Camryn stiffened at his side.
Look at Talor, his body language. He’s up to something. See the way he keeps touching the hilt of his sword? Do you think he has notified the authorities?
“Ryman, I need to talk to you about our business dealings. Perhaps we could take a turn around the garden? Alone.”
“Really, Talor. I think we can have tee or kafe before you conduct business. Everyone sit. Please make yourselves comfortable,” Cody said, with a chiding glance at her brother.
“Uh, what if we dirty something?” Jannike asked, her gaze flickering over a delicate cream-colored chair.
“Then we’ll clean it,” Edrea said, picking up a small golden handbell. She shook it vigorously.
“Where are you from, Camryn?” Cody asked, settling on a chair and fluffing her full skirts.
“I come from Earth, and your brother is returning me there very soon.”
“For a short visit,” Ry said. “We can spend time longer next time.” He witnessed the surprise in her brown eyes, the slight narrowing of them while she considered.
“That sounds interesting,” Edrea said.
“We haven’t seen our brother look so happy since Meghan—” Cody placed her fingers to her lips in clear consternation. “Oops.”
“I must insist we discuss our business. Now,” Talor said in a hard voice.
Ry felt a sharp tug at his mind. He batted it away before glancing at his sisters and his crew.
Camryn, do you feel that?
Yes. Something he’s doing makes me want to stay seated.
Can you stand?
Yes, I think so—if I block hard.
Ry stood and immediately Camryn followed suit.
Stay here with the crew.
A rude snort escaped Camryn.
Look here, buster. You can’t have it both ways. If I’m your mate that gives me rights. I get to watch your back. Besides, I don’t trust Talor
.
Ry offered his arm to Camryn before turning his attention to Talor. “Out in the garden?”
Talor’s eyes glittered. “She can stay with our sisters.” He followed the words with a mental push to obey.
Camryn smiled sweetly, holding her blocks in place. “I believe I’m in need of some fresh air.”
“Very well,” Talor snarled in clear frustration.
The thick carpet muted their footsteps until they reached the tiled entranceway. Instead of exiting via the front door, Talor wheeled to the left and led them outside through a door leading onto a verandah and into a garden. A fountain tinkled and the scent of flowers wafted from the gardens.
Cool air tugged Ry’s queue as he watched his brother, experience telling him to fear the worst.
Shift to cat
, Camryn suggested.
Give him a fright and take the upper hand
.
Nodding, Ry smirked. He’d learned of his brother’s powers. Some of them, at any rate. It only seemed fair that Talor have the same advantage. Without haste he unfastened his shirt and removed it. With his gaze on Talor, he called up the cat and shifted to his alternative form.
Talor’s mouth opened and snapped shut. “You! You’re the cat. That’s why my magic—”
“What about your magic?” Camryn scowled at Talor. “Do you enjoy forcing people to act against their will? Do you like setting innocent people up for murder?”
Ry snarled and Talor’s hand snapped to the hilt of his sword.
“He isn’t a Coppersmith,” Talor snapped. “Bloody ironic. My parents adopted a cat. No wonder the business prospered while you were here. We had our very own familiar right at hand, all the talisman we needed for good luck and success. I bet you laughed the entire time.”
Ry shifted smoothly back to humanoid form. “I didn’t know until I left Ibrox.”
“Too bad you have to die,” Talor sneered. He yanked his sword free of its scabbard and slashed at Ry. “I’ll use the woman as my familiar. I presume the cat on her cheek indicates her feline nature.”
Ry jumped back. He heard hurried footsteps behind him but didn’t take his eyes off Talor.
“Mogens read the clouds. He told me I’d need to bring you a sword because he wouldn’t be able to move,” Gweneth said.
From the corner of his eye, Ry saw her hand the sword to Camryn. Interesting. Neither Camryn nor Gweneth seemed susceptible to Talor’s powers. Ry accepted the sword from Camryn and dodged a frenzied slash from Talor.
Temper. Temper
. It would be the death of his brother, if he didn’t rein it in.
Talor cackled, the hint of crazy sending a chill down Ry’s spine. “Bastard. No matter what I do, you’re there like a damn disease. Always interfering. I had to get rid of you.” He lunged, the sword whistling through the air. “But you managed to escape, even when I set you up for murder. And you’re still screwing with my life. A cat! I should have killed you outright rather than trusting other people to do the job for me.”
“Who murdered Maxmus?”
