The Stubborn Lord (15 page)

“We have arrived,” he stated.

Kendall blinked rapidly in surprise as he stopped. She nearly crashed into him. Stumbling back a few steps, she regained her footing and looked up at the fortress of a mountain castle. It was surrounded by steep mountains, narrow passes and rocky crags dotted with lush plant life. With its great height, how was it possible she didn’t see hints of it before now? The carved façade beautifully crafted to disguise its purpose unified nature with the manmade. The rock was red with streaks of grey through the stone.

“This is Mirek’s home?” she asked.

“I live here with all my brothers, though Vlad often stays in the village where he spent much of his childhood or camping in the forest.” Alek raised his hand in greeting as a man came from the large rectangular structure of the ceffyl stables. “Cenek!”

“Many blessings, my lord,” Cenek responded with a slight smile. “We received news of your marriage.”

Alek glanced in her direction. He merely nodded at his friend. “How is the mare?”

“Is that why you came back so soon? I told the boy not to worry you. The mare is well, sad at the loss as they normally are, but I have been letting some of the young village boys sleep in the stables with her. They’re in there now, making a great game of being mothered by the beast.” As if to give evidence to Cenek’s claim, a loud humanesque bleat sounded from inside the stables followed by the laughter of young children.

Alek sighed. “Just don’t let her get too attached to them.”

Cenek grinned as an answering noise came from the ceffyl inside the stables. “It might be too late.”

Alek grimaced but hardly looked upset by the development. Kendall watched the interplay between the two men with interest, unsure if she should interrupt.

“Many blessings, my lady,” Cenek said, acknowledging her. “Welcome home.”

Kendall started to correct him but stopped herself. Instead, she said, “Thank you, my lord.”

Cenek laughed. “No, not me. I’m only a ceffyl trainer. I’m no lord and would never want to be.” He slapped Alek on the arm. “Imagine me, a lord.”

“Lord of the ceffyls,” Alek answered dryly.

“I like that.” Cenek nodded. He had a gruff face, but there was the ghost of a smile that seemed to radiate from him even when it did not physically show. “Lord Mirek tells me that all brothers were blessed this year, as were the princes. I think the gods favor us and it will be a good season.”

“So Mirek is here?” Kendall asked, unable to stop the question. Her stomach tightened and her heart fluttered in her chest. She didn’t know what to think as she looked at Alek for a reaction, but his expression remained blank. This was what she wanted, wasn’t it? To find Mirek and go home. Then why did her insides suddenly feel like the gelatinous insides of a lophibian sea slug?

“Yes. You must be eager to see Lady Riona. It’s unfortunate what has happened to her,” Cenek answered.

“Mirek’s wife?” Alek asked, surprised.

Cenek nodded. “The lady lives. The physicians are in with her now and Mirek has sent for more. I helped the alien doctors carry in a stasis container for her. They have her in isolation while she sleeps.”

“Riona is in isolation?” Kendall asked, thinking of Aeron. The woman had no idea her sister was sick. Yes, Riona was a degenerate gambler, but that didn’t mean Kendall wished her harm. “What is wrong with her? Is she contagious? Will she wake up?”

“I believe it is an alien disease, my lady. I have never heard of anything making a person sleep for so long, though they did find her in a patch of the yellow. The physicians will be able to tell you more.” Cenek bowed. “If you would excuse me, my loyal subjects need ran and fed.”

Kendall watched Cenek disappear inside the stables. “I hope Riona is all right. That’s Aeron’s sister.”

“Galaxy Brides is supposed to screen for diseases.” Alek led the way toward the home. Unlike the palace, there were no guards waiting to greet them at the entryway. “I’m beginning to think it’s time we renegotiated our contract with them. These problems should not be arising.”

“Surely it is just a precaution. What is a field of the yellow anyway?”

“The yellow plant that grows in the forest by the palace produces a spore that makes people sleep when inhaled. Though fatal in large doses, its effects do wear off rather quickly once you stop breathing it in. It doesn’t cause prolonged illnesses, especially none that require physicians and isolation.”

“I don’t understand. You just said it could be fatal,” Kendall countered.

