A King's Revenge: Warlords Series Book 2 (13 page)

“Please tell me you
didn’t let that bother you?”

Lea flushed and
refused to answer.

Tarik’s brows shot up.
“You thought you’d consider leaving me for…Braic?”

Tired of his humor,
Lea rolled away and faced the wall. Tarik hovered over her, his hand brushing
aside her sweaty hair. “Lea, I know this is all hard for you.”

He had no idea.

“I’m pleased you
shared your concerns. Don’t ever hesitate to talk with me. We can make this
work. I promise to find out who’s behind all of this.”

Lea turned slightly.
Tarik’s hand rubbed her shoulder. A fierce light pierced his lavender stare.
“I’ll make them pay for hurting us.”

She shivered because
his threat was not in jest. “I know you will.”

Chapter 22

Lea explored the
elaborate gardens with amazement and awe. “I created all of this?”

Mati designated
himself as her guide for the day and Lea soaked every bit of knowledge he
shared.

“You didn’t exactly
create it, my queen. The King had it designed for you as a present and you
added on to it. You also had his mother’s favorite flower imported and now they
grow in abundance.”

Favorite flower?
“Where?”

Tarik’s personal advisor
pointed at a row of bushes with pale pink and deep purple petals. She loved
flowers. The more exotic the better. Crossing quickly to the blooms, she asked
over her shoulder as she squatted, “What are they?”

“Morning-”

“Dawn,” she breathed.
“Morning Dawn.”

Lea grasped at the
fleeting memory. Holos of Morning Dawn. Surprise and pleasure on Tarik’s face
when he saw the new addition to the gardens. Lea jumped up. She’d remembered
something else. The few brief flashes she’d had caught her off guard and were
small snippets so far.

“What else?” She
needed to see more. Anything that could stimulate her memory.

Mati wore a puzzled
expression, confused by her exuberance. “Beg your pardon, Madame?”

“Show me other stuff I
liked.” Lea clasped her hands together unable to beat back her joy.

“Of course.” Mati
cocked his head to the side. “Hapfe. You liked riding.”

Perfect. “Take me to
the stables.”

He gestured for her to
precede him. Lea practically raced ahead. In the last few days she’d learned to
get to her room which she never stayed in and the royal suite where she and
Tarik spent their nights in each others arms. She reached the main corridor and
hesitated.

“You’re learning
quickly or do you remember?” He sounded sincerely interested.

Lea shared a smile
with Mati. “Learning. This place is still a maze to me.”

“Ah. This way.” Mati
pointed to the left.

Now that they were no
longer in the enclosed gardens, her four guards took up behind them. Lea
grimaced. Serin was intense about guarding her but the others were more relaxed.
Kord made himself scarce but each night he spoke with Lea and she knew he
diligently searched for the traitor in their midst.

“Don’t ease your
vigilance just because there have been no more incidents,” he’d warned
recently. The poison in her wine had been identified as nectar from a caci
plant. An odorless, colorless fluid that paralyzed its victim while the heart
slowed then stopped beating altogether.

The thought of how
close she’d come to drinking the wine had the ability to shake her confidence.
She made sure to keep her knife on her person after learning that.

Their small group garnered
attention as they made their way to the stables. Servants smiled and Lea waved
back. For the most part the Desani had all been welcoming and those in the
castle greeted her with friendliness and good cheer. The castle itself was a
huge masterpiece of stonework.

The grey and white
structure with hints of blush held a defensible position butted against a high
cliff wall and accessible by very few roads on the outskirts of Desani. One
side along the back completely faced the ocean with nothing but pretty green
water for as far as the eye could see.

Lush grass dotted the
landscape from the front. A network of buildings connected the castle to a
local market and a craft fair selling everything imaginable. Servants walked
everywhere under the watchful eye of armed guards.

The home of the royal
family. Her feelings for Tarik no longer continued to be a source of confusion.
The affection between them grew naturally and the sex was off the charts but
neither of them talked of the future. Or the past. Her dreams continued to
occur in longer snippets and with each one she felt close to grasping the
mystery of her past. She hadn’t shared that revelation with Tarik fearful of
getting his hopes up.

