Page 59 of Historical Hotties
“Then if that is the case, you had better not push me too far or I will wave my hand and incinerate you,” she said. “If I were you, I would be very afraid of someone possessed by a demon. It will not end in your favor if you provoke me again.”
Amata stood up from the chair, one fist balled and the other hand on her stinging cheek. “I am going to tell Cousin Vincent what you have said!”
Dacia took a deep breath. “If you do, I will tell your father every secret you have ever kept from him,” she said. “I will also make sure he knows that you steal from him. Do not cross me, Amata. You will not like the results.”
Amata was furious that she couldn’t gain the upper hand. She started to say something more, but a woman was suddenly between them. Edie had made an appearance, having seen the exchange and heard some of the argument.
Her focus was on Amata.
“Lady Amata,” she said evenly. “Might I escort you back to your chamber? This is no place for you.”
Amata scowled at the maid. “I shall go where I please,” she said. “Go away and leave me alone.”
Edie shook her head. “Alas, I cannot, my lady,” she said. “Lady Dacia has a job to do around her and if you are not goingto help her, then you must leave. ’Tis shameful for two well-bred young women to be slapping each other for all to see.”
Amata was outnumbered and grossly upset about it. She stomped her foot angrily and started to berate Edie, but more men coming in through the hall entry caught Dacia’s attention.
She didn’t have time for Amata’s temper tantrums.
Completely forgetting about her cousin, she headed towards the entry to see what the casualties were. She was met by a wide-eyed, bloodied, and exhausted soldier.
“My lady,” he said, trying to catch his breath. “De Wolfe has been wounded. We’ve brought him back, but he shouldn’t… he can’t…”
The man was cut off when Cassius suddenly appeared in the doorway with two big arrows sticking out of him. He was dressed in full battle gear, including his helm, and there was a great deal of blood all down the left side of his body. One arrow was in the left shoulder and the other was somewhere down by the curve of his torso, in his gut. He was holding on to that arrow to stabilize it, but the expression on his ashen face was nothing less than calm, steady strength.
It was all Dacia could do not to cry out at the horrific sight.
“Cassius,” she said as evenly as she could. “Please… let me take you someplace to lie down. You must lie down so I can look at your wounds.”
He just stood there, but he was weaving unsteadily. “I never saw them coming,” he said. “I heard them before I saw them and, suddenly, they hit me.”
“I can see that.”
“They came out of nowhere.”
Dacia sensed that he might not have been as in control as he wanted her to think. As he wanted everyone to think. Cassius was all about honor and the de Wolfe name, so it was possible he didn’t want to show weakness in front of the men. In front ofanyone, really. He had a reputation as Lord Protector to uphold, but Dacia could see that he was hanging on by a thread.
Perhaps the hall wasn’t the best place for him.
“It will be all right, Cassius,” she said, moving to him and putting her hands on his arm. “Come into the keep with me. You can rest there while I remove these. Will you come?”
He was looking at her. In fact, his pale eyes never left her. “How are the men?”
“No one will die,” she said. “Most of the wounds are minor. But you… you must come with me. Please, Cassius.”
“They came out of nowhere.”
He was repeating himself, indicative of the fact that he probably didn’t have much longer on his feet. She could feel him trembling violently as she gripped his arm. She looked at the soldier who had announced his arrival.
“Help me,” she said quietly, then looked over her shoulder. “Edie! I need you!”
Edie rushed over, getting in behind Cassius because he was now having difficulty walking as Dacia turned him for the keep. Argos, seeing his injured master, came bounding over and Dacia had to push him away. With the soldier on one side and Dacia on the other, Cassius began to walk haltingly towards the keep. More soldiers, men who had seen him ride in with arrows sticking out of him, had followed him to the hall, astounded that the enormous knight was still on his feet.
But, then again, he was a de Wolfe.
De Wolfe strength, as evidenced before them, was legendary.
Dacia saw the men gathering, looking at Cassius in shock, and she didn’t want them gawking. She focused on two older soldiers who had served her grandfather for many years.
