Love Never-Ending (20 page)

“Dai?” one of them whispered.

“I am here, Lazarus. You have news?”

“We have news.”

Lark drifted into the kitchen past the visitors. “I prepared
food for you. If you will sit down, I’ll bring it to you.”

Dai and the men sat at the table while Lark set a platter of
thick sandwiches of roast
woolie
and bowls of steamed vegetables on the
table. After making sure that the dark curtains were completely covering the
windows, she twisted the light stone on the table so that it gave off a faint
glow. “Water or apple cider?” she inquired.

Shadrach’s white teeth glimmered in the near darkness.
“Water for me. Thank you for the food, Lark. We were starving.”

“Water for me too,” Laz mumbled before helping himself to a
sandwich.

“What did you find out?” Dai demanded impatiently.

“Jiph Vitek. Younger brother of Gil Vitek.” Shade took a
bite and chewed while he mentally organized the information he and his brother
had collected. “He’s been away from Bell’s Corner so long that I forgot about
him. He walked away from the village when he had seventeen years. Since then
he’s been drifting around the valley, mostly living on his own out in the
woods.”

“Why did he try to kill Bish?” Dai rubbed his head wearily.
“Because he’s new to the valley? Why? If anyone, I would suspect that he would
go after Samara.”

Laz drank half his glass of water. “Maybe he did.”

“Did what?”

“Went after Samara. From the news we picked up, that was
quite a drama last eight-day. What would hurt Samara worse than Bishop’s
death?”

Dai froze as he considered Laz’s conclusions. “That makes an
awful kind of sense. Very nasty. Very twisted. If it’s the truth, then he is
insane.”

Lark brought tea for Dai and herself to the table and sat
down. “Up to this point, he hasn’t impressed me with his sanity,” she agreed.
“But Bishop has been out in the open for several moons here, working with Gar.
He would have been an easy target anytime.”

“I think he tried once before. Almost certainly, it was him.
We thought someone was trying to attack Tyger when he was at the retreat but
perhaps Jiph simply chose the wrong room.”

“Then why wait so long?” Shade queried in a dissatisfied
tone. He didn’t like messy emotional mysteries. Give him a murder centered on
greed or anger but revenge murders…Shade shuddered. Revenge murders gave him
the willies.

“Because Samara wasn’t there to watch Bishop die.”

The moment that Lark pointed it out, the men accepted it for
the truth. It fitted the circumstances, both motive and opportunity.

“Did you find any trace of his tracks?” Dai asked gloomily.

“No. He’s an accomplished woodsman. The trackers are out
searching but I don’t think we will find him except by sheer accident.” Shade
looked at his sandwich with a jaundiced eye. “What I would give a lot to know
is who he will go after next. It would be helpful to be able to know who we
should guard.”

“Bishop,” Laz replied curtly. “After Samara demonstrated her
interest so publicly, Jiph won’t alter his target unless she appears to change
her interest. Even then, it would take something drastic for him to believe it.
Serving as Bishop’s
semtorn
was clear proof of the high regard she has
for him.”

“Then make sure that you guard him carefully.” Dai sipped
his tea while he totted up all the chores he had to deal with in the next
couple of days. It was enough to make a middle-aged seventy-year-old man tired.
Arano had warned him that there would be much strife and chaos in the valley
this year. Surely, it would be over soon? He stood and stretched wearily before
pushing in his chair. “I am going to bed. Tomorrow I go back to Lost Market. I
leave this problem in your skilled hands.”

“Sleep well.”

Invasion

Two mornings later, Samara rushed up the trail to Lost
Market. The first frost of the season painted the leaves with icy fingers.
Dancer and the villagers had a wonderful surprise planned for Eppie and Samara
didn’t want to miss it. Huffing cool smoky puffs of breath as she hurried
across the wide green behind the barter keeper’s dome, she saw that she was
just in time. Dancer was leading a blindfolded Eppie across the green from the
Llewellyn domes.

