Ice Maiden (7 page)

No one moved or spoke a word as she
approached him.

“You look worse then I feel, Lady Am...”
Ceased by a wave of pain, Randall never finished his forced
brevity.

“The boar...” It didn't matter how he came to
be injured even her untrained eyes knew he lost too much blood.
“Get him to my room!”

The order went past her lips, but it was the
authoritative glare that she sent his men and her next outburst
that shook them into action. “Move it!”

Hesitating only long enough to be sure they
were following her order, she raced ahead of them. Mistress Tilly
stepped before her. “Lass? Should ye be...” lowering her voice
before looking the girl square on, “…taking him to ye own chamber,
his is but down the hall.”

When did he move into the castle?

Brushing away the question, it only
reinforced how scattered her attention remained. “You are right, I
forgot, direct them there and send up the medical supplies.”

“He'll be needing the leaches.”

“No!” Realizing her protest came out much too
vicious, Amy tried to soften her refusal. “He has lost too much
blood already.”

“Aye, ye may be right.”

Amy felt too tense to be relieved over the
woman's acceptance of her wishes, the sudden truth that this wasn't
her modern century hit her harder. The lack of adequate medical
assistance he so desperately needed made her want to scream over
the injustice.

Following the litter the men carried him in,
Amy gave herself a fierce shake, this was now her reality and she
better get herself in hand--he needed her help, not some babbling
idiot!

“Try not to jar his leg--easy now.” Her
gentle words as they lowered him into the bed helped calm her more
than anyone else.

As the men started to leave, “Craig, please
stay, I need your help.”

The pure size of Bern became the first
obstacle she refused to let defeat her. Amy pulled Bern's dagger
from his belt and felt him tense.

As if in slow motion his tortured eyes opened
and went from hers to the knife she held poised before him in her
fist. “Do be careful love or our wedding night won't come close to
the dreams I have been having.”

The heat infused her cheeks, she couldn't
believe he possessed the strength to hold her in such a devilish
light and what that attempted smile over her reaction did to
her!

“You are a rouge for sure, Bern Randall.”
What possessed her to spar with him in his condition Amy couldn't
say, but she felt his need reach out to her. “Maybe I should thank
that beast for slowing you down a bit.”

She didn't try and hide her smile for the
surprise that came over him for her bold words, nor the pleasure
they caused to light his anguished eyes. “Now, be a good Lord and
lie still or ye may cause this blade to slip and ugh' a waste it
would be to deprive me of seeing if such a grand boast is in fact a
reality.”

“Ye be a fox, Amy.”

“Aye, and right now more than a little angry
that ye let yourself get in this condition.”

Amy started working the knife through the
material to cut away the blood soaked garments, telling herself not
to show him anything more than the bantering she deliberately
began.

“Tis' a promise I see in ye eyes, Amy?”

“Ack, such a conceited man I am betrothed
to.”

As Craig pulled back the cloth stuck to the
jagged gash in his thigh Amy bit her lip not to moan. Bern's own
teeth were barred under the strain he exerted not to cry out in the
pain he suffered.

Amy didn't acknowledge the vicious curses he
issued as Craig raised his leg for Amy to pull the dirty clothes
away.

Bern forced all his concentration on her and
away from the fire assaulting his body. Lying there naked before
her had always been his intent, but the way it came about made him
furious.

Working quickly and as gently as possible,
Amy washed away the dried blood and dirt until she exposed the
wound in all its ugly danger.

Hearing the strangled sharpness in Bern's
breaths, her own ran a close match. The wound went deep, a serious
cut that she knew must be stitched to stop the blood flow. “You did
a real number on yourself.”

Between Craig's muffled gasp and Bern's snort
of shock, Amy wanted to back away and kick herself for what she
just blurted out. She forced herself to meet Bern's rather stunned
gaze. Amy took a deep breath and decided she would soon have to
answer the questions in his eyes. For now, “Well, I hope you killed
the beast.”

