Fragments of Grace (Prequel to the Dragonblade Trilogy) (48 page)

Chloë sighed faintly, glancing over her shoulder at
Summer to see that the dark-haired woman was gazing at the child with some
sympathy.  She returned her focus to the boy.

“Do you have brothers or sisters?” she asked.

“No,” the boy shook his head. “Just me and Dog.”

Chloë wasn’t sure what more to say or ask, watching
the child as he wiped tears off his cheeks.  “I am sorry that you were hurt,”
she said softly, sincerely. “I promise that no one will hurt you from now on. 
We will protect you.”

The little boy’s lower lip trembled. He was so very
frightened. “I want to go home.”

“Can you tell us where your home is?”

“There’s a church there.”

He said it as if it was an anomaly when the truth
was that nearly every town, large or small, had a church. The child had no idea
where he lived. Chloë smiled bravely at him and stood up, making her way over
to Summer.

“He said that his name is Aust?” she whispered.

“That is what he told me,” Summer replied.

“Is he badly hurt?”

Summer shook her head. “He is badly bruised, but
nothing is broken,” she murmured. “His body will heal, but I do not know if his
spirit will heal. The boy has been terrified and brutalized.”

Chloë glanced at the lad with some sorrow. “Poor
child,” she whispered. “I am not at all sure he looks like Keir. Did Keir even
get a look at him?”

Summer shrugged. “I do not know,” she replied. “Your
mother was there when everything happened. Perhaps she knows.”

Chloë didn’t want to ask her mother because she
didn’t particularly want to see her at the moment.  Blanche would only ask
questions and perhaps even prevent her from leaving the keep.  So Chloë merely
shook her head again as she inched her way towards the door.

“Whether or not he is Keir’s son, we will keep him
here until everything can be straightened out,” she muttered. “For now, I have
much to think about on my walk.”

Summer nodded. “Not too long,” she told her,
watching her make her way to the solar door. “You do not want to strain your
back.”

Chloë waved her off as she quit the room and headed
for the keep entry.  It was sunny outside if not a bit cool as she made her way
down the stairs to the bailey, remembering the last time she saw this yard was
the day before when the prisoner had so roughly captured her.  She looked
around, seeing how empty it was with only a few soldiers maintaining vigil, so
she wrapped the blue cloak around herself tightly and headed to the stable
block.

The stables were empty as well with the chargers
removed.  There were a few horses and Chloë scurried into the dark, smelly
stable in search of a good mount.  She knew where Ripon was because she had
traveled there a few times with her father, and she knew it was at least a half
day’s ride on a swift horse.  If the army was two hours ahead of her, that
didn’t give her much time.  She would have to ride very fast in order to make
it to Ripley Castle before they did.  She was genuinely afraid of what would
happen if they laid siege and Keir was caught inside.  Ingilby would not take
kindly to the attempts to regain him. She had to get there before they did.

There was a big, brown leggy gelding that looked as
if it was very swift.  She seemed to remember Keir saying something about the
leggy beast that Summer rode.  Perhaps this was her horse, so perhaps he was
used to women.  There was only one way to find out.

Speaking softly to the horse, Chloë advanced on the animal
in its stall, hoping it would accept her enough to allow her to ride it. When
the animal seemed open to her advances, she swung into action.

She had a man to save and time was running out.

CHAPTER TWENTY
NINE

Ingilby could hardly believe what he was seeing.  In
the great hall of Ripley Castle, it was a vision so startling that he literally
had to rub his eyes to see, in fact, if it was an apparition.  But the vision
remained, a stunning beauty resplendent in dark blue with her luscious red hair
plaited and draped. 

Shocked beyond measure, he had to take a deep breath
before speaking, otherwise he surely would have gasped.

“My men told me you had arrived and I nearly slit
their throats because I thought they were lying,” he said as he entered the
big, smoky hall. “I can see that they were indeed telling the truth.  The goddess
has arrived on my doorstep.”

Exhausted, sick with fear and loathing, Chloë faced
Ingilby as he came to within a few feet of her. She’d had absolutely no trouble
gaining entry to Ripley but now as she was actually face to face with Ingilby,
her courage took a hit. That evil, hateful man was standing in front of her and
she struggled to maintain her bravery and her anger.

 “I came because we have business,” she said as
firmly as she could. “You are holding Keir St. Hèver and I want him released.”

Ingilby came to a halt, a myriad of thoughts playing
across his features. “St. Hèver?” he repeated as if baffled by the request. “You...
you did not come because I accepted the terms of your offer? The offer that
would exchange St. Hèver’s son for you?”

“This has nothing to do with that offer.  I am here
to secure St. Hèver’s release.”

“Last I saw of the man, a horse was running off with
him.”

Chloë hardened. “Do not toy with me,” she snarled.
“You took him from Aysgarth. I also heard that he was injured.  Where is he?”

Ingilby gazed at her a moment before lifting an
eyebrow. He pretended to appear pensive. “If you are speaking of a man who
threatened and belittled me, then perhaps I do know where he is.”

“Tell me now.”

Ingilby’s movements turned sharp and almost
agitated. “Very well,” he replied. “He is in the vault where he belongs. He
threatened me and I have every right to protect myself.”

Chloë stared at him. During her ride to Ripley
Castle, she’d had ample time to think. She knew what Ingilby wanted and she was
willing to play the game, all the way to the bitter end.  Life without Keir was
no life at all and she was willing to do anything she could to win the man’s
release, up to and including sacrificing herself.  Once, he had risked
everything to save her. It was time for her to return the favor.

“You will release him,” she instructed, leaving no
room for doubt that she meant every word. “If you want me as you say you do,
then you will do what I say. Release the man or suffer the consequences.”

