Crystal Moon (5 page)

DiSanti makes them unreliable. Je’al’s actions prove that.”

“Then let her walk. Or take her with you.”

“Katya’s right,” Graham said. “Unless you wish to trade

quinar with me, the woman must ride with you.”

Sianna watched Kyne run his hand around the back of his

neck as if attempting to ease the tension there. His gaze met

Sianna’s, and his lips curled into a humorless smile. “Very well,

she goes with me. Get ready. We leave within the half hour.”

Graham walked away.

“And Katya,” Kyne stopped his sister as she made to follow.

“Hakan can take Deju any day.”

“Only in your dreams, big brother, only in your dreams.”

Katya’s laughter caused more than one head to turn in her

direction.

Sianna smiled in response to the lighthearted, carefree sound,

the sound a young woman should make.

“In your nightmares, little sister.” Kyne turned toward

Sianna, and the humor died out of his eyes. “Come.”

For a moment she hesitated, then followed. What choice

did she have?

After saddling his quinar, Kyne mounted and reached down.

Grabbing her hand, he pulled Sianna up behind him.

Thankful for the trousers Katya had provided, she sat stiffly

atop the massive beast. Hakan’s broad back was not suited for

the silken nightwear she’d been wearing. Too much of her legs

were revealed. She shuddered, remembering the heated looks

of lust and hate the other men had cast her.

“Hold tight to me. I have no desire to pick you up off the

ground,” Kyne said.

Fearing a sudden onslaught of emotions, she cautiously

wrapped her arms around his lean waist and sucked in her

breath. She waited for a flood of emotion at the contact, but

sensed nothing more than Kyne’s tension. What blocked her

empathic talent with this man? Relieved, she settled against

him, taking an odd sort of comfort from the feel of his solid

strength against her chest.

This man held her life in his hands, but she didn’t fear him.

Instinct told her justice was strongly ingrained in him. Once he

realized her innocence, he wouldn’t harm her or see her hurt.

But what of Laila? Where had she disappeared to? Could

Kyne and the others be made to see that she too was innocent

of any crime? Until Sianna could guarantee her sister’s safety,

she couldn’t reveal herself.

They travelled through the morning, deep into the craggy

mountain range. Even if the opportunity presented itself, she no

longer knew which way to flee. She couldn’t prevent a small

shudder at the thought of being lost and alone in this wilderness

of rocks and trees.

***

When he reached down for the woman, Kyne had braced

himself, but unlike when he touched her before, this time he

sensed nothing. Her fingers felt cool and fragile in his grip.

The heat of her at his back distracted him from any other

thoughts. Through his heavy cape he felt her every movement—

the shift of her hips as she eased the strain of riding, the turn of

her head, the press of her soft breasts, the brush of her slippered

feet against his calves and the feel of her small hands on his

waist. Her sweet, feminine scent drifted under his nose. His

body reacted, tightening in spite of his mind’s objections. Disgust

that he should desire this woman pooled on his tongue.

She shivered.

“Are you cold?” How could she be? Self-loathing made

him hot despite the crisp mountain air.

“No. But I am hungry. You did not allow me time for first

meal. Is starvation to be the punishment for my alleged crimes?”

As if in emphasis, her stomach rumbled.

Kyne restrained his smile at her tart words. “Reach into

my pack, and you’ll find a bag of dried fruit and a skin of watered

wine. Calm yourself. Until you are judged, you’ll not be

mistreated.”

She squirmed behind him as she hunted through his pack.

Her shoulder bumped his hip and her voice was muffled as she

answered. “Is that supposed to reassure me? Already I’ve been

abducted, dragged from the threshold of my bed chamber in

my nightwear, carted through the rain, terrorized and bruised,

accused of foul deeds and threatened with horrible retribution.

But I’m not supposed to worry because I’m safe until you see

fit to be my judge and pronounce sentence on me?” She

straightened and spoke her last words directly into his ear.

“Forgive me if I prefer to remain agitated.”

The rush of warm air across his chilled skin felt like the

slide of hot oil over ice. Now Kyne shivered. “You are rash to

chide me so when I hold your life in my hands. Do you not fear

angering me?”

He felt her shrug. “Fear pales after a time. If you will kill

me, do so. But please do not talk me to death.”

Though she spoke boldly, Kyne felt the tremor of her fingers

against his waist. He squashed the smile teasing his lips.

“Perhaps you would do well to consider taking a softer tone.

My judgement might not be so harsh if I found you

more...biddable.” Kyne wondered from what part of him these

words sprang. Why did he taunt her with the possibility of

salvation? Hold out the hope that if she played the helpless

female, he might temper his wrath? Whatever way this woman

acted or did not act could not influence his decision. He opened

his mouth to take back his dishonorable bargain.

“Biddable?” She seemed to test the word, then laughed

softly, her warm breath teasing the hair at his temple. “I usually

am. But I often speak my mind. Though your warrior sister

might have terrorized me to silence for a short while, I’m afraid

your reprieve is at an end.”

Didn’t she understand just what he demanded in return

for his favor? This aspect of her personality puzzled him. How

could a skilled wanton, a woman well-versed in the ways of

luring young men to their doom, miss his obvious offer?

Did she play the innocent to disarm him as she must have

disarmed Aubin? If so, she’d met her match. Years ago, when

he was just eight and ten, before DiSanti’s betrayal and his

parents’ deaths, he had spent time at court. There he learned

well not to believe the honeyed lies of beautiful women.

“Don’t feign innocence with me. I’m not so easily led as

Aubin.”

“Is that so?” She sighed and he felt her body sag. “Tell me

of Aubin.”

“You still claim you didn’t know him? You lie too easily.”

“I’ll not waste my breath, but humor me and tell me of your

brother.”