When they arrived in front of the newest dome in Lost
Market, all was quiet as the villagers didn’t want to spoil the surprise.
Finally, Dancer removed the blindfold as everyone shouted, “Surprise!”

To no one’s surprise, tears welled up in Eppie’s eyes as she
stood staring in amazement at the first greenhouse in the valley. The lowest
third of the pale yellow building was solid wall but the upper two-thirds were
studded with large round panels of glass in alternating rows.

Through the windows, Samara could see rows and rows of
neatly labeled plants lining the shelves that curved around the dome. She hoped
that some of those plants were from the seeds that Dancer had brought into the
valley. When Dancer gathered his weeping bond mate into his arms and led her
inside, everyone else went back to their chores, satisfied with a job well
done.

Samara made her way to the bakery, intent on hot fresh rolls
to have with her tea for breakfast at the school while she waited for her
students. It was still early, so hopefully she would have time to go over the
student records while she ate.

She had just finished perusing the last of the student
records when the children arrived, babbling and shivering in the frosty morning
air. It didn’t take long for them to settle down though as she began the
reading lessons. The exhilaration from teaching her students again filled her
with unexpected joy. They finished the reading lesson and began an impromptu
spelling contest. Llynx was spelling when Dai opened the back door and slipped
into the room, with his finger over his lips.

“Put your shawls and
sheras
on,” he commanded softly.
“Then line up here at the door as quietly as possible.”

“What’s wrong?” Samara asked with a worried frown.

“Invasion. We’re going into the woods to hide.”

The children hastily pulled on
woolie sheras
or
wrapped heavy
woolie
shawls around themselves. When Dai opened the back
door, Tyger handed him his
punchbow
and moved along the side of the
building while Llyon softly brought him up to date. “Go through the woods past
the pottery dome and then take the children across the river to the training
hall. Arano said that they came in through the cave at bonding circle five so
the other side of the river will be safer.”

While Dai, Jonas and Mali guarded their backs Samara led the
children across the narrow grassy lawn directly into the woods. Once they
reached the shadowy shelter of the trees, she assigned Llynx to take the lead.
The children in Lost Market had grown up with the ever-present possibility of
invasion from outside the valley. No one knew how the passages worked. And
because they had no idea what triggered them, every person in the village was
taught exactly what to do if the worst ever happened.

Now as Llynx led them through the trees, the children moved
silently with the older children helping the younger ones. Samara brought up
the tail end, helping the stragglers. Dai hung back, making sure that no one
followed them. When they reached the bridge, Llynx sent them across, one by
one, to hide in the training hall. Samara escorted the smallest children while
Llynx kept watch. At last everyone was settled in the safety of the training
hall. Dai guarded the door. Llynx and the oldest boys kept watch from the
windows. And then they waited.

It seemed like a long time before Jonas and Mali came to escort
the children back to the school but it was only a little while past lunch. At
the school parents were waiting to anxiously claim their children. Dai made
sure that the Llewellyns made it safely home.

It was late afternoon before all the invaders were captured
and the full story of the adventure was told. Samara vibrated with rage when
she found out that the leader of the invaders was none other than Merlyn and
Bishop’s father, the same man who had endangered her own parents until they
discovered the sanctuary of the valley.

Her father took time to point out the silver linings in the
dark cloud of that day’s invasion. Fremont Llewellyn was captured and executed
by the judgment seat. He would never pose a threat to the valley again. And in
his obsession to reach the valley, he used Nikolas Alexander and Tracer
Devereaux, thus returning two more men to the family fold. Robyn, Tracer’s bond
mate, was quietly ecstatic to finally have him safely within reach.

Sitting in her parent’s kitchen the next evening, Samara
marveled at how swiftly life changed. Only the morning before she had blithely
left her dome on the way to the village. A day later, there were eight new
inhabitants in the valley and the primary enemy of the valley was dead. As she
watched her parents, she realized for the very first time how very afraid they
were all the time she was growing up. The tension on their faces was gone,
leaving them looking years younger than they were.

What a terrible, evil man Bishop’s father must have been.

