By Vengeance Guided (The Lost Shrines Book 1) (12 page)

"If they were aiming for me, it would have missed by a mile when I pushed you, instead of grazing me."

Lia pinched her lips and raised her hand to point a vehement finger at his chest. Then she glanced at her hand and the drying blood. Curling her fingers back into a loose fist, she let the hand drop and bit her lip.

"You're still hurt, we need to get you back and clean that wound." Her soft eyes stroked over him before she turned toward the manor. "We can argue the rest later."

*****

Lia dabbed at the damaged skin with short, gentle strokes, trying not to let her fingers stray toward the expanse of smooth, warm skin in front of her. She could easily heal the wound with the magic of the valley, but using the gifts for such a minor thing would flout tradition and set tongues wagging. Again.

It hadn't occurred to her what kind of torture she'd be letting herself in for when she insisted Wyn take his shirt off.

Or that she'd have to battle the sizzle of pure pleasure that coursed through her every time her skin met his. Or the way the sight of the broad, muscled chest and back would plunge her into the sense memory of the last time she'd caressed every inch of him.

Even now, an echo of the bliss from the night in the Circle buzzed along the bond. Under her fingers, she felt him relaxing, felt the relief of connection humming between them.

Only the presence of Nel by her side, not to mention half the manor's workers looking on, kept her from giving in to the urge to stroke the skin beneath her hand. To let her fingers explore the broad muscles more thoroughly and relearn the curves and angles of the man she'd been thinking about constantly for too many days.

Pulling her attention, and her hand, back where they belonged, Lia finished cleaning out the slice on Wyn's shoulder and handed the leftover healing balm back to Nel. The large audience milling around while she worked made her supremely self-conscious and her movements were stiff and sharp.

She'd already sent Danny and a handful of others into the forest to see if they could track down the attacker. Lia wouldn't be able to decide the next step to take until they returned.

Without looking up from where hands worked, she kept her voice level and nonchalant. "I don't think there is anything else to be done, here, for now. We still have several hours until sunset to catch up on the day's work, however."

Reluctant and slow, the gathered men and women drifted away in ones and twos toward their labors. A handful of Keneally's favorites remained next to the older man, a self-appointed group of bodyguards. So far, Keneally had been strangely quiet, content to stand back and glower.

Lia had no doubt she'd be getting grilled about the incident once most of the prying ears had gone.

With as much care as possible, she wrapped the wound, making sure to completely cover it without binding the shoulder or restricting his movements.

Wyn smiled up at her when she moved to the front of him in order finish wrapping and secure the fabric.

"I can't decide if you make a better nurse or general." His laughter cut off with a grunt when she gave a final test tug.

"I'm very good at both." Her mouth twitched in response to his amusement. This close, she felt it as well as saw it. "Along with a great many other things."

Wyn's eyes blazed and a reverberation of passion slipped along their link, making her shiver and sway forward before she caught herself. The heat in his eyes tempered with a gentleness that made her want to forget her responsibility and take one more taste of what she knew she couldn't have.

In the next instant, the look was replaced by something else. Something fierce.

Faster than she could process, Wyn jumped to his feet and pushed in front of her. He turned to face vacant lane leading to the village road. His hand moved to his side, flexing impatiently when it encountered empty air and Lia had to wonder if he was used to wearing a sword. And why he no longer did.

Before she could ask any of the questions flitting through her head, the sound of running feet reached them. A second later, a group of men rounded the curve and came into sight.

The bare muscles in front of her flexed and tensed more. He stepped back, crowding her closer to the steps and positioning himself solidly between her and whatever danger he perceived.

Keneally and his group also moved forward to flank them. Still she managed to peek around the wall of muscle and her own ramping tension subsided.

"It's just Gui," she said, dismissing the threat. At least, the physical one. That he approached with three elder farmers vocal in calling for her to share her responsibilities with more experienced valley dwellers was a threat of a different kind altogether.

Most of the laborers relaxed at her words. Keneally and Wyn remained rigid.

"Lia," Gui gasped, puffing for air. Behind him, his cohorts gasped and grasped at their knees.

"Lia," he said again, when he'd recovered enough to add more words. "Are you all right?"

"She's fine," Wyn answered before she opened her mouth.

Her brother-in-law narrowed his eyes to glare at the man, then returned his attention to Lia with a dismissive flick of his hair.

"We came as soon as Elwyn ran to tell us what happened."

Lia's eyes flickered toward the teen, who ducked his head and stared at his feet. He was the son of one of the manor's gardeners. Apparently someone else in Gui's cabal she had not been aware of.

Gui tried to push between the wall created by Keneally and Wyn but neither man budged. Frustrated, he stepped back.

Refocusing on his attention on his obstacles, Gui attempted to stare down Wyn, whose face remained impassive.

"Shouldn't we be getting Lia inside until we know who is responsible?" Gui asked, a significant glare aimed at Wyn.

The taller man just crossed his arms. "The danger’s passed for now. More important is figuring out where everyone was and what they might have seen so we can try to ascertain who is responsible."

He shifted his eyes over to Gui and his group, then back toward the lane. "I take it you weren't on manor grounds when the arrow was fired, so you won't be much help right now."

For the first time ever, Gui was speechless. His eyes bulged, his face flared red.

It took everything Lia had not to let loose the chuckle that tickled at her throat. Her cheeks ached from the effort to keep her face neutral.

Seamus Mackie, a third generation farmer, but the oldest of those who backed Gui, stepped forward. "Keneally, what have you found so far?"

