Born of Magic: Gargoyle Masters, Book 2 (13 page)

Thoughts of her mother caused her to push away from the table and stand on numb legs. “I don’t want to talk about her right now.”

In her next breath he was behind her, holding her close and giving her his strength. She closed her eyes and savored the warmth of his large body.

“Let us rest,” he whispered. “You don’t have to make any decisions for the moment.”

She nodded and allowed him to steer her to his large bed.

Sometime later she woke in his arms. He made love to her as if it was their first time, leaving no spot untouched. How would she ever walk away from this man?

Chapter Thirteen

Kephas and Theda were given two full days of peace before the wizard Berlios arrived at the castle. Kephas wanted to grab her and fly off somewhere, anywhere that he could keep her to himself and keep her safe. Unfortunately, his first loyalty was to the King and kingdom, and especially to the wizards who had created him. He growled low in his throat as Berlios tried to look past him into his room.

The short, dark wizard kept his hair in long braids to his waist. He preferred the traditional wizard robes worn by many of the Twenty. Today they were dark blue with a brown cloak covering them against the weather. His brown eyes twinkled in suppressed humor as he looked up at Kephas.

“I know she is within, Master Kephas, and I mean no harm. I’ve been sent to ensure she is well and to positively identify her as either the Queen or the Princess.”

Anger surged in Kephas’ veins. “You think I would have the Queen in my bedroom?”

Berlios barely hid a grin. “Of course not. However, without seeing her I have no idea
who
has been in there with you since your return.”

Kephas bit back an angry retort when he felt a soft touch on his shoulder.

“Let him in,” Theda said.

Kephas looked over his shoulder at her. She gave a weak smile. It was enough to see her trying to be brave. He released the door and stepped back to allow Berlios inside. The wizard gave a nod as he came into the room.

Theda walked to the fireplace, as far from the door as she could get. Kephas watched her hands as she twiddled her fingers nervously, and he wished he could hold her. Berlios stopped a good distance away and simply looked at her.

“You are your mother’s daughter,” he said. “The resemblance is unmistakable, though you have some of your father’s features as well.”

“Thank you.”

“He wishes to meet you, as soon as possible. He is quite anxious, in fact.”

“Why? Why now?”

“He didn’t know where you were until very recently, Princess Theodora. Had he known, he would have sent for you immediately.”

Her small hands fisted and Kephas took a single step toward her before catching himself.

“And my mother?” she asked, anger growing in her voice. “Did he miss her too? Or was it the King who had her murdered?”

“Murdered?” Kephas and Berlios asked together.

Tears shone in her eyes. “Yes. She was murdered in cold blood. I set out to find my father and ask him to his face if he commanded her death.”

“No,” Berlios said with a swift shake of his head. “He would never do such a thing, Princess. I know this to be the absolute truth. He never commanded such and doesn’t know of it.”

Her questioning gaze swung to Kephas.

“He would know. The Twenty are King Kadmos’s trusted advisors and his friends,” he said.

Emotions crossed her face but she held herself in check. She crossed her arms and sighed. “All right, then. I’ll meet him.”

Kephas released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, and Berlios looked likewise relieved.

“We can leave as soon as you’re ready. I have horses waiting outside.”

The panicked look she gave made Kephas close the distance to stand at her side. “I can fly us there, Berlios. It will be faster.”

The wizard grinned. “Very well. I’ll let the others know.” He turned and left without another word.

As soon as Kephas shut the door, Theda faced him. “You don’t mind flying me to see my…the King?”

He ran the tips of his fingers down one side of her face. “No, my love. I don’t mind. Will you return here with me after?”

“You think he’ll allow it?”

Alarm shot through him. “I would assume so. You’re no prisoner, Theda.”

Her expression showed her skepticism but she nodded. “All right, then yes. I’ll return with you. But I don’t want to be a burden, Kephas.”

He grew frustrated at her persistence in reminding him of that fact, and pulled her into his arms. “How can I convince you that you’re no burden? What will it take for you to believe I want you here, in my arms, for as long as you’re willing to stay?”

He watched her throat move as she swallowed and gave in to the urge to rest his fingers there, gently feeling her pulse.

“It’s not that I don’t want to believe you. It’s just…”

“What?”