“Aye, that I did lass.” No, he would not
correct her now. Thankfully, her attention returned to his injury
and she missed the sharp shake of his head to Craig's silent
question that snapped the man's lips shut. T’was best to let her
think the boar's tusk did the damage rather than a sword's ripping
blade!

When her lovely eyes came back to his, Bern
was taken back over the naked concern she actually held him in. As
he held her still with his eyes he also saw the fears and
indecision gathering behind those honey dew drops. “Better get to
it, Amy. I have a well of healing to get to before our vows are
spoken.”

Her flushed embarrassment over his words
didn't last long enough to satisfy Bern.
Damn that young
squire's enthusiasm!
Yet Bern couldn't fault the lad for
charging into the melee like he did, any boy worth his salt wanted
to fight with the men. Nay, the wound was worth the life he
saved.

Amy managed to pull away from his intense
study of her. Seeing him in pain, no matter how well he hid it,
tore at her heart until she found herself fighting back the tears.
She feared her voice would fail her and Amy raced out in silence to
gather the items necessary to help him.

Bern watched her go, only then did he release
the inner fist he held the pain back with. “Augh! Sweet mother, you
nearly killed me, Craig! And if ye don't cover me this instant I
will finish what those bastards failed to accomplish!”

Craig let the threat pass, knowing Bern
needed the release of his outburst. “Ye best set her straight on
how this happened before that old man hears of the ambush.”

“I would prefer waiting, it’s bad enough
being at her mercy.” Bern's gruff words did more to humor Craig
than shock him. “When she comes back, you best go and ready the
defenses, try and keep that imbecile Captain in the dark while
you're about it.”

“Don't underestimate the old man, he's hardly
sitting around staring into the hearth fires.”

“He would also like nothing better than to
undermine my claim on his lady while I am flat on my back.”

Craig didn't think Lady Amelia would stand
any interference where Bern was concerned, but kept his thought
silent, rather enjoying Bern's insecurity. It was a rare treat
having Bern at odds with himself and all because of one wee bit of
a lady. Not that Craig could blame him. Lady Amelia proved to hold
her own surprises. Funny, he failed to realize what a pretty and
spirited woman she was when Bern first camped out here. Craig
guessed Bern must have seen it all along, explaining why the man
became set on winning her.

By only moments, Amy entered before the women
into the room. Going directly to the bed her shoulders relaxed a
mite seeing that he was now covered.

She was a glorious female to watch. That way
she showed emotions with her eyes when they looked upon his body,
stirred a feeling so hot in his gut Bern groaned over the shock of
it.

“Here, drink this.”

She slipped her arm under his head and lifted
him up a little so he could drink from the goblet Mistress Tilly
drugged. It grew harder to keep her eyes away from being captured
by him. Damn him, but he already saw too much of her feelings.

Against her will her gaze once again moved
over his magnificent body. Steel bands of copper flexed across his
chest. His bare arms were so large she didn't think both of her
hands could span the bulging muscles. In all truth Amy never saw a
man as well endowed as Randall. The admission made her make the
mistake of looking into those midnight orbs. No wonder he expected
women to fall all over him.
Cocky, aye he owned the
right!

“Ye be draining my senses, Amy...”

There was no reason to tell him it was the
wine. The telling way she pulled herself away from his commanding
hold said she understood exactly how they were affecting each
other.

His move to prevent her complete retreat
proved a mistake that sent Bern falling back into the pillows with
regret as the raw pain assuaged his senses.

The gentle touch on his brow brought Bern's
awareness of the woman back to his tortured eyes. He felt the soft
breast, so ripe, pressing freely against his fevered chest making
him wonder if he were dreaming.

Leaning closer, so he alone would hear her.
“Let it come Bern, there is no shame in pain. Tis’ only I that will
hear any sound ye make.”

Her hands were like feathers over his face.
Why couldn't he reach for her like he wanted to, hold her
closer--kiss those velvet lips.

The slurred words of anger he released
weren't exactly what Amy expected from him, making her glad she
dismissed everyone except Craig.

“You had best hold him down while I stitch.
The drug isn't working very well.”