* * * * *

As Bishop slowly recovered in Dai’s Hamlet, he gradually
came to terms with the obsessed man his father had become. He tried to recall
when he first knew that something was not quite right about his father. Was it
when Baron and Jade disappeared? Or was it before then? Maybe even back when
Free found out that Nikolas Alexander was really his son?

The changes were so gradual, so slow that somehow no one
noticed until it was too late. Bishop wondered if the power his father garnered
was part of it. Didn’t they say that absolute power corrupted absolutely?
Fremont Llewellyn came as close to absolute power as any man Bishop could think
of.

He pondered the puzzle of the book. Right before Merlyn left
his father at the summit of the judgment seat, he asked him why the valley was
so important. Fremont had replied in riddles about a book and a secret. From
his answer, it seemed that he believed the book was in the valley.
What
book?
What secret could possibly be so important that his father felt
justified in murder and kidnapping? Uneasily, he wondered what new mayhem would
ensue if the book was discovered.

By the third eight-day after he was stabbed, Bish was up,
taking slow walks around the village each day accompanied by one of his guards.
One day they walked past a crumbling stone building. “What do you suppose that
used to be?”

Lazarus flicked a glance over the ruins. The roof was caving
in and the walls were mostly held together by tenacious blue ivy. “That used to
be the carpenter’s shop until old Gabe Diaz died. His mate went up to
Rebaccah’s Promise to live with her son, Paul. Gabe didn’t have an apprentice
and nobody else wanted the shop.”

Bish moved closer and peered in the filthy window. “Are
there tools in there?”

“I don’t know.” Laz shrugged. “If you want to look, I’ll pry
the door open.”

“No one will mind?” Bish frowned in thought as he calculated
the cost of tools in the valley. Would Gabe’s mate be willing to sell him the
tools?

“Nah.” Laz gripped the door and yanked. It came apart in a
shower of dust and splinters. After kicking the remaining shards out of the way
with a sturdy booted foot, Laz cautiously poked his head through the opening.
“I think it’s safe enough if you want to go in. The roof isn’t going to last
much longer so if you really want the tools, we’ll need to get some of the
village men to remove them.” He studied the walls with a critical eye.
“Actually, this should be torn down before it falls on someone.”

They entered the building, waving away the dusty smoky air.
Bish poked at the
linual
sheets strewn across a large table sitting in
the center of the room. A puff of dislodged dust rose in a cloud, setting off a
sneezing attack. When he could breathe, he moved from cabinet to table to
cabinet, opening drawers and fingering well-oiled tools. A beautifully crafted
set of gouges and chisels had him salivating with covetous greed. Another
cabinet held intricately finished molds and templates. Clearly, the dead
carpenter had valued his tools.

“What are you doing?”

Bishop turned toward the door, smiling when he identified
Llyon. “Lazarus assured me that no one would mind if I looked at the tools. Who
do I have to talk to about buying them?”

“What do you want to buy?” Tyger demanded from outside.

“Tools!” Bishop called out. “I’ve decided to be a
carpenter!”

Tyger peeked over Llyon’s shoulder. “Go talk to the barter
keeper. He’ll give you a fair price and keep track of the credits. But if you
plan to use this building, you have your work cut out for you.”

“No…I don’t plan to stay in Dai’s Hamlet. If Samara decides
to forgive me and take me as a bond mate, then we’ll live wherever she wants to
live.” Bish dusted off his hands. “I’ll go talk to Marcus Lyle immediately. I
want to arrange to have the tools moved before they are damaged.”

Lazarus nodded. “I agree. Such craftsmanship shouldn’t be
housed in this shack. Shadrach will go with you while I keep an eye on your
treasure. Perhaps I can arrange more suitable storage.”

Ly and Ty backed out of his way as Bishop headed for the
door. He stepped out into the cool breezy fall afternoon, nearly barreling into
a blond, curly-haired stranger. “Sorry!”

“No problem,” the stranger replied huskily. “You’re looking
pretty good for being nearly dead. A little blue—but pretty good, overall.”