Ingilby’s eyebrows lifted. “Pray, lady, you are in
no position to make demands, for I have you now where I want you and you will
never leave this place.”

Chloë was beginning to shake, from both fatigue and
emotion. She threw a finger in Ingilby’s direction.

“Listen to me and listen well,” she said. “There is
an army from Aysgarth not an hour behind me. They intend to lay siege to Ripley
in order to gain Keir’s release and from the size of the army, I have no doubt
they will tear this place to pieces.  I came because I fear that Keir will not
fare well if Aysgarth lays siege so it is my intention to offer myself up in
exchange for his freedom.  Take me and release him. That is all I ask.”

Ingilby stared at her, his brow eventually furrowing
as he snapped orders to the men around him, sending them on the run. He
suddenly looked very tense.

“An army?” he repeated. “If this is true, you have
betrayed them by telling me.”

“I am telling you because I do not want any harm to
come to anyone,” Chloë replied, her guard slipping. “You have been attempting
for the better part of two years to obtain me. You laid siege to Exelby, my
home, a few weeks ago in order to gain your wants and many men were killed in
the process. I do not want to see that again, least of all to Keir.  Release
him and I shall stay with you of my own free will.  Refuse me and I will kill
myself in front of you. Is that clear enough?”

Ingilby regarded her, mulling over her offer. He
couldn’t tell how serious she was. “You truly rode all the way here from
Aysgarth, alone, to make me this offer?”

“Of course I did. It was not a difficult ride and
the weather held. I followed the army’s path, rode around them by sticking to
the trees once I found them, and then rode on ahead of them as fast as I could.”

He regarded her carefully. “You did not think your
scheme through completely. I can hold you and still hold St. Hèver. I have you
both now. Did you ever think of that?”

Chloë didn’t hesitate. She reached into the sash
around her waist and pulled forth the jeweled dirk.  The blade gleamed wickedly
in the weak light as she brought it to bear on her creamy skin, just below her
throat, and pushed.  It wasn’t hard enough to penetrate deep, but bright red
blood streamed and she gasped with pain.

“Release Keir from the vault this moment or I shove
it in all the way and there is nothing you can do about it,” she hissed. “Do you
wish to see my death?”

Ingilby lost some of his confidence and threw out a
hand. “Of course not,” he said. “God’s Beard, do not damage that beautiful
breast.  If you truly want him released, I will do it.  But you will swear to
stay with me, Chloë. You have made offers before that were not in good faith.”

“I swear I will stay here at Ripley. I told you I
would.”

“What is St. Hèver to you that you would give up
your life for him?”

“He is my husband and I love him with all my heart,”
Chloë was starting to look very pale as a fairly substantial river of blood
streamed down her chest and stained the top of her surcoat. “Let him go right
now or you will bury me this night, I swear it.”

Ingilby thought she might have been bluffing, but
from her expression, he could tell that she was deadly serious.  There might
have even been a little madness there, but he could not be sure.  All he knew
was that he finally had the goddess in his grasp and he didn’t want to lose her
to something as mundane as a suicide. So he snapped at his men and they began
to scramble on his order.

“Very well,” he held out his hands to Chloë,
placatingly, so she wouldn’t plunge the blade any deeper. “I accept your terms.
I will release him, so do not do anything foolish. Stay calm.”

Relieved that the terms were finally accepted, Chloë
struggled not to come apart. Still, she kept the dirk in position. She had no
intention of lowering it.

“I was told he was injured,” she said, turning so that
she backed up against the wall near the hearth, fearful that someone might try
to come up behind her and disarm her before she could secure Keir’s release.
“What have you done for him?”

Ingilby watched her carefully. “He was struck by
arrows,” he replied. “The physic removed them. Other than that, I cannot say
what has been done for him. He is a prisoner.”

Chloë was becoming incensed. “You did not tend him
at all?”

“I do not know what has been done for him, but I do
know that his is alive.” His blue eyes glittered wickedly. “If I were you, I
would not worry over him so much. As long as he is your husband, I cannot marry
you, so it would be an easy thing to murder the man and call it an accident.
You may want to keep your concern to yourself until he is free and clear of
Ripley.”

Chloë’s blood ran cold at the threat. “If you do
that, I will kill myself and you will not have either of us. If your threats
are sincere, know that mine are as well.”

More of his self-assurance slipped. For lack of a
reply that might force her to do exactly as she threatened, he backed off and
moved to the big, heavy banqueting table that was planted in the center of the
room. He sat heavily, all the while keeping his eyes trained on her as if
fearful she would do something truly foolish.  He would never get over it if he
had her so close but watched her slip away.  He could hardly believe two long
years had come to this point.

It was an odd stand off for quite some time, Chloë
with the dirk to her chest and Ingilby watching her like a hawk.  She was
exceedingly weary and more than once, the dirk drooped, but she did not drop it
completely. She was deadly serious and determined to see Keir released... or
die trying.

Time dragged on. It could have been minutes or hours
for as well as Chloë’s fatigued mind was gauging it. But then came commotion as
men shuffled about just out of her line of sight.  Some were shouting, orders
it sounded like, and Chloë tried not to become too distracted by the noise. She
was sure they were preparing for Aysgarth’s army and it began to occur to her
that that Kurtis and Michael might not leave even with Keir’s release. She
suspected that would not bode well for her if that was the case.  At some
point, her sore back began to ache and she was having difficulty holding the
dirk aloft.  Just when she thought she could hold out no longer, men entered
through the keep entry.

Startled, Chloë kept her back up against the wall,
the dirk pressed to her chest, as several soldiers entered the great hall. 
They had something between then and it took her a moment to realize it was a
body.  They dumped it on the floor and it was then that Chloë realized it was
Keir. Shock and euphoria bolted through her.