Finn was silent for a long moment. “Arwel has a propensity towards violence. You may be right that he had marked Batch as a victim. He may have even beaten him and raped him, but I'm not convinced that he killed Batch.”
“You think the person who violated him is different than the one who took a knife to his throat?”
“I think that slicing someone's throat isn't Arwel's style,” Finn said steadily. “Also, I watched the men's reaction when they were told about the murder. I admit he looked guilty of something, but he went deathly white when he heard the news, and there was genuine shock on his face.”
Tahdaon shook his head. “Either way, he needs to be taken out.”
“We have no proof that's he's guilty of anything. You know as well as I do that unless someone actually saw the murder, whoever did it will walk free. Batch had a target on his head since Loewik. His father pretty much executed him when he refused to hold the moon ceremony. Even if he had survived the tour, the council would have hung him the moment we returned. Batch knew it as well as any of us.”
Snorting, Tahdaon crossed his arms over his chest. “So we're just going to let Arwel walk free?”
“Do we have any other choice?”
Tahdaon sneered, “There's always a choice.”
“So you take your revenge. What will that prove? That you're no better than him! And we don't even know if he is the one who killed Batch.”
Drawing a ragged breath, he curled his lip in disgust. “Give me five minutes with the bastard and I'll make him talk.”
“You lay a hand on him, and you'll only make yourself more of a mark. Already Lord Wilber and his wife are trying to pin this on you. Don't give them or anyone else an excuse to incriminate you.”
“I'm not worried about those whiny egotistical hypocrites, they're all talk.” He let out a frustrated breath. “So what do we do? Just sit and wait for him or whoever else is involved to attack again? That's bullshit and you know it.”
Finn leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. “We wait and watch.”
“We wait and be killed.”
“I need you to trust me,” Finn said. “There is something else going on here. We've known for some time that Arwel is working with Edmund and Theo. I haven't figured out what their plan is, but I have a feeling that it is bigger than just assassinating one weak link among us. Help me find out their motives. What they plan to gain.”
“You know what they want.” Tahdaon said, his voice harsh. “Edmund is power hungry. He wants the crown, and he'll do anything to get it. He's as conniving and dirty as his father. For whatever reason, Arwel and Theo are convinced that Edmund will be king, and by standing behind him somehow they will rise in rank.”
“You may be right, but we can't kill them because they're ambitious.”
“I am right, and don't think for a minute that they haven't placed a mark on your head as well. Everyone knows that Cara will choose you. Do you think Edmund's just going to sit around and let you take the crown?”
Finn shook his head, but didn't deny what Tahdaon said was true. “Work with me then. Help me figure out what they're planning.”
“Fine,” Tahdaon said, lifting his hands in resignation. “I'll work with you, but if something else happens my hands are clean.”
* * *
It was her own scream that woke her. A sharp cry of anguish that left her panting to catch her breath.
Efy was instantly beside her, holding her, brushing back her hair away from her tear streaked cheek.
“Hey, hey,” he soothed. “You're okay.”
Shaking with grief and fear, she blinked away the images that had attacked her mind as she slept.
“Another nightmare?”
Cara nodded, not trusting her voice.
There was a knock on the door, and she jumped at the sound.
Efy stood and dressed quickly, opening the door a crack and peering out before opening it completely, and ushering Finn into the room.
She was naked under the sheets, and while he had seen her undressed more times than she could count, heat rose to her cheeks when he sat on the edge of Efy's bed and took her hand.
Finn's face was haggard in the morning sun. There were shadows under his eyes as if he hadn't slept much the night before. “A messenger arrived early this morning bearing Lord Eoghaan's crest. The man carries a letter with news of Lydd.”
Cara sat up, “What did it say?”
“He insisted that it be delivered to you personally. I haven't read it.”
“I'll come down immediately.”
Finn traced the outline of her cheek and gently brushed his lips against hers. “I'll wait outside until you're dressed.”
“Thank you,” she mouthed. He always seemed to know what she needed.
When the door was shut, Efy helped fasten the clasps on the back of her dress. She ran her fingers through the tangles in her hair and tied it in a knot at the back of her neck. It would have to do for the moment.
“Do you want me to come with you?” Efy asked, taking her hands in his own.
She managed a smile, but she couldn't hide the fact that her hands shook terribly. “Can you go to Cuch and let him know that there may be news of his family.”
He nodded and let her go.
Cara walked stiffly to the library where the messenger waited.
“You have news for me?” she said, as she entered the room, recognizing the ochre skin man that Lord Eoghaan had sent to Lydd.
The man bowed his head, and Cara's stomach twisted at the look of remorse in his eyes. “Grave news I'm afraid.”
He handed her a letter, sealed not with the mark of the Viceroy of Lydd, but of the mark of the royal council. She took it with unsteady hands.
“Thank you,” she said, blinking back unshed tears.
The man nodded and took his leave.
Finn stood beside her and placed a hand on her arm. “Do you want me to read it?”
Shaking her head, she took a deep breath before breaking the seal.
She had read through the brief report twice, barely registering the enormity of what it said, when Cush came into the room.