His fingers slid down until they rested lightly at the top of her bosom.

“I saw the way the women of Keva watched you, and one of the kitchen ladies told me those are the women you and your brothers prefer. I look nothing like—”

He’d had enough, and cut off her words with a fierce kiss, full of the passion he felt for her, and her alone.

“My preference is for you, Theda.” He kissed her again. “You and no one else. When will you understand that?”

He was about to take over her mouth again when a knock sounded at the door.

“What is it?” he asked with a growl.

“Brother?”

He sighed and released Theda. “Yes?”

Goran entered. “Berlios left saying the two of you would meet him at the King’s castle. Would you like some company?”

He glanced at Theda, her flushed cheeks and swollen lips still warmed his blood. He wanted to take her to his bed and complete the look with mussed hair and a satisfied smile. He cleared his head with a shake before looking at his brother again. “Yes. It would be better to have two of us, just in case.”

“In case of what?” she asked.

“Word is spreading across the land, Princess,” Goran replied. “Many will seek to meet you and not all will be on friendly terms.”

She looked to Kephas with a hint of fear. He pulled her into his arms and rubbed a hand over her back. “Fear not. I will protect you until my last breath, as will my brothers.”

“Why would anyone want to threaten me?”

He frowned at Goran for scaring her, but his brother just shrugged. “I’m not saying anyone will, but we can’t be certain. It’s better to treat you as if you need protection rather than finding out in the midst of an attack.”

“Is my father hated?”

“No,” Kephas and Goran said together.

Kephas looked her in the eyes. “Any ruler will have those who disagree out of anger, no matter how fair and just that ruler is. This is the way of Halstrid. Your father is a good and fair king. His people do love him, but there will always be those who feel they can do better.”

Her shoulders relaxed and she nodded in understanding before resting her head on his chest. “Okay.”

He rubbed her back again before slowly releasing her. “Berlios already alerted the others we would fly. We should set out now.”

Theda stepped back and crossed her arms protectively around herself. He wanted to grab her back but knew this wasn’t the time. She would be safe in his presence and he would never leave her side. But physical safety was all he could offer at the moment. All her doubts and concerns about meeting her father were not something he could help her with. He’d never had a father. The wizards were more teachers and mentors than father-figures, though sometimes Bastien seemed to try. All Kephas could do was be ready to support her as needed.

“All right,” she whispered. “I’m ready.”

He doubted that, but took her at her word and motioned for her to follow his brother out of the room. “Giga, stay here.”

The little creature moved its head up and down once before resting by the fireplace.

Theda couldn’t decide if she was terrified, angry, annoyed, or just exhausted. Perhaps all of them, which would explain why she couldn’t seem to form any words. She followed the other large Gargoyle silently as they walked through the halls of her father’s home. There were people everywhere, and all of them stopped to stare as she passed.

Did she really resemble her mother that much? She hadn’t thought so, but the pointing fingers, dropped jaws, and loud whispers told her differently. As they walked into a new room, an old woman carrying cloth dropped it to the ground and cried out.

“My Queen!” She rushed over and laboriously went to her knees before Theda. “Oh, my Queen, my Queen.”

She grabbed one of Theda’s hands and kissed it, then held it to her forehead as her shoulders shook. Theda looked to the gargoyles helplessly.

Kephas stepped forward. “Ma’am, please. This isn’t Queen Feshara. This is her daughter, Princess Theodora.”

The old lady stopped sobbing and looked up, squinting to study Theda.

“The…Princess?”

“Yes, my lady,” Kephas said as he took her by the arm.

She finally released Theda’s hand and let him help her to her feet.

Theda clasped her hands together nervously and tried to smile. “How do you do?”

“You’re so like your beautiful mother,” the woman exclaimed. “Forgive me.”

“Oh there’s nothing to forgive, my lady…”

“Doreen. I was your mother’s lady. I attended to her every morning, so I wasn’t there when she…” Doreen sniffled and bowed her head. “I didn’t know of her plans.”

Theda’s chest ached in sympathy. She must have felt very close to her mother, and abandoned or betrayed by her abrupt departure. She took Doreen’s arm from Kephas and he stepped back out of their way.

