Voice Of The Demon (Book 2) (59 page)

Robert moved and placed a hand on Jacob’s shoulder. ‘She’s your daughter, Jacob.’

‘Is she?’ Jacob looked up, a bemused frown on his face. ‘I think she’s the daughter of this poor country of ours – and like a blind, tyrannical King, I have kept her enslaved by my ignorance and fear.’

He shook his head and something like a smile framed his
face. ‘Go. Take command of my guard and make sure not one of those filthy Guilde pigs enters my castle!’

After that Robert ordered patrols to be doubled and lookouts posted on the towers of Elita. The people were obviously afraid, but Robert strode about the place with such authority and calm, gave his orders with such decisiveness that their terror was quelled for the time being. It would undoubtedly rise again the moment the Guilde soldiers were sighted outside the castle walls. Only when everything needed was in motion did Robert take Micah back upstairs to where Finnlay was laid out, tended by Bella and the renegade Bishop. Jenn was there, too, standing quietly beside the bed.

Robert didn’t look at her. Instead, he came to the bedside and knelt down by Finnlay’s head. After a moment, he murmured, ‘Will he live?’

‘He’s . . . very weak,’ Jenn replied softly, hovering beside McCauly.

‘But will he live?’

‘I don’t know. All I can do is bind his wounds and hope the blood loss won’t kill him. In a few hours the sleeping draught will wear off and the pain will hit him.’

‘Let me know when and I’ll do something for him.’ Robert came to his feet with such barely contained force that even Micah took a step back. He turned to Jenn. ‘Just keep him alive. I’ll not have anyone else die because of me.’

With that, Robert turned for the door, pausing with his hand in the air, a finger pointed towards the Bishop. ‘And not a word from you, either.’

McCauly raised his hands in innocence, but after Robert had gone, he threw a comforting smile towards Jenn. ‘We had a slight disagreement – nothing to worry about.’

*

Robert strode along the curtain wall, checking the defences between every tower. Soldiers snapped to attention as he approached and responded to his questions crisply. Robert had to admit that Jacob had made sure his men were trained properly. There was nothing slovenly about either their weapons or their performance. How they would perform under fire was another matter.

When he finished his circuit, Robert returned to the top of the main keep and addressed the sergeant. ‘Keagan, isn’t it?’

‘Aye, Your Grace. It’s good to see you again.’

‘Any sign yet?’

‘No.’

Robert nodded and turned for the stairs. Micah was standing there, waiting for him. ‘I knew you’d come back.’

Robert joined him by the wall, away from the lookouts. ‘You must be a seer, then.’ He paused and studied Micah for a moment, then he smiled. ‘You know, my friend, I believe I missed you.’

Micah grinned broadly. ‘Aye, I’m sure you did. Where were you?’

‘Hiding.’ Robert turned his gaze back to the hills in the distance.

Micah strode forward and glanced down into the courtyard. ‘Do you really think we can get help before they overcome us?’

‘No. I’ve sent word to Dunlorn already, but any force is seven days away, six at the least. I doubt we’ll last three. I’m afraid we’ll just have to win this one by stealth alone.’

There was a long pause before Micah spoke again. ‘Are you really back now, or will you leave again?’

‘Well, that depends on whether I get out of this alive.’ Robert drew himself up straight. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Micah. ‘I didn’t know . . .’

‘She wanted to keep it a secret. In case somebody should see her as suddenly vulnerable. After what happened to Finnlay last year, I agreed with her.’

Yes. That’s right. Carlan. Micah had told him all about it. It was a miracle Finnlay had survived. At least now they had a name for the Angel of Darkness. Now they were all named. The Angel, the Enemy and the Ally.

‘And . . . how does Eachern treat her?’

‘Well enough when he’s around – which isn’t often. She’s worked out how to deal with him over most issues, such as coming here for the birth.’

Robert nodded. He couldn’t ask – and especially not
Micah – and yet he . . . needed to know . . . the child. Could it be his child?

Could the gods be so cruel to her?

‘Your Grace!’ Keagan rushed across the keep platform and pointed west. ‘There!’

Robert stepped forward to the edge of the stone wall and gazed ahead. There, in the distance, was the glint of steel flashing from a dulled sun. Yellow robes, brighter than the trees, other colours mixed in. A hundred men on horseback, heading towards Elita. No . . . more than a hundred. Twice that.

