Rhys kissed her gently again. “She pleases me in more ways than she will ever know.”
“She must be very special to you.” Heather pressed herself more tightly against him.
“Aye, that she is. She has done what no one else has been able to.”
Heather tilted her head, curious. “And what is that?”
He brushed his lips across hers and whispered, “She has worked her way into my heart.”
Heather brushed her lips across his and whispered, “And she intends to remain there forever.”
“That is good, for I intend to keep her there forever.”
He kissed her then, different from ever before since his words were the closest thing he had come to telling her that he loved her, and it pleased her beyond reason.
The kiss naturally aroused them both and it was some time before the Dragon and his wife left his solar.
* * *
Heather woke suddenly.She sat up and looked around the bedchamber. She was alone. Something was wrong, she could feel it. She hurried and dressed, wondering what took her husband from their bed. She was barely out the door when she heard the bell toll.
She hurried through the keep and out the door, halting for a moment at the top of the keep’s stairs to stare in horror at the flames shooting into the air.
The barn was on fire.
Men, women, and children rushed out of their cottages, snatching up buckets as they went. Rhys’ warriors came running, some from their posts, knowing if the fire was not contained quickly the whole village could be lost. Warriors raced into the barn to get out whatever animals were in there.
The fire was spreading rapidly, a night wind carrying some of the flames in the air and dangerously close to a few cottages. If they did not douse the fire soon, cottages would catch the flames.
Heather looked around for Rhys, but he was nowhere to be seen and neither was Pitt. The warriors needed no one to tell them what to do. They were quick in getting a brigade formed to the well and buckets filled and passed on to be dumped on a fire that would soon be raging out of control.
“Lady Heather, go to the keep and stay there,” Henry ordered, rushing up beside her.
“I can help.”
“No,” Henry insisted. “All the warriors are needed here or we will lose the whole village. Go to the keep now and stay where you will be safe, or the Dragon will have all our heads.” He rushed off, calling out for another line to be formed.
Heather’s first thought was to ignore Henry and join one of the brigades, but when two more warriors begged her to hurry to the keep, she realized her presence created more of a hindrance for them. She turned to leave, stopping abruptly when she spotted a dog barking at the side of thebarn the flames had yet to reach. When she saw two little pups barking along with their mother, she realized the problem. The third pup was stuck in the burning barn.
She hurried over to the dog and as she got closer, she could hear the frantic yaps of the pup trapped inside. If she could somehow get in from this side...Heather did not hesitate. She ran to the side of the barn and near the corner found a loose plank. She squeezed behind it and slipped inside.
Flames were greedily consuming one wall of the barn and would soon be spreading to the other walls. Smoke filled the air and would shortly consume the whole area. Heather wasted no time in looking for the pup. Once she spotted him, she rushed over to him, crouching down as the smoke grew thicker and picked him up.
His small legs were tied together and as she quickly freed him, she realized what she had done. She had walked into a trap. She recalled her husband’s warning.
He will find your weaknesses and use them.
Someone had purposely tied up the pup and left him there to lure her in. She had to get out and fast.
With the smoke growing heavier, she kept low and when she reached the loose plank, she shoved the pup through first. She stood and went to squeeze between the planks when she was suddenly grabbed by the arm and yanked back in. A hand was quickly pressed over her mouth and in seconds shefound herself shoved out the back of the barn where a plank had been removed, and carried off into the woods.
* * *
Rhys and Pittsaw the smoke as they approached the village and rushed forward. Rhys was off his horse in an instant, one of his warriors taking hold of the agitated animal and directing him away from the heat and flames of the fire.
Pitt hurried alongside Rhys as they made their way to the brigade of villagers passing bucket after bucket of water. Rhys could see that the barn could not be saved but the bucket brigade had managed to stop the flames from reaching other structures.
Henry hurried over to him.
