Fantasyland 04 Broken Dove (34 page)

“It was a play, Rik,” Achilles stated and Derrik looked to him. “You heard the man. They were sent to assassinate Lo, Maddie, and the children as a warning to the others to concede without a fight. They didn’t even use magic.”

“It was a first strike,” Derrik contradicted. “We’re at war.”

Unfortunately, he was not wrong.

“A first strike where we prevailed,” Achilles reminded him.

“And what? We sit and wait for the second?” Derrik asked derisively.

“A war fought on many fronts weakens the enemy,” Apollo said low and Derrik looked to him. “You know that. If Frey, Lahn, Tor and I were to amass in one place, Minerva would have to conjure and send one set of creatures. With us separate, she has to create at least two armies and send them to two locations, depending on where the other men are now. Her magic has already been weakened after what she sent at Tor in the other world and you know magic does not renew quickly. If she were to need to do this, it would cost her.”

“And clearly this strategy was decided by you and you alone last night,” Derrik returned. “For just days ago, you were off to Bellebryn to meet the others.”

“And was I not brought on by Frey and Queen Aurora to do just that?” Apollo shot back. “Provide strategy?”

Derrik clamped his mouth shut for he knew he was.

“With this foe, it has always been the plan to seek information, strategize, prepare and not attack until they do and thus they’re weakened,” Apollo decreed.

“Then we withstand whatever they throw at us in the meantime?” Derrik pushed. “Alone. And the others withstand whatever may be happening to them, and they be damned?”

“We are constrained by slow communication, brother. And it takes a bird in flight or a man and horse much less time to travel the distance than it does a man escorting a woman in a sleigh. If the others disagree and feel there is safety in numbers, this will be discussed. But I took on three men with swords, armed only with my knives. They were quite skilled and I do not like to think how that would have gone if Maddie wasn’t there to assist me.” His eyes grew sharp on Derrik. “Nor do I wish to think what would have become of her had I fallen and they turned to her.”

Derrik’s jaw again went hard and Apollo knew his point was made.

So he continued.

“And my children were threatened,” he said with deadly quiet. “I will not leave them. I will stay and protect my family and my home. This is my decision and it is strategic, but it is also the decision of a man, a husband and a father. So it is not ‘the others be damned’ for I know with no doubts that Frey, Lahn and Tor would do precisely the same thing.”

“So, you wed her along the way,” Derrik replied.

Apollo took in an irritated breath at being back on the subject of Maddie. “No.”

“Then you are not her husband.”

“Not yet.”

“But it’s your intention to take her to wife,” Derrik went on.

Apollo held his eyes for long moments before he said, “Yes.”

Something shifted in Derrik’s gaze that Apollo, in all their years of knowing each other, and there had been many, had never seen.

Then he said softly, “So she is Maddie to you, but who are you to her, brother?”

“Is this drivel necessary?” Draven cut in to ask.

But Derrik didn’t look away from Apollo and he kept speaking.

“Has it occurred to you that when she gazes up at you while you take her, she sees the husband of the other world that she felt wrong in loving, the husband of the other world she wished she had, not you?”

Apollo stayed perfectly still because if he didn’t, he would not be responsible for what he did do.

And also because that had not occurred to him.

Not once.

She called the other him “Pol.” She’d never slipped and even started to call him that name.

So this couldn’t be.

Could it?

“I’ve had four months with her and she told me much about this man,” Derrik stated.

At that, uncharacteristically, Achilles lost his temper and he did it clipping out, “She told you much and she did it because she trusted you. Do not betray that now, Rik.”

Derrik’s mask slipped, remorse shining through as he glanced at Achilles then he looked back at Apollo, opening his mouth to speak.

“And right now you taste the blood Lo put in your mouth, Rik,” Draven stated before Derrik could say a word. He moved to stand close to Apollo and finished, “But if more comes out of that mouth about Maddie, you won’t be picking your teeth out of the snow. You’ll be coughing them up from your gut.”

Through this, Apollo remained still and silent.

And through it, Derrik glared at Apollo. When he got nothing he transferred his glare to Draven, then Achilles and finally he moved to his horse, muttering, “I’m away to Specter Isle.”

“Do you wish to be buried on Lazarus land, or Ulfr?” Draven asked after him as he mounted.

Derrik looked down at them all.

“If that decision needs to be made, I’ll be dead so do I care?”

After that, he clicked his teeth, sent his heels into his steed and burst through the snow.

When Apollo lost sight of him, he turned to the other men and asked, “Was it Derrik’s decision not to stay at my castle in The Vale?”

“He did decide our route, Lo,” Achilles answered quietly.

“Did he share the reason he steered you from such luxurious accommodation when it was along the straightest route to the port? Not to mention, he seemed quite keen on showing Maddie much of this world. I’ve asked and she’s seen not a single castle except from afar, when she spied Bellebryn from the ship.”

“No,” Draven replied shortly.

Apollo looked back to the lane, murmuring, “He is not right.”

“Lo, you should know, he seemed quite taken with her from almost the beginning,” Achilles shared.

Apollo looked back to his cousin, repeating, “He is not right.”

“He’s a man in love,” Achilles returned carefully, his astute eyes on Apollo. “They do many things that are not right.”

“You, alongside me, grew up with that man, cousin. That man who just rode away is not the man we grew up with. Again, he…is…not...
right.
”

“I agree with Lo,” Draven stated. “He’s not right.”

“And what do you think this is?” Achilles asked.