He lingered in the doorway and looked at her with worried eyes.
For a long moment she stood frozen, staring at him, the letter held tightly in her fist. His face had gone bloodless, and Cara knew he had read her remorse in her expression.
“They're dead,” he said in a broken whisper. “All of them?”
All she could do was nod.
A spasm of bitter grief contorted his features, and his head fell forward.
Her own tears blurred her vision.
“How?”
“A fire.” She choked on the words, as she pictured Loc's cherub face, his innocent turquoise eyes that were always so full of mischief. He was gone, along with the rest of Cuch's family. “The rebels set the house on fire. No one escaped.”
Cuch stumbled and had to steady himself with one hand on the doorframe. “Did they catch them? The men who did it?”
Cara looked down at the letter, and a single tear fell on the page blurring the ink. It didn't matter, because she had memorized every terrible word. She felt hollow and ill from the contents, but he had a right to know what the letter said.
“By the time reinforcements arrived, the rebels had dispersed. I'm so sorry Cush.” She took a step towards him and he backed away.
“You knew my father.” His voice cracked with raw emotion. “You saw how he treated our people. They would never rebel. I don't believe it.”
“Your father was a wonderful man. I don't know if we would have survived if he hadn't given us aid. We all owe him our lives. If there was anything I could do to change this I would.” She took another tentative step towards him. “You have to trust that the council will do their best to find out who was responsible.”
He looked up, eyes blazing, and Cara couldn't deny him the anger he felt.
“Trust the council?” Cush sneered, and t
ook a step towards her, eyes glued to the letter she held. “What else did the council say? I know there is more in that letter. I can see it in your eyes. What are you hiding? “
“Cush,” Finn said sternly, placing a cautionary arm on the younger man's shoulder.
“No. He's right,” she said to Finn, giving him a look of warning. She needed to deal with this herself. Glancing back at Cush she handed him the letter. “I didn't want to add to your suffering. I wasn't trying to hide anything from you.”
Cush snatched the letter from her hand. His eyes darted over the words, and his face turned crimson as he understood the implication of what the council had done. Her heart ached for him, but there was nothing that she could do to ease his pain.
“They can't——” he cried in horror. “How can they do this? They've taken all of my father's lands, his holdings, and given them to the Viceroy of Hellstrom.”
Finn drew in a sharp breath and stared at Cara. “Is it true?”
“They have placed Lydd under the protection and rule of the Lord Ballack until a new Viceroy can be appointed. It's only temporary.”
Cush crumpled the paper and threw it at Cara's feet. “You don't understand do you? This was all planned. My family wasn't killed by rebels. It was an assassination. There is something dark at work here, and you are both fools if you think whoever is behind this won't go after you too.”
Cush turned on his heels and ran from the room.
She had never seen him so cynical, but Cara had learned long ago that tragedy could change even the most gentle of hearts.
“I hate to say this, but he may be right,” Finn said, rubbing his temples with the palm of his hands. “The council has given Hellstrom too much power. It doesn't make sense. Something else is going on.”
“You don't think they were involved in the attack on Lydd?”
Finn frowned and shook his head. “I don't know.”
“What do we do? First Batch and now this. We aren't even halfway through the tour. I feel like the world is falling apart around me and there is nothing I can do to stop it.”
Finn touched her face, looking sick. “Only Annul knows what lies ahead.”
“Annul,” she whispered, feeling the colour drain from her cheeks. Had she brought the wrath of the goddess on them because of her disbelief? Had her doubts set these events in motion?
Cara shook her head. She had to stop blaming herself for everything that happened. There were greater powers at work, and she was only a small pawn with a much powerful enemy. The problem was she didn't know who her enemies were. Like snakes, they had remained hidden, waiting to attack.
“We need to find out who is responsible for this and if it's connected in any way to Batch's death.”
Finn nodded grimly and picked up the crumpled letter from the floor. “I didn't want to have to worry you with this, but considering the implications of this letter, I think that Edmund is plotting something, most likely with the aid of his father. We also know that he has alliances among the men.”
“Arwel and Theo.”
He nodded. “They're too arrogant for my liking. Too confident in their plan.”
“And now his father controls over half of the country's wealth.” Cara placed her hands and forehead on Finn's chest. “Is the council trying to destroy the country before I even take the throne?”
“It would seem so,” he said and gave a bitter laugh.
“Is it true?” Tahdaon's deep voice echoed from the door.
Glancing over Finn's shoulder she saw Tahdaon and Helfrich enter the room. Helfrich shut the door behind them.
“I caught Cush in the hall just now. He said that the council has given control of Lydd over to Edmund's father.”
“It's true,” Cara said, taking the letter from Finn and giving it to Tahdaon to read.
Tahdaon eyes went hard, and he cursed loudly.
Helfrich frowned. “Why would the council give him that much power?”
“Ballack is the king's brother,” Cara offered. Balsam had grown up in Hellstrom. It would make sense that he favored the province.
“It wouldn't be his decision,” Helfrich corrected her. “In the absence of the Queen, the council would proceed over all provincial matters. Balsam wouldn't have any say in the decision.”
