Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Brandle glanced over his shoulder then straightened abruptly.
“I believe we have some clothes that will fit you, sir,” he said. “If you’d like to follow me to the cottage, I’ll help you get settled; then you can speak with your daughter.”
“No, I?—”
“Let your father dress, Sparrow,” Eadric said. “He’s suffered enough injustice, don’t you agree?”
I listened to their retreat as I shook out my dress and watched the others help Edmund to his feet.
“Are you unharmed?” I asked.
“All but my pride,” he grumbled.
“Due to the fall or the fact I asked about my father first?”
Edmund scowled at me, and I knew it was the latter bothering him.
“I have been with you, by your side, for months but without my father. If your parents suddenly appeared, I would not begrudge you a moment spent caring for them so long as, at the end of the day, you returned to me.”
“Very reasonable of you,” Daemon said. “Don’t you agree, brother?”
“I do,” Darian said.
“We need to win over his favor, Edmund,” Eadric said. “Earnestly and quickly. We cannot have him refusing us Sparrow’s hand with our babe in her belly.”
All motion and humor left them. Except for Eadric, the astute rogue.
I sighed and shook my head at him. “Your timing is deplorable.”
“How so? I waited until we knew your father was right and well so as not to distract the rest from your goal or, worse, give them a reason to delay you. But I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to face another caster while carrying our child without warning them.”
“Is it true, Trouble?” Edmund asked roughly.
“My monthlies may be a touch overdue,” I said.
“And you told Eadric and kept it from the rest of us?” Darian asked, projecting his hurt.
“No, I told no one. Eadric apparently keeps better track of the passing days than I do.”
“Nah,” Eadric said with a smirk. “Your breasts are simply a bit swollen and more sensitive of late. That’s how I knew.”
“And you didn’t tell us?” Garron demanded.
“Nope. I figured it was like that time you had her remove your memory. If we all knew, we would do foolish things that would result in upsetting Sparrow. I didn’t want her or the babe to suffer, so I decided to wait until it was safe.”
“Are you even our brother?” Daemon asked. “How could you keep such a thing from us?”
“He made the right decision,” I said. “If you had tried to keep me from coming to my father, from casting the spell I just did, or anything between now and then, I’m not sure what my reaction would have been. You’re an overprotective lot. While I love you so very much for it, I also know my control is still lacking, and I never again want to send any of you flying due to my anger.”
“See?” Eadric said with a smile. “I was wise.”
Garron cuffed him from the right and Daemon from the left. I kissed both his cheeks to make up for it then gave them all my saddest, most pitifully pleading gaze.
“Will you still dote on me when I'm swollen, round, and irritable?”
Edmund swore softly and reached for me. Too slowly, though. Daemon’s hand on the back of my head turned me for his ravenous kiss. I melted under the onslaught and held on. Darian stole me from him when he started peppering my face with kisses. After Darian vowed to spoil me endlessly, Liam wrapped me in his arms and simply held me as I caught my breath. When he released me, Edmund picked me up and pinned me against a tree. His kiss was filled with a loving aggression that both confused and heated me.
“Don’t you dare remove my dress,” I said, breaking away from his kiss after feeling the direction of his thoughts.
His intense gaze held mine. “Tonight. I will see for myself if what Eadric noticed is true.”
I felt what he wanted to do to me and shivered in anticipation. At the same time, I worried what my father would think if he heard us.
Eadric seemed to read my thoughts.
“Don’t worry, Sparrow. Garron and I will be there to ensure you’re quiet.”
My anticipation and worry climbed, but I knew better than to deny either.
“Tonight then,” I said. “But we will leave at first light. No delays like this morning.”
They all quickly agreed.
Escorted by Edmund, we entered the clearing as my father left the cottage wearing a coarse tunic and pants that were a few inches too short for him. His hair was in a tangle, and his face was covered with dirt, but his eyes were clear and locked on me.
My smile grew with each step we drew nearer. I didn’t release my hold on Edmund to get to Father. Not this time. This time, I needed my father to see that I’d found my place and chosen my path in life, just as he’d chosen his.
When I reached him, he surprised me by holding out his hand to Edmund.
“I saw what happened to you,” he said. “Thank you.”
After Edmund, he shook Liam’s hand. “Thank you, and forgive me for not being able to do more to help keep her safe.”
“It is us who should be asking your forgiveness, sir,” Brandle said. “We?—”
Father lifted his hand to stop Brandle from saying more, and I was grateful. I knew what Brandle wanted to apologize for and wasn’t sure it was the right time to broach the subject of my relationship with them.
