Page 60 of The Guardian's Witch

He dropped his hands as if she were a hot brand. He grabbed his tunic and stormed out of the room.

In the deadly quiet of the aftermath, the pounding in her head was all she heard. She lay down on the bed hoping the throbbing would stop. Alone with her thoughts she searched for answers. Tears streamed down her face. She didn’t try to stem them. After what seemed like hours she finally fell into a fitful sleep.

Over and over the same nightmare played out. She lay in the carriage wreckage, the men swarmed around her. Down came the caped demon. He swatted at the men and pulled them off her. She forced her eyes open but saw only shadows. The dark figure reached out to close her eyes, but right before he did, she stared into Alex’s face.

She abandoned sleep in the early hours of the morning. She couldn’t stand to see the scene another time. She threw a log on the embers of the fire that had gone out long ago and sat in the chair wrapped in a blanket she pulled off the bed.

Alex wasn’t involved in her parents’ murders. But what if he told the king about her ability to call him into her dreams? It would be all the proof the king needed to convict her of witchcraft.The king must never know.No, the nightmare was Alex. No place was safe, not even here. More tears slid down her face.

Chapter Sixteen

Her nerves a jitter, she fussed with her morning ablutions, trying to wash a night’s worth of tears from her face. Thank goodness the water Alice had left was rimmed with ice. Riddled with guilt she admonished herself over her parents’ deaths and visions of Alex. She forced herself to not think about either, especially their lovemaking, for fear she would draw him to her. A shiver swept up her back at the mere thought of their night together. How she had hoped. She forced the thoughts away.

She busied herself with anything she could find to avoid thinking about her nightmare but nothing worked. No matter what she did, she saw twisted bodies and shadows of men.

She swallowed hard and tried to control the alarm and anger that raced through her. For two years she had been able to keep these demons at bay. Why now?Alex. How had he chipped away at her armor and situated himself in her dreams? Had she really called him to her? Were they more than dreams? Was there any truth behind the emotion she knew they both experienced? No, push that aside. Better not to think about it.

She finished dressing and started for the Great Hall to break the morning fast, looking more confident than she felt. When she stepped out of her room she found the castle was in an uproar. People raced from one place to the next.

“Alice.” She stopped her maid who was dashing up the stairs. “Has the king arrived?”

“Soon, m’lady, the advance guard just arrived. His Majesty is only a half day away.”

Lisbeth rushed down the stairs and found a team of men gathered around Alex. The lilt of their voices and hearty laughter made her pause. For a moment her anger faded when she noted the delight on Alex’s face. A sense of relief caught her by surprise. She had no idea where he had spent the night and at the moment she didn’t care. His smile turned to contempt when he looked up and observed her staring at him. Worse, he dismissed her with a turn of his head. Humiliated at his rejection, she slipped past the crowd and headed for the kitchen.

“Oh, no you don’t. You come back here.” A man looking a bit like Alex grabbed her hand. “Where do you think you’re going?” He led her back to the others.

“Good day, m’lady.” One of the other men broke away from the crowd. He winked at her and gave her a deep courtier’s bow.

Her bewildered look brightened when she recognized them. They were Alex’s brothers. She dipped a short polite curtsy. A smile slipped out across her face. “Good day to you, m’lords. It is good to see you again,”

“Perfect.” A second man bowed. “Alex, who is this beauty?” Yet another man, this one taller and a bit more worldly looking, stepped forward.

“This can’t be Lisbeth? We haven’t seen you since...” Edwin turned pale.

“No, I haven’t been to court since Richard died. I thought it would go unnoticed.”

Edwin’s color returned. “You and your sister were our best audience.” They both laughed at the thought.

“Ah, here come the Stelton Ladies!” said Fayne.

Lisbeth watched as four women, all achatter, came through the castle door. She noticed that Ann already had workers outside handling the baggage.

“Don’t crowd her.” Lady Celeste joined them.

“Mother.” The men abandoned Lisbeth and, with their wives, gathered around Celeste. One by one Celeste gave each her hand followed by a tight squeeze.

* * *

“Come here and greet our hostess and your—”

“Sister,” said Alex.

Celeste approached Lisbeth and whispered in her ear. “Be brave. They are really harmless.” She straightened up so everyone would hear her. “This is almost like reviewing the troops.” A soft rumble of laughter echoed in the hall. The men stood in a line in birth order, as was their custom, with their wives at their side. “Here are Geoffrey and Jasmine, Bennett and Joanna, Damian, Edwin and Margery, and Fayne and Aldith.”

“Where’s Cameron?” asked Alex who had been standing silently behind her.

“Cameron,” said Fayne indicating the vacant space where his younger brother should be standing, “is accompanying the king’s party.”

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