Page 36 of Bride of Fire
“I’m postin’ a guard just outside,” he said, opening the door, “so don’t get any wild notions about takin’ your leave.”
“Taking my leave?” The fiery Jenefer couldn’t resist adding, “Oh, I have no intention of leaving Creagor. Ever.”
He answered her with a steely stare. He’d never raised his hand to a lass. And he never would. No matter how tempting it was to smack the smirk off her smug face.
And yet, as the willful wench continued to meet his gaze, he had to admit he was amused by her boldness. No lass had ever confronted him as directly, as unflinchingly, as this one did.
Even his own wife Alicia had shyly lowered her gaze in his presence.
Finally, realizing he was wasting precious time, he gave Jenefer a nod of farewell and left to prepare the keep for battle.
Chapter 19
The instant Morgan left, Feiyan turned to Jenefer. “Do you really think Hallie is bringing her da’s army?”
It took a moment for Jenefer to comprehend the question. She was still rattled. No man had ever failed to back down under Jenefer’s challenging stare. Until now.
The Highlander’s gaze had been unyielding. Unsettling. Unnerving. And something else. Something that made her heart beat unsteadily.
“Well?” Feiyan insisted. “Do you?”
Jenefer, distracted, tried to recall what her cousin had asked. “Believe that Hallie is bringing the army? Aye, of course. Why else would she have left?”
Feiyan looked doubtful. “’Tis so unlike her.”
“You don’t think Hallie is truly lost in the forest and devoured by wolves, do you?” she scoffed.
“Nay, but…”
“Then she’ll be here soon.”
“You should know, when we left Rivenloch, she commanded the knights not to follow us. She said ’twas to be a mission of peace.”
Jenefer bit her lip. Unfortunately, thatdidsound like Hallie. “But once we were taken captive,” Jenefer reasoned, “she must have realized peace is impossible.”
Feiyan gave her a quizzical look. “Is it though?”
“Aye,” Jenefer groused, irritated that Feiyan seemed to disagree. “He plans to hold us hostage. He hopes to negotiate with Rivenloch for our release. And he’ll demand Creagor as payment.”
“Maybe. But ’twasn’t what Hallie thought.”
“Indeed?” Between the babe’s incessant wailing and Feiyan’s contrariness, Jenefer was feeling testy. “And just what did Hallie think?”
“She thought he meant to return us. She said he was a man of honor.”
“Honor?” She rolled her eyes. “He’s a Highlander, Feiy. You know they trade their children for cattle, aye?”
“Children for… Where did you hear that?”
“’Tis common knowledge. They’re uncivilized.” She waved toward the next chamber. “That’s probably why the babe is upset. He knows he’s going to be traded for a coo.”
Feiyan shook her head and returned to gaze out the window. The wind had died down this morn. Fog softened the landscape.
Then she sighed. “Mydaois out there somewhere, turning to shite in this weather.”
Jenefer would have empathized, except she’d seen Feiyan’s wall of weapons. Her cousin owned dozens of blades, axes, sticks, and stars. Daggers of all shapes. Some as small as sewing needles. Some as large as lances. Some looked as innocent as hairpins and ladies’ fans. All of them were deadly.
She could hardly miss the few that lay strewn on the sod.
