Loved By a Warrior (30 page)

Chapter 33

T
ara was enjoying herself. Etty had been just finishing up in the kitchen and was eager to get home to Neil when she had entered. When Tara had informed her that she was going to make her black bread, Etty begged that she make extra loaves.

The last two loaves of the four Tara had made were cooking. She rolled her shoulders back, easing the stiffness from them, and though she was tired, she also felt refreshed. Baking the bread had cleared her mind, and she was certain she'd have a good night's sleep tonight.

After making love.

She shook her head, the silent words resonating like a clanging bell in her mind. How could she prevent her vows from being consummated when she was eager to make love with her husband?

The thought hit her then. Both Rory and Luag had died before consummation of the vows. Would it be any different with the vows consummated?

It was doubtful, but it was worth a try, and besides, she was aching to make love with Reeve. A huge smile filled her face at the thought, and when she heard rushed footfalls approach, she turned, eager to greet her husband.

She froze when she saw that it was Allen, one of her father's most trusted warriors.

“What do you want?” she demanded, though she feared she knew.

“Your husband dead,” he said bluntly.

“That's
not
going to happen.”

She and Allen turned to see Reeve sending just inside the arched doorway, his arms folded over his chest as if what he had heard did not disturb him at all, confident that he was right. But then he was always right, and that brought a smile to Tara's face.

Allen glared and pointed a finger at Reeve. “You die, and Tara comes with me to fulfill her duty to her clan.”

Reeve shook his head and walked slowly into the room. “No. You die, and I send your body back to Carnoth to show him that he has failed again. And to remind him of my warning to leave my wife alone.”

Tara knew Allen was skilled with a dirk. He'd been known to kill a man with a single blow, and that, she feared, was his plan. He was fast and accurate even from a distance. Fear raced through her. Would the curse prove true after all? Was there nothing she could do to save her husband? The horrible thought squeezed tight at her heart, and she inched closer to Reeve, wanting to save him, but not sure how.

“Of course, I could let you leave now and thus spare your life,” Reeve said.

Allen laughed, and Tara knew it was a diversion. She had seen him use it before. The dirk was in his hand and sailing through the air before she realized he had reached for it. And with no regard for her own life, she launched her body in front of Reeve's.

In one fluid motion she felt Reeve's arm circle her waist, yank her against him and shield her body with his as he dipped them both to the floor. He released her with a jolt and stood so fast that it took her a moment to realize what had happened. From her prone position, she watched as Reeve retrieved the dirk from where it had embedded in the wall and walked toward Allen.

“Let me show you how to properly use this,” Reeve said, and, with a fierce roar, launched the dirk and himself at Allen.

Tara sprang to her feet, her eyes wide. With the look of fury she had caught in Reeve's eyes before he released her, she knew that he had intentionally missed hitting Allen with the weapon. He was itching for a fight, and Allen had given him the opportunity.

“Damn, this one might be a match for our brother,” Duncan said, entering the room, Bryce following him in.

“Do something,” Tara ordered sharply.

“We are,” Bryce said. “We're here to cheer him on.”

“What's taking you so long, Reeve?” Duncan shouted.

Reeve delivered a vicious blow to Allen's jaw that had him stumbling backward. As Reeve advanced on the man and without a backward glance to his brother, he yelled, “I'm going to beat
you
when I'm done with
him.
”

Duncan and Bryce laughed, and Bryce grabbed one of the freshly baked loaves of bread and tore it in half to share with Duncan. They ate the bread while shouting encouragements to Reeve.

“You better hurry up and finish him off before we eat all this delicious bread your wife made,” Bryce called out.

Reeve's head snapped around, his face in a feral snarl. Allen took advantage of the moment and landed a punch that sent Reeve stumbling back though he remained on his feet. The snarl returned as he said to his brothers, “Eat all my bread, and I'll kill you both.”

