Midnight Shadow (26 page)

***

Bria slipped from the bed and quickly dressed. She hurried to the door, grabbing her velvet slippered shoes as she moved. There, she paused to glance over her shoulder at her sleeping husband. He was lying on his stomach, one arm dangling over the side of the bed. Bria gazed in adoration at his perfect body. His dark hair touched his shoulders in thick waves. His broad shoulders were strong and muscled, his sculptured back tapering into a thin waist. Bria grinned. He’d made her feel things she’d never dreamt of. He had made her feel loved, by him, by her husband.

Terran had a good heart. He would be a great lord, she was sure of it. He was going to do the right thing where Mary was concerned. And if she coaxed him, he’d investigate the overtaxing of the peasants, too. Everything was turning out wonderfully. She was so proud of him.

There was no longer any need for the Midnight Shadow. There was no tyrant to fight against, only Kenric, and Terran would deal with him.

This would be her last night as the Midnight Shadow. Then he would disappear forever.

Chapter Thirty

D
ismounting in the clearing near the pond, Bria immediately spotted her hiding place. Her sword and disguise awaited her, hidden well beneath the bush. But first she approached the pond. She felt a jubilance she’d never felt. Tonight would be the Midnight Shadow’s last ride. Terran would discover the truth about Kenric, and there would be no further need for the Midnight Shadow.

She gazed into the still pond. Terran would discover the truth. With conviction burning in her soul, she turned... and stopped cold.

Kenric was standing just across the clearing, watching her with his hands on his hips, two of his men on horses behind him.

He approached slowly.

“M’lady could not sleep?” he asked. “Or perhaps she is running away.”

Bria scowled at his sarcasm. “Why did you follow me?”

“I was hoping you’d meet your lover here.” Kenric scanned the clearing. “But I see that isn’t the case.”

Bria’s eyes narrowed slightly. “What do you want?”

Kenric stopped just in front of her. “I want many things, m’lady.”

Bria did not like his tone. She lifted her chin and moved to step around him, but he grabbed her arm, halting her.

“I’m not finished with you,” he said softly.

Bria tried to pull her arm free, but he wouldn’t release it. “Terran will have your head if you persist. I am lady of Castle Knowles.”

“For now.”

Dread slithered up her spine. Did he know she was the Midnight Shadow?

“You see, Lady Bria, it was I who suggested he marry you. It’s true we needed your dowry. But I had another reason. A while back, the herbalist was killed not far from this very spot.”

Bria swallowed hard.

His eyes narrowed slightly, his grip pressing ever tighter on her wrist. “Two women witnessed the murder. One I arrested and threw into the dungeon for the murder, but the other escaped. I chased her through the woods and onto Delaney lands. Who could have been out here in the middle of the night? I kept Mary alive to use as bait to catch the other woman. And now I have, haven’t I?”

Bria raised her chin.

“My guard heard you talking with dear Mary. I know it was you, Bria, and this little trip of yours to the very same spot proves it. I can have no witnesses to the death of that old woman.”

Bria turned wide eyes to him. What was he planning? He signaled the other guards with a wave of his hand. They began to move forward.

Fear flared through Bria like lightning. Why didn’t Kenric want anyone to know he’d killed the herbalist? “Why did you kill her?”

“She knew things,” Kenric said. “I couldn’t have her walking around telling everyone my secrets.”

Secrets? Bria thought back to the night he had killed the woman. What was it the old woman had said? He owed her coin for the first potion. “What potion did she make for you? Whom did you poison?”

Panic flared in Kenric’s black eyes, and Bria knew she’d hit the mark.

“You already know too much,” Kenric retorted as anger replaced his panic.

The two guards drew nearer and Bria knew she had to escape. She brought her heel down hard on Kenric’s foot. As he grimaced in pain and released his grip on her arm slightly, Bria shoved him away from her.

She turned and lifted her heavy skirt to dash away. She raced through the brush, managing to reach the dirt road nearby. But then something hit her from behind and she felt arms around her waist. She hit the ground hard, wiggling and twisting, trying desperately to free herself.

“Not this time,” Kenric snarled from behind her, holding her tight. He flipped her over so she faced him, and he straddled her waist, holding her arms down.

Bria fought, expecting to feel a sharp pain in her side from a sword wound or the tip of a dagger run across her throat. But it never came. Instead, a sharp slap stung her cheek. Her head rocked to the side, and for a moment her world teetered.

Kenric tilted her head back and something bitter entered her mouth. She spit it out immediately. Kenric placed one hand over her mouth and his other beneath her jaw to hold her mouth shut. “Take it, bitch,” he snarled.

Poison! She tried to open her mouth, but Kenric was stronger. She fought, hitting him again and again, trying not to swallow. But the bitter taste slid down deeper and deeper into her throat until she could do nothing but swallow.

She opened her eyes in horror and saw his evil visage looming above her. His hands clenched tight around her face, and her head was locked in the crook of his arm. “You see, dear Bria, it wasn’t all that bad. Had you not run from me the first time, I would have killed you then, and your horrendous marriage to Lord Knowles and subsequent rape by him could have been averted.” He released her and sat up.

Bria pulled away from him, moving back on her bottom. “Terran didn’t rape me.” She spit as hard as she could. The bitter taste remained strong in her mouth. She turned and began to crawl away, but two legs blocked her. She followed the black leggings up to see one of the guards.

“You can’t leave yet,” Kenric said from behind her. “It takes a little time before the poison works.”

“You won’t get away with this,” Bria proclaimed.

“I think I will. I have before.” A smile split Kenric’s lips.

Bria stared at him in shock. Before? Whom had he killed? Her eyes widened. Odella! Terran hadn’t killed her, Kenric had poisoned her!