“I’m sorry that my mother left as she did. I’d love to sit and talk with you sometime. Perhaps you can tell me what she was like back then.”

Doreen’s old faced lit up, looking years younger. Her bent shoulders straightened as she patted Theda’s hand. “I would love that, Princess. Find me when you have time. I’m usually helping around the castle with whatever tasks an old woman like me can attend to.”

She patted Theda’s cheek with one hand before pulling away to hobble off. Theda wondered how many people her mother had hurt by running away. She looked toward the open doors of the throne room and knew the one person who may have been hurt the deepest still awaited them. After a deep breath of resignation, she strode forward.

He was smaller than she had imagined, and much, much older. Her mother had barely had a strand or two of silver hair at her temple, but the king’s head was snowy white. His crown barely reached the top of his throne, and the wizard sitting to his right towered a foot above that. Another gargoyle stood to his left, but he stared straight ahead, not even acknowledging his brothers.

Theda stopped within the throne room and Kephas stepped up to one side, placing his hand on her shoulder. Goran walked a couple of paces ahead of her before stopping. “Your majesty, may we present Princess Theodora. However, she is known as Theda now.”

The King stared at her in silence, and the rest of the room followed suit. Then he stood and walked down the four steps to the floor. He didn’t hurry to her, nor did he hesitate once he’d started. When he was an arm’s length away he finally stopped and studied her face.

“Theda. You are…”

He closed his eyes and bowed his head. When he looked up again a sheen of moisture was in his eyes that caused an ache in Theda’s chest. Kephas squeezed her shoulder, then released it before stepping back.

“Theda,” the King started again. “You look exactly like your beautiful mother. I’m so happy, and honored to meet you, though I have wished every day of your life that we had never been parted.”

He lifted his hands and she was shocked to see they were shaking. He didn’t try to hide this weakness from her, or anyone else in the room. He simply held his hands out, palm up in invitation. After a moment’s hesitation, she set her hands in his. He closed his eyes again and sighed, then lifted both hands to his mouth and laid a light kiss against them.

“My daughter, I realize you don’t know me, but I hope we can remedy that now that you’ve returned.”

“I…” She struggled to find the right words, when Kephas’ warmth covered her back.

“Your majesty,” he said. “We have news…of the Queen.”

The King’s brows went up and he looked to Theda for answers, but she couldn’t find the words to explain.

Kephas came to her rescue again. “Perhaps we can sit in council?”

The King nodded and slowly released her hands. “Yes. Yes, of course.”

* * * * *

Most of the Twenty were not present at the war room, which surprised Kephas until Berlios explained about Zephara’s final test.

“It should be over by now. All will know the results soon enough.”

When it was obvious he’d say nothing else, Kephas turned his attention back to Theda. Her pale face belied her nervousness as she sat beside him. He leaned toward her and whispered in her ear, “All will be well, my love. Fret not.”

She glanced at him but said nothing. The King finally arrived and took his seat at the head of the table. Many of his brothers had gathered as well, only Nel and Orestes stayed behind to be with their wives and guard their castle. Wynn remained with Zephara, so that put nine of them at the table. Steinn was the last to arrive. He appeared tired and agitated, but took a seat quietly and looked at no one as the King began to speak.

“Thank you for gathering, everyone. As most of you already know, my daughter has returned to us.” He looked at her with love in his eyes. “Thank you, Master Kephas, for seeing her home safely.”

Kephas bowed his head in acknowledgment.

“My daughter is now known as Theda, and she has news of our Queen.”

She tensed beside Kephas and he set his hand on her thigh beneath the table. She gave him a grateful look before facing her father again.

“My mother and I had lived in the Southern Rim of the Outlands. We made our home most recently in a small fishing village. I have… I’m different, and not everyone was comfortable with how different. So we kept mostly to ourselves and made do with what we had. She was a healer and I tried to help when and where I could. A few weeks ago two women arrived on our doorstep complaining of a chest ailment. One was coughing terribly and the other made a show of helping her move around. As soon as my mother let them into our home they pulled out swords and ran her through. I was able to escape out a window and run while my mother used her small powers to hold them there. When I returned to my home and found my mother dead, a villager was there. He said the women asked if I was the Princess. He didn’t know and told them as such. I buried my mother’s body and left the same night.”