“I have eyes and ears, son. Some conversations are best left vague, so tell me simply, which of you will marry my daughter.”
“All of us,” Brandle said.
Father’s gaze met mine, and I nodded without hesitation.
“I see. And do you plan to settle in Drisdall, Turre, or here, in between?”
“Father, perhaps an introduction is in order. These are the crown princes of Turre. Brandle, Edmund, Eadric, Darian, Daemon, Garron, and Liam.” Each nodded to my father when I spoke their name.
“Princes? And you’ll wed all of them? I don’t recall that being…” He waved his hand as if shooing the thought away. “Whatever you decide, I will stand with you. I doubt very much anyone would be able to stand against you, regardless.” His gaze and feelings conveyed his love and support until his thoughts turned toward Eloise. “Any news from your sister?”
“No. Only the hint that Maeve spoke when she was here. I’m grateful you didn’t follow her, Father.”
“And I’m grateful you were able to break the spell.” He flushed as he spoke and cleared his throat. “When do we leave?”
“It’s safest to stay here tonight and start out first thing in the morning,” Brandle said.
“Morning?”
I could feel my father’s need to reach Eloise.
“It will take half a day to reach Drisdall,” I said.
“It’s more dangerous once night falls,” Liam said.
“And Kellen’s been casting non-stop since we left this morning. She needs rest or risks hurting…herself.”
That father didn’t even flinch at the idea I could cast meant he’d been watching me from the trees before we’d left. However, Father’s approval regarding my ability paled when I caught a hint of Brandle’s growing worry. He’d caught Garron’s hesitation and glanced at me.
“I’m fine,” I said firmly. “Nothing I did tired me except for the long walk.”
“Do you need a foot rub?” Darian asked.
“Hush,” I said. “What we all need is a hearty dinner and an early bedtime so we can start out at first light.”
“I’ll light the fire,” Edmund said.
“Garron and I will raid the cellar,” Liam said.
“I’ll set the table,” Eadric said with a wink at me.
“Would you like to help me check the bedrolls, Lamb?” Daemon asked.
Brandle cuffed him. “Get the tub ready for Father.”
I smiled as Daemon cast a sheepish look at my father and hurried inside.
“I’ll show you around the place while you wait if you’d like, sir,” Darian said.
“Thank you,” Father said.
“I’ll come too,” I said, quickly tucking my hand around Father’s arm. He smelled awful.
Father patted my hand, leaving behind dirt marks.
“I believe they’d like you to stay here and have a word with Brandle,” Father said.
“Which is precisely why I’d prefer to stay with you,” I said.
Father chuckled, and Brandle gently pried me away from him.
“Thank you, sir,” Brandle said.
I watched Father walk away and looked up at Brandle. “Do you recall the time I clawed my way through the roof?”
“I do.”
“And how did that end?”
“I believe I still carry your mark on my arse.”
“It serves as a reminder to your brothers not to test me,” I said primly.
“And me?”
“I doubt you and Edmund will ever stop testing me; however, I still have strong teeth when reminders are needed.”
Brandle grinned and pulled me into his embrace.
“Is there a reason for this heavy warning?”
“I believe I’m pregnant,” I said bluntly.
He froze briefly then tightened his grip on me.
“Oh, don’t act so shocked. Since losing my maidenhead, I’ve only slept alone a handful of times. You had to know this would be the result of frequent f?—”
His mouth covered mine in a hungry kiss that had me forgetting my words within moments. His hands cupped my face as he walked me backward. It wasn’t until the bench hit the backs of my legs that he pulled back.
“Behave yourself, Kellen, or you will shock your poor father.”
“Me? I wasn’t the one who kissed?—”
A throat cleared, and I saw Father standing near a grinning Darian.
“Kellen is my reserved daughter. Keep that in mind when you meet Eloise,” Father said before going inside.
Brandle gave me a quizzical look.
“He means that I’m not the shocking daughter.”
Brandle chuckled and stepped aside for Liam and Garron, who placed an array of roots and seeds on the table. The sun slowly descended as we worked together to fix a meal.
I never felt anyone’s approach until an older woman leading an enormous, familiar pig by a rope emerged from the forest. The pig I knew. The woman, I did not. She didn’t feel like Maeve, but she had power—more than any other caster I’d met—for when I opened myself to her energy, she had none. Not a drop.