They walked passed the
protective overhang and the afternoon sun beat down on her head. Lea shaded her
eyes. Short bronze pavers led the way from the side entrance to an outer
bailey. Unusual yet colorful plant life grew all over with minimal effort to
hold the foliage back. Even a tangle of purple vines adorned the walls and
doors of the stable. Desani from what she’d managed to see was a beautiful
country.

Mati greeted the gray
haired stable master warmly. “The Queen is here to see the hapfe.”

The man in a simple
shirt, pants and boots bowed to the waist. “Your Highness.”

Lea practiced a slow
pace though she wanted to race ahead. Her passion for riding mirrored her
passion for flying. Soft chuffs reached her ears as they ventured further into
the state of the art building. Once through the second set of doors she had her
first sight of hapfe. The gleaming stalls lined each side of the inner room and
large triangular heads peered over the doors.

“Hello, beauty,” Lea
greeted the closest animal. She rubbed her hands over a brown snout with white spots.
Large brown eyes fluttered in her direction before the hapfe tossed its maned
head and pranced away.

Lea checked on the
next stall and received a surprise. An all white hapfe trumpeted at her approach
and began kicking the stall door with its short forelegs. She jerked back but
this only caused the rearing animal to launch at the door, legs pawing in the
air.

The guards pulled Lea
away as the stable master ran toward the animal. Another stable hand joined him
brought on by the ruckus.

“What’s wrong?” Lea
asked, fearful the animal would hurt itself.

Mati clasped a hand to
her shoulder. “Sorka has always been a wild one.”

A loud crack and the
top wood panel broke away from the stall. Both men now grappled with the animal
trying to get a hold of her neck to keep her from injury.

“We should leave,”
Serin spoke up.

Lea stepped back
unable to take her gaze off the troubled animal. She’d never seen an all white
hapfe before. The coloring was beyond rare.

“Why is she upset?”
She hadn’t done anything when she neared the stall.

“Sorka was a gift. No
one rides her any more.”

The craving to take
the animal for a quick run hit Lea. “Why would Tarik keep such a wild mount?”
Surely he wouldn’t let any of his guests take her out.

Sorka snorted but
gradually settled down. Her blue eyes continued to roll as she craned her neck
in Lea’s direction.

“He’s had many offers
to buy her. Breeders have come around begging to use her for their stables but
the King has refused.”

Mati’s answer gave Lea
more questions. She edged around the guards hoping to get another glimpse of
the hapfe as they maneuvered Lea further down to the other stalls.

Serin laughed with
genuine humor at her earlier question. “Breeding hapfe is dangerous business.
The births are messy and sometimes both animals are lost in the delivery. King
Tarik would never risk losing Sorka.”

“Why?” Lea asked, her
attention caught on a pretty tan hapfe. A long wet tongue trailed over her
fingers.

Silence.

Lea turned and all of
the guards avoided her eyes. She glanced at Mati. “Why? Is she his favorite?”
Lea couldn’t imagine Tarik riding the pretty Sorka. The animal seemed too
dainty for his taste.

The hapfe in front of
her tossed its head and bumped Lea’s shoulder hard. She laughed. Something
sturdy like this is more what she envisioned when she thought of Tarik out
riding.

Mati cleared his
throat. “Sorka is the last gift he gave his wife. The two were inseparable.”

Lea spun on her heels.
“Mine?”

Serin smiled. “You
were a sight to behold when you rode. The two of you were in sync. Never saw
another rider that in tune with an animal.”

One of the other
guards spoke up. Jaesan. “Definitely not with Sorka since the King would kill
anyone who took her out.”

Lea faced the now
quiet Sorka. “But…but she almost attacked me.”

The stable master
joined them out of breath. “I’m sorry, my Queen. Sorka wasn’t attacking. The female’s
been despondent since your d-de-” He broke off and his tanned cheeks flushed
red. “Since you’ve been gone. She was excited to see you.”

Lea’s heart melted and
she retraced her steps back to the stall. She ignored their protest and
sidestepped the guards. With a flick of her wrist, she undid the latch and the
freed hapfe leaped out on powerful hind legs.

Lea leaped out of the
way in time and laughed as the excited animal bumped her shoulder with her
bobbing head. The men shouted from behind her and a firm arm curled around her
waist. “Patience was never your virtue.”

Lea stilled all over.
Sorka nudged her chest and licked her face. Lea looked behind her and met
Tarik’s amused stare.

“I have an all white
hapfe,” she murmured inanely.