“Then stop playing with the fool and finish it,” Bryce challenged, and took another bite of the bread.

Tara stood frozen with anger. How could they make light of the situation? Didn't they realize their brother could die? Didn't they know that the curse could rear its ugly head any moment, and Reeve would be dead? It didn't matter that he had battled many men and had won. He hadn't been cursed. It was different now. He was more vulnerable, and the two fool brothers simply stood there and did nothing to help him. Even Reeve didn't take it seriously. He continued to think himself impervious. She wanted to pound on all of them for their stupidity.

It was only moments later that Tara was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. Reeve pounded the man so badly that Allen raised his hand in surrender. Reeve picked him up by the scruff of his shirt and dragged him to the door.

“If Carnoth dares send another, I'll kill him,” Reeve said, and tossed the beaten man out the door, slamming it behind him.

He turned with a grin then winced, his lip split, bloody, and bruised. His right eye was darkening as well, and while Tara wanted to run and tend his wounds, she was so angry with him that she remained frozen where she stood, her hands fisted at her sides.

Reeve grabbed a loaf of bread and tore off a chunk.

“For a minute, I thought we were going to have to help you,” Bryce said with a smirk.

Another wince cut off Reeve's laughter. “That will be the day, that I need help in defeating one lone fool.”

“It was two fools in that fight,” Tara shouted, and all three men turned wide eyes on her. “Go on with all of you and glare at me like the fools you are.”

“We better go,” Duncan said, and Bryce nodded.

“Don't you dare move,” Tara ordered with a shake of her finger. “You'll stay put until I have my say.”

The two men remained where they were.

Reeve unwisely opened his mouth. “There's no reason to be upset. I saved you as I always do.”

Duncan cringed, and Bryce shook his head.

“Saved me and then fought with not an ounce of wit,” she snapped.

Reeve made another grave error by taking a step toward her.

“Stay right where you are,” she yelled, her hand going up to ward him off.

Duncan and Bryce tried to ease toward the door.

“If you two move again,
I'll
beat you,” Tara threatened.

They stayed put.

She threw her hands up in the air when she looked at Reeve. “I can't believe you took such a chance. Does your life mean so little to you? Do I mean so little to you?”

He looked stricken and tried advancing on her once more.

She wouldn't have it. “Don't you dare come near me until you take this curse seriously. Why do you think I threw myself in front of you? I would rather die than see the curse take you from me. I love you, damn it, I love you more than life itself.”

Tara stormed out of the room, tears falling as she went.

Reeve stood, staring after her, then turned to his brothers. “What do I do?”

“Give her what she wants,” Duncan said.

“I don't know how,” Reeve said, frustrated. “I do understand how she feels about the curse, but witches don't exactly shout out their presence in the area. I have Neil making inquires, and he's found a prophet, but no witch.”

“Perhaps the prophet can help,” Bryce suggested.

“He can't remove the curse,” Reeve said, frustrated.

Duncan smiled. “But he can advise if it will affect you.”

Reeve's face brightened. “True enough, and it could put Tara at ease.”

“Unless he tells you that you're going to die,” Bryce said with a grin.

“Seriously, I'm going to have to beat you one day,” Reeve said.

Bryce laughed. “You can try.”

“My wager is on Reeve,” Duncan said.

Reeve scrunched his brow. “There is one thing we are not considering.”

“Which is?” Duncan asked.

“The prophet could very well know who among us is king,” Reeve said. “Do we take that chance?”

“We take a chance every day of his identity being discovered,” Duncan said. “Besides, he may be able to add to or explain what Bliss has told us about the spy and about the theft of the hide.”

“He does make a good point,” Bryce said.

“We should discuss this with Da first,” Reeve said.

Bryce placed a firm hand on Reeve's back. “Then let's go find him, so that you can put your wife's mind at ease and enjoy your wedding night.”

Duncan laughed. “Or else you'll be sleeping alone.”

