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Ivy refused to meet his gaze, even when he offered a piece of dried fruit. She snatched the offered item and stuffed it in her mouth.
’Twould be a long wait, but at least it would be in silence. Crispin doubted she would answer any of his questions with any degree of honesty.
He refused to trust her. Or anyone for that matter. Instead, he focused on the meadow, ignoring the nagging voice of warning in his mind, and the satisfaction he would feel at running his blade through the bastard who thought he could steal his greatest treasure.
Chapter Eight
Daylight blurred intodarkness. Lost in the agonizing pain, Ruby succumbed to the welcome distraction of the dream world. Her tormented visions morphed into nightmares, but she no longer battled these imaginary demons. She embraced their company for they were saints compared to the devil who held her captive.
Ruby longed to remain forever, lest the waking world rip her soul to pieces once more. When the soft, warm melody infiltrated her clouded mind, she ventured toward it, slowly pulling herself from sleep.
“Mother,” she murmured as she opened her eyes. The sun shone brightly through the window. She blinked against it, catching shadows out of the corner of her eyes.
The soft bedding tempted her to return to the shadowed dreams. Her arms lay heavy against her sides. Her legs remained rooted. Every part of her ached and protested. She groaned when her attempt to shift her weight into a sitting position failed. She barely budged. A spike of pain radiated through her lower abdomen and down through her hips. She licked her dry lips. The demanding thirst roused desperation inside her. She shifted again.
“Mother?” Her broken cry echoed through the room.
A stooped woman appeared by her side startling her. “Save your strength, pet. You are far too weak.”
Ruby’s gaze followed the old woman. Her crag-lined face bespoke her years. She moved quickly for a woman of her age, fetching a rag and a mug from the table, and returning to the bedside with purposeful movements.
“Who are you?” Ruby failed to relax when the woman dabbed the rag against her head. Cool and damp, it soothed the ache.
“We were given strict instructions,” a second old woman snapped, appearing somewhere beyond Ruby’s vision. Nearly a mirror image of the first. The women eyed each other with narrow gazes for a moment before the first one snapped her toothless mouth closed.
“Please.” A sob warbled from deep within her chest.
The women exchanged another long look before the second frowned and threw her hands up in the air shaking her head wildly. “On your head be it.”
“We are sisters. Emma.” She gestured to herself and then to her sister. “Eva.”
Eva harumphed in acknowledgment. “You will anger him,” she hissed at her sister.
Emma tisked. “We have been his faithful servants. If he wishes her to be his queen, then we must bring the life back.” She pressed the rag to Ruby’s heated cheeks. Her brown eyes widened, drawing Ruby in.
“Why—” A spasm wracked her, making her cough and wheeze. Her stomach lurched. She groaned and pinched her eyes closed until the feeling passed. “Why serve him? Such evil.”
“He saved us. Years ago. We are in his debt.” Emma nodded sagely as though it were the only logical repayment of such an obligation. “To disobey would be to dishonor him.”
Bile stung Ruby’s throat. How could anyone serve such a monster?
A mug appeared before her lips. “Drink,” Emma encouraged.
She struggled to incline her head enough to take a small amount of liquid in her mouth. The tepid tea washed the bitter taste from her mouth and quenched her thirst. She drank greedily. Some of the tea spilled over her chin and onto the blanket.