Perhaps by speaking of Aubin he could shake her claim of

innocence. Or maybe he just needed to remember him out loud.

Images of his younger brother floated before Kyne. “Aubin

and Katya were twins. Though alike in appearance, their

temperaments were as different as the moons. Katya is bold

and reckless, doing before thinking. Aubin was always the

cautious, thoughtful one, a dreamer, a poet, a gentle soul who

saw the best in everyone. They were inseparable...until you.”

His words died away.

“What happened?” she prompted.

“Like bees to a honey pot, women fluttered around Aubin.

He loved them all, yet loved none of them. Men respected him.

When I learned he saw you, DiSanti’s daughter, we argued and

parted in anger. Next I saw him, Aubin lay dying.” Grief and

guilt closed Kyne’s throat.

Too well he remembered the harsh words he had thrown

at his younger brother. Words like sharp stones, meant to wound,

they’d found their mark—in Kyne’s own heart. If he had spoken

with more restraint would Aubin have listened? Would he yet

be alive? While DiSanti may have wielded the weapon, Kyne

knew he himself had put Aubin in harm’s way.

She laid her hand on his arm. “You blame yourself? Do

not. You sought only to protect one you loved.”

He jerked away, suspicious of and unwilling to accept the

solace she offered. Why had he bared his soul to this woman?

“Enough. The blame lies with you and your father. Speak no

more.””

“As you wish. I grow weary of protesting my innocence.”

Her small sigh made him regret his sharp reaction to her

words. He would do well to be wary. Though small and delicate

in appearance, she had a deceitful and dangerous nature. Almost

without effort, she discerned his feelings of guilt. Still, he found

himself wanting to lose himself in the sound of her voice and

revel in the touch of her hand.

Three

Since Kyne’s decree, Sianna remained quiet, but she knew

her silence didn’t please him. Even without a direct sense of

his emotions, his physical reactions as she shifted position behind

him told her much. Though unaware of what fate she faced

once they reached their destination, his solid strength comforted

her.

The rolling gait of the quinar combined with the physical

and emotional stress of the last few days lulled Sianna to a

drowsy state. Leaning into Kyne, she let her eyes drift shut,

and her arms loosened around his waist.

“Do not sleep. If you slip from Hakan’s back, you might

just tumble off the mountain as well.” Kyne’s harsh tone

shattered her lethargy.

She blinked. The quinar picked his way along a narrow

path, his right side nearly scraping the rock wall rising upward.

To the left the path fell away into a deep, dark gorge. To fall

here meant to die. Even if the fall didn’t end her life, she would

lie broken and bleeding until death found her, for no one could

be rescued from the gorge’s steep, jagged depths. She shuddered

and tightened her grip. Kyne’s silent chuckle vibrated through

her body.

“See how she clings to life,” Katya’s voice mocked from

behind. “Despite the wounds your father inflicted on him, Aubin

clung to life as well. Throw her away, Kyne.”

Sianna felt Kyne stiffen at the venom in Katya’s words.

“Why did you not kill her yourself when you had the

opportunity?” Kyne questioned softly. “Why did you bring her

to me?”

Ahead the path widened. Without answering, Katya spurred

her quinar forward, pushing past Kyne and Sianna. Deju’s

hooves churned the ground, throwing dirt and rock into the

beckoning void. Quinar and rider raced away, but Katya’s

tumultuous emotions lingered.

“Who,” Sianna asked, “does Katya hate more, herself or

me?”

“You need not fear Katya. It is not her place to carry out

judgement against you.”

Sianna lifted her head. “I don’t fear Katya. Though she

may hate me, she’ll not harm me. It is not in her to strike down

any creature weaker than herself. Nor do I fear judgement, for

I’ve done nothing to be judged guilty of, other than being born

my father’s daughter.”

“In my people’s eyes, that alone may be guilt enough.”

“Is it enough in your eyes?” she countered.

In answer, Kyne pulled Hakan to a halt and called out,

“We’ll rest here.”

Stopping at the edge of a mountain plateau, the group

dismounted to stretch their legs and give their beasts a moment’s

rest from the steep climb. The animals lowered their heads to

the dry grass covering the flat piece of land nestled in the midst

of towering peaks and deep crevices. Katya and Deju were

nowhere to be seen.

Sianna slid from Hakan’s back. Her legs wobbled a bit, but

she quickly got them under control and stepped away. Behind

her Kyne dismounted. He murmured to Hakan, who snuffled

in reply. She walked around, easing the stiffness from her limbs,

enjoying the weak warmth of the sun shining down on her head.

When she looked over her shoulder, she saw Kyne in deep

conversation with Graham. Both men appeared disturbed, and

she could sense Graham’s determination. Easing closer, she

peeked around Hakan’s bulk to listen.

“You must keep her identity a secret from those in the

stronghold. If anyone discovers she’s Laila DiSanti, she won’t

live out the day,” Graham said.

“And how do you propose I do that? Even if we can convince

Katya to remain silent, what of Je’al and the others? A secret

shared is no secret,” Kyne said.

“Leave Katya to me.”

Kyne merely lifted his eyebrows at Graham’s statement,

but said nothing.

“The others can be sent out on sentry patrol,” Graham

continued. “By the time they return, the problem will be resolved.”

Kyne raked a hand through his dark hair. “As usual, you

are right, my friend, but how do we explain the woman’s

presence?”

The argument so obviously won, Graham smiled. “Already

the castle walls bulge with those who seek your protection and

those who wish to fight at your side against the tyrant. What’s

one more refugee from DiSanti’s reign?”

“True, but how will we keep her under guard if none know

her identity? Unguarded, she could simply slip away.”

“No one will question your right to have her in your quarters.

In fact, there are plenty who will cheer your return to the land

of the living from your self-imposed monkhood. And,” Graham