He didn't even bother to acknowledge either Wyn or Lia.

Enough was enough.

This was her manor and her valley.

She pushed against Wyn, who resisted for a moment before shifting a little to let her pass. She faced Mackie squarely, the man only an inch or two taller than her. Behind her, Wyn and Keneally closed ranks to guard her back.

"So far, we have the arrow that was aimed at me and grazed Wyn when he pushed me out of the way. There're signs the archer was waiting in the trees and he ran as soon as the arrow missed. I've sent several men to track him or, at least, try to find any hint of who it was. Did you have any other questions, Mackie?"

His face sucked in as if tasting something unpalatable. "I will send some of my own men—"

"You will do nothing of the sort. The men I sent are experienced in the woods around the manor and know what signs to look for and what to ignore. They are all men I can trust and can account for. Your farm is miles on the other side of the valley and your men would just lumber through and interfere with the others." She narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing so far from your farm in the middle of the day?"

He sputtered and Gui, who had recovered his temper and his urbane smoothness, stepped in to field the question.

"Many in the valley have been concerned about recent…developments." His eyes slid significantly between Lia and Wyn. "Now, with this incident, we have to seriously consider outsiders may be trying to influence the valley."

She noted how he avoided saying what they were doing. And conveniently forgot, yet again, he had only been a resident of the valley for six short years.

"Oh, for the love of the Goddess. Wyn saved my life."

Again he passed a sly look toward the tall stranger and then to his cronies.

"Perhaps."

"Perhaps? Turn around," she ordered Wyn. He chuckled and complied. "Does that look like 'perhaps' to you? That could have been me."

Several of the farmers gasped but Gui only shook his head. He tried to draw her away but both Wyn and Keneally remained tight by her side.

Frustrated, he compromised by lowering his voice though there was no doubt the others heard him.

"He's already tricked you into initiating the moon-bond. Is it so far-fetched to believe he could arrange a dramatic little scene to impress you with his bravery? Or to make you feel indebted?"

Unbelievably, the elder farmers sagely nodded in agreement.

"Tricked me? Do you understand it wasn't me that allowed him into the Circle? Only the G… Only the magic of the Circle could have let him in."

"But once he was in, the choice was yours."

The smile she gave him was bland. "Yes, I suppose it was, in a way. Since you were never allowed in the Circle, though, you wouldn't understand the forces or the magic involved."

Lia knew she shouldn't enjoy the flinch when she nonchalantly twisted that particular knife. She was also satisfied by the uneasy fidgeting that passed among his cronies when they remembered their leader was never given that blessing. Now a stranger had been gifted with it after only a few days in their company.

"For the moment, he's my bond-mate. I will not tolerate anyone speaking against him."

"You can't tell me what to do." She wondered if he realized how much like a petulant child he sounded.

"Actually, I can. I am the Handmaiden, at least, until Tanis's eighteenth birthday. That makes me the authority in this valley. The only authority, in case you've forgotten."

A resonance rose in her voice when she spoke, underscoring her words until the last one echoed around them all like a threat.

Gui looked stunned and, behind him, the farmers lowered their head in deference to the reminder of exactly what power she could wield, should she chose.

"I don't know about you but we're a bit behind on the manor chores today. So, if you'll excuse us?"

Her voice had returned to normal, but it still had an instant effect on the farmers. They bowed and retreated nearly in one motion, leaving Gui to scramble after with one last baleful look at her.

She turned with deliberate slowness to look back at Wyn, steeling her spine and her resolve for the alarm or confusion she expected to see after her little demonstration. Instead, there was only a flitter of speculation, followed by warm approval.

Then he reached out and draped an arm around her shoulders and tugged her close.

She should pull away but, after the stresses of the day, the serene comfort of his embrace was more than she could resist.

*****

Caerwyn let himself enjoy the way she relaxed against him, allowing herself be comfortable in his arms without stressing about the repercussions.

A rush of pleasure and satisfaction had slipped around him when she claimed him as bond-mate. And, oddly, when she'd cast the mantle of her protection over him. Not that he needed it.

But the thought, the connection and attachment it implied… It made him warm and happy. Emotions opened up in Caer that had been closed off since the death of his parents.

He should rein in the runaway feeling she stirred up in him. Especially when he still didn't know for sure whether she was a witch. Whether or not he'd be honor-bound to unleash his Attribute against her.

The more he saw, the more he learned, the more he pieced together, the more he was sure that that particular outcome would never come to pass. Whatever was going on in the valley, he strongly believed it had nothing to do with sorcery.

Still, at the moment, a great many secrets and half-truths stood between them. He should be helping her keep her distance, not trying to reel her in.

None of that seemed to matter, however, to his arms, when he pulled her more snuggly against him, wrapping her up and holding her close. Or to his lips, when they brushed across her cheek and came to rest against her ear.

"No one can threaten your bond-mate, huh?"

She shivered when he whispered against her skin and he let his mouth curve into a smile.

"Yes, well, I'm tired of Gui flouting my authority at every turn. Diplomacy has never been my strong suit. I just thought they needed a reminder of who I am."

"I don't suppose you want to tell me exactly what that was, that you used to remind them?"

He knew it was a mistake as soon as the question left his lips. Instantly, Lia's body stiffened against his and she shifted her weight away.

The space between them was more than just the few inches she moved, it was an impassable moat, again. One backed by insurmountable walls. He even felt her shifting away in his mind, doing her best to close off as much of their connection as the bond would allow.