His teeth flashed as
Tarik laughed. “Hmm. Yes and I paid a good sum for the menace.”

Sorka hopped around
them in a circle occasionally licking Lea and nudging her with forelegs. Tarik
tightened his hold to keep her steady.

“Aret. Sorka, aret,”
he ordered, his deep voice rolling through Lea.

She clamped her thighs
together as lust coiled in her middle. The command in his voice made her want to
leap into his arms.

Sorka stopped her wild
cavorting. Lea reached up and gave the hapfe a good rub on her nose. “She’s
really well trained.”

Tarik snorted. “Not
close. Sorka only listens to you and I. She gives the stable hands a hard time
which is why I try to come down once a week to check on her. For a plant eater
Sorka’s been known to take a bite out of an unwitting stable boy.”

Another vague memory
teased at the forefront.
 
She and Tarik
in these very stables. A heated conversation judging by their body language. Lea
concentrated but it wouldn’t come to her. “Hettel.”

Tarik’s hand glided up
her torso. “What is it?”

She shook her head not
wanting to say anything when all eyes were on them despite the discrete
distance. Lea stretched up on her toes and hugged Sorka around her long neck.
The hapfe lipped at her hair, hot breath hitting her neck. Tarik pushed the
large head away in affection.

The casual gesture
emphasized his love for the animal.

“I want to ride,” Lea
decided. “Ride with me.”

She’d love the chance
to have time with him outside of the tension that hovered within the castle
walls.

“I’d love to but can’t.”
Tarik released her and Lea turned.

“Why not?” Surprising
disappointment weighed her.

“For one, Sorka hasn’t
been out for a ride since you took her. Routine walks and outings only. Let the
stable master get her acclimated to leads again. Secondly,” he grimaced. “I
have a meeting shortly with a village leader.”

Lea couldn’t argue
with his logic and she had to respect his commitment to his responsibilities.
“Is there anything I can do to help you?”

Boredom seemed to be
inevitable if she didn’t find some way to occupy her time.

“Mati mentioned that
you’re restless and came up with a great idea. We can discuss it over breakfast
if you’ll join me.”

Her stomach chose that
moment to grumble. Tarik chucked her under the chin.

“I believe that’s
answer enough.”

***

Tarik waited until Lea
finished the last of the food on her plate. Leaning back in his chair his
hearts swelled with love. He enjoyed seeing her take such satisfaction in her
meal. Kord had waved his glowing hand over everything on the table before any
of them sampled the fare and fortunately none of the food had been tampered
with.

What if there wasn’t a
traitor in their midst. He eyed the dark haired man listening to Lea as she
shared her enthusiasm about Sorka. Perhaps the wine incident had been a trap to
push his wife into leaving. Could Kord have mixed the caci nectar in her drink
using his strange ability to reinforce his feigned concern for her safety?

Tarik wished he could know
for certain. All he had was speculation and a fear which grew within him hour
by hour. While Lea seemed committed to helping him neither of them spoke of the
future or the past. Worry added to his fear because without her memories of
what they shared Tarik wasn’t sure his wife would stay.

She sipped her wine
and replied to something Kord asked. Unless he made her fall in love with him
again. Tarik straightened in his seat. That was it.

There were times when
he thought she loved him. A searching look or a soft touch and he’d flash to
what he knew of her. The look and touches were all tell tale signs of love from
his wife. They already had undeniable attraction and if sex kept her in his bed
he’d use it to his advantage.

Chapter 23

Lea sealed the last
envelop with the wax she’d been provided. The Desani crest hardened as it
dried. She added it to the overflowing pile on her desk. When Tarik had shown
her the office she used and explained the charities he’d continued in her
absence, Lea had been overwhelmed and impressed. It helped that the detailed
logs explained everything that needed to be done and how much to allot to each
group.

The office was also a
place where Tarik deemed a guard could wait on the outside of the door not the
inside giving her moments of much longed for privacy. Her stomach grumbled and
Lea checked the time. Lunch. Excitement fluttered in her chest as well.

Hunger wasn’t the only
reason for her eagerness to get to the dining room. In fact, in the last few
days it became the highlight of her day because Tarik made it a point to join
her for lunch and share the food that Kord meticulously checked. Tarik shared
anecdotal stories of Desani, his childhood mischief and occasional missteps since
he’d assumed the throne. Her favorite was when he misjudged a farmer during a
hearing and spent a work day at the man’s side in slop pens to mend a fence as
an apology.

