceroy.
“Herron? Really?”
He shrugged, and turned to leave.
“Tahdaon,” she said, stopping him. She was glad that he had found her. There were more pertinent things to discuss than Wesley's sexual orientation. She needed to make sure that he was not in any danger.
He turned around, with a frown creasing his brows as he looked at her. It amazed her how quickly he could shield his emotions.
“Do you feel safe among the men?”
“Why?” he asked, as his eyes watched her, gauging her reaction.
“It's probably nothing,” she answered, picking at a loose thread on her dress. “Lady Hadlee said something at dinner that didn't sit well. I just wanted to make sure that no one feels threatened.”
The corner of his lips drew up in a sneer, and he stalked towards her. “Has someone threatened you?”
He gazed down at her, his eyes blazing like sapphires. She sucked in a breath at his closeness, and her mouth went dry. It took her a moment before she could catch her breath and respond.
“No, no,” she stuttered. “I was just worried about you.”
For a full minute he looked at her before he responded, and for a brief instant she saw something almost akin to regret surface in his eyes. “I can take care of myself.”
“But you would tell me if someone threatened you, or if you thought someone was conspiring against you?”
His gaze was steady and unflinching. “Would you tell me if someone threatened you?”
Fair point, she thought. She still hadn't said anything to anyone about Edmund's threats. But she didn't want them to worry over nothing. The last thing she wanted was to be the cause of any conflict among the men. Especially now, if what Lady Hadlee had said was true.
She shrugged and looked down at the floor. She couldn't shake the uneasy feeling she had in the pit of her stomach. Not even Tahdaon's pride and anger would keep him from harm if the men conspired against each other.
He grabbed her arm. “If you won't trust me with whatever you're hiding, then tell Finn or Helfrich. We can't protect you if we don't know what we are fighting against.”
She wasn't sure how he had turned her question around on her, and she let out a frustrated breath. “Spoken from the master secret keeper himself.”
The look he gave her made her cringe. Tahdaon wasn't one to be teased or challenged, and if he hadn't held her by the arms, she would have taken a step backwards.
“I'm going to check on Batch,” she said, changing the subject, and prying his fingers from her arm. “I haven't seen him since we arrived, and I'm worried that he might be sick again.”
“I'll go with you,” he said, his frown deepening. “I've been meaning to talk to him about something that happened while we were on the road.”
Cara gave him a skeptical look, but didn't argue.
As they made their way towards Batch's assigned chambers, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Something was wrong, she was sure of it. She had had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach since supper, and it was more than just Lady Hadlee's words.
Cara knocked on Batch's door, one, twice, and still there was no answer.
“He wasn't at dinner,” she said quietly, a premonition warning her to walk away. “He should be in his room.”
Tahdaon banged on the door. “Batch, it's Tahdaon and Cara. Can we come in?”
Silence echoed on the other side of the door.
“Open it,” Cara said, trying to consume the lump of fear that was lodged in her throat.
Tahdaon nodded and pressed down on the handle. It was unlocked and the door swung open.
Blood.
So much blood.
Batch's naked and mutilated body lay atop blood stained sheets. His throat had been sliced and his eyes were open, unseeing voids. His mouth was gaping in a silent scream. Cara couldn't breathe.
Batch was dead. Someone had killed him.
Her ears were ringing with the sound of a high pitched scream, and it was moments before she realized that the shriek came from her own throat.
Tahdaon held her and pulled her away from the room. His arms kept her steady as she sobbed against his chest, jerking with the force of her grief.
“Cara,” Tahdaon murmured against her hair. Placing his hand under her chin, he forced her to look at him. There was pity in his gaze, and she could see the shimmer of tears in his eyes. He clenched his jaw and drew an uneven breath. “Go tell Finn and Helfrich. They'll know what to do. Then go directly to your chambers. Understand?”
She nodded. Her body and mind were numb, but she did as he directed.
Over and over in her head she kept thinking, Batch is dead. This wasn't pretend, as Maeve and Reyn's death had been. This was real. He was actually dead.
Guilt washed over her as she remembered Batch's hollow eyes, his assertion that he was alone, and her own profession that he was her family. But what had she done to protect him? Nothing, and now he was gone.
Lady Hadlee's words came back to her. Was this the start of the men turning on each other?
Had one of her own men done this terrible thing? If so, who among them would ever see Batch as a threat? Who would take an innocent life?
She would find out, and whoever was responsible would pay with their own blood, even if it was her own hand that wielded the knife.
Chapter 21
It was well past the moon's zenith when Tahdaon entered Finn's chambers. He shut the door quietly behind him and looked around the room. Finn stood at the hearth, his back to Tahdaon.
“Did anyone see you?” Finn asked, giving him a sidelong glance.
Tahdaon shook his head and gave him a wry look. One thing he knew how to do well was navigate through the shadows undetected.
“Where's Cara?” Tahdaon asked, surprised Finn had let her out of his sight after the incident with Batch.
“Efy is staying with her tonight,” Finn said, gazing into the flickering flames of the fire. He turned his head and studied Tahdaon. “I wanted to talk with you alone.”
Tahdaon crossed the room and poured two cups of ale from the container that sat on the table by the fire. Handing a cup to Finn, he took a deep swig and asked, “How's she doing?”
Finn raked a hand through his long hair and sighed. “She blames herself for what
happened, and she's terrified that whoever killed Batch will hurt someone else. She's particularly worried for you. Something the Viceroy's wife said at dinner the other night has made her think that you have a target on your head.”
“I'm Dalglieshan. I always have a target on my head.”
Finn smiled. “She's asked me to keep an eye out for you.”
Tahdaon huffed, “I can take care of myself.”
One corner of Finn's mouth twitched. “That's what I told her. Still she insisted.”
Tahdaon shook his head and paced the room, all too aware that Finn watched him with an annoying smirk. He was uncomfortable with the sense of familiarity the man had around him, as if he could read Tahdaon's thoughts. His attempt to distance himself from the others was growing more difficult. Both Finn and Helfrich incessantly pushed themselves on him. He didn't want their friendship or Cara's worry, and yet here he was coming to Finn's chambers like an ordered dog.
“Did you examine the body?” Tahdaon grumbled, changing the subject.
Finn's expression turned somber and he nodded curtly. “He was covered in bruises. Some were fresh, possibly caused by the person who slit his throat, but many were older, some already fading. It looked like he had been beaten many times in the past few weeks, maybe months. There was also evidence of——” Finn paused, and shook his head before continuing. “The physician who examined him said there was evidence that he had been raped prior to the attack.”
Tahdaon closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. He had suspected for a couple weeks that Arwel was using him that way, but he had kept silent. “Fuck,” he muttered, and slammed his fist into the wall.
Finn lifted his brows. “You know something?”
Tahdaon looked up at the ceiling and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I should have told you sooner. I saw Arwel with Batch a few days before we arrived here. He was groping him and whispering obscenities in his ear. Whatever his suggestions, Batch didn't look willing. In fact, he looked terrified. I was going to talk to him about it before I said anything to you, but I never got the chance.” He paused, thinking about the implications. “It was Arwel that killed him. It had to be.”