“Dratted pig,” the woman grumbled. “Walk faster.”
I stood abruptly and focused all of my intent on my love for my family, sending out to surround them. Edmund cursed under his breath as I strode from the table and closed the distance between myself and the old woman.
“Kellen, let us free,” he yelled.
She watched me rather than the pig, who was cowering at the end of its rope.
“Speak the purpose of your presence here,” I said.
“My presence?” she looked up at the fading light in the sky. “I’m here to seek refuge from the beasts before nightfall. Are the men behind you so dangerous that you had to entrap them?”
“Don’t feign innocence you no longer possess,” I said.
The older woman barked out a laugh.
“You’re a blunt one.”
“So I’ve been told. Perhaps you will return the favor. Why are you here, caster?”
“Caster? Me?”
“Everything pulses with energy, even your pig, which isn’t truly a pig, by the way…everything, except for you .”
The woman glanced at the pig. “He’s less of a pig than he was. That’s for certain.”
“I have no wish to harm you. If you do not speak your truth, I will find it myself.”
“Oh? And how will you do that?”
Keeping the lid on my well-sealed tightly, I braced myself and touched my energy to hers as she touched mine.
Her recent memory of Eloise flashed in my mind, and I immediately withdrew my energy as I stepped forward and took her hand.
“My sister. Is she truly well?”
Rose’s emotions vacillated between surprise, curiosity, and relief. Relief that I hadn’t looked any deeper than I had and relief I was Eloise’s twin who she’d come to find.
“You are not what I expected.”
“My sister. Please,” I begged.
“Eloise is well enough. She suffered much in your absence but does not hold you to blame. Those held to blame have been justly punished.”
“Maeve is gone then?” I asked, hoping I understood correctly.
“She is. I felt you in my mind. You could have looked for more and seen for yourself. Why didn’t you?”
“Eloise trusted you. That’s enough for me. I have no wish to hurt anyone, especially not those who’ve helped my sister. Come, join us for dinner.” As I spoke, I removed the shield from around my princes and father.
“Kellen Cartwright, if you ever do that again…” Edmund shouted.
“Excuse me,” I said, turning quickly to intercept Edmund. However, it wasn’t only Edmund storming my way. All seven of them were flushed with anger—even sweet Eadric.
I promptly and quite beautifully burst into tears and wailed, “Why are you yelling at me?”
Behind them, Father shook his head and smiled slightly.
Eloise might be the twin known for her theatrics to avoid punishment, but I was no novice myself.
All of their anger dissipated as they closed the distance between us. Edmund, who’d been in the lead, fell behind, unsure how to deal with my tears. Eadric and Daemon pulled ahead, but it was Brandle who wrapped me in a comforting hug.
“Hush, now. All is well. We apologize for yelling, don’t we, Edmund?”
“Only moderately,” Edmund said under his breath.
Someone cuffed him.
I hiccuped delicately and wiped my eyes as I looked up at Brandle. “If we are equals, each with our own strengths, is it not my duty to protect you when magic is involved and yours to protect me when strength is involved?”
“Kellen, you cannot risk yourself. Please,” Brandle said gently. “Without you, what reason do we have to continue?”
“Am I to be your world but not allow you to be mine?” I asked.
Rose chuckled behind me, drawing his attention.
“This is Rose,” I said, stepping back to make the introduction. “She is the caster Eloise sent to find me.” I looked at my father, who’d slowly joined us. “Eloise is safe, and Maeve is gone. It’s well past time for us to return home.”
* * *
Despite Edmund’s warning that he meant to have me that night, I slept undisturbed in his arms, with the exception of Eadric’s palm on my breast all night.
Rose traveled with us through the trees, interested in seeing the road I was creating. When she did, she studied it and then me.
“I have yet to meet a caster so close to being my equal,” Rose said. “I think I would like to accompany you to Drisdall.”
I glanced at the woman who had changed from an older woman with unkempt, long grey hair and threadbare clothing that begged to be burned to a woman close to my mother’s age with long, dark hair, a kind gaze, and a beautiful dress. The pig on the end of her lead, who had the energy of a human, remained unchanged.
“Who are you truly, Rose? A friend or a cruel caster?”
Her brows rose. “A friend, I would hope. Why do you believe me to be cruel?”
“I believe you changed his form as easily as you changed yours. Did he agree to be a pig?”
She laughed. “He chose his form with his actions. His greed for more saw him fed while others starved. He used his position to coerce sexual favor in return for food and went so far as to attempt to rape an innocent girl your age.”