“Only if you were to lie down in a field and no one found you for days. You would eventually starve in your sleep. However, if someone goes missing we look for them.”

“Aeron said the king drugged her with a yellow plant?” Kendall looked warily at the ground. She didn’t see any yellow plant life.

“Bron mentioned our uncle lost patience with her at the wedding ceremony because she became overly emotional. Since the king married a Draig woman, he is not used to the temperaments of human females. He probably thought he was calming her.”

“By drugging her?”

“It’s only plant spores inhaled through the nose. The effects don’t last long if you don’t sleep in a field of it.”

“But he
drugged
her.” Kendall watched Alek carefully. When it became clear he wasn’t going to try to defend the king to her, she said, “Is there anything around here that I should be worried about?”

“It doesn’t grow this high in the mountains,” he answered. “Come, we’ll find Mirek inside.”

“Is there anything else besides the yellow I should know about?” She thought of their long trek through the mountains. Everything looked strange to her.

“Nothing you will be around long enough to encounter.”

They walked into the shadowed entryway. Although a series of iron gates had been built to block the home from attack, they were now retracted into the stone walls. No one stopped them from entering as they made their way inside. Not wanting to fall back into the uncomfortable silence of their mountain walk, she asked, “Does Cenek live here too?”

“He sleeps here when he chooses, leaves when he chooses,” Alek said. “He has a family, so unless there is a reason for him to stay he usually goes home to them. It is a short shifted run to the nearby mining community. His home is right along the edge of town in the forest.”

As he led her deeper into the home, a soft light radiated from long strips in the wall. Had she not seen it for herself, she would never have believed there was such a place inside the base of a mountain nestled in a valley. The carved perfection of the hallway split into five sections. Kendall stopped, looking down each. She couldn’t tell the difference between them.

Alek glanced back at her. He stood in the entrance to the fourth hall from the right. “It is quite simple to navigate the homes if you remember the birth order. Starting on the right is Bron, the oldest, then my hall. The center is the common rooms where we get together to dine, read, entertain guests or relax as a group. Then this hall is for Mirek and the last is for the youngest, Vladan. I suppose now Bron is married he will be moving into the tower rooms, as is expected. No one has been up there since my parents died.”

“That doesn’t sound too complicated,” she said, though she wasn’t as confident as she tried to sound.

“There are more passages inside each hall, but you shouldn’t get too lost if you stay on the main level and don’t take any stairs. The tunnels, especially below, are designed to confuse intruders. The outer halls spiral outward in a maze-like pattern to trap those unfamiliar with our system. Should the interior be breached, any attackers would be dispersed into the sides of the mountain until they can be found and dealt with. If you go down a path and are not able to open a door once we scan you into the main system, you are heading down a dead end and should turn around. Though I suppose you won’t be scanned into the system. I would teach you the rest, but…”

“I’m not going to be here long,” she finished quietly when he wouldn’t.

“Yes,” he said, his manner becoming stiff once more. “It would be best if you didn’t wander about alone.”

“I want every test run twice, no, three times. Make sure nothing is left to chance.” The sound of an urgent male voice filled Mirek’s hall before a Draig man emerged behind two very pristinely dressed physicians. The two doctors were not native to the planet and had Medical Alliance insignia on their long jackets. One carried a small container in front of him with gloved hands. The other clicked her finger against an electronic clipboard as she walked. The Draig man, who could only be Mirek, continued, “This is my wife and I will spend every space credit or ore shipment I have to ensure her health. Anything you can tell me about her condition—
anything
—you contact me immediately.”

“Lord Mirek, we always do a thorough job,” the doctor with the clipboard answered. She was all business and didn’t even bother to turn around from what she was doing. The man beside her paused, glancing back with a reassuring smile as he waited to fall into step next to Mirek.

“The best thing you can do is keep her inside the…” the male doctor began, only to stop when he saw Alek and Kendall.

“It’s fine, he’s family,” Mirek prompted, his words rushed.