Bria stood. “You bastard,” she hissed. She had to tell Terran! Her gaze swept the clearing. The two guards stood at the ready not feet from her. Kenric leaned against a tree. There was nowhere to run. “You killed Odella!”

“I told you you knew too much,” Kenric replied.

“Why?” she demanded. “Why kill her?”

“It’s of no concern to you,” Kenric said. “You’ll be dead soon.”

“Then tell me,” Bria insisted. “If I’m dead, I’m no threat to you.”

“You were never a threat to me,” Kenric retorted.

Suddenly, Bria’s mouth began to water as nausea twisted her stomach into a wretched knot. Frantically, she looked around as the world spun dizzily about her. Then she turned her back to Kenric and threw up. Spasms shook her body. She wiped the back of her mouth and realized through her agony that Kenric was talking.

“Good,” he said. “That is the first sign. Soon, you’ll feel drowsy and fall into unconsciousness. Then you’ll die.”

“No,” she gasped. Bria had to warn Terran. She had to get to him. But suddenly her body felt heavy.

No, she thought. I have to get to Terran.

She fell forward to her knees. Kenric’s boots appeared at her side, and she barely had the strength to lift her gaze to his.

“Don’t fight it,” he encouraged. “It will all be over within the day.”

She grabbed his tunic in an effort to stand, but couldn’t pull herself up. Somewhere, laughter drifted through her mind like a distant echo. She had to get to Terran.

Suddenly, she leaned forward and retched all over Kenric’s boots before collapsing to the leafy ground.

She forced herself to be absolutely still. She had to get rid of them. If she could get them to leave her, she could mount her horse and ride back to Castle Knowles. Ride? she thought groggily. She could hardly focus. She’d never be able to ride a horse.

She watched Kenric through her darkening vision. He and his men mounted their horses and in an instant were gone.

Bria tried to push herself to her feet. She had to reach her horse, which stood in the distance. But her body wouldn’t move. Her hands lay still on the ground, her arms like heavy rocks. She couldn’t lift them.

Tears entered her eyes. She was going to die here. She wasn’t going to get the chance to warn Terran. Oh, Terran, she thought. I have to tell you. I have to warn you about Kenric. He killed Odella. He’s killing me!

From far off, she heard a voice. Was Kenric still here? Hadn’t she seen him leave? She struggled to turn her head toward the sound. A million black dots swam before her eyes. Was that someone moving closer? Or was he leaving? Was he running? She couldn’t tell.

Then he was at her side, kneeling beside her. Brown eyes. Kenric had black eyes. Were these eyes brown? Yes. Yes! She recognized his warm eyes as a scowl of concern crossed his brow.

“George,” she whispered. It was Mary’s father.

He pushed his hands beneath her shoulders and legs and lifted her off the ground. She leaned heavily against him. “Don’t worry, Bria,” he said. “We’ll get you back to the castle safely.”

Bria closed her eyes.

***

“M’lord!”

Terran was out of bed immediately. He donned his leggings, noticing but not worrying Bria was gone, until he threw open the door to his room and found her in Kenric’s arms. A farmer stood just behind Kenric.

Dread welled up in Terran’s chest. Had she been stabbed? There was no blood. What could it be?

He lurched into action, removing her from Kenric’s arms. “What happened?” he demanded as he turned to lay her on the bed.

“This farmer found her in the road,” Kenric said, motioning to the man behind him. “She’d taken poison. This pouch was beside her.”

Agony pierced Terran’s heart as he snatched the pouch. “Where the hell did she get this?”

Kenric shrugged. “Looks like she’d rather die than be your wife.”

Terran turned burning eyes to Kenric. His jaw clenched so tightly that for a long moment he couldn’t talk. “Go and find an herbalist.”

“There isn’t one in riding distance.”

“Then fly,” Terran snapped, “but find one.”

Kenric bowed stiffly and turned, leaving the room, brushing past the farmer who waited by the door.

Terran returned his gaze to Bria. Her long brown hair was unbound and fanned out over the pillow. Her eyes were closed. Her face looked so peaceful that for a moment he imagined she was simply sleeping. Just sleeping -- as he’d imagined Odella to be.

Ah, God, no! He collapsed to his knees beside the bed. Why? Why is this happening again? Why? Why would she do this? Was I such an ogre to her? He took her hand into his. It was so limp, so white. He pressed his forehead to her hand, kneeling in a position all too familiar to him.

“Terran.”

He must have imagined the soft voice. It sounded so like Bria. Did he want to hear her voice so badly he was imagining it?

“Terran.”

He lifted his head. Her eyes were open, staring at him with such agony and such pain that his heart broke. He held her hand to his chest, clutching it tightly. What a fool I am! his mind screamed.

“Herbalist... at Delaney,” she whispered.

“At Delaney?” She must be hallucinating. He brushed a trembling kiss against her forehead. “No, darling. Kenric said there isn’t one in riding distance.”

“Terran.” He looked into her eyes. “Go... to Delaney. Get... herbalist.”

“An herbalist at Delaney?” Perhaps Kenric didn’t know about him. Perhaps he was new. Whatever the case, he would retrieve him at once. He rose. “I’ll send Randolph.”

“No!” Her cry, so strong and so frantic, halted Terran immediately. “He...” Her voice faded as her energy waned.

Terran returned to her side, leaning close to her, brushing the strands of dark hair from her forehead. “I know,” he whispered. “Just rest. He brought you to me. You’re all right.” He kissed her forehead.

“Kenric... killed Odella.”

The words made no sense. First she’d thought he had killed Odella. Now Kenric? “You’re imagining this,” he replied. “You’re speaking of things you know nothing about.”