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Varrick nodded while wondering if it could have been even before that.
“We’re home!” Argus called out gleefully as the walls of the castle came into view, and the warriors cheered.
Varrick was just as pleased to see the familiar sight and knew exactly where he would find his wife. It wasn’t long before they entered the castle grounds and, once he dismounted, he went to Sinead’s shelter and gazed up at the gray sky. He had informed her they were on their way home when she had last perched on his arm. She should be circling overhead, but there was no sight of her. She may have stopped to feed. He would give her time and leave the door to her shelter open.
He kept his strides brisk as he headed to the healing cottage and when he rounded the curve and saw the commotion outside of it, for a brief second, fear stung him. Anger rose to vanquish the spark of fear and a scowl rose to claim his handsome face and had people scurrying out of his way.
“What goes on here?” Varrick demanded when he reached Marsh and Corwin.
“I failed you, my lord, we have just discovered that Lady Fia has gone missing,” Marsh confessed.
Varrick had taken severe blows during battle and remained fighting, but he never felt the punch of pain that Marsh’s words had delivered. It would have taken him to the ground if he had let it. His expression flared with a fiery rage that had everyone stepping away from him.
“How did youjustfind that out when you were to keep watch over her?” Varrick asked, fighting to keep his anger under control.
“My fault for not making sure she was in the cottage. With people waiting outside I thought—”
“YOU THOUGHT!” Varrick shouted. “We will discuss your failure another time. Right now, we find my wife.”
It did not take long for Varrick to discover the culprits, and when Brother Luke stepped before him at the castle gate, Varrick grabbed him by the throat and pinned him against the castle wall.
“Tell me what you did!” he demanded.
Brother Luke barely got the words out with Varrick gripping his throat so tight. “I did what you failed to do.”
Varrick heard the buzzing of whispers around him, hearing more than a few agree with the monk, and he released him reluctantly, needing to learn more.
Brother Luke rubbed his throat. “I sent her where she belonged, into the forest to deal with the God of Death and reveal who she truly is… his cohort.”
Gasps circled the growing crowd.
Varrick wanted to beat the man senseless, but that would just worsen the situation, make people think his wife had spellbound him and not trust him to protect them. He had to be careful how he dealt with this just as he did when he went into battle.
“How did you get Lady Fia past the guards?” he demanded.
“I told the young warrior Brock that she did not want to wait for you to go into the forest and he was to take her and leave her there,” Brother Luke said and shook his head. “But he has not returned. I fear she has harmed him.”
Varrick wanted so badly to thrash the monk that he walked away from him fearing he would not be able to control himself, something he had never failed to do.
“Leave the witch,” someone called out.
“Let her do what she must,” another shouted.
Varrick caught the grin that appeared suddenly and disappeared just as suddenly on the monk’s face. One day he would deal with the monk.
Varrick thought quickly. “And how do we know what she does if I am not there to watch her? To make sure she brings no harm to the clan.”
A man raised his voice. “Aye, his lordship is right.”
Another echoed the same sentiment. “’Tis true, his lordship needs to see what she is up to in the woods and stop her if necessary.”
“Aye,” another agreed. “He is the only one with the strength to control her.”
“ARGUS!” Varrick bellowed.
“The troop is ready, my lord,” Argus said, after making his way through the crowd.
“Make sure there are enough torches,” Varrick commanded. “We scour the forest at night, if necessary, to find her.”