‘They stopped to collect more men,’ Robert turned swiftly and called out orders to Keagan.

‘But that’s not enough for a siege force.’

‘They don’t need to lay siege for long. If we don’t surrender within a few hours, I’ll bet we’ll have King’s forces down on us before the week’s out. Damn, if only there was a tunnel like Dunlorn’s! And why is Finnlay injured when I need him most?’

The force arrived at Elita and immediately surrounded the wall. Without haste, the soldiers took up their positions, prepared for both attack and defence. A single rider approached the gates, a white pennant flying above him. Robert moved to go down the stairs, but paused. There was something not right about all this. Something which tugged at the edges of his awareness with a strength that was almost painful.

‘Serin’s breath, no!’

‘What is it?’ Micah moved forward.

‘That’s not just Guilde down there. There’re Malachi among them. A lot of Malachi. What the hell is going on?’ Robert didn’t wait any longer. He tore down the stairs and ran along the courtyard to receive the message as it was handed down from the top of the gate.

‘Surrender the sorcerer, Finnlay Douglas, by dawn tomorrow.’

That was it. No more. No threats, no promises of retribution. A simple directive.

Given by Malachi.

Robert turned and entered the hall where Jacob was waiting for him. ‘I think we can safely assume they’re serious.’

Jacob took the note. ‘Was there any doubt?’

‘Well, at least they don’t know McCauly’s here as well, or we’d be in real trouble.’

‘Define
real
trouble.’ Aiden descended the stairs and joined them. ‘Lady Jennifer’s just asked me to warn you there’re Malachi out there.’

‘I know,’ Robert nodded. ‘Jacob, is there any secret passage out of this place? Something nobody knows about?’

‘If there is, I never heard about it either. We do have a deep cellar, but we never use it because it’s so damp.’

Robert glanced around at the others in the hall: Neil and Jacob’s aide, Shane Adair. All of them were waiting for him to make a decision. They were all waiting for him to show them the way out of an impossible situation.

And what could he tell them? That he had no idea how to get out of this? That the moment he realized there were Malachi outside the walls, all his plans fell to dust?

‘Neil, I want you to bring all the castle food supplies into the main keep – but be quiet about it. Bring the women and children in as well. I’m sure Bella will help. I want nobody but fighting men outside the keep.’

‘Aye, my lord. And what about Eachern’s men? Those who accompanied Her Grace?’

‘Where are they now?’

‘Micah had them locked in the guard room,’ Neil replied with a grin. ‘Out of harm’s way, he said.’

‘Well, we wouldn’t want to endanger their lives by bringing them in here, would we? Leave them there with some water and bread. In the meantime, bring in enough water supplies to last a week. Then close off the well.’

As Neil rushed off about his tasks, Robert turned back to Jacob. ‘I’m going to see my brother. Let me know if those thugs outside move a muscle.’

*

Jenn lit a single candle. She placed it on the table by the bed, then glanced outside to where the sun was beginning to set.
She heard the door open behind her, but she didn’t turn to look. She knew who it was. She knew where he’d been, every movement he made. She could trace his steps about the castle without so much as closing her eyes. She was no Seeker, but she knew Robert had come to see Finnlay.

She heard his boots creak as he knelt by the bed on the opposite side to Jenn. He said nothing for a long time. Then there was more movement as he pulled up a stool and sat down. Now Jenn did chance a glance at him, but his attention was entirely on his brother. She could see Robert’s face by the candlelight, his green eyes caught by the yellow glimmer. His hair was long, falling to his shoulders. It was brushed back from his forehead, revealing frown lines more than these few hours old. His face and hands were tanned and even from where she sat she could see new hard callouses over the old. He’d lost weight, too. There was now nothing spare on his frame, and yet he moved with the same lithe grace he always had.

If only she dared speak to him, but she could also see – and had seen the moment he arrived at Elita – the deep well of blackness which now almost consumed him. It had grown tenfold since she’d last seen him, beyond something that merely worried her into something that engendered terror. She couldn’t warn him of it. She couldn’t even breathe his name. All she could do was sit there and watch him.

‘Does your Healer’s sight tell you nothing more?’ Robert murmured, his eyes not meeting hers. ‘Can you tell how bad his wounds are? If he will live?’

‘His wounds will not kill him. If we are to live, then so will he,’ Jenn said softly.

‘You sensed the Malachi outside?’

