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“It doesn’t matter if I love her or not,” Terran replied. “She is my wife.”

“But I can offer you so much more!”

Terran stared at Kathryn. Her eyes had once been the most brilliant blue he’d ever seen, until he’d seen Bria’s. Kathryn’s hair was lush and golden and combed to glittering perfection. But he preferred the way Bria’s dark hair shone with streaks of red, as if her inner fire permeated her entire being. And the lock that curled down over her soft, smooth cheek in innocent beauty. And her boldness, her vibrancy, her passion for justice.

All the qualities a lord should despise in a wife. Terran liked them. He liked Bria. Very much.

Mistaking his regard, Kathryn licked her lips and ran a hand down her side to her hip.

Terran rose to tower over her.

Kathryn accomplished a practiced swoon against him.

Terran’s arms came up to capture her. He knew he was not mistaking the victory in Kathryn’s half-closed eyes. But this time, the victory spoils were nothing he had any desire to claim. Terran set her aside and stepped past her.

“Where are you going?” Kathryn demanded.

“Where I should have gone from the beginning.” He paused and turned to her. “Pack your things, Kathryn. I’m sending you back to your father.” He whirled away quickly so as not to hear her pleadings.

Terran stalked down the steps to the dungeon. I’m just going down to see how the questioning is proceeding, he told himself. Kenric liked no one, including himself, to interrupt his interrogations. It was one of Kenric’s favorite pastimes, that and counting gold in the treasure room.

Terran stepped into the first guard’s room. The man on duty quickly straightened out of his chair at seeing him. “Lord Knowles,” he said stiffly, trying to hide the dice he’d been rolling.

“Where is Sheriff Kenric?” Terran asked.

The guard’s brows lowered over clear brown eyes. “He left hours ago, m’lord, and hasn’t been back.”

Terran frowned. “Did he take Lady Bria with him?”

“No, m’lord,” the man answered. “She’s in the first cell.”

Outrage speared through Terran like a lance. Bria in a cell?

“Open it,” he commanded. As the guard moved to obey, Terran realized he shouldn’t be surprised. He had given Kenric free rein to question her. He supposed throwing her in the dungeon for a night wasn’t going to hurt her any. Then why was he clenching his fists so tightly they hurt?

The guard grabbed a torch from the wall and led the way. Terran followed the man deeper into the dungeon. The creeping darkness was held at bay by the light of the torch. With each step, the stillness of the dungeon surrounded Terran in an eerie silence.

The guard led him down a flight of steps and past the second, deserted guard post. If they’d held an important person, someone who might inspire a rescue attempt, this post would be manned.

The guard moved to the first cell. He paused once to glance at Terran before sliding the bolt aside and swinging open the door. Terran stepped past him into the cell. He could see nothing until the guard shoved the torch forward and the light seeped into the dank, small room. The dirt floor was partly mud, damp from a continuous drip falling from the stone ceiling above. The cold stone walls were slick with mold and fungus.

Something erupted from the darkness, hitting Terran in the back, shoving him into the darkness. A wild demon attacked him, hitting his back with a rain of blows, screeching madly like some wild beast. Terran whirled on the witch, but received a blow to his face. He grabbed the thin arms striking at him, holding them back. The small hands were curved into claws. He tried to see into the wild thing’s face, but the darkness was too thick. It took all his effort to hold her away from him.

Fear knotted Terran’s stomach. Was this Bria? Had Kenric changed her so much in but a few hours? He’d seen it happen before.

But as the guard stepped forward to pull the woman from Terran, the light washed over her face. Through the thick, knotted hair, Terran saw she wasn’t Bria. He shoved her away from him. His eyes quickly scanned the cell and came upon another woman. She was curled up in a far corner, long brown hair splayed out around her head, and had obviously just been awakened.

Terran recognized her immediately. Bria. His heart surged with concern as she began to lift herself up onto her elbows. Had the wild woman harmed her? Terran wondered frantically. Bria was in her chemise, the white garment now stained with mud and grime.

Terran lurched forward to kneel at her side. The light around him flickered, and the guard uttered a curse before a slap sounded.

“Bria?” he whispered. His knee sank into the mud as he scooped her up into his arms.

“No,” she muttered tiredly as he headed with her for the door. “Mary. Mary!”

Terran ignored her continued cries, contributing them to hallucinations. Who knew what that wild thing had done to her? He continued out into the darkness and moved up the spiral stairway until he came to the first guard’s post. The light washed over the struggling Bria in his arms. She squirmed in his grasp, pushing away from his chest.

Terran set her feet on the ground. His eyes perused her face, her body, for any wounds. “Are you all right?” he demanded.