Bish staggered back, flinging out a hand to the stone wall
to catch himself. “Nik? Nikolas?”

“The same.” A small sad smile played across his lips. “Dad
dragged Tracer and me into the valley with him.” He tilted his chin at the
twins. “They tell you about Dad?”

“Yeah. But they didn’t mention you.” He scowled at Llyon.
“Why not?”

Llyon gave him back stare for stare. “Mama thought it would
be better to wait until you were feeling better. Too many shocks in a row.”

“She thought wrong. I don’t know how to tell you this,
Llyon, but your mama is not
always
correct.”

“Just most of the time,” Tyger retorted.

Bish impulsively grabbed Nikolas in a tight bear hug. “Damn,
I missed you! I visited you in that damn hospital and talked and talked…”

“I know.” Nikolas trembled, nearly weeping for all the time
lost.

“Where did you go?” Bishop demanded fiercely. “I searched
everywhere for you!”

“I know. Listen, I’ll explain everything later. Ty and Ly
have to leave if they’re going to reach Sunrise tonight.”

With a last manly pat on the shoulder, Bishop released him.
“Yeah, now that you mention it, why are you here in Dai’s Hamlet anyway?”

“We brought Nikolas to visit Susie,” Llyon explained
quietly. “And before you start with the objections, try to trust my experience.
Nikolas needs Susie.”

Bish took a closer look at his half brother. The fine taut
lines around his mouth were pronounced. His entire body vibrated with little
tremors. And the most telling and obvious of all, his cock was a rigid presence
beneath the soft
sharda
. “Take him. Take him now. She’ll definitely be
good for what ails him.”

“We’ll be back tomorrow, late in the afternoon.” Tyger
tapped Nik’s elbow. “Come, Uncle. Let’s go see Susie.”

Llyon planted his hands on his hips and surveyed Bishop with
a practiced eye. “You look pretty good. How are you feeling?”

“Tired.” A sour smile accompanied Bish’s wry reply.

“Well? What did you expect?” Ly pursed his lips in thought.
“I have to go. We’re going up to Talking Wall to fetch Falcon and Panther for
winter break. While we’re there we’re going to witness Ban’s warrior vows. But
I’ll do a complete physical when I come back tomorrow.”

Shadrach and Lazarus grinned hugely when Llyon shared his
news. “Ah, ah, Ban’s gonna finally do it, eh?” Laz chuckled. “I knew it! He’s
going to be the oldest novice warrior in the valley!”

His teasing words met with answering grins. “But he won’t
have that distinction for long if Bishop decides to take the plunge!” Shade
added. “Well, please pass on our best wishes.”

“I will.” Llyon trotted off to catch up with Tyger and Nik,
leaving Bishop and his bodyguards in the shadow of the old building.

“Tell me, Bishop. Why have you decided that you won’t settle
here in the village?” Shade asked with idle curiosity.

Bish shrugged. “If Samara takes me back, I’ll never give her
reason to hurt. If we lived here, she would see Susie every day. It’s not that
she wouldn’t trust me but she would remember. I won’t do that to her.”

After a thoughtful silence, Shade and Laz nodded. “Smart
man.” Laz pointed to the barter keeper’s hut. “I suggest you talk to Marcus
before he goes home for dinner. I’ll wait here.”

* * * * *

Hurrying down the shadowy path, Samara cursed under her
breath for talking so long to Dan at the bakery. Since the warriors still
hadn’t apprehended Jiph, she tried never to be out after dark, especially in
the woods, by herself. She tripped on a hidden root, staggered into a tree and
bounced back into the path, landing on her back with her basket flung off the
path into the woods.

After determining that she had suffered no permanent damage,
she crawled to her feet, brushed down her heavy
meerlim
and straightened
her shawl. She peered into the dark woods, wondering if she dared look for her
basket. A darting shadow deposited the basket near her feet—and was gone. The
tiny hairs on her neck stiffened in alarm.
Who was that?