She glanced down the stairs where thebawdy singing had resumed, then strode past him back to theirchamber.As Talon followed her in, she lay down on her cot, fullydressed, Wolf on the floor next to her and watching him with achary eye.Talon sat on the edge of his bed as Lara tossed andturned on her cot.He could have told her of his and the king’sdeclaring her a freewoman, but he didn’t think that would helpeither of them get to sleep.He lay back and closed his eyes.Ifthe nights past were any indication, he’d be holding her in his bedat some point in what was left of the night.
***
“No, oh God, no.Sooophie.”
Giving a frown, Talon rolled out ofbed, gathered Lara in his arms, then carried her back to his bed.For a long while he sat cradling her and smoothing her sweaty curlsfrom her forehead.“I’ve got you.You’re safe.”
“Talon.”Her breathtickled his chest as she burrowed her nose into hisneck.
“Aye, my rose.You hadanother dream.”
“Sophie.”She clung toTalon.“I dreamed of Sophie.”
Talon rocked her in his arms andmurmured soothing words into her hair until she stopped shaking.Hepressed his lips to her forehead, and her body relaxed with onelong, soughing sigh.
“Maybe if you told me whatyou saw this one last time.It might help.”
She lifted her head and met his gaze.“One last time?”
“You march with the kingwhen he leaves Crossroads Keep tomorrow.”
She pushed away from him, a warywildcat once more.“Why would I be leaving with the kingtomorrow?”
Damn her hide, she thought he’d soldher wergeld to Charles.
“You’ll ride out fromCrossroads Keep alongside Charles as a freewoman who fulfilled herseason of military service,” he told her, and was instantlyrewarded with her smile, a smile he could forgive anything.“I’llbe your hated jailer no more, though neither will I be the one tohold you and comfort you when you wake crying out from yourdreams.”
Her smile turned bittersweet, then sheleaned in and kissed his cheek.
“Thank you, truly, foralmost everything.”Her eyes crinkled up.
He took her hand in his and rubbed athumb over the backs of her fingers.“I haven’t given you even ahundredth of what I would have.”His throat constricted with thedepth of what he felt and wouldn’t say.“I have, however, been ableto give you the cloak of the king’s protection, which will reachmuch farther than mine once I’m gone, most likely come winter.”Hegave her a purposely cocky grin.“Be sure to tell Sophie that, elseshe think me shirking my oath.”
“Your oath to protectme?”
“And what a troublesomeoath that turned out to be.”His voice was stern, but he foughtback a laugh.
As did Lara, then she turned serious.“Talon?How did I curse you?”
He laughed, short and harsh, thenstood and went over to the cot before sitting down.He’d given upthe bed up to Lara and Wolf for what was left of thenight.
“You smiled my way, mybeautiful, thorny rose.And then you bled me.”
CHAPTER 16
Death
Lara
Sophie’s hip was troubling her, soLara put her to bed with extra blankets and a side table laden withhot tea and a slice of apple pie before she set off for market day.Pulling her mantle tighter around her shoulders in the early autumnchill of the morning, she shook the reins to Honey’s harness andstarted the trek to the village square, her wagon full of cheesesand herbs and tinctures and soaps.Wolf loped alongside.
They passed Patience’s house, whereWillem was no doubt busy working on the many saddles the garrison’ssoldiers had ordered.He and his newly hired apprentice had beenelbow-deep in newly tanned hide when Lara checked on Patience andthe baby three days ago.Talon had shown up as well.
He’d brought a teething ring carved oflinden and sanded as smooth as one of his ivory game pieces for thebabe, and a horse in full armor for Wyatt.The boy had lit up atsight of it.Lara had watched as Talon held Wilric, not clumsy andafraid like so many men who weren’t fathers, but close and tender,talking softly, smiling, then breathing in the scent of Wilric’sdowny head.
She tried not to dwell on the grinthat he gave when he’d caught her watching him, or the fact thatdespite how comfortable he’d seemed with the babe, he’d sworn hisintent to never sire a child loudly and publicly more than once.She blew her breath out and urged Honey on, thankful that her fluxhad come and gone in the past week, that she and Talon had bothescaped a pregnancy.
Other than that day at Patience’shouse, she hadn’t spoken to him since he released her from beinglidi a nine days ago and had only seen him from a distance as herode the Black on his rounds of the valley.As she pulled her wagoninto the village square and set up her stall, she wondered if she’dsee him today at the market.She’d made extra batches of sandalwoodand rose soaps, just in case he did show and wanted to replenishhis supply.As well as a last-of-the-harvest strawberry pie, whichshe kept hidden beneath the wagon seat with two applepies.