The pig let out a mournful squeal and promptly dropped to the ground.
“Rather than send him to the mines to die attempting labors he had no chance of surviving, I thought to reform him.”
Eadric sniggered at her wit.
“I vow he has not been mistreated. In fact, your sister not only cared for him but helped him recover a shred of his humanity. As I said before, he’s less of a pig than he was. However, he still has a long way to go.” She met my gaze. “You are welcome to look if you’d like.”
My other sense whispered she was safe. That I could touch her well and would find the truth.
“Have you, perchance, also changed a man into a beast?”
I felt her surprise. “I have. How did you know?”
“The caster who had been ruling Turre prior to our arrival was determined to master longevity because of rumors of yours.” Though I was curious about Rose’s age, I did not ask. Instead, I said, “Thank you for your explanation. You’re welcome to travel with us. I would welcome the help creating the road.”
As I spoke, I began to cast, absorbing the trees before us.
“I’m afraid I will not be much help. I’m unable to replenish what I’m using like you are. My well’s running a bit low since I helped your sister.”
“You shouldn’t need to touch your well. It’s a balanced cast,” I said. “The trees provide what I need to make the road.”
“Perhaps to make the stone, but not to embed the spell that’s protecting it. That you’re pulling from your well.”
The worry of all seven men climbed.
“Consider carefully how you treat me when I am with child if you wish me to produce more than one heir,” I said.
Rose chortled. Father muttered, “Child…heir…” and Garron flushed scarlet.
“Oh, this is going to be a lovely reunion,” Rose said, walking on the road that erupted under our feet as we moved forward. “You’re as likable as your sister, who I am quite fond of.”
A hint of emotion drifted from her. Secrets and amusement. Rather than question her, I moved forward.
My kings demanded I take more frequent breaks, which proved mildly vexing until I stopped at a part of the old road that looked familiar.
“This is where I found the stone,” I said to Edmund. “What a wicked caster I was then, was I not?”
He scoffed at me even as he hugged me. “Forgive me for being an arse.”
“You weren’t an arse. You were protecting yourself and your brothers. But I truly did find the stone here. I still question my luck in finding Father with a level of humanity remaining, finding the stone in the road when I needed it the most, and then your glade. Too much coincidence.”
“You are right,” Rose said. “It’s not a coincidence but the powers you were touched with while still in the womb that guided you to where you were meant to be. Have you ever felt a whisper of warning? A tingle along the skin?”
“I have,” I said.
She nodded. “You were guided. Energy doesn’t disappear. It’s reformed with the intent of the caster. I wonder at the caster’s intent that touched you that both you and your sister have found princes to marry.”
“Princes?” My father echoed.
“Yes, but only one for Eloise. And unlike this daughter, she cannot cast. That’s for the best, perhaps,” Rose said with a hint of amusement.
Father distracted me from it with a question. “Do you still have the stone, Kellen?”
“She does not. We took it from her so she wouldn’t leave us.”
“I thought you said because it was dangerous.”
“It was. To us. We needed you, Kellen.”
Father cleared his throat, and I stood, ready to continue on.
“If you have the stone, I would like it back, please,” he said.
“Why?” I asked. “The road will keep you safe.”
“Your mother gave it to me when Turre first fell.”
“That sounds like a tale I would like to hear,” I said.
While Father told the story, we moved closer to Eloise.
* * *
I didn’t stop at creating the road to the edge of the trees but continued it all the way to the dirt road that led to Towdown. Walking on the dirt road wasn’t as nice as the white cobble. Dust clung to the bottom of my skirt by the time we reached Towdown.
After one woman looked at us disdainfully, I removed all our travel dust with a simple thought. The woman’s eyes rounded, and she ran off.
Rose chuckled, and I cringed.
“It’s only been a few months, and I’ve already forgotten what it’s like here,” I said.
Rose took my hand and patted it. “Don’t change who you are, Kellen. Not for anyone. Only those with ill intent hide their true nature.”
I glanced at Rose. “Did you not approach our glade in disguise?”
Rose smiled. “Perhaps this is my disguise. Who’s to say?”
I could feel that Eadric found her funny. The others, however, including my father, did not.
We hadn’t even reached the market when guards surrounded us. One of them attempted to touch me, which Edmund and Garron did not take kindly to, and I did not take kindly to the fists the guards threw in return for their accosting by my kings.
“Cease,” I said.
All those fighting froze, even my men.