The farmer had been
appalled initially to have his King working side by side with him but soon the
two were in animated conversation about the workings of a farm and the man’s
respect had grown for his sovereign. So much so that he sent Tarik seven of his
finest shep as a gift. Tarik had graciously accepted the shep and now had a pen
in a building off of the main castle to house them.

Of course Tarik made
sure it was far enough away that the smell the shep emanated did not reach
those in the castle.

Chuckling, Lea
straightened a few letters on top to easily resume when she returned. At the
door of her office, Jaesan dipped his head in question. Lea found him the most
outgoing of those assigned to her and a far better conversationalist than Serin.

“I’m taking a break to
eat.”

“Yes, my Queen. Follow
me.”

Mikal and Effan took
up guard behind her with Serin noticeably absent. “Where is Serin?”

“His wife twisted her
ankle and the King gave him leave to care for their child until she mends.”

She didn’t even know
the sour man had a child. “Is his wife okay?”

“Mara is fine but
little Serin is only a year and likes to run.”

Lea imagined Serin
chasing a small child and laughed. “Will another take his place until he
returns?” Tarik seemed fairly adamant that he surround her with armed men.

“No, it should only be
a day or two before Mara recovers.”

They turned down the
last corridor. Lea had learned that Tarik’s home boasted two dining rooms. One
a formal affair for important dignitaries and seated one hundred. The other
where they often took lunch was smaller and could seat twenty if needed.

The guard posted at
the doors to the dining room bowed in their direction before letting them enter.
Tarik was already present and chatting with Mati who was never far from his
side. Hensel lounged against the wall talking to Kord who glanced up when she
came in. Smoked meat and the spicy scent of curo soup teased. Her stomach gave
another grumble.

“Lea.” Tarik broke off
his conversation to come toward her.

Lea allowed herself a
moment to appreciate his appearance today. A simple black shirt, sleeveless
black jacket with gold braiding and black pants.

She tipped her face up
when his arms wrapped around her waist and he leaned down to kiss her. Kissing
Tarik was like leaping into a body of water without looking. Lea fully immersed
herself in the experience. His mouth danced lightly over hers, tongue stroking
deep until someone coughed.

He caressed her hip as
his hands released her. “How are things going?”

“It’s an easy system
to follow. I can’t believe I set up such a formidable way of giving back.” Lea
loved the charity but it was hard to imagine that as a Queen she’d made time
for such a worthy endeavor.

When Tarik first
explained what he wanted her to do she’d been stunned. More and more she
realized that her assumptions about her past role as Queen were way off base.
Her actions pointed toward a generous and open hearted nature. Just as she was
now.

“You found an
agreeable way to spend Sabarn credit.”

“Agreeable?” She asked
as he escorted her to the chair she always used to the right of the throne like
chair at the head of the table. She teased him about it the first day they’d
dined in here.

Tarik sent her a wry
grin. “You have an…issue about spending our riches.”

Lea returned the grin
and waited for him to pull her seat out. She started to make a quip about his
wealth when something hissed from her seat. She looked down as Tarik froze and
cursed.

“
Sentil,
” he murmured, not moving from his spot directly behind her
chair half pulled from the table.

Dark red prongs on the
reptile’s tail meant instant death to its victim. The mottled brown and green
head lifted from its tight coil as it hissed again. If Tarik moved the sentil
would strike drawn to the movement.

“Please don’t move,
Tarik.” Her heart crested at the idea of him being stung and dying.
 
   

Lea steadied her
nerves and reached for the knife strapped to her thigh uncaring of the length
of leg she flashed.

“Perhaps you should
wait, my lady,” Mati cautioned.

Tarik didn’t have time
for her to wait. The serpent hissed, head weaving and its tail stiffened in
warning, prongs growing redder. The warning was enough for Lea. When the
creature shifted to face Tarik she knew it would aim for him. Her hand whipped
out and the knife flew. It hit its target dead to rights, sharp blade slicing
through the green and brown neck. The sentil’s head fell to the floor with a
thud, her knife buried in the seat cushion and quivering.

Kord grabbed her from
behind and pushed her away from the table before she could release the breath
she’d drawn. Sounds and shouts filtered to her ears. The rush wore off and Lea’s
entire body shook.