“A passing beggar,” Talor snapped. “I compelled him to kill Maximus and planted your name in the redcoat’s minds. Pitifully easy, except you escaped.”
“What do you want?” Ry stood out of range, watchful and alert.
“What do I want? Your bloody head on a serving platter!” Talor advanced on Ry, murder in his eyes. He attacked, temper reined, replaced with determination.
Swords clashed with a metallic clang. They thrust and parried. The blades flashed, striking with arm-jarring blows. Ry circled his brother warily. Both breathed hard, chests rising and falling from exertion. Sweat beaded their faces.
“I never wanted anything to do with the Coppersmith fortune,” Ry said.
“So you stole from me instead.”
“You stole my fiancée, the one person I thought I could trust. I heard the two of you planning to turn me in to the authorities. I was desperate and took money from your safe to get off the planet, to stay alive.” Ry felt the insistent pressure on his mind, the compulsion emanating from his brother. He forced it away. “You’re in debt,” he taunted.
“No thanks to you,” Talor retorted, attacking with aggressive thrusts of his sword.
“Your debt is nothing to do with me,” Ry said, parrying the blows.
Talor attacked, driving forward in a determined attack. Ry felt a prick of pain on his right biceps. He jerked back, glanced down at the bloom of blood. Talor lunged again. Ry held his ground, parrying the strike. Blocking, he waited for an opening. Talor stumbled, and Ry took advantage, forcing his brother back with a rapid surge. Immense satisfaction filled him when he connected with Talor’s shoulder. He eased back, giving Talor a chance to recover, but his brother snarled and struck. The swords whistled through the air, clashing violently.
“If one of us has to die at least let me know why.”
Talor attacked, the ferocious metallic clang filling the air. Sweat, a tinge of fear filled Ry’s senses. Blood colored his brother’s shirt red, the scarlet patch obscene against the white syncotton. Ry retreated, gasping with exertion.
“Frightened to strike the killing blow,” Talor sneered.
“Mother wouldn’t want this.”
“This is all her fault.” Talor circled and sprang. Their swords collided in a furious assault. Ry blocked and dodged an unexpected kick. Pain radiated from his kneecap and he staggered, allowing his brother an opening. Talor darted at him, Camryn’s scream giving Ry the impetus to roll. Talor’s sword speared the ground, right where Ry had stumbled.
“Fukk. Mother willed land to you—land I needed to expand so I could pay off my creditors.” Talor cursed, fumbling to free his sword. “She left land I’d been promised to you—a worthless murderer.”
Furious, Ry shoved him from behind. Talor sprawled facefirst on the lawn. He rolled, scrambling to his feet and grabbing up his sword. Chest heaving, Ry attacked.
“Bastard.” Talor recovered, pounced, sword brandished. Steel met steel. Swords slashed together. They surged. Retreated. Talor tripped and Ry capitalized, thrusting his sword into Talor’s chest. Talor dropped to the ground and didn’t move.
Camryn rushed forward. “Ry, are you all right? Is he dead?”
“I’m fine.” Still breathing hard, Ry staggered to his brother’s side. “Talor?” Blood seeped from his brother’s chest, his breathing harsh and labored.
“Not dead yet,” Talor gasped.
Ry cradled his brother’s head, desperately needing answers. “Why? Why do you hate me so much?”
“Jealous.” Talor coughed, the liquid sound indicating a fatal wound.
“But you’re the heir. I’ve never disputed the fact.”
Talor gave a sickening gurgle.
Camryn ripped the bottom of her tunic, holding the pad of fabric to the wound to staunch the blood flow. “The sword—can I take it out?”
Ry leaned over his brother to remove the sword, but a groan slipped free when pain hit his shoulder. He needed to shift to speed healing.
Camryn handed him another piece of tunic. “Change so you’ll start to heal.”
“I can’t,” Ry mumbled. “No matter what happens he’s my brother. I have to stay.”
“Hold his hand. Talk to him while I take the sword out.”
The thunder of feet announced his crew’s arrival. Ry noticed his sisters as well. He ignored everyone to clasp his brother’s hand.
“I wouldn’t stay with you.” Talor gasped for breath. “You win again.” His lips moved, his words scarcely audible.
Ry dipped his head to catch everything his brother said. “Don’t talk. Mogens will look at the wound for you.”
“Always win. Mother loved you. I needed the land and all the money.” Another horrifying gurgle bubbled up his throat and his eyes fluttered. His labored breathing ceased.