“Ballack's been paying off the council for years, as did his father before him,” Tahdaon muttered. “Hellstrom has always owned the council, and the more resources the province gains, the more the council becomes indebted to him. If you ask my opinion, I think Ballack's planning on overthrowing the crown.”
“That would be blasphemy. He would risk losing his title, his wealth.” Cara shook her head. “We should talk to Edmund and see what he knows.”
Tahdaon stalked towards her. His eyes blazed and color rose to his cheeks. “Are you really that naive? For all we know he's the one that wielded the knife that slit Batch's throat, although I'm pretty sure it was his henchmen Arwel that raped and beat the poor bastard first.”
Cara blanched. “”Raped?”
Tahdaon looked at Finn in astonishment. “You didn't tell her?”
Finn placed himself between them and turned to Cara. A fierce tic worked in Finn's jaw. “There were bruises on his body, old and new, and there was evidence that he had been raped before the attack.”
Cara shivered and closed her eyes.
“I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't want you to worry.”
“That's becoming a catchphrase for us isn't it?” She didn't mean for her words to sound as harsh as they did. She placed her hand on Finn's chest reassuringly and turned to him. “You have reason to believe that it was Arwel and Edmund that killed Batch?”
Tahdaon looked at Finn and then back at her before he answered. “I think it was Arwel that abused him, but we have no evidence to prove that Edmund was involved.”
Helfrich shifted, but made no comment.
Cara rubbed her temples and then regarded Tahdaon. “Among the men, who do you trust?”
“Myself,” he scoffed.
She gave him a hard look. “Tell me who you think we can trust.”
He sighed and inclined his head towards the men in the room. “Finn and Helfrich, obviously.”
“Thanks,” Finn said sarcastically, and Cara nudged him in the ribs.
“Anyone else?”
“Efy is harmless, but I worry he doesn't have enough common sense to protect himself. Cush is no more than a child. He's already been targeted. I will try to keep an eye on him, but unless he chooses to protect himself then there's nothing any of us can do to keep him safe.”'
“And Hauk?”
Tahdaon hesitated. “He's trustworthy.”
Cara nodded. It was enough. If Tahdaon trusted him then she would as well.
“Wesley?”
He shrugged. “Wesley has his own interests. I don't think he has aligned himself with Edmund, but I also don't think he is fully committed to you.”
She nodded and turned to Finn. “From now on we need to stay in pairs at all time.”
“That's not possible,” Finn quipped, and she saw him bite his lip to keep from arguing further.
“We're going to have to make it possible. Even if it means sharing a chamber at night.”
“You can't be serious,” Tahdaon growled behind her.
“Finn,” Cara said, her eyes pleading. She knew that the men would fall in line if he did what she said. “Will you stay with Cush tonight?”
He nodded, albeit hesitantly.
“Helfrich you stay with Efy. I know Wesley's chambers are already full, but I will talk with Hauk and work something out.”
“Don't even think about suggesting I sleep in the same room as him,” Tahdaon protested.
“No-” Her voice caught in her throat, and she turned to face him. “I have other plans for you.”
Tahdaon's eyes searched her face. “And what might that be?”
Cara looked at him a long time and when she had gathered the c
ourage, she said simply, “Tonight you stay with me.”
Chapter 22
As the day progressed, Cara became less confident in her decision to pair up with Tahdaon. He shadowed her throughout her daily duties, and every chance he got he reminded her of how unnecessary his presence was. She knew he wasn't happy about the decision to be saddled with her, and he had gone out of his way to prove it. She tried to ignore his constant mumbling and sarcastic comments, but by the time supper was over she had had enough.
“Fine, I get it, “she snapped, after another of his derisive remarks. “You can take care of yourself. Good for you. If you really despise my company that much then go.”
She had stormed off, not waiting for a response.
In the hallway she found Wesley making his way towards the east end of the estates. He had all but ignored her since they had arrived in Colechester, and she still hadn't had the opportunity to confront him about his young lover. It was time that she found out exactly where his loyalties were, and whether or not she could trust him.
“In my chambers now,” she said, her voice more severe than she intended. “And bring Landon with you.”
Wesley's eyes bulged and his jaw went slack at her command, but he nodded in acknowledgement.
Cara almost smiled at his comedic expression. Instead, she looked at him sternly before turning on her heels and heading towards her chambers.
In her room, she prodded the fire and cursed Tahdaon under her breath. She knew she shouldn't let him get under her skin, but the harder she tried, the more stubborn he seemed to become. It had been almost half a year since they had left the palace, and despite her attempts to befriend him, he was as obstinate and reclusive as ever.
Pouring herself a cup of wine, she sat down by the hearth, and waited for Wesley to join her.
A hesitant knock sounded at the door, and she braced herself for what she was about to do. Tahdaon hadn't been sure where Wesley's loyalties lay, but she knew where his heart was most vulnerable, and whether it was dishonest or not she intended to use that weakness to secure his devotion.
“Come in,” she said, trying to sound commanding, hoping her voice didn't betray her own fears.