R
eeve approached his bedchamber with apprehension, not something he had ever thought he'd be doing on his wedding night. He had never meant to hurt Tara, was shocked that his actions had, and was even more surprised when she had claimed she would give her life for him. That's something a man would do for his woman, give his life to protect her. Tara was so much more courageous than she realized. And if anyone could defeat this nonsensical curse, she could.

However, she didn't see it that way, and in a way she had been right. Though it wasn't the curse he hadn't taken seriously, it was how the curse had affected her that he had failed to consider. He had expected her to simply believe that their love would be enough to battle the curse. But he had not lived through the ordeal that the hex had cost her. Year after year, losing those she loved, living alone without so much as a comforting touch. The curse had been a costly ordeal for her, and he had expected her to dismiss it as if it had never affected her. He had been a fool.

Carmag had agreed about the prophet, and word was sent to Neil to have the prophet brought there. He wasn't sure it would appease Tara, but it was worth a try. And he intended to let her know just how seriously he was taking the matter.

He entered his bedchamber with trepidation, though determined. He stopped dead once inside and grew angry. She wasn't there. He hurried to his mother's sewing room, and when he found it empty, he grew angrier. He hurried to Trey's room and quietly opened the door to peek in, but it was Willow who sat watch over his sleeping brother.

Now he was furious. There was only one other place she could have gone—her cottage. And by returning to her cottage, it all but told him that she didn't consider them wed. He stormed downstairs, through the great hall, and out into the night.

A light snow fell, and though the air was bitter, his anger had him much too hot to notice. He didn't bother to knock at the door; he grabbed the latch and shoved it open. His eyes narrowed, and his mouth tightened as her head shot up from where she stood in front of the fireplace. She had already changed into her soft white wool nightdress, the fire's light silhouetting her naked body beneath.

He slammed the door shut behind him.

“If you have not come to your senses, then take your leave now.”

“And what of you, wife?” he argued. “Deserting her newlywed husband on their wedding night?”

“You'll not lay the blame on me for this,” she spat.

“And I should lay it on me for saving you?”

“You took a chance of—”

“Keeping us both alive,” he snapped, “and successfully.”

Tears clouded her eyes, but she kept her head high. “For the moment.”

He grumbled beneath his breath. He couldn't bear to see her cry again. She had shed enough tears and had suffered enough hurt. He didn't have to cause her more, and it hadn't been his intention. Again he was thinking of himself, being annoyed that she had left the keep, in a sense leaving him. But if he truly understood his wife, he would have realized that her absence spoke loudly of her love for him. By returning to her cottage, she felt that she somehow was protecting him.

With his anger abating, he took a cautious step forward, and when she didn't order him to stop, he took another and another until he stood beside her. He didn't reach out and touch her; he didn't trust himself. Once he did touch her, he'd have her in that bed making love to her, and things needed to be discussed between them first.

He started with words that he truly meant. “I'm sorry.”

Her eyes popped wide, and a tear broke loose and slipped down her cheek.

“You are right. I have not taken this curse seriously enough.”

She sighed and wrapped her arms around his waist, laying her head on his chest.

His arms went around her as her warmth spread over him, chasing the chill that had crept into his bones and the ache that had settled in his heart.

“I will do whatever it takes to get this curse off you,” he said.

She looked up at him and smiled. “Thank you for understanding.”

“It's about time that I actually did,” he admitted. “To me, it seemed an easy thing to be rid of, but I haven't lived with the curse and the heartache it brought. And I want no more heartache for you. I want you free to love and live.”

“You have no idea how much I have wished for that.”

“You shall have it; I'll make sure of it.”

“I believe you,” she said as if just realizing it. “I truly believe you.”

He grinned. “Finally, we both understand each other.”

“Now what?” she asked eagerly.

“I'd like to scoop you up and carry you to bed and make love to you, but—” He paused and gave her a quick kiss. “I have something I wish to discuss with you first.”