“I think that after what Minerva forced Tor and Cora to endure, the blackness of soul that Baldur has always had, the magic at their command, we should be very aware of anything that is not right,” Apollo replied. He looked at Draven. “Set a man to following him.”

Draven nodded and turned instantly to the house.

Apollo looked at Achilles.

Achilles spoke and he did it quietly.

“He may not be acting as Derrik, but he was not wrong earlier. You spent the night with Maddie.”

“And this is your concern?” Apollo asked.

“It’s been just days. Has it come so far so fast, cousin?” Achilles asked back.

“I’ll repeat, this is your concern?”

“You just noted we should be aware of anything that is not right,” Achilles pointed out.

He did indeed.

Apollo sighed and shared, “The witch with the green magic introduced her to adela tea.” He paused and held his cousin’s eyes before concluding. “And I was close.”

Achilles brows shot up. “You took advantage?”

HAApollo straightened his spine and is tone was low when he stated, “Maddie and I have worked through that.”

“You took advantage,” Achilles murmured, studying him.

Apollo felt his skin prickling. “I’ll answer my earlier question for you. This isn’t your concern.”

“She’s vulnerable,” Achilles warned.

“Agreed. This is why she needs me.”

His gaze never leaving Apollo, Achilles tipped his head to the side and he noted, “You care for her.”

Apollo didn’t hesitate and his voice was firm when he replied, “Greatly.”

His cousin’s lips twitched. “It’s not a surprise that
that
didn’t take long.”

Apollo had no reply for he spoke truth.

Achilles continued to hold his eyes and remarked quietly, “She also shared with me, cousin, and she would not take him.”

Apollo felt his brows draw together. “Pardon?”

“It is hers to share with you, the knowledge she trusted to me. But you need to know so the seed Derrik planted does not grow. She would not take him to her bed. Not of her will. Never again. Whatever they had, he killed a long time ago. If she’s taking you, it’s
you
she’s taking.”

Apollo felt the tension ebb from his body at these words.

Then he jerked up his chin and moved to the steps, murmuring, “I’m off to have breakfast with my children.”

He was nearly to the doors when Achilles called his name.

He stopped, turned and looked down at his cousin.

“Years, I have watched you mourn,” Achilles started. “It saddened me. Now, it pleases me to see you again reaching to happiness.” He paused and finished, “I wish you speed in grasping it.”

His throat prickled but his lips said, “Your heart is too soft for a soldier.”

“Says the man who grieved for his wife for four and a half years,” Achilles swiftly returned.

Unfortunately, to that, Apollo had no retort.

Achilles knew it and this was why he smiled before he turned and sauntered away.

Apollo sighed again and headed to his children.

* * * * *

“When is the fire-haired lady going to come and see us, Papa?”

Élan was on her knees beside him on the sofa, leaning in, resting her little body on his side. She was also, for some little girl reason, curling the ends of his hair around her fingers.

But as she asked her question, Apollo’s eyes stayed locked on his son.

Christophe was on his belly on the floor, knees bent, ankles crossed, feet in the air. He had a board in front of him, chalk in his hand. He was drawing, but at his sister’s question, the chalk arrested on the board.

This did not bode well.

He turned his head to look at his daughter, and watching her closely, being cautious with his words so as not to rekindle her fears of the night before, he said, “She rode with me through the night as well as the day to get to you, precious girl. Because of this, she was tired and today she’s resting.”

Not showing any signs this reminder distressed her, Élan nodded but asked, “Will she come tomorrow?”

“Perhaps,” Apollo answered.

Élan tipped her head to the side and noted, “She’s very pretty.”

“She is,” Apollo agreed.

Élan screwed up her mouth before she stated, “She looked very angry.”

Apollo felt something coming from his son but he kept his eyes on his daughter. “She was upset you were frightened.”

“I was upset I was frightened too,” she declared.

He smiled, turned to her and pulled her in his arms. She screeched in mock protest, as she always did. But when he blew a wet kiss on her neck, she giggled.

When he lifted his head, she put her hand on his face and told him, “I’m glad we’re not at school anymore, Papa.”

Apollo was glad as well. Even when times weren’t troubled, he disliked them being so far away. It might be wrong but he felt this especially this year, Élan’s first. But he was a father and she was his daughter and he couldn’t imagine any father happily sending his little girl two countries away to school.

His son was not only a boy but the oldest child. He was also much like his mother, extremely intelligent and self-assured. Christophe uncannily had displayed signs of both from a very young age. Although Apollo had not liked sending him either, it had caused less unease.

However, Ilsa had gone to that school, as her father had before her and his before him. It was, in truth, the finest school in the Northlands. And it had always been her wish that her children would attend it.

So he gave into that wish, even after her death.

Maybe especially after her death.

When she was alive, they had had plans, of course, to spend much of their time in Benies while the children were at school. And when it was safe for them to go back, Apollo decided that he and Madeleine would do just that.

“I’m glad you’re home too, darling girl,” he replied then arranged his face into mock severity. “But don’t think with your papa home today and me allowing you to be away from your studies that you can be lazy every day. It’s back to your tutor on the morrow.”

She made a face, clearly not looking forward to this, and he again smiled.

“Élan, my love, bath time,” Bella, the children’s maid called from the door.

“Oh no!” Élan cried, twisting and sitting in her father’s lap to look to her maid. “I don’t want to take a bath now.”

Bella put her hands on her hips. “Then can you tell me when you’d desire your bath, little miss?”