‘Yes.’

‘Can you sense anything else? Is he out there? Carlan? Is that presence you sensed at court beyond those walls, waiting for us to fail?’

‘I. . .’ Jenn began, but didn’t want to go on. Robert didn’t look up. Eventually she murmured, ‘I’m unable to sense anything beyond this room.’

‘Unable or unwilling? Don’t you think we should know if he’s out there?’

‘I am physically unable to try,’ Jenn bit her lip and tore her gaze from him. ‘I must think of my child.’

‘Your
child?’

Jenn dared not move. She knew he was looking at her. She knew the question in his eyes. Could she lie to him – and would he believe her?

But Robert turned away without asking and Jenn began to breathe again.

‘I think he’s waking up. Finnlay? Can you hear me?’

Jenn got up from her seat and perched on the edge of the bed. Any kind of movement now was extremely uncomfortable.

‘Robert?’ Finnlay’s speech was slurred as he emerged from his drugged sleep. ‘Must be dreaming.’

‘A nightmare, more like. How do you feel?’

Finnlay tried to open his eyes, but only one of them would obey him. Gradually he focused on Robert’s face. ‘Come to sit at my deathbed, Robert?’

For the first time since he’d arrived, Jenn saw Robert smile. ‘I guess the flesh might be wounded, but the spirit is still as nasty as ever. What happened?’

‘What happened? Didn’t I tell Jenn . . .’ Finnlay’s voice trailed off as he turned and noticed her sitting by his left hand. She gave him a gentle smile, but said nothing. ‘Must have passed out. How long have I been here?’

‘Since dawn. You brought some friends with you, I see.’ Robert shook his head. ‘When will you learn to stay out of trouble?’

But Finnlay’s flippant mood had gone. Instead, he reached out and grabbed Robert’s hand. ‘I’ve met him, Robert. The Angel of Darkness.’

‘Yes, I’ve heard all about it.’

‘But you don’t understand. He’s out there. He cornered me at Calonburke.’

Robert came to his feet. ‘Do you know what he looks like?’

‘No.’

Walking to the window, Robert said, ‘But he thinks you’re
the Enemy and he knows the Ally is in here. He must know. Therefore, he won’t do anything too dangerous in case he hurts Jenn. Unless—’

Robert never finished the thought. At that moment, Micah knocked on the door and entered. ‘Sorry, but Lord Jacob asked me to let you know. They want an answer. Now.’

‘But they said we had until dawn tomorrow.’

‘I know. Jacob is going out there to speak to the herald.’

‘Very well, let’s see what they want.’ With that, the two of them left and Jenn turned back to Finnlay.

His gaze ran over her. ‘And how is my nephew doing?’

‘Please, Finnlay, this is bad enough as it is.’

‘I know,’ he caught her hand. ‘I’m sorry. You’re still determined not to tell him?’

‘There’s only one thing that would make me tell him and I don’t even want to think about that possibility. How’s the pain?’

‘Growing, what else?’

Jenn moved across to the window and looked down at the courtyard below. Robert was there with Shane, pushing Jacob’s chair across the cobbles. They stopped when they reached the portcullis. Shane took Jacob to the stone steps and, with another guard to help, they carried him up to the rampart where Jacob stood on his own feet, his weight supported by the men beside him and his own strong arms on the ledge in front. Robert moved close to the wooden gate and, in a gesture that was painfully familiar, he placed his hand upon the wood and listened.

Jenn couldn’t hear what was called up to Jacob. She could only hear his response, loud and clear and full of bloodcurdling determination.

‘Your request is an abomination before the gods. Finnlay Douglas is no sorcerer and you have no right to arrest him. You are on my lands without invitation and I demand that you vacate immediately.’

There was a pause as Jacob listened to more words and then his voice rang out again. ‘No. I will not hand him over to you. Now be gone!’

Jenn smiled as Jacob turned. Then suddenly he stiffened.
His weight fell back and the men at his side couldn’t hold him. Without a rail behind him, Jacob fell to the cobblestones below with a thud. Only then could Jenn see the arrows protruding from his chest. Robert dashed forward as Jenn screamed.

Aiden held the door open as Robert brought Jacob in and laid him on the long table by the fire. Immediately, Aiden pushed his fingers against Jacob’s throat, bent his head to listen for breathing, but there was nothing. Just the three arrows in his chest.