“Find everyone that’s
been in here,” Tarik roared, lurching away from the chair where he’d been
immobile. “I want to know how a sentil got in here.”

He turned to Lea, eyes
blazing as he strode over and pulled her away from Kord. His grip on her arms
tightened. His gaze roved over every inch of her.

“Are you alright?”

Shivering with delayed
reaction Lea managed to nod.

“Goddess,” he groaned
and hugged her. “It seems like I’m always asking you that.”

Lea leaned into his
strength. As long as he was fine, she’d always be alright.

“From now on, you
carry two knives,” he declared.

Somewhere deep inside,
Lea found humor in his statement. “I could wear pants. It would make getting to
my knives easier.”

He stiffened.
“Absolutely not. No one else gets to look at the curves of your body but me.”

***

“Sire, I’ll dispose of
the serpent.”

Hensel held a brown
weighted sack. Someone had tossed gold cloth napkins over the blood on the
floor. Servants bustled in and moved the table setting. Kord glared.

“Thank you, Hensel.”
Tarik reluctantly let Lea go when he wanted to keep her close to his side. He
searched and found a pale shaking Mati across from the table. “Mati, I want
everyone who took part in preparing the lunch in this room immediately.”

Mati bowed. “Yes,
Sire.” He ran from the room moving without his usual composure.

Tarik ran a hand
through his hair and noticed the tremors. He’d expected another attack on Lea
but a
sentil
? They were deadly and
dangerous to handle. Someone went through a lot of trouble to take such a risk.
Kord stormed over his blue eyes shooting sparks. Tarik prepared for a blasting.

“This is someone close
to you, Tarik,” Kord snapped in a lowered voice. He shifted closer. “No
stranger entered. Only a few of your servants who brought in the food, your
man, and your personal guard had the opportunity.”

Hensel returned along
with Mati and conferred with Jaesan, Effan and Mikal.

A curl of dread
wrapped around his chest. “What are you saying, Kord?”

“It is clear to me that
someone in this room placed the
sentil
in
Lea’s chair. The traitor is here.”

“Impossible.” Tarik
refused to accept his words. Mati or Hensel? Never. They would never be a part
of this when they knew how much Lea meant to him. The grief he’d suffered when
he thought her dead.

“I think we need to
question everyone,” Lea interrupted color back in her cheeks.

Hensel approached.
“Sire, Mati queried the kitchen staff and the five servants are coming. Baylor
will escort them personally.”

Tarik studied his
friend’s face. Tight lipped, worry creases at his brow and uncontrollable anger
spitting from his eyes. No, Hensel wouldn’t have done this.

Lea stepped closer and
rubbed his back. Could she sense his frustration?

“Perhaps we should
increase Lea’s guards.” Though still shaken, Mati came over to their side and
spoke up. He dabbed at the perspiration on his forehead with a linen napkin.

Tarik didn’t blame
him. In spite of the danger to him it was Lea he’d worried over. “No. Four
should be and is good enough.”

Tarik didn’t have to
glance at Lea to know her feelings on more guards. He entwined his fingers with
hers and she immediately eliminated the small space between them. Tarik didn’t
care how obsessive it made him but he wanted her close and accessible from now
on.

Baylor stormed in
leading four servants. Two men and two women. Tarik frowned since there should
have been five. A young lady he recognized as a dessert preparer wiped at a
continuous stream of tears from her eyes.

Hensel, Jaesan, Effan
and Mikal closed ranks around them. The tactic worked and sent the crying woman
into hysterical cries while the tall blond male at her side attempted to soothe
her upset with rough pats on her back.

“What’s going on?”
Tarik asked.

Baylor exhaled. “I
apologize, your majesty. The fifth servant is dead.”

“Dead?” Lea murmured.

Kord huffed and
gripped the back of his neck with both hands.

Baylor offered Lea a
bow but never broke eye contact with Tarik. “Yes, dead. He succumbed to self
ingested poison before we could question him.”

Tarik cursed. “Who?”

“Heckor.”

Not a new servant but
one with under two years at the castle which meant he didn’t know Lea prior and
had to have been working under the direction of another. “Question them to see
if someone gives you anything useful.”

He wanted this ended.
“Report to me the minute you have something.”

In the meantime, he
needed Lea.