FOREVER KNIGHTS: #7 King of Assassins

She nodded with a saddened half-smile.

That made his chest ache. “A former husband?”

“No.” She laughed. “A far cry from. He’ll never be anyone’s husband, I think.” Shaking her head adamantly. “He’d have none of me.”

None of you? Who could be that blind?

“I find that hard to believe.”

“Do not. He’s a fickle man. Women fall at his feet.”

Fall at his feet. That thought slowed his movements making his gaze focus fully on her as a heavy sense of recognition was settling in him.

“What kind of a man is so cruel?” His tone hardened and he felt a muscle in his jaw tick.

“He isn’t cruel at all, Raese. I’m very close with him. But he no longer visits. Though I know not why…”

“Then where has he been all this time?” He gestured pointedly at her cottage that’d recently been in such disrepair.

Why didn’t he take better care of you?

“It isn’t his duty to care for me.” She gave an uncomfortable laugh as if sensing his thoughts. “And he said it’d be better if I didn’t mention him to you.”

“Oh, did he?” Raese felt his voice become bitter but couldn’t help himself as his heart angrily began to thud in his chest. “What’s this mystery man like then?” He forced himself to lay back on the ground, body wound as he stared at her. Carefully considering now why his Captain had felt this mission to find the water woman so important.

“He’s tall,” Her voice broke into his disconcerting memories. “and warm, wheat-haired. He looks like something unearthen when he stands in sunlight. Like a statue of gold.” Her tone softened and she got a far away, dreamy look. “So…Stunning. You can hardly keep your fingertips from reaching out to touch him…”

No! His teeth gnashed.

“You have touched him then?” His voice was tense as he swallowed the lump tightening his throat.

“No.” She shifted again. Shaking her head with that self-mocking smile. “He’d never let me close enough. He’d always catch my hands and push them away. Telling me if I didn’t stop, he’d leave.”

“So, what did you do?”

“I would stop. Because I didn’t want him to go. We talked often, sometimes until late into the night.” She sighed wistfully. “I can’t even describe the lure he has for a woman.”

It struck Raese then. Like a lead weight falling through him. His eyes narrowed and he sat bolt upright.

“Sebastian!” He roared.

Raese sat up in bed. Blinking into the darkness. A glance at his fire told him it’d long since gone out. Which explained the bone deep cold. Climbing from his bed he drug his coverlet with him. Wrapping it around him to ward off the chill as he went to his window, he stared across the green yard and the distant gardens surrounding his property. The first slow flakes of snow floated beyond his window.

In truth, he saw none of it. Still absorbed with the emotions of his dream. Feeling the dark envy that’d run through him as ravenous as the waves Calisto had invoked to kill the TreeCutters.

Then that feeling had changed to a deep sense of betrayal and annoyance as he recognized that somehow, someone whom he considered a friend, had been meddling in his affairs. Manipulated him into being in Feglen.

That man, Sebastian, had somehow manipulated the Captain into ordering me to Feglen, knowing the sensuous water sprite residing there would tempt me. Raese was suddenly very sure of this. Conviction pouring through him. And annoyance flaring as the same question kept bubbling to the surface.

Had he already tasted her wares? Raese was sickened at the thought. Feeling the same surge of possessiveness, he’d felt in his dream rising now.

Who was he? That former friend. Unable to resist Raese tried the name on his lips to see if it evoked anymore memory or a face to match the name.

“Sebastian.” He whispered. Waiting a long while. Thinking, somehow, that there should be a response.

Nothing.