“Talor!” Ry grasped his shoulder and shook. “Dammit, what about Mother? Did she believe I was a murderer? Talor?”
Mogens pushed him aside. “Ry, he’s dead. You can’t do anything now.”
“He forced a beggar to kill Maxmus and used compulsion to make the authorities believe I’ve done it,” Ry said. “How will I clear my name now that Talor is dead?”
“It’s possible his death has freed everyone he compelled,” Mogens said. “We were able to move again a few mins ago—I presume it was when Talor fell. It’s an old crime and perhaps they’ll forget you were a suspect.”
“Or we could blame Talor,” Cody said in a hard voice. “I can’t believe…” She trailed off with a shake of her head, unable to voice her thoughts.
“He mentioned Mother’s will. I presumed Talor would inherit the bulk of the estate since he was heir. What was in the will?” Ry asked Edrea.
“I don’t know. We didn’t attend the reading at the lawyer’s office because Talor said it wasn’t relevant to us,” Cody said.
“There’s something in it for Ry,” Camryn stated. “I could hear it in his voice. He was hiding the truth.”
“He was hiding a lot,” Ry said. “What do we do now?”
“I suppose we’ll need to call the authorities. Oh dear. The scandal!” Edrea flapped her hand in distress. “Talor—I had no idea he felt like that about you.”
“Did you know Talor was a wizard?” Camryn asked.
“Mother told us when we were younger that the oldest male in the family inherits powers, and that they’re handed down from oldest son to oldest son. She told us we weren’t to discuss it with our brothers or father and if we had any questions we had to promise to ask her,” Cody said.
“We kept our promise,” Edrea added. “Because she was so adamant. But truly, we didn’t know Talor had framed you, Ry. We never guessed. We presumed the powers related to the items sold in the Coppersmith business. The charms Father and Talor designed and made to sell.”
“He was very charismatic.” Kaya’s expression was harsh as she stared at Talor’s body. “He fooled a lot of people, concealing his true self beneath the charm.”
“Ry, please shift so you’ll heal,” Camryn ordered. “Your brother is a feline shifter,” she said to Ry’s sisters. “There, no secrets now so you can shift.”
With a wry smile, Ry shifted. He heard his sisters’ twin gasps, and Camryn’s soft laugh.
“Good, Kitty,” she said.
Later that night, House of the Cat
Ry pulled the box from the canvas covering and reclined against the pillows, his shoulder touching Camryn’s. An emotion he identified as happiness filled him to bursting.
“The stone in the top of the box is glowing a different color. It’s a deeper blue than before.”
Ry lifted the box to study it closely. “I’d hoped Edrea or Cody knew something about the origin or who wrote the diary.”
Camryn yawned, stretching her naked body and raising her arms above her head. “It must belong to your natural parents rather than the Coppersmiths, especially with the cat engraving. You should show it to Gweneth. Maybe she’ll know what it is. You know, even if you never find your people, you shouldn’t worry. The crew is your family.” She chuckled, the corners of her eyes crinkling. “You collect them.”
“Maybe I’ll ask Gweneth.” Ry leaned over to nuzzle the soft skin of her neck. He sucked and bit lightly, still in awe of her trust. No way did he intend to give her up. Maybe Camryn was right about his family. At the rate, he was going they’d need a bigger ship. “I’ve collected you, and I’m not giving you back,” he said with a soft growl.
“You promised.”
“I suggested a visit. What if I took you home for a visit whenever you wanted?” he countered.
Camryn pulled away from him, her eyes narrowed. “We’d stay together as lovers?”
“My mate,” he said simply. He took her hand, tracing his fingers across the calluses she’d received from riding Gabby. A wave of tenderness swept him.
His mate
. “I keep telling you we belong together.”
“I’m not good with relationships.” Camryn swallowed, her eyes darkening as her thoughts drifted to the past.
“We could learn together.” What did he say to Camryn to make her want to stay?
“Gabriel died because of me. The ambulance officers said if he’d received help sooner he would have survived.”
“They don’t know that for sure,” Ry said, anger at the unseen men filtering into his voice. “Besides, according to Mogens, I’m very fit and healthy.”
Camryn sighed. “I’ve had fun and enjoy with you, but I need to stand on my own. Before you came, I was sinking. I’ve learned a lot about myself since leaving Earth. I need a purpose and I need love.”