“Keep her in the stasis unit until an isolation room can be built. I will personally see to it the plans are sent down as soon as we’re back on our ship.” The male doctor smiled. The female doctor kept walking, not bothering to look up from her work as she passed Kendall. Not wanting to get trampled, Kendall stepped back out of her way and leaned against the stone wall. The male doctor rushed after his rude companion.

“Mirek, you married?” Alek asked when the doctors had left. “When? Your stone did not glow at the ceremony.”

“Wait,” Kendall said, hurrying after the doctors. “I need to ask you something.”

Both doctors stopped and turned to her. The woman arched an icy brow. “Well?”

Kendall held up her hand. “Tracking chip. I need it disabled.”

The female doctor let loose a long, irritated sigh. She tapped her clipboard and then held her hand out. Kendall placed her hand in the doctor’s. The woman jerked her forward, pressed her palm down on the clipboard. A tiny red light glowed beneath Kendall’s hand in the webbing between her thumb and forefinger.

“Scalpel.” The woman held her hand out to her colleague.

Kendall flinched as the man gave the other doctor a laser scalpel and no anesthetic. Instead of cutting her, the doctor turned the scalpel upside down and slammed it hard against the red light. Kendall yelped as pain shot through her hand. The light had disappeared.

“Scar tissue will take care of the rest. I’ll add it to your bill.” The woman slid the clipboard away from Kendall and continued on down the hall. Her companion hurried behind her.

“Ow,” Kendall breathed, cradling her hand to her chest. The red mark would surely form a bruise later.

Mirek glanced at Kendall. He had the same medium brown hair that seemed to run in the family, but his eyes were bright green. Should she venture a guess by his haggard expression, she would say this man hadn’t slept for days. His eyes looked tired, not that she knew what his eyes normally looked like.

“My bride missed the receiving line. I think she was held up, or lost, or something.” Mirek said, answering Alek’s early question. He glanced behind him, clearly indicating by his anxious movements that he wanted to get back to his bride.

Alek took the hint and walked with his brother down the hall. Kendall stayed behind them, holding her injured hand, and let the men talk. She couldn’t understand what they were saying as they spoke in their native tongue.

The brothers had the same long gait and purposeful strides. It was easy to tell they’d grown up in the same home. The hall turned and curved, twisting its way through the mountain. They stayed on a steady course, but Kendall felt lost by the time they reached Mirek’s home. Mirek ran his hand over an intricately carved door frame and stated, “Open.” The wooden door glided open and he led them inside.

Mirek’s section of the mountain home had smoothed stone floors, thick rugs and oversized wood furniture. A banner of a dragon standard hung on the wall. Its prominent placement and large size gave away its importance.

Couches were arranged in a square around a low table with a center fire pit. The only thing out of place was the stasis unit sitting on one of the couches. The large plastic crate was more serviceable than decorative. She guessed that was where Riona rested. For some reason, she hesitated as the men went to the stasis unit. Mirek placed his hand gingerly on top as if he might hurt the woman inside by pressing too hard on the transparent lid. Alek looked in and said nothing for a long moment.

Kendall could not see Riona from where she stood, but she didn’t want to get closer. The stasis unit reminded her of her own captivity. Her hands trembled at the idea of being carted around in a plastic crate like cargo. The clear lid would let anyone who wanted to look in at her. What had happened while she was locked away? Was she shown to buyers before Galaxy Brides took her? Was she put on auction? Was she dressed or naked? The not knowing was perhaps the worst part of the whole ordeal.

But this moment wasn’t about her. It was about Mirek and Riona. Kendall tried to hide her trembling as she slowly joined the men by the couch. Riona’s eyes were closed in what Kendall determined to be forced sleep. Even if whatever sleeping sickness she had had disappeared, the medicines in the booth would keep the woman from waking up. It would be for the best. If she woke up, she’d be in pain if the look of her skin was any indication. Red patches of blisters created strange patterns on the woman’s flesh. Around those bumps the skin was pale, too pale for the healthy Riona she remembered on the ship. The auburn length of her hair had been pulled and twisted on the top of her head into a very neat, very plain bun. A tube filled with yellow liquid stuck out of her side. A fine powder coated her skin. It was what made her look so pale.

“You need to tell her sister,” Kendall said quietly.