“Bern is a big man.”

Amy barely stopped her eyes from falling to
his lower form, catching her wayward thoughts from expressing
themselves just in time. Busying herself with the coarse thread she
vehemently wished it wasn't such a large bone needle, but a tiny
metal one that he wouldn't feel as harshly.

She looked at Craig and received his sharp
nod to proceed. Amy blocked out Bern's sensual calls to her and
concentrated on sewing up the gash.

His sharp cry didn't take his train of
thought away from her. Only now, instead of coveting her in his bed
and arms, he cursed her sharp tongue for its lashings and her
obstinate will power, which he vowed in his drugged raging to bend
under his own.

By the time Amy finished bandaging him her
own layers of clothing were soaked with his blood. “It is finished,
Craig.”

“So is he, finally.”

Craig wanted to say something to help gentle
the hard promises his friend unknowingly exposed against her.

“He should sleep sometime, I will stay with
him.”

After all of Bern's threats against this
woman Craig failed to hide his surprise that she didn't just turned
him over to a servant.

“Craig, it was the pain he spoke out
against.”

“True enough.”

Looking at Bern's friend Amy wanted to cringe
over what he heard, and the concern he now held her in. Should the
man have meant only half his threats Amy should probably be running
for her life before he came to. Dominate, command, rule in total.
She took a steadying breath wishing she could forget the man's
intense interest concerning her more womanly attractions. He even
spoke of Peter or The Beast as he called him, augh, but he was that
and more. She wouldn't mind if Bern did do all those hideous things
to that bastard.

A fine bead of sweat now covered his golden
body. She felt grateful that he was so much man, a lesser one
wouldn't stand a chance of surviving the infection she feared would
soon ravish his beautiful body.

“He will survive.” Meeting Craig's hard
stare. “And what passed his lips will not be spoken of to anyone,
including his Lord.” Amy wasn't sure if she hoped her vow would
prevent Bern from remembering or if she just didn't want this fine
man to suffer anymore injury, even if it be to his fierce pride.
No, to learn he lost control in her presence might hurt him more
than his ghastly wound.

“As ye wish.”

Leaving her to tend Bern, Craig felt relieved
he restrained his impulse to break the man's jaw and silence his
friend. Warned or not of his intentions, Craig didn't think Lady
Amelia would be an easy conquest.

* * * *

He was dreaming of her again.

Skin that glowed like a star caught in
moonbeams against the darkest velvet night. Aye, her hair moved
like a midnight ocean. Through Bern's feverish eyes he watched her
squeeze the sponge, releasing the silver stream of water over her
lavish breast. The pink kissed nipples hardened against the gentle
rivulets, making his insides respond as if his tongue licked the
succulent morsels. “So much woman.”

Amy's hand slowed over his whispered slur.
Still held in a fever, the tension left her, knowing he would not
be able to recall that he actually watched her bathing naked before
him.

The fear to leave his side, dare he call out
for her as before during the long hours, Amy waited for the castle
to calm in the cover of night before bathing away his clinging
blood and sweat from her sensitive flesh. But, not even the
cleansing she gave herself in the pool of moonlight could clear
away his invasion from her pores. Did he already conquer her will
to his own as he vowed during the worst of his pain? Amy feared he
won that vow since she first became aware of his existence.

The fresh gown Mistress Tilly brought to his
chamber slipped over her damp hair and body, Amy let the crisp
folds cover her chilled skin. The woman's insistence that Amy
should let the ladies tend the lord had been immediately dismissed
by Amy. No, she remembered how she raced to cover that magnificent
body and all its glorious wonders from prying eyes, to think of one
of them even touching his golden flesh lit a rage as fierce as
wildfire off inside of her unbalanced senses.

“Jealousy, my Lord? Am I so struck by your
power over me that I have stooped to keeping all eyes and hands
from touching you?”

She stopped beside the bed her own hungry
gaze took a leisurely fill of the man. Only days before she never
felt such primitive urges, but no, it wasn't just days, but
centuries of lifetimes!